How to Understand and Manage My Puppy's Biting

There are multiple reasons that puppies bite, even Australian Labradoodle puppies!  Let’s look at some of the reasons that puppies bite and techniques we can use to manage it.  

Some of the reasons puppies may bite are:

1. They want to play!  Puppies are playful and are naturally drawn to things that move such as our hands and feet.  We will discuss how to teach a puppy to play appropriately. 
2. Teething.  As they lose their baby teeth, Australian Labradoodle puppies may have an intense need to chew on anything in sight.  This is also manageable, and will pass once the teething phase is over.
3. Puppies often bite or nip more when they are tired.  Sometimes they need a break!

Now that we have looked at some reasons for puppy biting, let’s go over ways to manage and even improve this issue!

1. For play biting and nipping, keep toys handy!  When your puppy puts its teeth on you, always redirect him to a toy.  This will teach your puppy how to appropriately play with his humans without putting his teeth on them. Any time you find that your puppy won’t redirect to a toy, then it’s time to end the play session and walk away.  

2. For teething we recommend keeping lots of appropriate chew toys on hand.  With our Australian Labradoodle puppies we like to use frozen kong toys filled with a little bit of peanut butter.  The frozen kong feels good on their gums and helps meet their need to chew.  You can also roll some of your puppy’s kibble into a damp washcloth and freeze it.  This makes a great puzzle toy to help burn some mental energy while also meeting their need to chew!  

3. Just like human little ones, puppies sometimes just need a break!  Tired puppies can be nippy puppies, and if you find that your puppy won’t redirect to a toy, this is probably  the reason.  Make sure to give your puppy regular breaks in their crate.  Let your doodle puppy nap for 30 minutes to an hour a couple of times a day, and you will see a difference in their behavior.

Each of these activities will add great bonding time and play opportunities for you and your puppy during the cold season. Our Australian Labradoodles make especially great snow buddies as they love to play outdoors. New seasons with a puppy are exciting and enjoyable in their own differing ways!

Multi-generational Australian Labradoodles are a cross between many different parent breeds. The breed originated in Australia in the 1980s with the intent of creating an allergy-friendly service dog for the blind. Australian Labradoodles are a combination of a Poodle, Labrador Retriever, English Cocker Spaniel, American Cocker Spaniel, and Irish Water dogs. These breeds were hand-selected for specific breed qualities to create the ideal service dog for those with allergies. Since then, the breed has continued on and spread across the world. Australian Labradoodles are now considered their own breed with its own breed clubs (ALAA and WALA).