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How to stop my 10-month-old puppy from biting and nipping?
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Dog | English Springer Spaniel | Female | spayed | 10 months and 13 days old
My 10 month old puppy still wants to bite everyone, how do I make her stop? (She dont listen when we have said stop) As at times it does really hurt.
4 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Answered By Jessica Desrosiers
Veterinary Technician
Published on September 4th, 2016
One is to loudly yelp "OUCH!" and immediately stop play and walk away/ignore your dog. This mimics when your dog was playing with littermates and played too roughly. Your dog will also learn that when she is too energetic and nips play stops and attention is gone, which is boring! If she is calm and not nipping, offer lots of praise and treats to encourage that behavior instead.
Next is the "airplane" game. Place your dog in a sitting position and put a treat in your hand. Raise it above your dog's head and begin to slowly bring it down toward your dog. If she gets up out of the sitting position, stop, place her back in a sit, and then start again. Once she can calmly sit still for the treat coming to her, offer it and praise! This can help teach her to sit calmly rather than jumping or nipping.
You can also work on taking treats gently/mouthing inhibition by placing a treat in your hand and closing your fist. At first, your dog may attempt to gnaw on or chew on your hand to get the treat. A small "ouch!" can help, but you will have to wait a few minutes until she settles down. Once she is calm and not chewing on the hand, offer her the treat with a "gentle" command. It will take a few tries (and a sore hand at first), but it will help teach her to wait for treats and toys from your hand without nipping and chewing on them!
Trading your hands and other objects for toys that are appropriate to chew on can also help. Offer an appropriate chew toy instead, and be sure to praise any time she is found chewing on the right objects instead!
36Pet Parents found this answer helpfulRelated Answers from Veterinarians
Answered By Dr. Heidi DVM, CVA, CCRT, CVTP, CVSMT, CVCH
Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist, Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner
Published on March 28th, 2018
Congratulations on your new puppy! Play biting and being excessively "mouthy" is very common in puppies. I have not personally had luck with the techniques of saying "No!" or holding the muzzle. I that makes puppies more excited. My general rule for puppies is that you make a high pitched squeak (like a littermate puppy would do if they bit too hard), then walk away from the situation. More than anything, Grace wants to play with you. If you walk away, it is negative reinforcement, so she is less likely to do that behavior again. Depending on the puppy, the goal is to get them to look away from you or start doing something else before you engage in play again. I found that a long rope toy made a good toy to play with my puppy because there was lots of toy for him to bite at without touching my skin. I also found that allowing him to play with other dogs was a great way for him to learn what is appropriate play. I took my dog to doggy day care twice a week as a puppy which really helped with his energy level as well as appropriate play technique. And finally, start a puppy class. A basic obedience class is so important for a puppy. They want to behave, but don't know what to do with their energy.
I hope that was helpful! Good luck! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Jessica Desrosiers
Veterinary Technician
Published on July 5th, 2017
Puppy training will certainly be helpful, as it will give you a way to sort of learn each other's language under the supervision of a professional. At home with the nipping, you may want to try just getting up and walking away, ignoring Nova. Once she has calmed down, you can then return to playing, and be sure to offer a treat or praise every time she is calm and chewing on her own toys instead of you. Puppies will gradually grow out of being mouthy and nippy, similar to human toddlers, but can have an uptick in chewing again when they start to get their adult teeth at around 6 months of age. Once adults, most dogs will grow out of nipping, especially if you stay on top of training.
2Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Jessica Desrosiers
Veterinary Technician
Published on December 14th, 2018
Nipping and chewing and exploring the world with their mouth is very normal for a puppy of this age. A few things you can do (and your daughter can do) are to stop play completely when Clover gets too excited and starts to nip. Once she is calm and settled down, play can resume. High-pitched squealing or yelling "ouch!" can also help teach her that she is nipping a little too hard. Offering her a toy that is appropriate to chew on and praising her for that can also help redirect her chewing behavior to those items as well.
Since you have young kids, I also highly recommend teaching stuff such as "Leave it", and a soft mouth or "taking treats gently" to avoid accidental nips. Once she is old enough, a puppy kindergarten class is also a great way to help teach some new behaviors and bond- something your daughter can do with you to help her gain a little confidence!1Pet Parents found this answer helpful