Tips to Curb Chewing and Biting

Bernese Mountain puppies are beauties!

They grow to be part of the large dog breed and rank as one of the most affectionate of the bunch. With that said, they can sometimes be a bit rambunctious. This includes their desire to chew and bite on things we all know they shouldn’t. Here are some ways we think can help to curb their chewing and biting habits.

A Few Tidbits…

• Firstly, we want to say that it is actually important to allow your puppy to bite you but it must be gently. Sans this slight permission, your Bernese Mountain puppies for sale you purchased won’t ever learn the concepts of bite inhibition.
• Always, always, always handle your Bernese Mountain puppies in the most gentle way and with very slow motions. Messing around and fluffing up his fur playfully will only encourage him and serve as an invitation to play bite! This is a major no-no despite how cute and cuddly your Bernese Mountain puppies may look!
• Along the same lines of the above, don’t play “wrestle” with your pups. This encourages them to play bite.
• If you’re crating your puppies, place a Kong toy in his crate. Be sure to fill it with a yummy treat. You can also leave a tasty chew toy in his crate.
• One last tip to discourage chewing and biting is to stop any interaction you’re sharing with your pup when he starts to bite. You’re basically putting them in time-out for 30 seconds or so. Eventually, this will signify to them that their behavior is undesirable. Here are two tips that strips the fun away and stops the bad behavior.

Remove The Puppy From The Fun

As soon as your puppies start biting, you should immediately escort them to the crate or otherwise designated area. You should stay calm. Do not alert them by making them think they’re in trouble or that you’re angry. Release them after 20 to 30 seconds. If they act up again, repeat the step. And make sure there aren’t any toys or treats around. Once the playing and interactions resume, gently praise them with soft encouraging words like “good boy” or “good girl”.

Take The Fun From The Puppy

Most critics say this is the preferred method. If the pups start play biting, you simply get up and leave the room, taking with you all of their toys, especially the favorites first. This is a hard and fast lesson for the puppies to learn that no one will play with them if they bite hard.

As Bernese Mountain owner, we know it’s a loving but sometimes trying path, but with great rewards! Be consistent with these practices and tips. You’ll certainly be able to altogether eliminate their unwanted biting and chewer, if not significantly decrease it.