Puppy Behaviour Training
We have so far been looking at how to stop puppies from biting and I would advise you to start at lesson one of "how to stop a puppies biting" and follow the lessons from there.
In this post I wanted to take a look at exactly why do puppies bite, will my puppy stop biting and when do puppies stop biting. All questions many new Dog owners want the answers to, as well as exactly how to stop a puppy from biting. Puppy training, stopping biting, will be your number one goal when you get your new Dog and learning exactly why your puppy bites and when and if it grows out of it will give you more of an insight in to how effectively train your puppy not to bite. Biting puppies are a problem for a lot of new owners and understanding why puppies bite will help to see it a little more form the puppies point of view and will make us realise it is not a personal vendetta.
We shall break the subject down in to three sections which will be as follows:
- Why do puppies bite
- Will my puppy stop biting
- When do puppies stop biting and chewing
Subjects I am sure that you, as a puppy owner are keen to know the answers to. Puppy biting can be painful and learning how to stop puppies chewing and training puppies to not bite is also high on the puppy owners list. The lesson here will help you learn how to stop puppies biting so lets look at he reason behind this puppy biting behaviour and see when and if they will stop biting.
Why Do Puppies Bite?
Puppies bite for quite a few reasons and we shall take a look at the reasons why.
Puppies bite because this is how they explore the world. A biting puppy is not always out to get you. Puppies explore the world primarily with their mouths and their nose. They are simply doing what comes naturally. Biting puppies are trying to get a feel for their environment and this is best accomplished by biting things to see how hard or soft they are and to understand the textures of items and exactly what relevance they have to the puppy. Understanding exactly why puppies bite is quite often nothing more than understanding that a biting puppy is exploring its surroundings in one of the best ways it knows how.
Understanding why do puppies bite means we must understand the nature of play both in young and adult Dogs. If you have ever observed puppies or older Dogs playing there is a lot of use of the mouth. You will see Dogs jumping at each other and biting each other. Puppy biting can be quite rough when they play with each other. This is part of the problem. When puppies bite each other it does not have the same impact as when puppies bite humans. Dogs have fewer nerves than we do and therefore a much higher pain threshold. They simply do not feel the pain that we do. Puppy behaviour training needs to take this in to consideration when we are searching for why puppies bite.
A biting puppy may be nothing more than hungry. As puppies use their mouths so much to explore their world it is only natural that they will use the bite mechanism as a way of telling you that they are hungry. How often to feed a puppy? Biting puppy or not, puppies should be fed four times a day initially. If your puppy seems like it is biting because it is hungry try upping its food intake. It may work wonders.
When asking why do puppies bite we must also consider how dominant the puppy appears to be. You may find that your biting puppy is actively seeking to become the Alpha Dog. By all means let the Dogs sort out amongst themselves who is top Dog, but there is only one leader in a pack and that is YOU. Ensure you follow the biting puppies lessons and leave the would be dominant puppy in no doubt that you are in control.
Another thing to look at when asking the question "Why do puppies bite" is if your Dog is over stimulated or scared. Over excited puppies find it hard to control themselves. Apart from finding a puddle of pee if your puppy is excited it will also get carried away and may begin biting. The same applies to a scared puppy. If your puppy seems scared it may well use puppy biting as a defense mechanism. Comfort the puppy and let it know it is safe.
And not forgetting the fact that your puppy simply wishes to play. Puppy behaviour training can be accomplished by following the lessons here and biting puppies are often simply in a playful mood. It is simply their way of playing and you will be able to curb the biting puppies behaviour quite easily if you read some of the ways I have written about on how to stop a puppy from biting.
Will My Puppy Stop Biting?
If you take no action to stop a puppy from biting then you may well always have a Dog that using biting as a means of play, a way to assert its dominance or as a way of trying to get your attention. This is why I have spent so much time writing about how to stop a puppy from biting. You need to learn how to control biting puppies as soon as you possibly can.
If you wonder "Will my puppy stop biting" if I do nothing to intervene then it is very much doubtful. It will know that puppy biting is an effective way to get its own way. You need to take control if you want a Dog that doesn't use its mouth in an inappropriate way. Puppy biting should be given a pro-active approach. Some puppies will grow out of biting but others will always use their mouths in inappropriate ways unless the puppy biting behaviour is curbed when they are young. Training puppies not to bite should always be undertaken as soon as possible.
When Do Puppies Stop Biting?
Many new puppy owners will get their new dog from when it is eight weeks old and upwards. When puppies stop biting depends on a number of factors. The most important of these is how well your puppy behaviour training went. If you started young teaching your puppy not to bite then you could have solved the problem in a few weeks. This is why I have written the biting puppies articles. They really do work. If you are asking the question "When do puppies stop biting" without your intervention then that is different. Biting puppies can continue with their behaviour for a lifetime without intervention. Always using the bite as a way of getting your attention or getting what they want.
Other puppies will grow out of the puppy biting in a few months naturally. It really does depend on the nature of the Dog and its temperament and hierarchy in the pack. I certainly wouldn't take the risk though if you have a puppy that bites. Puppy biting is normal in al puppies to some extent and they may or may not stop biting as they age. Even If they would have stopped naturally you still need to train your puppy not to bite in the meantime and puppy behaviour training is the way to go about this.
Hopefully you can now easily understand exactly why do puppies bite, will my puppy stop biting and when do puppies stop biting and when do puppies stop chewing. Remember to learn how to stop puppy biting as soon as possible and your puppy behaviour training really will pay off.
