How do you make a puppy stop biting you?

Question

My German shepard puppy won't stop biting me. my mom and sister won't let me hit him (not hard) to make him stop. Telling him NO doesn't seem to work at all. How do i make him stop?

Answer 1

He needs a time out. Make a noise when he bites, say "OW" really loud so he knows. He's testing how much you will tolerate until you stop being his friend. After saying "OW" ignore him or put him in a time out spot so he gets the point. Once he calms down, praise him.

Answer 2

A puppy bites like a child puts things in their mouth. It's just a way to play and explore. They play this way with their littermates, but dogs don't have as many nerve endings in their skin, so they can chomp down on their doggie pals in a way that would make a human bleed.

What your dog wants is to play. ANY attention at all is seen as play. When he nips, yelp high pitched and look him in the eyes and say, very gently, "No bite." Then get up and go into another room for a few seconds, up to maybe a minute. When you come back, give him your hand. If he bites you again, do the same thing again. Soon he will learn that teeth on skin=no more fun. I do that with my 8 week old Golden and he licks me when I come back in the room.

Good luck!

Answer 3

Try squirting him with a water gun while at the same time, telling him "No". Be as consistent as possible with this. Hopefully in time he will outgrow this. Don't get the puppy overexcited. That might be what's making him bite. Also, know that as a puppy, he thinks he's playing with you. Give him a toy to distract him, and when he's lying down, stroke him gently and speak softly to him. He'll stop the biting in time. You need to be more patient with him. your mom is right. Hitting is not the answer.

Answer 4

Tell him no in a firm voice, and provide him with another toy that he can chew on. Hitting him will not help, it will just make him scared of you. One thing that helped me with my Lab is taking an old sock and putting an ice cube in it. I let her chew on that and it seemed to help. Puppies chew because they are teething. Another thing you can try is a product called Bitter Apple (you can purchase it from a pet store).Either spray some where he bites you, or when he bites spray a little in his mouth. Eventually when he associates the bottle with the nasty taste, all you'll have to do is show him the bottle and he will stop immediately.

Answer 5

Please do not strike your puppy for any reason. Ever.
A raised hand to a puppy (or any dog) indicates you lack the confidence and knowledge to teach him behavior you want, and undermines the dog's trust in you. Your mom and sister apparently know this.

Puppies explore the world with their mouths and while biting humans is inappropriate, it's normal behavior. You need to teach her what is appropriate to bite/chew and what is not. You don't mention how old she is, but if she's under 8 months old she's probably still teething. Chewing helps soothe their gums, just like a cold teething ring helps human babies when they 'cut' teeth.

Have lots of chewy bones, squeaky toys, and balls around the house and carry one or two in your pockets. When she mouthes something she shouldn't, say her name in a high, happy voice, distract her with a toy or chewy and praise her when she takes it in her mouth. You may have to toss it away from you once she's interested in it to keep her moving toward it.

Dogs do what they need to do to get what they want. In this case, she wants your attention. So, try to ignore her when she gets mouthy with you, and simply give her one of her toys. If she's adamant about playing with you, play with her by messing around with a toy, tossing it and always praising her when she's doing anything other than biting you. Don't look at her, touch her, or talk to her when she's got her mouth on you, but the minute she removes her mouth from you, praise her and give her a toy.

If she gets overly excited and can't seem to calm down, a crate or area baby-gated off for her to have some "quiet time" is a blessing. Make sure there's a good chewy toy she likes and let her stay in there for a few minutes after she's calmed down. Then let her out.

There are many good puppy classes around - enroll in one with her. You'll learn a lot about puppy behavior and care as well as appropriate ways to teach her what you want without disciplining or punishing her. Remember, she's a baby animal and you are her playmate. Be patient, gentle and kind and she'll respond to you. Then, as she matures, she'll see you as her leader and trustworthy companion.

Answer 6

This one works for me:

After he bites, or attempts to bite, hold him up to you face to face and repeat to him a few tunes in a very firm (not yelling) "No Biting!." Another way is to spray/rub your hand with some sort of chili oil/paste or something sour.

However, the only way to really stop him from biting is socialization. He needs to be introduced to other puppies/dogs so that when he bites, the other dog will react to him in a way that tells him it's not ok to bite. Training classes are one place where he can socialize with other dogs. But before he can socialize, he needs to have all of his vaccinations.

Answer 7

ALL pups bite.It is a form of play with them. That's how they played with their litter mates.
One thing you can do and I have used this one. When he bites you, yell loudly, "OUCH". That is what a litter mate would do if he was bitten too hard.......
The other thing is the bottle of water. Use a new spray bottle and fill it with regular cold water. When he bites or does anything naughty, you squirt him!! All I have to do with my dog is ask,"where is my water?" and he stops whatever he is doing.

Don't ever hit an animal (or anyone for that matter). It doesn't do any good and teaches them abuse.

Good Luck with your pup.


I see someone suggested grabbing his muzzle and telling him no. Most dogs would think that was a form of play. Also, don't ever think of using a shock collar. I don't know why those are not banned. I tell everyone, put it on and shock yourself and then tell me it doesn't hurt. A friend of mine did it. He shocked himself on the lowest voltage. I took and turned it up and zapped him, he went to his knees!! I love my dog. I don't want him to experience that kind of pain. My friend took his back to the store and also told them they were cruel and inhumane. Invisable fences are just as bad.

Answer 8

Your puppy isn't biting you because he doesn't like you, nor is he biting you because he doesn't want you to touch him...
He is biting you cos that's what PUPPY'S do....
Whenever he does go to bite, shout 'ouch' in a loud voice (don't shout) and then stand up and walk away...
When the puppy approaches you, greet him, though as soon as he goes to bite again..repeat the exorcise...soon he will learn, and lean he must, as you don't want him to bite in play or any other way...do not strike the puppy

Answer 9

buy him lots of teething chew toys and raw hides. They are just like babies, only they chew instead of crying. Once he looses his baby teeth, it will eventually stop.

My chocolate lab used to bite our ankles throughout the house as we walked. Well, and the window sills, and the couch, and everything else he could get his mouth on.

Hitting him is not the answer, nor will it make him stop. You hitting him will not make his teeth hurt any less. You just have to be patient till about 4-6 months.

Answer 10

He just playing, but OUCH those baby teeth are sharp!
This is how he'd do wilth a fellow puppy. Remenber he has no hands to grab you with.
GENTLY grab his muzzle, shake it & say No in a firm voice. Keep doing it everytime he bites, he'll learn if you are consistant.