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By Justin Jordan. Last updated: 7 October 2026.
Puppy mouthing and biting are among the most common concerns we hear about in Puppy School. Those sharp little teeth hurt, and some days it can feel like you have brought home a little “land shark”, grabbing at your hands, clothing or ankles. We understand how frustrating and exhausting this can be.
You may be worried about your children, wondering whether the biting is aggression, or feeling that nothing you try is helping. You can love your puppy and still feel frustrated, exhausted or overwhelmed by this stage.
Feeling this way does not mean you are failing your puppy. Although mouthing is a normal part of puppy development, that does not make it easy to live with. Our aim is to help you understand what is happening, give you practical steps to follow and know when to ask for help with your own puppy.
We want to reduce how often mouthing happens and how hard your puppy bites, while teaching them gentler ways to play and interact. Progress is usually gradual, rather than an overnight change. Look for less biting, gentler play and a puppy who finds it easier to switch to a toy or quieter activity. You should not have to accept being hurt or feeling unsafe; those are reasons to seek individual help.
Start with a suitable toy, a gate or pen that lets you create space safely, and time for quiet rest between activities. You do not need to try every training tip at once.
If you are becoming frustrated, safely separate yourself from your puppy and take a breather. Check they are comfortable and their needs are met. Come back when you can respond calmly. Taking a break is a sensible part of managing the situation.
For ordinary play mouthing, use a calm, consistent sequence:
Keep the break short and watch how your puppy responds. A frightened puppy should not be left to panic, and a crate should not become somewhere they are sent as punishment. If barriers themselves cause distress, ask your trainer to help you find a setup that works.
Avoid smacking, holding your puppy’s mouth shut, pinning them down or using intimidation. These responses can frighten your puppy and do not teach the gentle interactions you want.
Puppies use their mouths to investigate their surroundings and interact during play. Teething also increases their need to chew. Hands, loose clothing and moving feet can become part of the game if your puppy has not yet learnt what to do instead.
Notice when the behaviour happens. Is it during greetings, when someone walks past, after a busy afternoon or when your puppy is being handled? Those details help you choose the right response. Mouthing during handling may signal discomfort or worry, so avoid assuming every bite is playful.
Our puppy biting and nipping guide explores these situations in more detail.
Have appropriate toys available before your puppy starts looking for something to chew. Choose toys suited to their size, age and chewing strength. Supervise your puppy and replace toys when they become damaged.
Chews are not suitable for every puppy. Check age guidance and ask your vet if you are unsure, especially if your puppy has dental, digestive or dietary concerns. Remove any item that becomes small enough to swallow. Avoid very hard chews, such as antlers and hard bones, which can break teeth. Ask your vet which chewing options suit your puppy.
Keep play and training sessions short, and finish before your puppy becomes too excited. Reward your puppy when they approach calmly, keep their feet on the floor or choose a toy.
Avoid using your hands as playthings. Everyone in the household should follow the same rules, so your puppy gets a consistent message.
A puppy who is already very excited may struggle to switch to a toy. The toy may also be less interesting than moving sleeves or feet.
Try offering the toy earlier, before your puppy becomes too excited. Keep one nearby and make play a little calmer. If your puppy is still grabbing at you, create space instead of repeatedly pushing a toy towards their face.
If a suggestion has not worked straight away, it does not mean you have done something wrong or that your puppy cannot learn. Sometimes a small change to when you offer the toy, how you play or what is happening around your puppy can help. If the pattern continues, ask your trainer to help you work through it.
Notice the behaviour you want more of. Quiet praise, a small training reward or a gentle game can encourage them to do it again.
Keep rewards small and include them in your puppy’s daily food allowance. Rewards should suit your puppy’s age and dietary needs.
Our natural dog treats include options for rewarding good choices during training. Choose rewards that are easy for your puppy to eat in small pieces, and check the product’s ingredients and age guidance. Small training rewards and longer-lasting chews have different uses. Choose them to suit your puppy’s age, size, chewing habits and dietary needs.
