“Greetings! My son is 14 weeks old Golden Retriever Puppy. My third Golden Retrievel, Max, has already reached a chewing/teaching stage, but I am having trouble with it. Despite having all the necessary tools, including cookware, teething chewing devices, and cold bones, I am still plagued by Max’s biting behavior towards my husband and me. I am continuously attempting to change my focus, but it has only moderately succeeded. Max’s intelligence was evident during his training, as he learned to sit in just a few minutes. Progress is being made on an ‘off’ command that I am working on. Despite knowing for certain that this will not occur, I am curious if I have missed anything as much as the baby teeth are being replaced. My photo of Max has been uploaded here, even though I don’t have a picture of him chewing on me. Thank you for your insight, Katie!
Katie, I’m impressed with the puppy you have! It’s hard to hold onto grudges even when Max dresses you up as Swiss cheese. Recently, I’ve been thinking about how puppyhood can be a challenging experience, with many of us feeling like they are not as strong as the previous one. Could this be due to selective amnesia that affects our cognitive abilities?. To begin with, it’s important to know that you’re not alone in this situation. A large number of puppy parents are in urgent need of help regarding their pup’s unrelenting nipping. I can relate to everything you’re saying. The puppy teeth are sharp, can you believe it? It may seem like a pin cushion, but this aspect of puppyhood is completely normal, and Max’s age makes it quite common. Everything is considered a fair competition, including your hands, clothes, and shoes! The good news? Ultimately, with patience, consistency and the right strategies you will see the light at the end of the tunnel. There will be a time when you can forget this and recall the positive aspects of puppyhood. It will seem like an eternity! So, let’s sink our teeth into the mud Pupils undergo a crucial period of teething called the critical stage Observe some techniques to keep the mouths (and brains) engaged. You’ve got this!
A 14-Week-Old puppy’s life, or” The Prince of Peace. ”
Your puppy is going through a lot at 14 weeks of age! Puppy socialization window Is closing and your puppy is growing, learning everything you can about the world around him. Like human infants, puppies will use their mouths very much to explore. Pups are attracted to different textures and will nibble on anything that catches their eye. Despite their fluency, puppies possess sharp teeth and lack the ability to control their bites, which may cause discomfort when eating. Our dogs were used to the idea that mouthing could be more challenging, but they now find themselves exploring and chewing Relieve the discomfort caused by bad gums The combination of curiosity, play, gum discomfort, and indecisiveness often results in a moody mouth
AG uide to the Teething Process Explained
Puppies are born toothless, but their baby teeth start to appear at approximately three weeks of gestation. This occurs at the same time as the onset of puppies being weaned from their mother’s milk. In fact, it’s a crucial element of the process. The mother dog’s health is compromised as her puppies attempt to nurse, leading to more harm than good. The breeder can offer the pups a chance to enjoy their appetite by providing them with semi-liquid samples of various food options. Following a few unsanitary attempts, the puppies become addicted to the new food and begin nursing less frequently. They also consume more solid foods as time goes on
Teething, Nipping, and milk
When puppies reach 8 weeks of age, they are most likely to have their own needle-sharp pen and kennel approval Milk teeth The number of individuals who can eat kibble is 28. They also have an inherent inclination to snap, as a means of exploring and engaging with the world. The most prominent stage of teething typically begins around the age of 12. 16 weeks When pups are between 3 and 4 months old, their baby teeth start to fall out and be replaced by adult teeth. The puppy’s gums are irritated by the mechanical movement of the adult teeth as they emerge, leading to their desire to chew. Human babies experience a similar reaction to teething, with the infant often showing fussiness and crying during this process. In the absence of food, puppies will attempt to eat everything and hope for some respite
How Long Does the Puppy Teething Phase typically Last?
The eruption of new adult teeth will occur as the baby teeth come out. The teething phase is considered to be finished when the puppy reaches 6 to 7 months old, provided that all 42 permanent teeth are inch. During the teething process, puppies commonly shed their baby teeth. Often, puppy owners discover a small tooth on the floor or in their water bowl. Pupils tend to nip frequently due to exploration or play, which makes this phase of puppyhood particularly challenging when they are between 3 and 7 months old. Board-certified veterinary dentists emphasize that this developmental stage overlaps with the teething timeline, making it difficult to determine whether the puppy’s chewing behavior is due to a sore mouth or curiosity Dr. Mallory Kanwal
7 Puppy Teething Tips
Based on your description, it appears that You are already taking good steps! It’s time to express gratitude for putting in the effort. By offering your dog various textures and toys, including chilly bones and teething chews, you can encourage Max to chew on more effectively. To make this process smoother, you can consider implementing some extra tweaks. Here are some general tips
1. Rotate Your Dog’s toys:
Max is such a lucky dog! It seems like he has an abundance of toys to play with. Although puppies enjoy playing with toys, they tend to lose interest quickly when they see them frequently. By rotating the toys, we can restore them so that he has only a few at. By storing some toys for a few days and then retrieving them will reignite the interest
2. Offer Long-Lasting Treats
If you’re feeling uneasy and need some respite, you can give your puppy some treats that will last a long time. Your dog will have the opportunity to socialize and watch a show or check your inbox. I enjoy using a frozen Kong that has been stuffed to my liking. Wet the dog’s kibble, place it in the Kong, and freeze it until it hardens. To avoid any potential issues, it should be placed on a surface that is easy to clean. As you may already know, cold items can soothe irritated gums
