A puppy learns about her world by means of biting and mouthing anything that crosses her path. Littermates not only run and jump on each other, but also bite each other during play. It is during this type of rough and tumble play that puppies learn bite inhibition. When a pup is bitten too hard by another pup, she yelps and stops playing. The puppy that bit her too hard will also stop. In this way, puppies learn to play with each other gently and to not bite hard. Pet parents can also teach their pups not to bite.
Startle Response and Redirection
Some behaviorists suggest a method which startles the biting puppy and then redirecting the puppy's attention to an acceptable chew toy. Just as the puppy bites down on your hand, make a sudden, abrupt, high-pitched and loud yipping sound. This would be the same sound that a littermate would make if bitten by the puppy. The sound should be so sudden and sharp that the puppy is immediately startled and stops the behavior. If done correctly, the pup will instantly remove her mouth and look bewildered. At that point, quickly substitute a toy the puppy can chew on. This redirects the puppy's biting behavior to the toy. This way the puppy learns it is no fun at all biting you, but chewing on the toy is. You may need to do this multiple times if the puppy gets excited in play. If the yips make the puppy more excited, try another approach.
Stop and Go
Another effective method in teaching a pup not to bite is to immediately (and dramatically) leave the room when the puppy bites. This is certainly a method children can use. After multiple times, the puppy will learn that every time she bites, she loses her playmate. She will quickly catch on that she should not bite.
Important Tips to Make Training Easier
No matter what method you use, do not entice the puppy to bite you. Games like tug-of-war and waving your hands in front of the puppy instead of using toys may encourage the puppy to bite. Also, do not hold your pup's mouth closed as a way to prevent biting. This encourages the puppy to focus on your hands and makes her more inclined to bite your hand once she is free.
Have fun playing with your well-behaved pup!