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Avoid roughhousing, wrestling and play fighting with your puppy, particularly while biting is a problem. Games that encourage grabbing hands, clothing or people make it harder to teach gentle interactions. Everyone in the household needs to follow the same approach.
Tug can be an appropriate game for some puppies, but it does not suit every puppy or every situation. Keep it gentle, use a suitable toy that keeps hands clear, include pauses and teach a release through a reward or exchange. If your puppy becomes increasingly excited, starts grabbing people or clothing, or finds it hard to stop playing, stop the game and choose a quieter activity. Your trainer can help you work out which games suit your puppy.
Plan your puppy’s day around meals, toilet breaks, short activities and quiet rest. Overtiredness can make mouthing harder to manage, but it is not the explanation for every bite.
If evenings are difficult, look at what happened earlier in the day. A busy afternoon, visitors or continuous play may mean your puppy needs a quieter evening and more opportunities to rest. Do not assume a burst of activity always means they need another game.
Use a comfortable resting area where they can settle without being disturbed. A pen or gate can also help you manage busy household periods.
A regular toilet routine helps too. Our bringing a new puppy home guide covers toilet training and other early household habits.
Try a simple food puzzle, supervised sniffing game or suitable chew. Choose something your puppy can manage and keep it short and enjoyable.
You do not need to entertain your puppy continuously. Learning to rest is part of a balanced routine.
An adult needs to actively supervise interactions. Keep sessions calm and brief, and use a gate to separate children and the puppy when you cannot supervise closely.
Teach children to leave the puppy alone when eating, sleeping, enjoying a toy or chew, or resting in their safe space. Avoid hugging, chasing or grabbing. Children should not take food, toys or chews away from the puppy. An adult should manage these situations. End the interaction if either the child or puppy becomes uncomfortable or overexcited.
Choose activities suited to your puppy’s age and development. Ask your vet about vaccination, health and suitable places to take them. Gentle exploration and short training sessions can be useful parts of their day.
Balance activity with rest and opportunities to practise calm behaviour. More exercise is not always the answer to a difficult evening.
Puppies normally develop 28 baby teeth, also called deciduous or milk teeth. These are replaced by a usual adult set of 42 permanent teeth. The adult set includes additional premolars and molars, so the change involves more than replacing each baby tooth with one adult tooth.
| Approximate age | What is happening |
|---|---|
| Birth | Puppies usually have no visible teeth. |
| Around 3–4 weeks | The first baby teeth begin to appear. |
| Around 6–8 weeks | Most puppies have their full set of 28 baby teeth. |
| Around 3–4 months | Baby teeth begin falling out and adult teeth start coming through. |
| Around 4–6 months | Much of the change to adult teeth takes place. This can be a particularly noticeable period for chewing and gum discomfort. |
| Around 6–7 months | Most dogs have their full set of 42 adult teeth. |
These ages are a guide, not a deadline for every puppy. Front teeth generally change first, followed by the other teeth over the following months. You may find a tiny tooth on the floor, but many owners never notice their puppy losing teeth.
The roots of adult teeth continue developing after the teeth come through. This does not mean that ongoing chewing or biting is necessarily caused by teething pain.
Your puppy may still enjoy chewing at 12 months and beyond. Chewing is a normal dog behaviour, and mouthing can also relate to play, excitement, frustration or established habits. Keep offering suitable toys and activities, and teaching gentle interactions, rather than assuming everything will stop when the adult teeth arrive.
Arrange a dental check during the change to adult teeth, around five to six months, or as advised by your vet. Contact them sooner if you notice a baby tooth alongside its adult replacement, a broken tooth, marked swelling, persistent bleeding, difficulty eating or ongoing pain. Do not try to pull a tooth out yourself.
If an older puppy still seems to have a sore mouth, ask your vet to check it rather than assuming their teeth are just “settling in”.
For a more detailed explanation, read our puppy teething guide.
Advice on this varies. Some puppies pause, while others become more excited by the sound. You do not need to imitate another puppy’s yelp. Pausing calmly and offering a suitable toy are sensible starting points, particularly if vocal reactions make things worse.
