Puppy piranha: how to stop your puppy biting

Adult dogs bite during play far less often than puppies, and the reasons for this behaviour can be much more serious than a natural instinct to bite. If an adult dog is biting, talk to a behaviour specialist before trying the methods below.

Don't make things worse

Make sure you are not encouraging your puppy's bad behaviour yourself:

• do not play roughly with it, tease it or encourage it to fight;
• avoid games that encourage it to bite hands or feet;
• do not wear gloves when playing, as they allow or encourage biting;
• do not praise your puppy when it bites.

If biting gets your puppy attention, it will keep biting. You will encourage the biting even if you stroke it, pick it up, talk to it softly, push it away gently or even tell it off.

Redirect its energy

If your puppy keeps seeking attention by biting hard or playing roughly, it may not be getting enough walks, training and mental stimulation. Give it more chances to burn off energy and go for walks, and think of suitable ways for it to use its mouth and teeth. You, not the puppy, should be the one to start play.

Good ways to use up energy:

• long walks;
• fetch;
• running around in the garden;
• catching a ball;
• playing with other friendly young dogs;
• interactive toys that release treats during play, and long-lasting chew toys.

The more energy your puppy uses up in suitable play, the less it has left for biting. The training mantra: "A tired puppy is a good puppy."

Your puppy's dinner can be another training opportunity. Share out the dry kibble with another family member and stand at opposite ends of a large room or a long hallway. Take turns calling the puppy and asking it to sit to earn a piece of kibble. The puppy gets some exercise and learns to come to people and greet them by sitting rather than jumping up.

Start training early

Start socialisation classes or training with your puppy as soon as you can (read more about puppy socialisation). When teaching obedience commands, show that you are the one in control. Before giving your puppy something it wants or needs, ask it to sit. Now and then, ask it to stay seated for a couple of seconds before following you around the house, up the stairs or through a door. Ignore any pushy behaviour: nudging, pawing or whining for attention.

A long lead helps control biting and is especially useful in the garden. Attach a long lead to the collar, about 3 m (10 ft) indoors and about 6 m (20 ft) in the garden, and pick it up whenever you need to stop the biting. Never leave your puppy alone with a collar on.

Stubborn puppies may need a lead and a head collar. When your puppy is with the family, leave them on. As soon as it tries to bite, give the lead a gentle tug and the head collar will close its mouth. When it stops biting, release the lead straight away. With a head collar, every member of the family, even children, can manage the dog.

Teach gentle behaviour

You may want to let your puppy mouth gently during play. Gentle behaviour can be taught:

1. When your puppy is completely calm, put your hand in its mouth and praise it if it only holds your hand gently.
2. As soon as it presses harder and it hurts, say "Ouch" quickly and loudly, stop the game straight away and walk off.
3. Wait about ten seconds and then do something else with your puppy: give it a chew, throw something for it to fetch or practise obedience commands.

The "Enough" command

Gentle mouthing during play is fine, but it is very important to teach your puppy a "stop" command. The "Enough" command works well for when your puppy bites.

1. Start when your puppy is completely calm. Give it a piece of food and say "Good" in a calm voice.
2. Hold another piece in front of your puppy and say "Enough" in a firm voice. Do not raise your voice or shout.
3. If your puppy does not try to take the food or touch your hand for two seconds, say "Good" and give it the piece.
4. If it touches your hand before two seconds are up, or before you say "Good", immediately say "Enough" sharply, in a tone that makes it back off but does not frighten it. When you repeat the command a second time, lean in dramatically and look it in the eye.
5. Gradually increase the waiting time.
6. Once your puppy has learned to leave the food alone on command, practise without food, using just your hand.
7. Later, repeat the exercise when your puppy is more wound up or excited.

The aim is for your puppy to leave the food or your hand alone when you say "Enough", however tasty the treat or interesting the hand. For this to work, the whole family has to be consistent, the timing has to be precise, and training has to be repeated every day without breaks.

If needed, the "Enough" command can also be taught with a lead and head collar. When your puppy ignores the command and keeps biting, give the lead a gentle tug to close its mouth. In time your puppy will learn to stop biting as soon as it hears the command.

Give it time to calm down

There will probably be moments when your puppy is completely out of control and you do not have time to deal with it. Then it is best to take it to a quiet, safe place until it calms down. Once it has rested, let it out and encourage it to play suitable games.

Food-filled toys help draw its attention away from your hands. Use them only when you do not have the time or energy to retrain your puppy.

What not to do

Avoid harsh corrections and physical punishment. Never:

• hit your pet or tap it on the nose;
• press its lips against its teeth;
• shake it by the scruff;
• roll it onto its back;
• force your fingers into its mouth.

These methods are likely to make things worse, damage the bond between you and your pet and lead to more serious problems such as aggression and fear. Use positive training methods, and your puppy's "piranha" behaviour will soon fade.