Playful puppies are a lot of fun, but a puppy that doesn’t understand how sharp and dangerous its teeth are is a problem. So teaching your puppy not to bite or “nip” is very important. Let’s go over some ground rules in regards to puppy’s playtime.
One way to begin this training your dog about biting and nipping is to avoid using your hands when playing. Use a toy to play with your brand new puppy – if you use your hands to shove, bat or roughhouse with your puppy you are more likely to get them nipped at with teeth as the puppy will see your hand as a toy and not as attached to their human companion.
Keep a variety of toys on hand for puppy to play with. There are many kinds of doggy toys ranging from soft to hard, all made with the same idea that puppies love to chew. And, they’re certainly less costly than a new couch or a trip to the emergency room! The only rule is that the toys should not resemble things that your dog is not allowed to chew on. Chew toys that look like sticks, bones or fire hydrants are fine. Chew toys that look like your cat – definitely not fine.
Use a deterrent like Bitter Apple Spray or similar substance to keep puppy’s mouth off things that aren’t for puppy to chew on. When puppy grabs at you with his mouth, shove a toy between yourself and the puppy to show puppy what is acceptable. Don’t say “no” or anything else to imply the toy is wrong, merely replace the unwanted behavior with the right behavior.
Do not allow puppy to chew, pull, or otherwise “attack” things that are attached to you, including pants, shoes, hands, etc. It might be fun when puppy is small to hold his mouth and wrestle, but you’re teaching him the wrong thing and he’ll learn to attack your hand (in fun) when he’s a lot bigger too.
Definitely do not give startling or excited reactions to your puppy’s biting you. This makes it seem like a game and makes it more fun for puppy. Instead, stick with what was mentioned before and merely replace the bad behavior with good.
When puppy badly misbehaves, don’t shake, hit, or loudly scold him. Instead, calmly pick him up and put him in a quiet spot (kennel, crate, etc.) and give him and yourself a few minutes to calm down. Then let him out and continue play. Do not use the kennel as a “punishment,” as you want him to be comfortable there. Instead, just put him away calmly for a few minutes and ignore his pleas until he’s calmed down.
Teach your puppy fun games like fetching, hide-and-seek, and the like. Just remember that if playtime abruptly ends every time puppy has bad behavior, he’ll stop being bad in order to extend playtime.
Having a puppy or new dog is very rewarding, but you must keep in mind that there are many dog training tools out there that will help you train your dog as well. Some of these tools come from the manufacturer Innotek such as the Innotek 300 dog training collar, the Innotek ADV-1000P dog collar, or if you have two dogs that need to be trained you might want to try the Innotek ADV-1000P dog training collar.
