17/08/2026
🐾 HELP! MY PUPPY BITES EVERYTHING!
Those tiny puppy teeth can feel remarkably like a mouthful of needles. 😬
Puppy biting is normal – but when your puppy suddenly turns into a particularly determined little land shark, instead of only asking:
“How do I make it stop?”
try asking:
“What does my puppy need right now?”
🦷 A need to chew?
Puppies explore with their mouths, and teething can increase the need to chew. Offer plenty of appropriate options with different textures. A cold raw carrot or a clean, damp twisted flannel placed in the freezer can also feel lovely on sore gums. Always supervise.
🐾 Something moving to chase?
Movement can make hands, clothes, feet and ankles VERY exciting.
Breed traits can matter too. Some herding breeds have been selectively bred for generations to notice and respond to movement – so your rapidly retreating ankles may be rather irresistible!
Try to make yourself boring rather than turning it into a chase, and redirect onto an appropriate toy. A long toy can be particularly useful for keeping teeth away from hands and feet.
😴 Or does your puppy actually need REST?
This one catches a lot of people out.
A tired puppy doesn’t always look tired.
After lots of play, training, visitors, new places or other exciting experiences, your puppy may become:
✔️ more bitey
✔️ more frantic
✔️ more jumpy
✔️ less able to concentrate
✔️ seemingly incapable of settling
It can look like more energy.
Sometimes it’s actually a puppy who has simply had enough.
More exercise and entertainment aren’t always the answer. Your puppy may need a toilet break, something appropriate to chew and some help settling down.
💚 Become curious about the biting.
When does it happen?
How long has your puppy been awake?
What happened beforehand?
Could your puppy need the toilet, food, water, chewing, sleep or simply a break?
Patterns often start to emerge when we stop focusing only on stopping the behaviour and start asking what is driving it.
And no – a muzzle isn’t a solution for normal puppy biting. Muzzle training is a valuable life skill, but it shouldn’t be used to prevent a young puppy from expressing normal mouthing behaviour.
Our job is to teach puppies what they CAN put their mouths on, while helping them with the needs behind the behaviour.
Sometimes the answer is a toy.
Sometimes it’s the toilet.
Sometimes it’s something to chew.
And sometimes it’s simply:
“You’ve had a big day. Let’s help you find some calm.” 💚🐾