My puppy bites when excited. How do I stop his nipping behavior?

Congratulations on your new puppy! What a cutie. This is a normal but frustrating puppy behavior! I would highly recommend reviewing this article by veterinary behaviorist Sophia Yin https://drsophiayin.com/blog/entry/puppy_play_leads_to_nip_marks_on_hands_and_arms/ for strategy on how to deal with this problem. I would also recommend her book Perfect Puppy in 7 Days. It is a great resource for puppy owners, as is The Puppy Primer by Patricia McConnell. How long this behavior lasts depends on the puppy and how quickly you work on training, but it is not uncommon for several months if the behavior is not addressed.

I'm not entirely sure if you're referring to actual aggression (intent to bite), or just nipping behavior, which is very normal and common in puppies. If Cooper is doing the usual puppy nipping (very excited, wiggly body, chewing on everything, jumping up, etc), then there are a few things you can do. One is to just get up and walk away when he becomes too excited, and ignore him (you may need to leave the room). Once he is calm, you can start play again to help teach him that nipping behavior doesn't get attention. Yelping out Ouch! In a high pitched voice can also help, as it mimics playing too rough with a litter mate. Replacing the chewing/nipping with an appropriate toy so his mouth is occupied can also help. Be sure to praise and give him attention when he is focused on his toys, rather than your hand! Puppies do start to get adult teeth around 6-7 months of age, so you may see a surge in nipping and chewing then as well! If Cooper is showing actual aggression (growling, stiff body, whale eyes, pinned back ears, snarling, showing teeth, biting to try and break the skin) then this is a serious and complex situation that should be checked out by a veterinary behaviorist in person. You can look for one in your area by following this link: http://www.dacvb.org/about/member-directory/

I am sorry to hear about your issues with Pacha. These are quite common problems in puppies. I would recommend reviewing these articles by veterinary behaviorist Dr. Sophia Yin for ideas on how to stop these issues: https://drsophiayin.com/blog/entry/excessive-barking-why-some-dogs-bark-and-how-to-fix-it/ and https://drsophiayin.com/blog/entry/puppy_play_leads_to_nip_marks_on_hands_and_arms/

I am sorry to hear about your issues with Cookie. This can be a very frustrating problem especially with young children. I recommend following the methods of Dr. Sophia Yin (a veterinary behaviorist) for this issue, You can read about her methods at https://drsophiayin.com/blog/entry/puppy_play_leads_to_nip_marks_on_hands_and_arms/ and https://drsophiayin.com/blog/entry/cream_puff_the_indonesia_moodle_dog/

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your questions! It sounds like Jacky is dealing with aggressive behavior. This can be playful and it can be aggressive. Behavioral modification training classes can really help out with this behavior and socializing him more in public can really be beneficial. If he is a stressful dog, you can try pheromone collars to help calm him. But behavior classes are going to help quite a bit if you are able to get him into a class. Otherwise, there are loads of resources online for behavioral training for dogs and correcting this behavior. Persistence and patience are key! I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

It is quite frequent to see this kind of reaction, but this behaviour has to be stopped immediately. I would recommend to start training him as soon as possible. Every time he bites (no matter what he is doing, if excited or playing) you have to stop giving him attention, turn your back to him or go away. That is a kind of negative reinforcement, a very negative command for him. Usually puppies learn from it very quickly and in few weeks they stop doing that. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Playful biting and mouthing are very normal at this age - Piper is still quite young, so she is still learning how to control herself when she gets excited. You are doing the right thing by redirecting her to a toy or some other object to chew on when she starts to bite. To increase the chances of this tactic working, make sure that you have a variety of different toys to use when you play with her - long floppy rope or fleece toys for tugging, plush toys for biting and carrying, and smaller toys or balls for chasing and fetching. Experiment with different toys and different types of play to see what she likes, so that you know how to engage her effectively when she gets excited. You can also help by learning to recognize the signs that she is starting to get overly wound up, so that you can switch to a calmer activity (such as training, or giving a chew item like a bully stick or a Kong stuffed with peanut butter) before she starts to bite you. I do not recommend any kind of punishment for this behavior, as it often makes the dog more frustrated and worsens the problem over time. Instead, be patient and continue to redirect her to toys or other activities when she starts to get excited. She should grow out of this behavior as she gets older and more emotionally mature.