Nothing is cuter than a fresh faced little tail-wagger nipping at your fingers while at play. However, the game gets old quickly as their jaws get stronger. Puppies are cute, but there’s nothing cute about a full grown dog that hasn’t learned restraint. It’s best to break them of it when they’re young. After all, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.

First, understand that there isn’t anything wrong with a puppy biting, nipping, chewing, gnawing, or any other mouth-related actions he or she might take. It’s what they were born to do. The problem occurs when you haven’t properly socialized the munching mutt. Puppies need guidance, and that usually comes from a consistent set of rules enforced at regular intervals. The puppies that are worst behaved are usually the most confused, due to inconsistency.

So what should you do, specifically? Begin by reassuring yourself.  Training to avoid puppy biting isn’t particularly difficult. Here are some general do’s and don’ts to stop puppy biting.

Do:

• Yell “Ouch!” When your hand starts to sting from a puppy bite, make a loud noise and disengage from play. This makes an association in the puppy’s mind between hard biting and losing a playmate. It’s the same way puppies intermingle in the litter.
• Keep a toy handy. Every time you fall victim to a puppy bite, replace your flesh with a chew toy. They will eventually learn to chew on plastic rather than knuckle bones.
• If your puppy is teething, give them ice cubes to chew on. The cold is soothing to their sore gums.
• Wear kid gloves. One thing you can do to stop puppy biting is wear rubber gloves and coat them with a bitter or foul tasting substance. The puppy will latch on, give you a confused look, remove your hand from its mouth, and probably shake its head in a humorous fashion.
• Obedience training.  Giving your dog a well-rounded education will make him a lot more manageable. So eliminate puppy biting and teach them a few useful commands in one fell swoop.
• Don’t:
  • Don’t overdo it. Once you’ve found a training method you like, stick with it. Don’t overload your puppy with 20 different teaching techniques.
  • Don’t hit the puppy. Never strike your dog. Hands are for loving. If both pain and petting come from the same outlet, your dog will either think you are playing with them or they will become frightened of you. Both results are more likely to increase puppy biting.
  • Don’t wrestle around. Chasing or grappling with your puppy is fun, but they are dominance related activities. It’s best to avoid this during puppy bite training. Once puppy biting has ceased to be a problem, you can resume wrestling, but always be sure to calm your dog with petting and a soft reassuring voice when you’re done playing.
  Follow these tips and your puppy will seem a lot cuddlier and far less intimidating. Stay tuned for more vital pet information for your everyday life.