The Calming Technique to STOP Puppy Biting FAST, by McCann Dog Training on YouTube. 23 min 1 s.
- Video length
- 23 min 1 s
- Time to do it
- 20 minutes a day for a week
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Fit a light house line to your puppy's collar or harness. Let the puppy drag it around the room for a few minutes so it feels normal before you use it.
Spend a few days building trust before any correction. Sit on the floor, offer treats, and touch the collar and ears gently while your puppy stays relaxed.
Practice positive collar grabs. Reach for the collar, give a treat, and release. Repeat until your puppy leans in rather than pulling away.
Play gentle handling games. Hold a paw or check an ear for one second, then treat. Keep sessions short and end while your puppy is still calm.
Run calming exercises when your puppy gets mouthy. Slow your movements, pause the game, and reward the moment your puppy settles or looks away.
Learn the safe hold for a tiny dog. Support the chest and hindquarters with both hands, keep the puppy close to your body, and stay calm if it wriggles.
Apply the three-step correction when teeth touch skin. Say a calm marker, pause the fun, then redirect to a toy or chew. Repeat the same way every time.
Practice in real time during play. When biting starts, hold the house line steady, wait for the puppy to stop, then reward the calm behavior with a treat and praise.
Tips and common mistakes
Never jerk the leash or shout. Keep corrections light and calm so the puppy stays trusting.
End play the moment teeth touch skin so the puppy learns biting stops the fun.
Keep sessions under five minutes and stop before your puppy gets overtired, since tired puppies bite more.
Small children should not do the holding or correction steps without adult supervision.
Questions
Can I skip the trust exercises and just correct the biting?
No. The video stresses building trust with collar and handling games first. Correcting a puppy that fears your hands usually makes nipping worse.
What if my puppy keeps struggling when I hold it?
Stay calm and keep the hold gentle and supported. Release only when the puppy settles, so it learns calm behavior ends the hold.
Does this work for larger puppies too?
The technique is shown on a 3 lb Papillon. The trust-first approach applies to most puppies, but scale the hold to your dog's size and weight.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
