Why it happens
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Play
With its brothers and sisters, a puppy played by biting and grabbing ears and paws. In its new home it invites you to play the same way, and hands, feet and trouser legs become toys.
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Learning a soft mouth
When a puppy bites too hard in the litter, the other puppy yelps and stops playing. That is how it learns to control the force of its bite. Human skin is far thinner than a dog's coat, so you carry on the lesson.
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Teething
From roughly three to seven months the milk teeth give way to the adult ones. The gums itch and ache, so the puppy chews everything it finds and bites more than it otherwise would.
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Overtiredness and overexcitement
An overtired or overexcited puppy bites harder and will not stop, much as a tired child gets cranky. A puppy needs to sleep for the greater part of the day, and when it gets too little sleep, the biting increases.
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An accidental reward
If everyone shrieks, waves their hands and runs whenever the puppy bites, it looks like the best game ever to the puppy. The biting is rewarded by accident and keeps happening.
When it passes
Biting is at its worst in the first months in a new home and fades once the teeth have changed, by about seven months. A puppy taught consistently stops taking hands in its mouth later on, or holds them very gently. Without teaching, the habit can carry on into adulthood, and then it is harder to break.
What helps
- A toy instead of a hand Always keep a chew toy or a rope within reach, and offer it when the puppy goes for your hands. Play so that the puppy bites the toy rather than your fingers, and praise it when it chooses the toy.
- Biting ends the game When teeth touch skin, calmly stop, take your hand away and turn away briefly or leave the room. When the puppy has calmed down, carry on playing. It learns that gentleness keeps the game going and biting ends it.
- Chews while teething Puppy chews and rubber toys that can be cooled in the fridge soothe itchy gums. Choose them to suit the puppy's size so it cannot swallow them, and stay nearby while it chews.
- Enough sleep and quiet After play or visitors, a puppy needs to rest somewhere quiet – in its bed or a pen. If the biting gets wilder and wilder, the puppy is probably overtired and it is time for a sleep.
- The same rules for the whole family If some people allow games with hands and others do not, the puppy cannot tell what is wanted. Children should play with the puppy only with an adult watching, and not run from it screaming. Do not punish the puppy or hold its muzzle shut: it frightens the puppy and only makes the biting worse.
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When to see a trainer or behaviourist
An adult dog that bites is no longer a matter of play but of behaviour. If your dog bites or threatens to, growls while guarding its food or belongings, or if a puppy bites while stiff and tense rather than playful, see a qualified trainer or behaviourist who uses reward-based methods. In the meantime, avoid the situations in which the dog has bitten, and do not punish it.
When it is a question for a vet
See a vet if the puppy will not eat or chew because its mouth hurts, if its breath smells bad, if the gums bleed or stay swollen for more than a few days, if a milk tooth is still in place next to the adult tooth, or if the dog suddenly starts biting when it never did before – this can be a sign of pain.