For parents, dealing with puppy biting and kids at the same time can seem impossible, but it gets better!

Bringing home a new puppy is joyful, exciting, and stressful. In families with kids, getting a puppy is a coming of age moment that your kids will remember forever. Your home and family is changing!

But… when that adorable bundle of fur starts using your kids as chew toys, excitement can quickly turn into frustration.

You’re not alone.

Puppy biting, especially with kids in the home, is one of the most common challenges new puppy owners face. The good news? It will get better—with time, consistency, and a bit of patience.

Why Puppies Bite

Puppy biting is completely normal behavior. Just like human babies, puppies explore the world with their mouths. Unlike babies, puppies don’t have hands they can use to grab things. Puppies learn to grab, hold, and pull with their mouths.

Puppies bite because:

• Biting can be a form of play
• Biting provides teething relief
• Biting is an expression of excitement or overstimulation
• Biting is how puppies interact with their surroundings

Puppies don’t yet know how to play gently—or that human skin (especially kids’ skin) isn’t as tough as other puppy’s.

It may seem like puppy biting is mean or a personal attack, but it is actually about learning. Puppies are learning how to bite, how hard is too hard, and what things are okay to bite. They NEED to bite (a lot) in order to learn important doggy life skills.

Why Kids Get the Worst of Puppy Biting

Children move fast, make high-pitched noises, and have unpredictable body language—all of which can be exciting to a young puppy. They are also smaller, and have faces that are close to puppy-level.

This is how it often goes: a child is playing with a puppy, and the puppy starts biting. The child says “ouch” and pulls away from the puppy. Seeing the movement, the puppy starts to chase – and bite more.

Kid’s quick movements and squeals can feel like a game of chase or tug-of-war. This can prompt puppies to nip or jump more, escalating the situation even further.

Even if the puppy bites aren’t aggressive, this can be distressing for parents and scary for kids. Parent may start to wonder whether their puppy’s biting is normal. The key is understanding that puppy biting is part of the learning process, not a sign that your puppy is “bad” or “aggressive.”

What is Normal with Puppy Biting

Normal puppy biting:

• Gets worse when puppies are hungry, tired, overstimulated, or need to potty.
• Can draw blood or rip clothes due to how sharp the puppy’s teeth are.
• Can be very persistent, continuous, and difficult to redirect.
• Often gets worse before it gets better (typically worst around 10-12 weeks).
• Starts to go away when a puppy is 4-6 months old, with consistent training.
• Is worse with children.

Not normal puppy biting:

• Growling, snarling, or biting to protect resources like food, toys, or other objects.
  • This is resource guarding. It can be normal but should be addressed immediately to prevent further problems.
• Biting out of fear.
• Stiff, defensive body posture or freezing followed by a bite.
• Continued high frequency or intensity biting after a puppy is about 6 months old.

Breed specific norms:

• Herding breeds chase, nip, and bite moving things.
• Retrievers pick up and hold objects (including hands) in their mouths.
• High energy dogs (including many doodle breeds) need lots of repetition and consistency.

When It Gets Better

As your puppy gets older, you should notice two things:

1. Your puppy’s biting should become less frequent.
2. Your puppy’s biting should become less intense. Biting goes away gradually, not all at once.

Most puppies start to outgrow the worst of the biting phase by the time they’re 4 to 6 months old with consistent training. By this age, they start losing their baby teeth and settle into more mature behavior patterns.

However, your puppy’s breed, energy level, and your family’s response to biting can affect your progress. Herding and hunting breeds, for example, are more prone to nipping and may need more focused redirection.

What You Can Do in the Meantime

Here are a few tips to help ease the tension between your puppy and your kids:

• Make sure your puppy is getting the right amount of sleep and exercise.
• Supervise playtime closely. Don’t leave young kids alone with a nippy puppy. Always intervene if play gets too rough.
• Redirect biting behavior. Keep chew toys handy. If your puppy goes for hands or ankles, redirect them to a toy right away.
• Teach your kids how to interact calmly. Show them how to stand still (“be a tree”) if the puppy gets too excited, and avoid yelling or running.
• Stop playing when a puppy starts biting. A short break behind a baby gate or in a pen can help “reset” your puppy.
• Reward calm behavior. Praise and treat your puppy for gentle play and calmness around your children.

A Final Word – And One Last Tip

The puppy biting stage feels long, especially when you’re trying to protect little ones from sharp puppy teeth. But with the right approach, it will pass. Many parents look back just months later and laugh at how intense it all seemed.

Stick with it, support your kids and your pup, and remember: a well-mannered, gentle dog is just around the corner.

Check out this Instagram post for an easy hack for dealing with puppy biting and kids!

Or read more about resource guarding:

Dog Bites: How Toddler Parents can Prevent Resource Guarding