subject: Puppy Training Biting [print this page] A puppy is an animal and will NOT magically learn acceptable types of behaviour. It is important that you as owner recognise this and attempt to tackle this problem as effectively and efficiently as possible without compromising the puppy's or your own safety.
Remember that a puppy is not always biting out of aggression, he may be teething, being playful, exploring, is over excited, scared or asserting alpha tendencies. Whatever the case, biting is not to be rewarded. A puppy needs boundaries to behave correctly and should only chew on toys approved by you. This means no chewing the sofa!
There are various methods and rules you could try to stop biting. I have listed the most successful:
Always encourage positive behaviour and discourage negative behaviour - this can be applied to all areas of puppy training.
Be consistent with your appraisal and what is aceptable behaviour for the dog - make the whole family (and any visitors) aware what the dog can and cant do.
Do NOT give your puppy any attention when he starts biting or chewing - you may find it useful to put the puppy in a room alone with no toys for a brief period when he has misbehaved or bitten someone.
Get the puppy to focus on a toy. It is a good way of demonstrating that it is acceptable to chew on a toy but not a person - a puppy may be over excited and this can help them calm down.
Whatever the case remember to be patient and consistent with your discipline and your dog will well on their way to becoming a loving member of your household.
Discover more about puppy training biting and general dog obedience at Secrets of Dog Training. Complete with videos and detailed information on ALL puppy training techniques.
