Training Your Dog about Biting, Mouthing, and Teething
Puppies will always be their normal playful selves, which is natural
behaviour for them. Let’s not deny the fact that watching a puppy romp
about in a playful mood is the perfect antidote when you are feeling
down. While playfulness is acceptable, biting and mouthing could be
annoying. However, the first thing is to realize that biting and
mouthing are normal for puppies. They learn to control how hard they
bite when they play with other puppies, which is why a puppy needs to
stay with the mother and its siblings for the first ten weeks. This is
an important stage in the development of puppies, where they learn to
control their jaw muscles, or else they will grow up to be ferocious
biters.
 Methods to Prevent Biting Training a puppy not to bite is as
essential as house training. If your pup has been brought away from its
mother before ten weeks, then it is important to train him or her not to
bite. The best way is to let him play with other puppies or dogs, if
possible. As with humans, puppies need to socialize. This is essential
for their overall development. A good way to stop a puppy from biting is
to shriek aloud every time he bites, just the same way another puppy
would. This will prompt him to stop and know when he has crossed his
limits. Ignore him for a minute after you shriek, so that he knows he
can’t get your attention by biting. Instead of a shriek, growling will
also help, as that is what the mother would normally do to show her
displeasure. It may take a while, but your puppy will eventually learn.
The only thing is to make sure that family members persist with the same
treatment so that the pup isn’t confused with varied reactions. The
golden rule is to avoid any positive reinforcement when it comes to
biting.
Sending Out the Right Signals
 Playing rough is a big NO.
Rough games will only encourage them to bite. Instead, get your pup a
variety of toys, chewies, and other items that he can play with. This
alleviates any discomfort during the teething process. Excessive rough
play will only increase a pup’s biting habit. Another thing to avoid is
making darting motions around the puppy’s face. This may appear teasing
and playful, but this is what can trigger off biting and mouthing
instincts.
There should be no rewards for biting and mouthing. This will give
him the impression that he can get your attention this way. A great way
to put a stop to biting is to send him back to his bed or crate, or
punish him by putting him outside. This will send the right signal
across to him, and he will soon learn to avoid behaving in an
inappropriate manner. Channel your pup’s playfulness in other areas.
Play fetch, allow him to explore the place and run around. When you
notice a significant change in his behaviour, which is the right time to
reward him. He will soon learn that his behaviour is what gets him a
reward.
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