Q&A for How to Get Your Puppy to Stop Biting

Play biting is normal behavior, and another puppy yelping because yours bit too hard is the quickest way to learn bite inhibition. If your puppy is biting too much, then remove her from the game as soon as she bites. Let her calm down, and then let her resume playing. The idea is to teach her that being too boisterous stops the game.

Small children move quickly and have high-pitched voices, both of which are things that mark them out to the puppy as play objects. Teach the children to sit still and be quiet when the puppy is around. Then get the puppy used to being in their presence without biting, by distracting the puppy with a squeaky toy. Also do some "Sit" training in the children's presence, and reward the dog when he ignores the kids. Avoid getting the puppy over excited as this triggers the urge to play bite, so take regular time outs during play to allow him to calm.

Puppies stop teething at 7 months. This is when their permanent molars are fully grown in.

It really depends on you. Where do you live? For example, an apartment will not be suitable for a large breed. Do you have/plan on having children? Puppies or young dogs that are energetic might not be the best with children. Hundreds of factors determine if you should have a dog or what kind, you'll just have to do some research. Start with breeds you find most appealing and go from there.

When your puppy bites you, yelp loudly and remove your hand to signal that playing has stopped, then ignore the puppy for 20 seconds. Physical isolation from the pack sends a strong message to the puppy that she has acted incorrectly. If the puppy bites you again, get up and leave for 20 seconds. After the 20 seconds are up, go back and start playing your puppy again. You want to communicate that gentle play is encouraged and rough play is discouraged.

You can try to retrain the dog with new activities and games that are not rough. If the dog begins playing rough, then leave them for 20-30 seconds. If they still bite, start leaving for longer periods of time.

When their molars have fully grown in. This typically occurs by the time they are 7 months old.

Try calling the puppy's name. You can also whistle or snap, whatever works best for you and your puppy.

Take her to a puppy training class. Getting advice from an expert is the best way to teach your puppy not to bite, as the expert should be experienced.

Many dogs will allow you to brush their teeth, otherwise you can get treats that maintain dental health, like "Dentastix."

Don't encourage it, even though it may seem cute. Ignore your dog until he stops jumping, then give them plenty of attention.

You could use a free hand to hold the leash above their head, or spray the leash with anti biting spray.

If she does this, put her in a room (not a small room, you can use a laundry room) with a puppy gate blocking her off. Then, leave her in there for a couple of minutes. It's okay if she whines or barks; don't react to it. Once she's calmed down, let her back out. You will likely have to do this many times to train her out of the behavior.

You must get his attention. If he is trained, say sit. Or you can distract him with a treat, or grab his jaw, gently but firmly, and take out the obstruction from his mouth.

Leave and ignore her for a while. If she keeps growling, continue to ignore your dog. When she growls and the ignoring makes her stop, reward her with a treat.

Take your puppy out with you in medium-trafficked areas such as stores or other public places that are pet friendly. Exposing the puppy to strangers, both human and dog alike, will start to ease them into running into these strangers. Obviously, a new face is always a little intimidating or exciting for a puppy, so there will always be that chance that they will respond with barking or tugging.

Try to be calmer around your dog. When you are playing with them don't play excitable games or play for too long. If you let your dog inside, give them small pats and get them to lie or sit down and try not to rile them up.

When she bites you, just yelp! Yelping and getting up suddenly with a strong sound like Ah Ah! Also, do not show your hands to the puppy for a few moments after the bite. This will send the message that biting means playtime is paused. If you can afford it, buy a muzzle. But do not put it on the dog using force. Put a little treat inside the muzzle and invite the puppy to put its snout inside. Praise it very much. Show her that if it is wearing the muzzle, she gets more attention. Then she will associate the muzzle with love.

It can seem like your puppy has unlimited energy, especially when they're super young. Keep lots of new, exciting toys around, and take your puppy on multiple walks per day. Depending on your dog's breed, they might need more exercise than the average puppy does.