Why Is My Puppy Biting Me? Puppy Translation Guide Part 3
In all the years and years I have worked with puppies, I can think of maybe just a handful of pups who weren't particularly bitey. Even saying a handful is pushing it, if I was forced to count.
It is just so incredibly rare that you won't experience puppy biting as part of raising your puppy.
So, so rare.
I wish there was a wand I could wave to magically make it disappear for puppy owners. But sadly, there isn’t one.
You need to be prepared for it and accept that this is going to be a thing for a good few months yet. Sometimes longer if the biting has been inadvertently encouraged early on.
Puppies bite. Fact. Some puppies bite more than others, depending on their breeding. Some dog breeds are bred to naturally bite more and some breeds are wired up in a way that makes excessive biting more likely to occur. But even the puppies who don’t fall into either of these categories will still want to bite. Because that’s what puppies do. Using their mouths is also largely the way they explore their world initially.
But there are some factors that can make your puppy more bitey at times than others and these are good to know.
Overtiredness.
A bit like the tired screaming toddler in the shop, laying on the floor, legs and arms flailing around, unable to control themselves; overtiredness does something similar to our pups. The only problem being is that our pups have much sharper teeth than the over-tired toddler and they move a lot faster too! The bigger problem comes when people don’t recognise that a lot of excessive puppy biting is the result of overtiredness, so they take their puppy out for another walk or they play a super high energy game to ‘tire them out’. Eeek! Now your already overtired puppy is going to be an absolute feral monster. Puppies need lots of sleep. Lots and lots of good quality sleep throughout the day. Lots of sleep doesn’t make them more manic when awake. It makes them more regulated.
Overstimulation.
It’s fairly common that a very excitable game or experience can result in your puppy biting you. They don’t manage big emotions very well when they are young and the result of this is, yep you guessed it, goodbye lovely new baggy jumper and hello to the holes in clothes look. Overstimulation isn’t just about excitement however, it can also be the result of your puppy feeling a little overwhelmed by something. Perhaps a walk that had a little too much going on, or an experience that made them a little worried. Basically, big feelings tends to increase puppy biting.
Teething.
It’s a no brainer this one. When they teeth, it hurts. When they hurt, they feel things. When they feel things, they resort to biting or chewing. Sometimes they just want to relieve some of the pain. Teething will peak and trough until it’s all done at roughly around six months of age, but all puppies differ in the time they take to teeth.
Frustration.
I see this most when there is a lack of clarity or consistency within households for puppies. Sometimes as the result of a puppy’s lack of frustration tolerance in the early stages too (it’s our job to teach them that). No consistency means mixed messages. Mixed messages means confusion. Confusion means frustration. Frustration means your ankles take the hit.
Predatory Instincts.
Fast moving ankles can often trigger a chase and bite response in some puppies, especially those with high predatory drive or working drives (think working collie types) and breeding that increases their desire to bite naturally. This instinctual loop often begins with visual tracking and ends with a bite. Since puppies lack the social maturity to distinguish between a toy and human limbs, they often default to these instincts during play, especially when they are overstimulated.
Raising your puppy without experiencing puppy biting is highly unlikely. Mentally, be prepared for it. There are, of course, things we can do to reduce the biting and make it far more manageable, and I can help you directly with that. I also have a free puppy guide on this too (link below). However, getting a puppy and hoping it won’t bite you is wishful thinking. I wish that wasn’t the case, but it really is.
They’re worth every second though. It’s a short term cost for a lifetime with your dog.
Happy training xx