Puppy Biting: How to Survive the Land Shark Phase Without Scars

You pictured snuggles, puppy breath, and soft naps. Instead, you seem to have adopted a baby crocodile. Your hands are scratched, your pants have holes, and your children are terrified to walk across the living room.

Welcome to the Land Shark Phase.

Puppy biting is the #1 reason new owners wonder, “Did I make a huge mistake?” It is painful, relentless, and exhausting. But here is the truth: It is completely normal.

In fact, it is necessary. A puppy that doesn’t bite is a puppy that isn’t learning.

In this survival guide, we will explain why your puppy attacks you, why the “Ouch!” method might be failing you, and how to teach your puppy that human skin is fragile.

Why Do Puppies Bite?

Puppies explore the world with their mouths. They don’t have hands. To pick something up, test its texture, or play with it, they use their teeth.

1. Play: This is how littermates play. They wrestle and bite. They assume you want to play the same way.
2. Teething: From 12 weeks to 6 months, their gums hurt. Chewing relieves the pain.
3. Over-tiredness: A tired toddler throws a tantrum; a tired puppy bites. If your puppy turns into a demon at 8 PM, they need a nap, not a toy.

The Goal: Bite Inhibition (Soft Mouth)

We do not want to stop biting immediately. Wait, what? If you teach a puppy “Never use your teeth,” they never learn how to control their jaw pressure. If, as an adult dog, they are stepped on or scared, they might snap with full force because they never learned modulation.

Phase 1 Goal: Teach them to bite softly. Phase 2 Goal: Teach them to stop biting skin.

Method 1: The “Ouch” (and why it fails)

The traditional advice is to yelp “Ouch!” like a littermate would.

• Success: Puppy backs off, looks concerned. You praise them.
• Failure: Puppy gets MORE excited. “Oh wow! You make squeaky toy noises! Let me bite you again!”

If yelping makes your puppy crazier, stop doing it. You are just being a giant squeaky toy.

Method 2: Reverse Time-Out (The Social shunning)

This is the most effective method for high-drive puppies. Biting = The Fun Human Disappears.

1. Play with your puppy.
2. Hard Bite: Say “Too Bad” in a calm voice.
3. Leave: Immediately step over a baby gate or into another room. Close the door.
4. Wait: Count to 10-20 seconds.
5. Return: Come back and resume play calmly.

If they bite again? Repeat. It might take 20 reps in one evening. Eventually, the puppy learns: “Teeth on skin causes my favorite person to vanish. Teeth on toys makes them stay.”

Method 3: Redirection (The Exchange)

Always have a toy within arm’s reach. Always.

1. Puppy approaches with an open mouth.
2. Shove a long tug toy or plushie into their mouth before they get to your skin.
3. Wiggle it to make it “alive.”
4. Praise them for chewing the toy.

Pro Tip: Do not just hold the toy still. Dead prey is boring. Moving prey (wiggling toy) is fun.

The “Witching Hour” (Zoomies)

Does your puppy go insane around 7:00 PM? Running circles, biting ankles, eyes glazed over? This is not aggression. This is exhaustion. A puppy that is acting like a monster is usually an overtired puppy. They don’t have an “off switch” yet.

The Fix: Enforced Naps. Put them in their crate with a chew treat. They will likely protest for 2 minutes and then sleep for 2 hours.

Kids and Puppies: A Dangerous Mix

Children run, scream, and wave their arms high. To a puppy, a child looks exactly like a wounded rabbit. It triggers a massive prey drive response (chase and nip).

• Rule 1: No running around the puppy.
• Rule 2: “Be a Tree.” If the puppy chases, stop moving. Fold arms. Look at the sky. Boring trees don’t get bitten.
• Rule 3: Active supervision. Use a playpen (X-pen) to separate the puppy from the kids when you can’t be 100% focused.

When to Worry (Aggression vs. Play)

99% of puppy biting is play. Real aggression is rare in young puppies. Signs of Play: Bouncy movement, “play bows,” taking turns, coming back for more. Signs of Warning: Stiff body, hard staring, curling lip, low growl (not the “play growl”).

If you suspect true aggression, consult a behaviorist immediately. But usually, you just have a Land Shark.

Summary

This phase ends. I promise. Usually by 5-6 months, when the adult teeth are in, the biting drops off significantly. Until then:

1. Manage: Use baby gates and pens.
2. Redirect: Shove a toy in their mouth.
3. Leave: Step away if they bite hard.
4. Nap: When in doubt, crate for a nap.

Wear your old pants, buy lots of bandaids, and remember: This too shall pass.