How to Get Your Dog to Stop Play Biting

Let your dog mouth your hand., Put the dog in time out., Hold the puppy’s jaw., Spray taste detergent on your hands and clothes., Hire a certified professional dog trainer., Avoid hitting the dog when they play-bite.

6 Steps 3 min read Medium

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Step 1: Let your dog mouth your hand.

    To help teach your dog bite inhibition, you will have to show them that bites are painful.

    Let the dog play with your hand, and when they bite too hard, make a sharp yelping noise.

    You may also say something like “That was bad” or “No” in a stern voice.

    When the dog stops biting you, praise the dog.Only do this activity in brief spurts in a short period of time.

    You should not let the dog nip more than three times in fifteen minutes.

    After fifteen minutes are up, end the activity.
  2. Step 2: Put the dog in time out.

    Once you have started teaching the dog that biting can hurt, you should start “doggy time out.” If the dog nips you or your clothing, say “ouch” sharply.

    Stand up abruptly and walk away out of the room.

    Do not play with your dog again until they have calmed down.

    If you do this every time they nip you, they will learn that it is unacceptable to bite or mouth you., If the dog is young, you can also try to loosely hold their jaw after they nip you.

    If the dog takes your hand into their mouth, hold onto the lower jaw with your thumb and forefinger, and let the hand hang until the dog gets bored and releases you.

    This should not hurt the dog; rather, it should provide a minor inconvenience.Once you have let go of the puppy’s jaw, you can offer your hand to them again.

    If the dog licks or ignores your hand, give them a treat.

    If the dog tries mouthing you, try this exercise again. , A taste deterrent is an edible spray that tastes bad to dogs, and it can discourage the dog from nipping you or your clothing.

    You can apply this spray to your clothing and skin for up to two weeks.

    If you do not want to put it on your bare hands, spray a pair of cotton gloves and wear those while you play with your dog.You can buy taste deterrents that are safe to use on dogs from your vet or local pet store.

    Some common taste deterrents include:
    Grannick’s Bitter Apple Spray or Gel Veterinarian’s Best Bitter Cherry Spray Bitter YUCK! No Chew Spray Nature’s Miracle No-Chew Bitter Dog Spray Apple cider vinegar , If you are having difficulty training your dog yourself, you may have to call a certified professional dog trainer (CPDT) or behaviorist.

    They may be able to identify what is and is not working with your training regimen, and they can train your dog according to their unique needs.

    You can find a CPDT through the The Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers or the The Association of Professional Dog Trainers.CPDTs often offer both group classes and individual sessions. , Hitting your dog when they nip you may only cause the behavior to worsen.

    The dog may react defensively or aggressively towards you.

    They also become shy around humans or start to cower when somebody moves their hand.The best way to train a dog is by rewarding their good behavior.

    Ignoring the dog by walking away or giving them dog a verbal cue like “no” can also help instill good behavior in the dog.
  3. Step 3: Hold the puppy’s jaw.

  4. Step 4: Spray taste detergent on your hands and clothes.

  5. Step 5: Hire a certified professional dog trainer.

  6. Step 6: Avoid hitting the dog when they play-bite.

Detailed Guide

To help teach your dog bite inhibition, you will have to show them that bites are painful.

Let the dog play with your hand, and when they bite too hard, make a sharp yelping noise.

You may also say something like “That was bad” or “No” in a stern voice.

When the dog stops biting you, praise the dog.Only do this activity in brief spurts in a short period of time.

You should not let the dog nip more than three times in fifteen minutes.

After fifteen minutes are up, end the activity.

Once you have started teaching the dog that biting can hurt, you should start “doggy time out.” If the dog nips you or your clothing, say “ouch” sharply.

Stand up abruptly and walk away out of the room.

Do not play with your dog again until they have calmed down.

If you do this every time they nip you, they will learn that it is unacceptable to bite or mouth you., If the dog is young, you can also try to loosely hold their jaw after they nip you.

If the dog takes your hand into their mouth, hold onto the lower jaw with your thumb and forefinger, and let the hand hang until the dog gets bored and releases you.

This should not hurt the dog; rather, it should provide a minor inconvenience.Once you have let go of the puppy’s jaw, you can offer your hand to them again.

If the dog licks or ignores your hand, give them a treat.

If the dog tries mouthing you, try this exercise again. , A taste deterrent is an edible spray that tastes bad to dogs, and it can discourage the dog from nipping you or your clothing.

You can apply this spray to your clothing and skin for up to two weeks.

If you do not want to put it on your bare hands, spray a pair of cotton gloves and wear those while you play with your dog.You can buy taste deterrents that are safe to use on dogs from your vet or local pet store.

Some common taste deterrents include:
Grannick’s Bitter Apple Spray or Gel Veterinarian’s Best Bitter Cherry Spray Bitter YUCK! No Chew Spray Nature’s Miracle No-Chew Bitter Dog Spray Apple cider vinegar , If you are having difficulty training your dog yourself, you may have to call a certified professional dog trainer (CPDT) or behaviorist.

They may be able to identify what is and is not working with your training regimen, and they can train your dog according to their unique needs.

You can find a CPDT through the The Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers or the The Association of Professional Dog Trainers.CPDTs often offer both group classes and individual sessions. , Hitting your dog when they nip you may only cause the behavior to worsen.

The dog may react defensively or aggressively towards you.

They also become shy around humans or start to cower when somebody moves their hand.The best way to train a dog is by rewarding their good behavior.

Ignoring the dog by walking away or giving them dog a verbal cue like “no” can also help instill good behavior in the dog.

About the Author

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Robert Rogers

Experienced content creator specializing in DIY projects guides and tutorials.

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