When Do Puppies Stop Biting?

Just got your new puppy? Wondering when puppies stop their constant biting and nibbling?

Biting is natural behavior for any puppy. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be pretty frustrating.

With a little help, puppies can learn to stop biting. Here’s all the information you need.

Table of Contents

When do puppies stop biting?

As cute as your new puppy might be, there are probably a lot of things he does that you find pretty annoying. Some of them might even be painful—like biting!

There are few things more irritating about puppies than their razor-sharp teeth biting you.

Unfortunately, biting is just part of having a puppy. Puppies tend to play with each other by biting and jumping all over each other.

Your puppy will keep doing it to you because he doesn’t quite know that this isn’t a good way to play with humans yet!

The good news is that it’s totally possible for you to teach him to stop. In fact, as a dog parent, showing him better ways to play is one of the most important things you should do!

But before we get into how you can train your puppy to stop biting, we should talk a little more about why they bite.

You might also want to take a look at these related puppy articles:

Do puppies outgrow biting?

If you are currently being terrorized by a biting puppy, you might be wondering if your puppy will ever stop on his own.

All dogs interact with the world through their mouths. When your puppy is still super young, he’s got a lot of extra exploring to do. There’s so much in the world he doesn’t understand, and he’s probably going to try and bite a lot of it to figure it all out.

As your puppy gets used to things, he might feel the need to bite less. But unless you teach him what’s okay to bite and what’s not, he’s probably still going to be a pretty mouthy adult dog—and that’s a lot less cute!

It’s your job to work with your puppy and teach him that biting certain things isn’t okay.

Do puppies stop biting at 6 months?

By the time your puppy is about 6 months old, you’ve probably done a lot with him in terms of training. He’ll still be super active and energetic at this age.

But how long are puppies crazy, exactly? And when do puppies stop biting you? Well, a lot of it depends on you!

Once your puppy reaches around 6 months old, he should have a fairly firm grasp on your training. If you’ve been consistent with working with him to stop him biting, he should be well on his way to knowing not to use his teeth on you.

How do you get a puppy to stop biting you?

If you want puppies to stop biting you, then you need to put in the work. It’s your job to teach him that biting just isn’t okay!

But how exactly do you do that? Especially when your puppy seems so intent on biting everything he can see—including you!

Here are a few tips that will show your puppy that there are better ways to play or explore the world.

1. Stop the fun

The number one thing you are going to want to do as soon as your puppy starts biting is to stop all the fun.

If you’ve seen puppies play together, then you’ve probably seen the way they jump and bite each other. This is a normal part of puppy play time!

Puppies will encourage each other to keep playing by continuing to jump and bite. In their mind, biting their playmates is a sure way to get more fun!

That means that the most effective way to stop a puppy from biting during playtime is to stop any fun from continuing.

Stay very still and refuse to keep playing with him. You may even need to get up and walk away. Your puppy will try to get you to keep playing, but should quickly realize that the game is over.

When you do this consistently, it trains your puppy to understand that biting won’t get him what he wants. This is a form of positive reinforcement dog training.

2. Yelp and make an upset face

Have you ever wondered how puppies are even able to play with each other with teeth that sharp? Well, part of the reason is that dogs have a lot of fur that protects them from each other’s bites.

But our human skin doesn’t! That’s exactly why it hurts us so much more. Sadly, that’s something your puppy isn’t going to understand.

Every once in a while, a puppy might actually bite another puppy a little too hard, despite the furry protection. When this happens, the bitten puppy will often yelp. This tells the biter that they chomped a little too hard, and need to be gentler.

You can try this tactic yourself. Yelp and make an unhappy face, then stop playing. Your puppy will realize he made a mistake. With consistency, he’ll learn to play a little gentler.

3. Walk away

Sometimes just stopping playtime or yelping isn’t enough. Puppies can get pretty riled up and overexcited.

If you’re looking for some advice on overexcitement in puppies, these articles can help:

If your puppy is in a state where he just can’t control himself anymore, then you might need to walk away from him.

You might want to go to another room for a couple of minutes and let him settle down. Removing his access to you will teach him that biting means he doesn’t get to hang out with you at all.

4. Give him something else to chew on

Sometimes, a puppy’s mouth just needs something to chew on.

You may find that puppies who are teething are especially mouthy. Teething can be a really uncomfortable process for a puppy, just like it is for humans!

If your puppy is teething, or even if he just won’t stop biting you, it might be a good idea to give him something else he can chew on.

