Why Does My Puppy Bite Me?

shallow focus photography of short-coated brown and white puppy

You’ve got yourself a new puppy! What an exciting time for you both.

Have you ever wondered why your puppy bites your toes or mouths your hand when playing?

It’s cute at first, but those razor-sharp teeth can be a little painful when your puppy goes into overzealous mode. 

a black and white photo of a dog
Photo by Rishi Dubey

Dogs are super curious little things, especially when they’re young, and are always looking for discoveries. This curiosity started when they were puppies. The world is massive, and, to a little pup, it can also be a little daunting. 

So, let’s look at the reasons why your puppy bites you.

white and black American pitbull terrier bit a yellow pig toy lying on grass outdoor during daytime

Could your puppy be frustrated?

Puppies are still figuring out how to be a dog. I’m sure it’s pretty hard to be a dog, with the four legs and all.

As you know you’ll need to start training your new furry friend, that’s obvious, we don’t need to tell you that. However, training your pup can lead to frustration, nipping, and an inability to control how they are feeling.

Think of it like this:

You have a bucket. Over time you fill it with water. At some point, if you don’t stop, the water will eventually overflow. Leading to a wet floor.

The same applies to your dog. Giving your dog more than it can handle will cause overstimulation which no amount of training will fix.

This is when your puppy starts misbehaving, chewing your fingers and being unreceptive. The best course of action, stop training and allow them to calm down and take a break. Training is a long process, there’s no need to rush.

shallow focus photography of white shih tzu puppy running on the grass
Photo by Joe Caione

Your puppy is learning the world.

Puppy biting is often a result of your pup exploring the world.

While they typically learn bite inhibition from littermates, some puppies need extra time to understand what’s acceptable. This exploratory stage can lead to scratched toes and frustration. Be patient as your puppy learns to control their bite.

They’re discovering their mouths.

This is the one of most common reasons why your puppy bites you.

A dog’s mouth is one of the most necessary tools for a dog. They eat, play, fight and defend with their mouths. So, when they’re puppies, they have a lot to discover when it comes to their mouths.

Your puppy is finding out how vital a mouth is to them. Think about babies; babies often stick things in their mouths because of textures, and to find out if things are edible, your puppy is the exact same. They want to know whether they can eat or chew the new “thing”. It’s all about discovering what they can. 

dog biting brown wood on road

Your puppy is teething.

Puppy teething is the most common reason why your puppy bites you. Yep, it’s that simple.

Do you remember when you were teething? It would be surprising if you did, but when you were a kid you put everything in your mouth. As we previously discussed, a few sentences back. Your puppy’s teeth are starting to pop out and as with any small creature, it hurts! All your puppy wants to do is soothe the ache and feel sorry for itself.

This is the point when your puppy will start to nibble your toes, your fingers, your chair legs, your sofa or literally anything it can get its chomps around.

How do I make my puppy stop biting me?

Stop having tasty toes?

In all seriousness, the best option is to distract the undesirable behaviour with lots of toys, chews and tonnes of positive reinforcement when they stop.

Setting boundaries on what your dog can and can’t chew is one of the most important lessons you’ll teach your puppy. It’s also a great way of creating a bond that will lead to success when training them.

There are hundreds of products designed to help your puppy with its teething, each chew created to ease the discomfort your puppy will be dealing with. 

Here’s a list of puppy toys we recommend.

  • Rosewood puppy teether
  • Kong Puppy Classic
  • KONG Goodie Bone
  • Benebone Puppy chews 
  • Small Coffee wood – if you want something natural.

* An important note to add – we don’t recommend rawhide chews for any dog and we have written a blog explaining why here.

All these puppy chew toys are safe for your puppy’s teeth. A little trick with these toys and others – put them in the freezer for a short time, the cold will help soothe your puppy’s gums.

Anything else?

Be patient with your puppy if they get a little out of hand; remind them that toes and fingers are not chew toys. Positive reinforcement is the best way to teach your new puppy this. Turning their attention to their new toy will help them develop the bond between the right things to chew and the wrong things to chew. 

It takes time. If you need help, some classes can help you train your puppy and support you during your puppy’s development.

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