That sudden, sharp, pain as those little needle teeth sink into your hand.
That nip on the ankle as your shark-pup grabs your trousers.
That scratch on your hand that initially feels like nothing much then throbs like a neon warning light.
All puppies bite.
It’s normal.
But it hurts.
Teaching your puppy not to bite you, your children, your extended family, or your clothing is part of raising a perfect pet.
And there’s a lot of myths around about what to do.
Such as tell your puppy off (often with an accompanying pointy finger)
Such as say “ouch” in a high-pitched, yelpy voice
Such as pick your puppy up and put him out of the room.
I used to tell people to yelp “ouch” then ignore the puppy for 3 seconds – it’s what’s in the current edition of my book – and it works for many puppies.
I said this because I believed that this was what puppies did in the litter to stop over-boisterous play.
But some new research has cast doubt not that. A colleague and friend of mine watched over 100 puppy videos.
How many times did they hear yelping when puppies bit each other? A lot.
How many time did that stop the biting? Not once.
NOT ONCE.
So the advice I used to give appears to be built on a total myth.
If that isn’t the right thing to do, then what does work?
I’m glad you asked.
In fact my original advice is very close to being correct. But the important part is not the “ouch”, it’s the 3 seconds of ignoring your puppy.
My advice now is:
When your puppy nips, go absolutely still and ignore your puppy for a few seconds.
Then play again as if nothing had happened.
Simples. (But not necessarily easy)
My book Pesky Puppy to Perfect Pet has lots of other advice for you too.
Keep training!
Carol