How do you get a puppy to stop biting when playing?
I have a 3 month old rat terrior puppy. He’s usually a real sweetie but I’m having trouble getting him to stop the biting. He’s not aggressive about it and I don’t think his intent is harm but the result is the same. I’ve tried everything I can think of. Yelping and then walking away from him (usually locking myself in the bathroom for a few minutes), swatting him on the mouth/behind, yelling at him to stop, and locking him in the “puppy lockdown” which is basically locking him in the bathroom where he has his kennel, piddlepad and food/water. I love him to death but the biting is getting out of control. Especially because his teeth are extremely sharp. Please help. I plan to get him into puppy training but I’m trying to find the time best fits my work schedule.
It’s just what puppies do. i have a 3 month old golden retriever puppy that mouths a lot. He hardly puts any pressure into it but it’s still annoying. Usually a firm No is enough to stop him for the time being. Hitting won’t help. Try more of a touch to snap him out of it rather than hitting. Yelling will get him more excited and actually encourage the behavior. Dogs have no clue what a time out is so that’s a big no no as well. On the bright side he’ll more likely than not grow out of it.
Ive also trained my dog to “leave it” with dog treats. I noticed that helps a lot when he’s mouthing 1 of my kids. I’ll just say “leave it” and he’ll stop.
Dog Training : How to Train a Puppy to Stop Biting