All You Need To Know About Puppy Nipping

Among the initial excitement of welcoming a new puppy into your home, one thing often gets lost in the shuffle – the potential for your new family member to use anything and everything as a chew toy, from furniture to human hands. Puppy nipping is usually overlooked until the moment it becomes a frustration.

For puppies, using their mouth to explore the world is a natural way of life. They don’t have opposable thumbs or fingers to grasp onto things, so exploring through chewing, biting or nipping comes naturally to them. For dog owners – particularly inexperienced puppy owners – this can be a difficult stage of dog ownership to navigate. Balancing your puppy’s development has to be considered alongside the safety of yourself and family members, not to mention any prized household possessions.

It is essential to understand the reasons why puppies nip, and strategies you can implement to help manage their habit. In this article, we’ll give you the information you need to help introduce successful approaches to nipping (if you’re still struggling after reading this information, we have professional dog trainers located across North America who can help).

Why do puppies nip?

First and foremost, we have to understand the reason behind our puppy’s nipping habit.

There are a variety of reasons why puppies like to use their teeth, and perhaps the most common one is that dogs explore the world using their mouths. Biting, chewing or mouthing on objects – or even humans and other animals – allows them to distinguish different tastes and textures, and also learn from the response they receive. An overstimulated pup may receive a firm correction from an older dog, just as happens in the wild.

In addition, puppies begin to gain their adult teeth at between 12-16 weeks of age. This can result in sore gums, and as a result, they look for an outlet to try and soothe the aches and pains. This is why many dog owners will see an increase in puppy mouthing around three to four months of age.

There can be other reasons why puppies are acting in a mouthy fashion, too. They may be bored, tired, lacking in mental stimulation, wanting to engage in play, or overstimulated for another reason. It can also be a combination of these factors. Until puppies learn the extent to which biting is acceptable – and until their behavior is corrected to ensure it is appropriate – the nipping will continue.

How long does puppy nipping last?

There are physiological and developmental changes that are rapidly occurring in your puppy’s body in the first year of their life.

Firstly, the aforementioned teething begins when they are three to four months old, and lasts for approximately three months. During this time, the desire to chew may be heightened, simply because your pup is experiencing pain or discomfort.

Alongside this physical change, though, is the shaping of behavioral habits and instincts based on the puppy’s interactions with other dogs and humans. When interacting with other dogs, over-excitement or a desire to play too roughly can result in the puppy being corrected by another dog. This helps to teach a dog what is acceptable – and what isn’t. Combine this with human intervention to prevent chewing on household items like furniture and clothes, and dogs quickly learn where and when to unleash their chewing habit.

It should be noted that certain dog breeds – particularly Herding breeds that have the inherent traits for working on a farm – may never grow out of their nipping habit. It comes too naturally to them, from generations of breeding for the specific trait of nipping at the heels of livestock to herd them. This habit still needs to be managed, but eradicating it entirely may be almost impossible.

Tips for managing your puppy’s nipping habit

So, now you know that nipping is a completely natural thing for puppies to do, and you’re also aware that it will probably last until they’re about seven or eight months old – but how can you manage this in the interim? In most cases, simply waiting for your pup to ‘grow out’ of nipping may not be the right approach. There are ways to mitigate this habit to ensure your puppy continues to develop properly, while also giving you and your family some respite from their mouthing.

Below, we have listed some ways you can cope with your puppy’s nipping habit.

Redirect to a chew toy

If you accept that nipping is just a natural behavior for dogs to engage in, then it makes sense to harness it in a way that does not damage either yourself or your belongings. Instead of allowing them to nibble on your fingers, provide them with a durable chew toy that can keep them occupied. This also offers additional mental stimulation.

No abrupt hand movements

Pulling your hands away quickly from your puppy may seem like the most natural form of self-defense, but it actually encourages them to continue nipping – the act of pulling your hand away seems like a game to them. Avoid any jerky, abrupt movements and remain calm if your puppy starts to mouth or nip at your hand.

Have a socialization plan

Socialization isn’t just about getting your puppy out into dog-friendly stores and public places (although this is certainly a part of it). Make sure your puppy has the opportunity to socialize with well-behaved, confident adult dogs. This will build up strong habits and will teach your puppy the correct thresholds when it comes to play. At this stage, avoid dog parks – you don’t want to have your puppy mixing with dogs you know nothing about.

Teach a drop it/leave it behavioral cue

This can form part of your dog’s early obedience work. You can teach your dog to drop any items that they have in their mouth that they shouldn’t, or teach them to leave alone any items they are considering chewing.

Take extra care with young - and old - family members

Make sure to educate children on the correct way to interact with dogs (especially young puppies). If you know that your puppy is at its peak nipping stage, consider keeping the puppy and any younger children separated from one another. You may think about adopting the same approach if older family members come to visit, as their bodies are more susceptible to bruising and pain from a nipping puppy.

Stay calm

Yes, nipping can – and is – very frustrating. It can also be painful. Remaining calm is the best way to move through this stage of your puppy’s life. Channeling your frustration by shouting at your puppy can dent their confidence and hinder the creation of a strong, trusting relationship between the two of you. Even when it hurts, stay calm and stick to your plan.