Bite inhibition means controlling the pressure of a bite. It is different from learning that hands and clothing are not playthings.
For a clear and consistent household rule, offer suitable toys and teach gentle interactions with people. Avoid deliberately encouraging your puppy to bite hands, particularly in homes with children.
There is no guaranteed age. Teething, development, individual temperament, daily routine and learning all influence the behaviour. Do not rely on adult teeth arriving to solve it on their own.
Look for progress in everyday interactions: fewer incidents, less pressure and a puppy who is easier to redirect. If anyone is being injured, or you are not seeing improvement, seek help rather than waiting for a particular birthday.
Growling can occur during play, but it can also communicate discomfort or a need for space. Look at what is happening and the puppy’s body language, rather than judging the growl on its own. Stop the interaction if you are unsure, and get advice if it happens during handling or around food and possessions.
Speak with your vet if mouthing starts suddenly, changes noticeably or happens when you touch or lift your puppy. Your vet can check whether pain or discomfort may be contributing.
Seek individual advice if biting causes injury, involves guarding food or objects, or makes anyone feel unsafe. Do not punish growling or repeatedly test the situation. Give your puppy space and get help with a plan suited to your household.
Keep a short record of when biting happens, what came immediately before it and how your puppy responded. That can help your vet or trainer assess the pattern. Do not provoke an incident to get a video.
You do not need to wait for a serious incident to ask for help. If biting is affecting your confidence, your family’s comfort or your enjoyment of your puppy, that is a good reason to speak with your trainer.
Our Puppy Set Up in-home training helps you prepare your home and establish routines suited to your puppy and family. We can guide you through sleeping arrangements, toilet training, boundaries, mouthing and everyday interactions, including how to manage life with children and other pets.
If you are feeling overwhelmed, having a trainer work through things with you at home can make it easier to know what to do next. Puppy Set Up complements Puppy Preschool. Contact us to enquire about in-home session availability.
Our Brisbane Puppy Preschool provides practical guidance on biting and mouthing, toilet training, settling, handling, basic manners and carefully managed socialisation.
Classes are held indoors at veterinary clinics for puppies aged 8–18 weeks, with the aim of completing the course by 18 weeks. The $189 fee covers the full four-week course, with one one-hour class each week. Your puppy must have had their first vaccination before attending. If you are unsure whether the course suits your puppy’s age or circumstances, contact us before booking.
Where JDT classes are available, attending Puppy Preschool at the veterinary clinic you intend to use can help your puppy become familiar with the surroundings through positive experiences. It gives them opportunities to visit for learning and enjoyable activities, rather than only when they are unwell or need treatment.
Keep those experiences comfortable and positive. A worried puppy needs space and guidance, rather than being pushed to interact. Getting to know the clinic this way may help build confidence, although it cannot guarantee that every future vet visit will be stress-free.
Your puppy trainer can support everyday learning, while your veterinary team guides health, vaccination and dental care. Socialisation also includes positive experiences with people, sounds, places and handling. Ask your vet about suitable outings and local disease risks while vaccinations are underway.
View Puppy Preschool locations and upcoming courses.
Raising a puppy can be rewarding and demanding at the same time. You are learning about your puppy, and they are learning how to live with you. Progress may be gradual, and some days will be harder than others.
Start with a few practical steps, notice the small improvements and ask for support when you need it. We want you to feel more confident and enjoy the relationship you are building with your puppy.
Give your dog a pat from us.
When you are tired or feeling overwhelmed, it can help to have a simple reminder close by. Our two-page factsheet summarises the calm four-step response, everyday prevention, the teething timeline and when to ask for help. Save it to your phone or print a copy so everyone in the household can follow the same approach.
Download the Puppy Mouthing Factsheet (PDF)
These resources work together to help you build good habits from the beginning:
This article provides general guidance based on dog training and behaviour principles. It is not veterinary advice or a substitute for an individual assessment. Speak with your veterinarian about health, pain, vaccination, diet or dental concerns.
