#dogtraining101

So, your new puppy is a bundle of joy… with razor-sharp teeth! Biting is totally normal for puppies—it’s how they explore the world. But when those playful nips turn into painful chomps, it’s time to step in. Here's how to guide your puppy away from biting, with love and patience.

1. Why Do Puppies Bite?

Puppies bite for several reasons:

Teething: Their gums are sore, and biting brings relief.

Exploration: Puppies use their mouths to investigate new things.

Play: Biting is how they interact with their littermates, and they don’t know human skin isn’t as tough!

Understanding the "why" helps you respond effectively.

2. Redirect, Don’t Punish

When your puppy starts to bite:

Offer a Toy: Keep chew toys handy. Swap your hand for a safe, puppy-friendly toy like a teething ring or plush toy.

Praise the Right Behavior: When your puppy chews the toy instead of you, shower them with praise and treats.

Punishment can confuse puppies and damage your bond. Positive reinforcement works wonders!

3. Teach Bite Inhibition

Puppies learn bite strength from their littermates. If they bite too hard, their siblings yelp, and the game stops. Mimic this by:

Yelping or Saying “Ouch!” When your puppy bites, let out a sharp “Ouch!” and stop play immediately.

Pause, Then Restart: Give your puppy a moment to calm down before resuming play.

This teaches them that biting too hard makes the fun stop.

4. Don’t Reward Biting

If your puppy bites during play or petting:

Stop Interaction: Calmly withdraw attention. Stand up, cross your arms, and turn away.

Avoid Yanking Your Hand: This can trigger their chase instinct. Stay still until they release.

Consistency is key—don’t let biting earn them attention!

5. Help Them Through Teething

Teething is uncomfortable for puppies. Give them safe ways to soothe their gums:

Frozen Treats: Freeze a wet washcloth or give a frozen carrot.

Special Chews: Offer teething toys made for puppies.

A happy puppy with a cool chew is less likely to gnaw on you.

6. Teach “Leave It”

Teaching commands like “Leave it” or “No bite” gives you control in high-energy moments.

Use Treats as Lures: Hold a treat in your fist and say “Leave it.” Wait for your puppy to stop pawing or nipping, then reward them.

Practice Daily: Reinforce this skill often—it’s a game-changer!

7. Stay Calm and Patient

It’s easy to get frustrated, but remember: puppies are babies!

Be Consistent: Mixed messages confuse your puppy. Set clear boundaries and stick to them.

Celebrate Progress: Every small victory is a step closer to a well-behaved adult dog.

8. Seek Help if Needed

If biting persists or escalates, consider:

Puppy Classes: Group training can teach essential skills and socialization.

Professional Trainers: They can address specific behavior challenges.

There’s no shame in asking for help—it’s all part of raising a great pup.

Do you advocate for your dog???

You wouldn't allow a stranger to approach your child, reach into the pram and pull them out for a cuddle. You'd intercede! Do your dog the same courtesy, and advocate for them.

Is your dog anxious about or scared of strangers? If so, when people ask to pat your dog say NO! You don't need to worry about offending that person, and you don't need to give a reason unless you want to. Be polite, but be firm, and your dog will learn that you are willing to step up on their behalf. 

Which means they don’t need to react.

Is your dog worried about other dogs? Make sure you react to the approach of other dogs and owners before they can allow their "friendly" dog to get in your dog’s face or in their space. It is not the right of that person who "just wants to socialise their dog" to override what you believe is best for your dog. Again, your dog needs to see that they have a strong leader who will step up on their behalf and not allow the other dog into their comfort zone. 

Which means they don’t need to react

A New Leash on Life Dog Training Head Trainer Profile:

Hi I'm Keryn, and I'm the head of A New Leash on Life and the rest of the team (the dogs are the heart of course lol) have insisted that I have to introduce myself, if I'm going to introduce them, so here goes:

Name: Keryn

Alternative name: Aunty K (to two gorgeous nephews)

Role: Head Trainer

Other roles: admin, social media and finance boss

Favourite role: Mum of dogs

Favourite Colour: blue

Favourite Food: chocolate

Favourite Day of the Week: any day with a sleep-in

Hobbies: My favourite (non-dog) activity is iPhone photography. The dogs are totally supporting of this because I used to take nothing but dog photos, now they feature in heaps less photos, and they often get to run, sniff and explore whilst I'm taking photos.

As a kid I wanted to be: a ballerina or an accountant. Thankfully I got over that as I'm not that good at maths and I definitely cannot dance.

Favourite place you have travelled to? Japan. I lived there for a few years after I finished school and got to see quite a bit of the country. I'd highly recommend it to anyone wanting to travel.

What dog breed would you like to have, but will never have & why? I'd super love to have a Great Dane, they are so regal and elegant. They come with their own unique set of living and training challenges, but all part of the fun. However, I'll never have one because they just take up too much space for my small home, it wouldn't be fair. And let's face it, cleaning up after their poos would be like living with an elephant lol.

How do you choose your dog training?

Increasingly as I speak to more and more potential clients I see that people are trying their hardest to train their dogs (which is awesome), but often they are training them with the wrong training method. Now, I'm not saying mine is the only right method, in fact mine is not the right method for many people, and that's ok, but what criteria should you use to choose the training that you want to do with your dog?

🏠 Should you choose something that is close by? Just around the corner from your house? Or at the local reserve?

⏰ Should you choose something that is on at a convenient time, or on a convenient day?

💲Should you choose an inexpensive option, something that falls within your budget?

👩‍🦱 Should you choose the same trainer as your friend or neighbour?

These are all important points to consider but if they are your primary motivation for selecting a dog trainer, business, or school then you may find yourself in a situation where you end up learning something that doesn't sit well with what you believe in, and therefore you end up not following through. It's amazing how many people are doing things differently at home to what their trainer is teaching them to do.

So, here's what I would advise you to do: 

Investigate the methodology that the trainer, training school or business is using and make sure you believe wholeheartedly in what they do, because if you don't you are not likely to practice, reinforce or follow through. And if you believe in it, you are more likely to get the results that you are after. After that then come back to the other points we considered above.

How to get a great pic of your doggo's!

Whilst I'm far from being a professional photographer, I do use some deliberate tactics to get the pics of my boys that I use on my pages.

🐕 Teach a super solid sit step away or drop step away so you know they will absolutely hold position for you whilst you walk away

🌳 If you are out in public and can't take them off lead, get your shot anyway as you can always edit out the lead, or hide the lead behind their body

📲 Angle matters - get down on their level (or raise them to yours on something interesting)

📷 The best camera is the one in your pocket, so even your smart phone can do a great job, but don't let your smart phone control the shot, set the focal point and exposure yourself if you know how (I didn't know how until I did my photography course)

🥎 Have some means of getting their attention but don't overuse it - I use squeaky noises or certain words that get their attention, but you could use a squeaky toy or treat held right next to the camera lens

✅ Take lots of shots - I keep clicking as I know that getting them to pay attention can be fleeting, and now that I'm trying to get three to pay attention all at once it's super tricky