Biting and or nipping in puppies is a very common problem for owners. It is an innate natural response for puppies. They are teething. At 8 weeks they will have all of their milk teeth. The mouthing at this point or what some call nipping or biting will most likely be because they are hungry, thirsty or want to play. They use their mouths on their siblings to play. Between the ages of 3-6 months the real part of teething begins depending on the breed. By 7-8 months most puppies have all of their adult teeth. So during 3-9 months they need something in their mouth to help ease the pain of larger, stronger, sharper teeth coming in. This is where for the most part your hand, pant leg or sleeve comes in to play.
So the puppy doesn't ever believe you are a chew toy, give them one. There are many options at pet stores to choose from these days. You can fill and freeze a Kong, give them stuffed bones, so many different materials to choose from now or a ball on a rope can be enticing to some puppies. Whatever you choose to give them should be safe to leave with them in their crates.
So then what happens when you want to pet them?
Have a special toy they can mouth while you pet them. This way they never see your hand as a toy or prey. Remember to build relationship with a puppy there should always be a toy they only get to play with when they play or spend time with you. This toy should be put away when you need to do something else.
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