Although sometimes surprisingly painful, it is normal for young puppies to bite and mouth in play and is not a sign of aggression. However normal this behaviour is, it is undoubtedly hard to live with and it can feel very frustrating and upsetting as a new puppy owner. It is especially difficult if you have young children in the home. Puppies need to learn (through kind, consistent teaching from their human family) that biting is not how to play with people, even if it is acceptable to other puppies! As well as in an attempt to play, puppies may also exhibit biting, mouthing or chewing behaviours when they are teething, frustrated, hungry, overtired, over-aroused or need to defend themselves (or any combination).

What to do

Set your puppy up to succeed by providing a suitable balance of:

* sleep/ rest (young pups need up to 18-20 hours sleep each day)

* mental stimulation (reward based training, food puzzles)

* physical exercise (short periods with lots of time to sniff and explore)

* attention (remember not to ignore them when they're being 'good')

If you know when the problem behaviour is likely to occur, plan ahead and give your puppy an alternative (e.g. a tasty chew or filled kong in their pen). If it happens when you are handling or playing with them, stop moving and remove yourself for a moment. When you return, give your puppy something else to play with/ chew on. Consider if their behaviour was in response to something you did which they didn't like (defensive) and either avoid that in the future or get help to work on teaching them to enjoy it.

What to avoid

Unfortunately, many of the suggested methods to address puppy biting/ mouthing and chewing are actually more likely to lead to other problems. To prevent this being an issue, you should avoid:

• Trying to 'tire out' the puppy - these often back-fire due to over-arousal

• Running away when the puppy nips you - this often results in chase!

• Teasing games/ 'rough-housing' with hands - associate hands with calm

• Punishment based methods such as hitting/ smacking/ pinching/

• Holding the puppy's mouth closed/ shouting at the puppy/ pinning the pup down etc. - these methods are all more likely to lead to defensive aggressive behaviour in the longer term.

• Over-handling (e.g. carrying them around, getting in their face, grabbing them or restraining them) - this often leads to frustration/ defence.

• Do not squeal! It is often advised that you should squeal when your puppy bites - this can sometimes work, but not usually in the long term, and most pups just find it exciting!

I hope this helps!

If you do want more advice from a professional dog trainer then get in touch below

Claire x