3. Get a Flirt Pole?
If your puppy frequently scratches your ankles or pant legs while you walk, consider getting a stroller Flirt pole The same as a fishing pole, if you add pliers or hooks, flirting poles have toy legs. Pupils are unable to resist the urge to chase after them. It’s convenient to have a walking stick for nippy puppies. Puppies are attracted to movement and interaction, which is why they prefer nipping and chewing us rather than their toys. The flirt pole is a combination of both. The flirt pole can be utilized to teach the puppy several commands Important training cues , such as “drop it” and “take. ”
4. Use a Long Tug Toy
A long tug toy may also come in handy, as it encourages the puppy to play with us without involving our bodies. A long tug toy works best because it creates distance between us and the puppy’s mouth, ensuring a more controlled interaction. As with the flirt pole, it can be handy for teaching the puppy some training cues, such as sitting and waiting for us to say “take” and then dropping the toy on cue when asked to Note: Avoid playing tug and consult with a professional in cases of puppies who Resource guard their toys
5. Encourage Independent Play
Puppies love to play and often seek us out to fulfill this need. While it’s great to play with the puppy, it’s important that we do so in a structured manner that doesn’t get him overly excited and nippy. When we cannot play with the puppy in a productive manner, we can encourage independent forms of play through independent activities. These activities and games may include snuffle mats, food puzzles (the Kong Wobbler is one of my favorites), bubble machines for dogs (they even make bacon-scented bubbles!), and treasure hunts (scattering kibble around the yard for the puppy to find)
6. Play the “Kibble Toss” Game
This is a fun game I came up with when dealing with a super nippy English Setter :
- I started carrying a treat bag with a portion of his daily allotment of kibble and used it to keep his focus off of me and my clothing
- Every time he would approach me Before He even thought about nipping, I would prevent it by quickly tossing a kibble in the opposite direction
- After several reps of this, he would start approaching me in hopes of me tossing more kibble rather than wanting to nip
The best part? This yo-yo-ing back and forth provided a workout and kept him mentally stimulated too, since he had to chase and then search for the tossed kibble. Furthermore, the game was so fun that nipping my legs and clothing became boring in comparison. This game worked so well in keeping his mind off of nipping that I stopped feeding him from the bowl. A portion went into food puzzles, and the rest was used for this game and training. As I trained this dog, I eventually started adding training cues or Dog tricks Into the game. For example, when he approached me, I would ask for a “sit” and reward it by tossing the kibble. The next round, I asked for a down and rewarded it with a kibble
7. Ensure Enough Sleep
Young puppies have a lot of growing to do, and everything they learn needs to be consolidated through some sleep. Therefore, it is very important for these young pups to catch enough z’s. It’s often easy for young pups to get carried away when there’s lots of stimulation going on around them, which makes it difficult for them to find their “off button. ” As these puppies grow tired, they start getting rather cranky—and the crankier, the more nippy they get. We may need to give these youngsters little breaks at scheduled times in an area that is quiet and conducive to sleep. Putting the puppy in the crate if the Puppy is crate trained , with something enticing to chew on, may help them relax and soon fall asleep
What Should ID o if My Puppy Still Manages to Bite?
As you can see, it’s important to take steps to Prevent The puppy from getting into biting mode. This is very important because any time our puppy has a chance to bite us or tug our clothing, he may interpret any reaction from us—such as moving our body or clothing—as an interactive response, potentially reinforcing the behavior. So what should we do if, despite our proactive steps to prevent biting, the puppy still manages to nip or tug on our clothes? The best approach is to provide immediate withdrawal of attention Freeze—basically, “be still as a tree” (no talking or looking at the pup) —and wait for the pup to lose interest, and then sloooowly remove yourself from the situation. Rinse and repeat as often as needed so that the puppy gets the message, but consider that if you’re needing to “be a tree” repeatedly, it may indicate that your puppy is not getting enough opportunities to engage in appropriate behaviors. Perhaps he has unmet needs or does not have enough opportunities for natural chewing behaviors
Should IY elp, Yell, or Scold the Dog?
