You must have experienced your Border Collie Puppy biting and felt confused about dealing with such a situation. Guess what? Puppy biting is absolutely normal, and you are not alone.
A puppy’s bright eyes, energetic nature, and endless curiosity will make you love them more and more, but their biting can leave you scarred and frustrated.
A pup chews on hands, wires, furniture, and shoes, and an owner wonders how to redirect the pup’s playful energy. Their biting can often stem from teething and their natural herding instincts and need for stimulation.
The good thing is, with the right approach, an owner can turn those nipping into gentle plays. This article will guide every collie pup owner to take on border collie puppy biting with patience and positive methods.
Contents
Border Collie Puppy Biting-Why it Occurs
Just like all other dog breeds, Border Collie Puppies also tend to bite and chew. A pup’s biting can be puzzling for new owners. But a pup’s action comes from its natural behaviors.
Herding Instinct and Mouthing Behavior
When we talk particularly about border collie, this breed was bred to herd by nipping at heels. A collie pup will bite or chew hands or move objects, mimicking this instinct.
Also, its mouthing is natural behavior and not aggression. Using a toy will help redirect the pup’s energy, preventing unwanted bites.
Teething and Exploration
Just like human toddlers, puppies explore the world around them with their mouths.
What is Teething?
Teething in dogs is the process where the baby teeth of the dog erupt through the gums and, in time, get replaced by adult teeth. Normally, this teething process starts around 2-4 weeks for baby teeth and goes around till 12-16 weeks for adult teeth. During this process, the pup feels discomfort, which leads to extra chewing and nipping.
Therefore, biting helps them to ease this pain while testing their surrounding. Giving a glimpse at the period:
During 3-4 months, you’ll observe there is an increase in chewing on toys and furniture.
Then, from 4-6 months, they’ll go for mouthing on your skin and clothes if they find it within their reach. At the end of the teething phase, that is, from 6 months onwards, the biting is reduced as adult teeth grow.
Playing and Attention Seeking
During playtime with other siblings, which is an important stage in a pup’s life, he understands the biting, when and how to bite. But unfortunately, most pups get separated from their mothers and littermates, and when they get sold to new families, they are unknown to this biting thing and start trying it out on the owners and other family members.
They shouldn’t be separated from their mothers and littermates until they are three months old. So, during their playing months period, it is better to keep patience and keep a watchful eye on them, as they can hurt themselves.
All the biting and bouncing and little barking they do is to get the attention of the owner. They are asking owners to play with them, to love and praise them by biting. It’s better to start with some basic commands and training, helping them to learn boundaries.
How Long Before A Border Collie Puppy Stops Biting
Border Collie Puppy Biting doesn’t stop suddenly or instantly. It’s a gradual process, just like teething. However, if not properly trained and socialized, this habit continues into adult age and can be destructive and embarrassing for the owners.
Must be wondering when a puppy will stop biting? You shall see big changes when they turn about 8 to 10 months old. But as per surroundings and training, it really depends on the personality of each pup. Let’s discuss the main stages and what you can expect.
- Stage one is the early mouthing phase. The pup is about 8-12 weeks old and explores everything. This is when his teething starts. Here, the behavior you can observe is constant gentle mouthing.
- Stage two is the teething phase, around 3-6 months of age. He experiences gum pain and needs to chew a lot. Therefore, he’ll chew out whatever he gets, like toys, wires, remotes, shoes, bags, and cushions.
- Stage three is Adolescence. Here, the age is between 6 to 12 months, almost adult. In this phase, they test their biting boundaries, though they don’t chew and bite much. But still they have to long way with proper training and socialization.
Particularly, the border collie breed can take a much longer time to stop biting. You can do spaying or neutering, which can help with hormonal biting, but it won’t be a complex fix.
Please remember, every puppy is unique and different, patience with a calm approach is necessary. One cannot just shout and hit the puppy; it’s not human. On the contrary it can make matter worse rather than solving.
We also have shared our dedicated article on puppy socialization.
Measures To Prevent Border Collie Puppy Biting
Training a border collie puppy not to bite will need systematic approach. This methods should also match with their high energy and smartness.
For the start, begin with bite inhibition. In bite inhibition, a dog gets to learn the force the bite, how much force is to apply during various activities with humans and other dogs.
Start with yourself. While playing with your puppy, if he bites you, then stop instantly and act like you got hurt, making a yelping sound. Your puppy will quickly get the idea that his owner is hurt due to biting.
Then redirect his attention to a toy. Keep repeating this yelp method with consistency and patience.
Next, never play rough with your puppy. See, playing rough and aggressive games, like tug of war, will only make them more excited, and they will end biting more forcefully. If this happens, quickly stop playing. Let the puppy calm down, it will take some minutes.
When he calms down, reward him with treats and praises. This will make the pup realize that he can’t go in full mode in the home or with the owner.
Keep toys with you. While playing with a pup, if he starts biting and nipping, distract him with his favorite toy and praise them. Use frozen puzzle toys if your pup is in the teething phase. It will help soothe the gums. Also, substituting toys will teach the pup to bite the right things.
Positive Enforcement. Reward your puppy with treats and praises when he chooses toys over your hand and when he calms down. Keep rewarding every little progress your pup shows. Saying ‘good choice’ or ‘good job’ will enforce positive behavior in the pup.
Participation. In the initial months, all members of the family must use the same commands and responses. Giving mixed signals and responses will confuse the puppy. Keep this trend for 3-6 months, and you shall see incredible improvement.
Border Collies respond to positive and constructive guidance best. Avoid punishment. Celebrate small wins.
What to avoid?
Shouting and punishing will only make your pup more anxious and aggressive, damaging trust. Use calm and positive commands.
Keep the same reaction and commands. If you are rewarding today and not tomorrow, then it will confuse the pup, and he will not understand what is expected of him. Stay consistent with your positive reactions.
Avoid rough playing. It can lead to accidents and trigger biting. Stop the play when things get intense.
A bored puppy chooses to nip. Try walking away or removing the toy. That is why you should make sure he gets enough exercise and mental stimulation.
Don’t ignore or punish growling. Growling is a way of saying they are uncomfortable. Try to detect and address why the puppy is growling.
Don’t expect instant results. Puppies can’t learn everything in just a couple of days. Keep patience. Keep adjusting training methods as they keep growing.
How long before a border collie puppy stops biting
By 8-10 months, puppies give up biting. Depends on the puppy.
Why do border collies puppies bite so much?
There are many reasons like teething, playing, or herding instincts.
Can spaying or neutering affect a border collie puppy’s biting behavior?
It can calm and reduce biting. Still, training is a must.
Why does my border collie puppy keep biting me?
Train him with patience and use methods described in this article.
Conclusion
A happy, healthy, well-disciplined puppy is a blessing for a family. Positive training, trying different approaches, and keeping patience are the keys. Border collies love challenges. Training sessions with rewards are a game changer.
If you think you are not getting results or you are doing something wrong, please take guidance from a dog trainer. By observation, a trainer can suggest to the point specific tips and solutions.
Setting clear boundaries and making training fun will help you to bond with your pup more. Hope you have like our Border Collie Puppy Biting article.
