How To Solve Puppy Biting
Australian Shepherd
All puppies will display some form of biting behavior during puppy hood. Some biting will only occur during play, whereas other biting may be accompanied by growling and be more intense. Play biting in puppy hood is a normal behavior, but it needs to be modified so that the puppy does not harm anyone.
Techniques to manage biting in puppies:
Avoid aggressive play (wrestling, tug of war).
Keep your fingers curled when playing with your puppy.
Supervise play between children and puppies so that your puppy won’t learn to dominate the child.
When your puppy bites, make a high pitched sound (yip, ouch). This is similar to the sound puppies use when they are bitten by a litter mate.
Use time out (only for 5 – 10 minutes). Time outs should not be done in the dog’s crate as you never want a negative association with the crate. Instead use a bathroom or spare bedroom for time outs.
- Use a Gentle Leader Head collar (we will be happy to provide you with more information on this training technique).
- When the puppy is biting, redirect him/her to appropriate toys (Kong toy, Gumabone, toys stuffed with food).
We do not recommend bitter apple spray to control biting. It can increase anxiety, cause head shyness, and can lead to a negative experience.