Forget about scolding, yelping Yelling at the dog , or saying “ouch. ” Yelping or verbally acknowledging the puppy may increase the puppy’s excitement, inadvertently reinforce the nipping behavior, or induce a fear of social interaction, points out veterinary behaviorist Dr. Kenneth Martin in the book Puppy Start Right: Foundation Training for the Companion Dog None of these responses are productive for teaching appropriate behavior or fostering a positive bond, which is why scolding isn’t recommended
Troubleshooting Some Challenges
The process of “turning into a tree or statue” has its own set of challenges. Here are some strategies that have helped me with some challenging cases
Make a Quick Exit
If a puppy becomes overly nippy, I’ve found that stepping away or exiting the area can remove the reinforcement (our attention/interaction) for the unwanted behavior. A baby gate or door can allow you to make a quick and strategic exit without allowing the puppy to escalate the behavior
Wear Protective Gear
“Turning into a statue” when you have a puppy biting your toes can be close to impossible because it hurts! When working with nippy puppies, I will wear closed shoes (with no laces) and extra layers of clothing for extra padding. For challenging cases, I may even wear Wellington boots, which may be boring or difficult for the puppy to grasp. I also suggest tying up your hair and not wearing necklaces, scarves, or any type of loose clothing that attracts the puppy so as to reduce opportunities for reinforcement of the behavior. These management options can then be gradually phased out once the puppy learns to engage in more desirable, alternative behaviors
Beware of Extinction Bursts
If a puppy has been nipping people for some time, and these people have responded by inadvertently interacting with the puppy in one way or another (movement, talking), the puppy may undergo an extinction burst the moment people stop interacting with him and “turn into a statue. ” An extinction burst occurs when a behavior with a history of being reinforced is suddenly no longer reinforced. The puppy may therefore start increasing the intensity or frequency of the nipping behavior temporarily in hopes of getting the reward they were previously getting (attention, interaction, etc.) It’s important that everybody remains consistent during this phase, even if it feels like the behavior is worsening temporarily. Eventually, the puppy will realize that nipping no longer results in the desired outcome. The protective gear may help during this stage
Teach Impulse Control
Puppies benefit from impulse control training, which helps them manage their excitement and act calmly in stimulating situations. Impulse control training can be incorporated into everyday activities such as by asking the puppy to sit before being fed, before being let outside the door, and before tossing them a ball or kibble
Evaluate Your “Off” Cue
You mentioned that you have been using the verbal cue “off” and making some progress. If it’s working, great, but we need to carefully evaluate what is happening when we say “off. ” In a nutshell, we need to evaluate the timing and the context in which the cue is being used. If the “off” cue is said when the puppy is already biting, there is the concern that we may be inadvertently reinforcing the interaction if the puppy doesn’t immediately stop. Essentially, the puppy could learn to bite and wait for the “off” cue, thinking it results in some sort of interaction. Furthermore, if the “off” cue is not followed by a clear consequence (like turning into a statue/leaving the area), the puppy may learn that the cue has no real meaning, and it may be tuned out. If an “off” cue is used, it’s important that it is immediately followed by the cessation of interaction. Ideally, the “off” cue should be used just before the puppy bites, rather than after Avoiding Behavior Chains We need to be careful even with redirection, such as when a puppy bites and is redirected to a toy, as there is a chance for a behavior chain. In a nutshell, smart puppies can quickly learn that nipping leads to being offered a toy, which can unintentionally reinforce the biting behavior. Preemptive strategies ultimately work best to prevent unwanted behavior chains. A preemptive approach prevents the puppy from rehearsing the problem behavior and allows you to reward the puppy with something positive (like a treat or a toy) when they respond to the cue correctly, reinforcing calm behavior instead of nipping
For Complex Cases
Sometimes, puppies may persist in the behavior, or there may be vulnerable people in the household (seniors, young children). In these cases, supervision and managing the puppy’s environment (leash, baby gates, exercise pens) can prevent situations where the puppy might nip vulnerable people out of excitement. Training a reliable “leave it” through positive reinforcement can be helpful when people are around. With consistent training, the puppy can learn to stop nipping and redirect to more appropriate behaviors. If the behavior persists or becomes difficult to manage, it’s always a good idea to consult a professional trainer or behavior consultant using positive reinforcement methods. Discover more strategies from how I addressed a Nippy German Shepherd puppy
The Bottom Line
Clearly, the nippy teething phase in puppies can feel long and challenging, but you are correct—it too shall pass. It’s a normal part of their development. By offering our pups consistent mental stimulation and enrichment Ensuring all needs are met , preempting the behavior, reinforcing desirable behaviors, and providing clear, consistent consequences should the puppy still manage to nip, we can teach the puppy what’s acceptable and what’s not. Keep up the great work. Happy training!
Does My Dog Need Her Teeth Brushed Every Day?
References
- Atkinson, S. R Growth and development of teeth and jaws (A) Mandible (B) Maxilla Am. J. O rthod. Oral Surg. 1940
- Lorászkó, G, Rácz, B, & Ózsvári, L. (2022). Changes in the Dentition of Small Dogs up to 4 Months of Age. Animals
- PetMD: Everything You Need to Know About Puppy Teething
- Your Golden Retriever Puppy Month by Month: By Terry Albert, Debra Eldredge DVM, Alan Gunther. DK (January 12,2016)
- Puppy Start Right: Foundation Training for the Companion Dog, by Kenneth M. M artin, Debbie Martin
Disclaimer: Dog training and behavior modification, particularly for challenges involving potential aggression (e. G, lunging, barking, growling, snapping, or biting), require in-person guidance from a qualified behavior professional. Online articles are for educational purposes only and do not replace personalized, professional intervention. By using this information, you accept full responsibility for your dog’s actions and waive any liability claims related to their behavior. If your dog shows concerning behaviors, seek professional help immediately to ensure safety and proper care