How to stop a puppy from biting your feet and hands.
If you have a puppy, you know how painful their sharp little puppy teeth can be! One of the most common requests I get from people is how to stop their puppy from biting them. Understanding why your puppy bites you and what their needs are can help you stop them from biting you.
Understanding playful vs. aggressive biting.
Puppies explore the world, play and communicate with their mouths! They like to chew on things, and they bite their littermates and mom when they’re playing and communicating. A lot of people think their puppy is biting them aggressively, but in most cases, those moments are really just puppies in highly energetic states—growling, barking and biting your feet and hands while wiggling and bouncing around is totally normal! There are situations where your puppy might be biting you aggressively—the most common situations are if your puppy is guarding a toy, bone or food, or if you’re trying to pick up your puppy when they don’t want to be picked up. Puppies who are biting aggressively often have a stiff body, pinned back ears, and a low, crouching body posture. If you think your puppy is biting you aggressively, definitely reach out to a professional for help!
Why your puppy bites your feet and hands.
Puppies love to chase and bite what they can reach! This is why they will often go for your feet and hands, and chase your kids when they are running around. Puppies bite when they need things to chew on, and they can even start biting you when they are in need of a nap! A good way to determine why your puppy is biting you is to do a little process of elimination: First, try to play with them! Grab a soft stuffed animal or rope toy and instead of running around, wiggle the toy around! If they chase the toy and try to bite it and tug on it, that’s a good sign they are wanting to play. If they ignore the toys you try and offer them and continue biting you, they may be needing something to chew on. Offering them a bully stick or digestible rawhide can help you determine whether they are needing something to chew on. For more information on how to help a puppy who needs things to chew on, check out my other blog post! If your puppy rejects your attempts to play with them and the opportunities to chew on something, they may just need a nap! This is where all your hard work crate training your puppy will come in handy—Don’t get angry with your puppy if they are biting you, just calmly move them to their crate in a quiet place and let them rest. Puppies play hard and also nap hard!
How to stop your puppy from biting your feet and hands.
Providing your puppy with appropriate outlets and clear communication is essential to stop them from biting you. This means giving them appropriate things to chew on, and play with, like playing tug or fetch with them, or letting them have puppy playdates with safe dogs you know (do NOT go to the dog park!). Some people think that squealing or shrieking when their puppy bites them will get them to stop, but in my experience, this can actually arouse puppies more! Think about the squeaky toys that your dog loves to chomp on — are you making yourself like a squeaky toy? If so, you probably aren’t going to stop your puppy from biting you.
Protect your kids from your puppy’s razor-sharp puppy teeth by putting your puppy in a playpen or crate when your kids are running around, or when you can’t supervise your kids and the dog together. Puppies get the zoomies, and this is totally normal (and entertaining), but sometimes puppies get the zoomies when the kids are just not feeling it, and that’s ok! Prioritize the safety and peace of your family, and kindly put your puppy in a play pen or crate with something yummy to chew on or keep them busy.
If none of these suggestions work for you, please don’t hesitate to reach out for help!
