Why Puppies Nip, Bite, and Chew (and What to Do About It)

Puppies are adorable little bundles of energy, full of love and curiosity. But what happens when that curiosity and energy turn into nipping or biting your legs, or chewing your favorite pair of shoes?

Pooch Pawsitive believes in a positive, proactive approach to puppy behavior. Here’s our tried-and-true advice for teaching your pup to keep her teeth to herself.

Why Does My Puppy Nip, Bite, and Chew?

Like human babies, puppies are born without teeth. They start growing 28 baby teeth at around 3 to 4 weeks old. And those 28 tiny teeth can be sharp! Puppies won’t start losing their baby teeth for another 2 to 3 months, and they won’t finish teething until they’re around 6 months old.

During that time, their mouths and gums are sore. They’re also exploring their world through their mouths. That means a lot of nipping, biting, and chewing!

This behavior is totally normal. Puppies play with each other and learn to socialize by using their mouths. Early socialization like puppy classes is one of the best ways for your pup to learn bite inhibition and appropriate play behavior.

When your puppy nips or bites a playmate too hard, the other puppy will yelp or run away. This unwanted reaction teaches your puppy that what they did was not ok. If they want to make and keep friends, they’ll have to be more gentle. 

Don’t worry: puppies have no real muscles in their jaws yet, so the nipping and biting won’t damage the other pup!

How to Stop a Puppy from Nipping, Biting, and Chewing

Up to around 20 weeks old, all this nipping, biting, and chewing behavior is totally normal. However, that doesn’t mean you want to just let your dog keep doing it! Instead, this is the time to teach your puppy good “mouth manners.” Your dog must learn what’s ok to chew on and what’s not.

Good Mouth Manners

Remember, your puppy’s instinct is to nip, bite, or chew everything they can. Until they’re around 20 weeks old, everything is fair game. They’re teething, and mouthing helps them relieve that pain. Your job is to teach them good chewing and biting from bad chewing and biting.

Start by making sure your energetic puppy gets plenty of exercise. A tired pup is too worn-out to put their mouth on everything in sight! 

Puppies need both physical and mental exercise. Boredom also leads to unwanted mouth behavior. Mental stimulation for your puppy might include:

• Teaching them a new trick or skill.
• Playing hide-and-seek by letting your puppy find you in different rooms.
• Using a snuffle mat or interactive puzzle that encourages them to find hidden treats.
• Socialize your puppy with new places and scents by going for a walk along a new route.

Legal play toys designed for puppies are a great way to teach your dog the “right” things to chew on. Try to keep a few choices around, such as:

• A stuffed Kong toy
• Raw marrow bones
• Soft squeaky toys

For safety reasons, only give your puppy a well-made toy that’s designed just for them.

When you see (or feel!) your puppy chewing on a no-no option, quickly stop them and redirect them to a yes option. Say, “Un-uh! Chew this!” and hand them a chew toy.

You can also imitate the behavior of their fellow puppies. When they bite or nip you, yelp loudly to startle them, then walk away. Just like when they play with other pups, they’ll quickly learn that what they did is not ok.

Preventative Measures

You can help your puppy avoid unwanted mouth behavior by puppy-proofing the house. This means clearing away shoes, socks, and other “contraband” items so your pup avoids temptation and doesn’t associate those items with chewing.

Rules of “Tug”

Tug is a fun game for both you and your pup. Just remember that you decide when to play tug, and your dog learns to keep their teeth on the tug object during the game, not on you.

• Pick a toy that will only be used for tug.
• You initiate the game. Use specific cue words such as “Let’s play tug!”
• If he puts his teeth on you, yell “OW!” and stop playing immediately.
• If your pup backs off, then resume play.
• If he doesn’t stop, say “Too bad!” and stop playing immediately so he learns the consequence of his behavior.
• If your pup reaches 3 “Too bads,” stop play and put the toy away. Try again tomorrow.
• You decide when the tug game is over.

At Pooch Pawsitive, we believe that a well-trained puppy grows into a happy dog. For over two decades, we’ve been transforming puppies into well-behaved, social family members with a foundation of fun, positive-reinforcement training. Pooch Pawsitive will help you spend more time enjoying your new companion, and less time dodging those piranha teeth!