How to stop a puppy from biting when excited?
That’s probably one of the most common question puppy owners have.
Those little teeth can be super sharp and painful. However, your little fur ball doesn’t seem to care in the least. And especially when he gets all ramped up and excited, he loves putting those little shark teeth all over you.
Yep, it’s really frustrating.
Luckily, there are a few really easy solutions that will help teach your pup stop this behavior pretty quicky.
So, let’s look at how to stop a puppy from biting when excited. But first, let’s clear up why your puppy is biting in the first place.
Why does my puppy bite me when excited?
Raising a puppy is a super rewarding experience. But there are also a lot of parts about puppy rearing that can be pretty frustrating. Potty training is one thing. The constant biting you may be experiencing is another.
If your new puppy just can’t seem to keep his little choppers off of you, or worse, your guests, you’re not alone. This is a really common issue for new puppy owners!
But just because it’s common, that doesn’t mean it’s something you need to put up with. With time and the right tools, you can teach your puppy to behave a little more politely.
Before we get into the reasons why your puppy is biting, make sure you check out these related articles:
Reason #1: It’s all just a game for him
Have you ever watched puppies play together? You may have noticed how rough it looks. They jump all over each other and—yes—they bite each other too!
Biting is one of the ways that puppies play with each other. Your puppy might be biting you simply because he feels like playing, and this is the only way he knows how to do it.
Plus, when you respond to him when he bites, you’re providing him with attention. A lot of the time, that attention is exactly what he’s looking for, even if it’s negative!
In short, your puppy might be biting constantly because biting you and your response to it feels like a game.
Reason #2: He doesn’t know it hurts you
While watching puppies play, or adult dogs for that matter, one thing might be confusing you. Some of that play looks so rough! Doesn’t it hurt them?
Well, puppies and dogs have a few layers of protection from each other’s bites. Not only do they have skin to protect them, but there’s a layer of fur too.
Humans don’t have any fur! That means that your puppy’s little teeth have a quite different impact on us than on other dogs.
But your puppy doesn’t necessarily know that. He may think that because it didn’t hurt his littermates when he bit them, that it doesn’t hurt you either.
That’s why it’s so important to teach your dog bite inhibition.
Reason #3: He loses control of himself when he gets excited
The world is still super new to your puppy because it’s all so new to him! Unfortunately, puppies tend to be unable to control themselves when they get too excited.
Since biting you and chasing you around already feels like a game to your puppy, it’s easy for him to get super excited. And that means that it’s also all too easy for him to lose control of himself.
If you’re interested in learning more about how to help your overexcited dog or puppy calm down and get back in control, check out these articles:
- 5 Tips to Calm an Overexcited Puppy Quickly
- My Dog Gets Overly Excited When Guests Come Over—What Can I Do?
- How Do I Stop My Dog From Humping and Mounting Everything?
How to stop a puppy from biting when excited
Puppy biting is really common behavior. But it’s not a behavior that you necessarily want to continue.
If you’re wondering when do puppies stop biting, the answer is—when you train them to!
But how do you do that? Well, let’s get into it.
Stop the fun as soon as he starts biting
When your puppy starts biting like this, the number one thing that he’s looking for is to keep the game going. Puppies love playing, and if you continue to play after he’s bitten you, that teaches him that biting gets him what he wants!
That’s why, as soon as your puppy starts getting mouthy or nippy, it’s time to stop playing.
By doing this consistently, you’ll show your puppy that biting doesn’t get him what he wants. In fact, it gets him the opposite!
Yelp and make a make a dramatic face
When puppies play together, if one puppy bites another too hard, the bitten puppy will yelp and stop playing. This is one of the best ways for them to learn bite inhibition.
You can mimic this behavior as a really effective way to teach your dog not to bite when he’s excited.
As soon as he bites, yelp loudly and make a face. Make sure you also stop playing for at least a few seconds.
Walk into a different room and close the door for a few seconds
If your puppy is still excited and biting you even after you yelp and stop the fun, then it might be time to walk away completely.
Remember, your puppy wants attention from you. Taking that attention away will help to teach him that biting isn’t the way to get what he wants, even if he thinks it’s super fun.
So, if he refuses to stop biting, then walking into a different room and shutting the door for a bit will help show him that you don’t like biting. It also shows him his game comes to a stop as soon as his chompers come out!
Play calmer games
When it comes to any type of training, setting your dog up for success is the best thing to do. If your dog always gets too excited, then it might be a better idea to play calmer games instead of super exciting ones.
This will hopefully stop your dog or puppy from getting so excited that he feels like biting in the first place.
There are lots of calm games you can play with your puppy that are super fun for both of you. Looking for some ideas to try? Make sure you check out these 10 brain games for dogs to play at home.
Keep him below his threshold
Your dog’s threshold is the point where he starts getting too excited and starts biting.
Remember, you want to set your dog up for success. It’s not enough to show him what you don’t want him to do. You want to show him what you do want him to do too!
So, when you’re playing, do your best to keep your puppy below his threshold. And reward him for his good behavior to teach him that this type of playing is something that you like!
Give your excited puppy a time out to stop him from biting
Sometimes it’s just a little too hard for your puppy to calm himself down. If you’ve stopped the fun, yelped when he’s bitten you, and walked away and he’s still trying to bite you, then you may want to give him a time out.
This is where crate training your puppy is going to be super useful. For some tips for crate training, check out these articles:
Once you’ve crate trained your puppy, you can use the crate to give your puppy a time out if he’s biting you too much. Send him into his crate for a minute or two to give him a chance to settle down.
When your puppy’s calm, you can try playing some more relaxed games with him.
Excited puppy biting FAQ
We’ve covered the basics of why your puppy is biting when excited, and how to stop him. Read on to find answers to a few common questions around this topic, too!
At what age do puppies stop biting?
If you’re dealing with puppy biting, you might be wondering how old he’ll be when he stops.
But the truth is that it’s not a waiting game! It all comes down to you and your training.
You can’t wait for your puppy to stop biting on his own. You need to show him that this isn’t appropriate behavior, and show him what he should do instead!
Work on your puppy’s bite inhibition as early as possible in his life. The sooner you get to work, the sooner you’ll have a puppy that knows not to bite!
For more information on overtired puppy biting, check out Overtired Puppy Biting—Change Your Little Shark into A Loving Puppy.
How to stop an excited puppy from jumping up and biting
Are you dealing with a puppy that’s jumping and biting? That can be really annoying and frustrating behavior.
It’s also behavior you’re going to want to put an end to right away. The bigger your puppy gets, the more dangerous jumping and biting will be, especially if you have a large breed!
Luckily, there are ways you can teach your puppy to behave more politely. If you’re looking to train your puppy not to do this, take a look at How to Stop a Puppy From Jumping Up and Biting for more information.
Conclusion
Puppies are super cute and they’re a lot of fun too. But a lot of puppy behavior is also really frustrating and annoying! If your puppy tends to bite you when he gets too excited, then you’re probably wondering how to put an end to this behavior.
To stop your puppy’s biting when excited, make sure to follow the above steps. By putting in the time and the work, you’ll teach your puppy a better way to manage his excitement. This will make him much nicer to be around, and way more fun to play with!
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