Not only will this keep your puppy’s mouth busy, but it has some added benefits too. Chewing makes a dog’s brain release serotonin. This hormone can help to regulate mood and generate feelings of overall wellbeing.

Make sure you have some safe toys to chew on or some tasty chewies on hand to give to your puppy before he starts getting too riled up!

chewies and chew toys keep dogs occupied for a long time

5. Give him a time out

Sometimes puppies just get a little too overstimulated, and they stop being able to control what they’re doing.

You might find that your puppy simply refuses to listen to any commands that he already knows. He might also be constantly trying to bite you and chew on you.

If you’ve tried all the above tips and this is still happening, it’s probably time for a time out.

This is one of the many reasons why you should consider crate training your puppy. Crates are often seen as cruel, but they’re only cruel if they’re not used correctly.

When you take the time to crate train your puppy properly, you’ll teach him that his crate is a nice, quiet place he can go to calm down.

Then, when he starts acting out, you can simply send him to his crate to calm down for a while.

Have some questions about crate training your puppy? Make sure you take a look at these related articles:

How to stop a puppy from biting in specific situations

Now you know generally why puppies start biting, and when you can expect your puppy to stop.

You also know some helpful tips for getting your puppy to learn to stop biting.

But there may still be some specific situations you have questions about. Let’s get into how you can stop your puppy from biting in these situations.

How to stop a puppy from biting when excited

When puppies are young, they’re still learning how to deal with their feelings. They’re a lot like human kids in that they don’t always know the best way to express their emotions.

When a puppy gets too excited, he might try to deal with these feelings by biting.

But that’s not a very nice way to show you what he’s feeling. Again, as his owner, it comes down to you to teach him some better ways to deal with what he’s experiencing.

If you’re wondering how to stop puppies from biting when excited, there are a few things you can try.

The most important thing is to do your best to keep your puppy from becoming overexcited. That means playing calmer games that won’t encourage biting. If he does start biting, step a little back from play and let him settle down.

Mental stimulation can also be a wonderful training tool if used correctly. Check out Braintrainingfordogs to learn how to train your dog to be the best dog he can be by using mental stimulation! Or have a look at Dogpackr’s review first to see if it’s a fit for you and your dog!

How do I get my puppy to stop biting my hands and feet?

It’s annoying when your puppy tries to bite you anywhere. But it’s probably extra annoying when your puppy won’t stop going for your sensitive hands and feet.

There are a couple of things you can do to help curb this behavior. First, remember the above steps and stop moving as soon as your puppy bites your hands or feet. Don’t try to pull them away, since that will make your puppy feel like he’s playing a game. Wait until he stops and then do a calmer activity.

Second, you can also try hand-feeding him. This will help your puppy associate your hands with feeding time. He won’t want to hurt what’s giving him food after that!

My puppy keeps biting me aggressively

When puppies play, they tend to get pretty mouthy. They might jump all over the place and even growl or bark!

This is totally normal behavior, and nothing to be concerned about.

But if what your puppy is doing doesn’t seem normal to you, then there could be an issue. Aggressive puppies can grow up to be aggressive dogs. He might end up putting you, himself, or others in danger.

There are ways you can help to stop this behavior from going too far. You can also always speak to a dog trainer for some extra help.

To learn more, check out these 6 signs of an aggressive puppy and how to stop it.

Puppy biting FAQ

Still have questions about puppy biting? Here are the answers you’re looking for!

When do puppies stop teething?

The teething process can be a long and uncomfortable one. And that means for both you and your puppy!

Most puppies start teething once they hit 2 weeks old. By the time they’re around 8 months, they should have all their adult teeth.

As unpleasant as the process can be, there are things you can try doing. Give your puppy plenty of things that are safe to chew. Remember to puppy-proof your house as best you can so he can’t get his mouth on anything unsafe.

My puppy won’t stop biting me, I’ve tried everything!

When it comes to any kind of dog training, the name of the game is consistency and patience. You can’t expect to see results right away. If it’s only been a few days that you’ve been trying to keep your puppy from biting, give it a few weeks.

Some puppies catch on faster than others so just be patient. If it’s been weeks or even months and your puppy is still going for you, check out how to stop your puppy’s biting habit for good.

Conclusion

Watching a puppy grow up can be a really wonderful and rewarding experience. But with teeth that sharp, it can be a pretty painful one too! Luckily, there are ways you can teach your puppy to stop biting. Try them out and watch your puppy transform from a tiny shark into a truly adorable little friend!

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