All puppies nip or bite at your hands, fingers, toes, feet, and ankles.
But there’s one big reason that you should not allow this behavior anymore.
Here’s how — and why — to stop a puppy from nipping and biting…
The #1 Reason To Stop Puppy Biting
While all puppies nibble and bite on your hands, your ankles, and everything else they can get their mouth on, you should not permit this behavior with you (or other people) for this one reason:
Biting says, “I’m more dominant than you.”
Biting at a person’s hand is the puppy’s way of testing their dominance in the pack. (Yes, you are part of his “pack” now.)
Since there should never be any question that YOU are the Alpha dog, from this day forward you must never allow a puppy to nibble or bite at your hands (or feet).
How To Stop The Nipping And Biting
To stop a puppy from nipping or biting, try this:
- Use your thumb and forefinger to roll the puppy’s top lips under his teeth so that he bites down on them.
- The puppy will whimper after he’s bit his lip.
- At the same time, you should adamantly say “NO!”.
The trick is consistency. From this point forward, you should never let your puppy mouth on peoples’ hands or nip at any other person from now on.
It won’t take long before puppy gets the message.
Stop your puppy from nipping by covering your hand with peanut butter and letting it lick it off. This trains it to associate licking with the hand, not nipping. Never hit the dog’s nose or mouth.
—Tamar Geller, Animal Behaviorist
More Ways To Stop Puppy Biting
- How to Stop A Puppy From Biting
- Animal Planet Tips For Puppy Nipping & Biting
- How To Stop A Young Dog From Biting & Chewing
I like to help people find unique ways to do things in order to save time & money -- so I write about "outside the box" ideas that most wouldn't think of. As a lifelong dog owner, I often share my best tips for living with and training dogs. I worked in Higher Ed over 10 years before switching gears to pursue activities that I'm truly passionate about. I've worked at a vet, in a photo lab, and at a zoo -- to name a few. I enjoy the outdoors via bicycle, motorcycle, Jeep, or RV. You can always find me at the corner of Good News & Fun Times as publisher of The Fun Times Guide (32 fun & helpful websites).
