Puppy Training Tips for Dog Biting
Play nice: Choose the right types of games with play with your puppy. Tug of war, rough play and waving your hands in front of your puppy's face can encourage puppy biting.
Stop playing: If you are playing with your puppy and he nips or bites at you, say no and leave the room immediately to take attention away from the puppy. Your dog will learn that biting will cause his playmate to leave and that the fun is over. Everyone in your family must learn to do this, especially children. Once the puppy has calmed down you can start playing again and showing him attention with praise and playing.
Respond and replace: Another method to stop dog biting is to respond to the nipping and replacing your hand with a toy. When your puppy bites you, make a loud whelping noise like another puppy in the litter might do and immediately give your puppy a toy. Praise him for playing with the toy instead of your hand. If the whelping noise makes your puppy more excited, try a different method. Using a loud noise like a whistle or a can filled with coins or pebbles to startle the dog can also be effective.
Socializing: Introducing your dog to other puppies through puppy obedience schools to allow your puppy to socialize and learn the right way to behave with other dogs. Socialized dogs are less likely to be anxious or display aggressive behavior later in life.
Consistency: Be consistent with your training methods, like leaving the room or making a noise and giving your puppy a toy instead after biting. If you allow your puppy to bite sometimes he will be confused and will not understand when it is wrong to bite and when it is part of fun and games. Start using these methods as early as possible once the puppy is in your home. Be assertive towards your puppy rather than acting like another playmate in the litter.
Praise: Owners should never hit their puppy when he bites; this can cause more aggressive or anxious behavior and will not solve your biting problem. Instead, use the respond and replace method and praise your puppy when he uses the toy. Praise is also a very helpful tool for puppy potty training and crate training.
Spay or neuter your pets: Spaying or neutering your dog is encouraged to prevent aggressive behavior like biting and roaming the neighborhood where he is likely to come in contact with other animals. Spayed or neutered animals are three times less likely to bite than those that aren't spayed or neutered.