Puppy biting and mouthing
Is your puppy nipping your hands, your ankles or the bottom of your trousers? At this age it is almost always play, exploration or teeth coming through, never aggression. Your job is not to stop him using his mouth: it is to show him where his teeth belong, and how hard he may squeeze.
What drives your puppy to nip
His teeth are hurting him
- Between roughly 4 and 7 months, teething makes his gums itch and ache.
- Chewing relieves the soreness in his gums: it is a physical need, not a whim.
He discovers the world with his mouth
- Like a baby who puts everything in his mouth, he touches objects with his teeth to work out what they are.
- Mouthing without squeezing is exploring, not attacking.
He is inviting you to play
- With his littermates, he used to nip to get a game going.
- He treats you like a littermate, in his own slightly clumsy way.
He is bursting with emotion
- Joy and excitement often come out through the mouth.
- The higher the pressure rises, the faster the teeth appear.
He is after a reaction from you
- A yelp, a jerk backwards, a hand waving about: to him, the game is still on.
- Without meaning to, you are rewarding exactly what you want to stop.
Nipping is a symptom: to settle it for good, look at what sits behind it. Most often it is a puppy who is not getting out enough, not stimulated enough, or who has been given too many bans at once without being shown a plan B.
Outlets first, technique second
A puppy who has run, sniffed, chewed and played settles by himself, and nips far less. Mental tiredness calms him as much as physical tiredness, sometimes more. In practice, aim for several outings a day, time to sniff at his own pace, and something to chew. Before you correct a stray tooth, ask yourself whether he has had his fill. Current veterinary recommendations point the same way: it is better to address the dog's needs and environment than to focus only on the behaviour you want to correct.
Teaching him to measure his jaw
Two rules, and do not mix them up. For play, always keep a toy between his teeth and your skin: never play rough with bare hands, or you teach him that your skin is a toy. The measuring lesson, on the other hand, happens in calm moments, when he rests his mouth on your hand without being wound up.
Using the teeth without squeezing is bite inhibition: it is learnt just as it is with the littermates, and it is what will let your adult dog hold his jaw back.
In a calm moment, let him rest his teeth on your hand as long as he does not squeeze
That soft contact, with no pressure, is exactly what he needs to learn to keep: you do not punish him for it.
Say “no” the moment you feel the teeth press into your skin
The threshold is the point where you really feel the pressure, even without pain. Say “no” within three seconds, otherwise he no longer connects it with what you are pulling him up on. One short word, always the same one, never shouted.
Stop the game and move away for 10 to 20 seconds
Stand up, take your hand away, move off for 10 to 20 seconds. Whatever you do, do not push him away with your hand: that would start the game up again.
Come back calmly, and praise him as soon as he keeps his mouth soft
He learns that teeth which squeeze lose him your attention, and that a soft mouth makes it last.
Do two or three cycles, no more, then switch activity: beyond that, a tired puppy winds up instead of learning. You can start as soon as he arrives home, at around two months.
This lesson lasts a lifetime: an adult dog who has never learnt to measure his jaw may, on a day of fear or pain, bite hard without meaning to. One who learnt early to hold his teeth back will, in the same situation, deliver a restrained bite that leaves a harmless mark rather than a real wound.
What to redirect the teeth onto
Offer him several materials to chew: depending on the area of his jaw, he needs something soft, something firm that gives a little, and something to pull on.
Best choices
Best avoided
Losing the milk teeth
A puppy has 28 milk teeth. He starts to lose them around 4 months, replaced one by one by his 42 adult teeth, all in place by around 7 months (Merck Veterinary Manual). The peak of nipping often falls at that point, when his gums itch the most.
Going further
- AVSAB — Position Statement on Humane Dog Training (2021)
- Dental Development of Dogs, Merck Veterinary Manual
- Niemiec et al. — Global Dental Guidelines, WSAVA (2020)
Frequently asked questions
Why does my dog nip me?
Most often he is inviting you to play, exploring the world with his mouth, or his teeth are itching if he is still young. It is normal social behaviour, not aggression. Give him a toy to bite instead of your hand.
Why does my dog nip me when he is happy?
Because joy and excitement often spill out through the mouth: the higher the pressure rises, the sooner the teeth appear. Offer him an outlet (a rope, a toy) and take a calm break before it climbs too high.
At what age does a dog lose his milk teeth?
A puppy has 28 milk teeth and starts to lose them around 4 months; his 42 adult teeth are all in place by around 7 months (Merck Veterinary Manual). That is often when he nips the most.
How do you teach a puppy not to bite?
By teaching him to measure his bite: in a calm moment, you let him rest his teeth as long as he does not squeeze, you say “no” as soon as you feel the pressure, then you stop for 10 to 20 seconds. For play, always keep a toy between his teeth and your skin. Never any physical punishment, never roll him onto his back.
At what age does a puppy stop nipping?
Often towards the end of teething, at around 6 to 7 months, if you stay consistent day to day and his needs for exercise and chewing are met. Every puppy goes at his own pace.
My puppy bites my ankles and trousers, what should I do?
Do not move the leg: a moving fabric or ankle becomes prey to chase. Go still, redirect him onto a toy, and check he is getting out and letting off steam enough. It is common in herding-type puppies, it is instinct, not nastiness.
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