Your puppy isn’t aggressive — they just haven’t learned the rules yet

Why puppies bite ankles (it’s not what you think)

Puppy ankle biting has several overlapping causes, and none of them are aggression. Understanding why it happens is the first step to stopping it.

• Teething pain. Between 8 and 16 weeks, puppies are losing baby teeth and growing adult ones. Their gums hurt and they need to chew on everything — including moving targets like your feet.
• Play behavior. In a litter, puppies bite each other constantly during play. Your ankles are at mouth height and they move when you walk — they’re basically the most fun toy in the house.
• Herding instinct. Breeds like Border Collies, Corgis, Australian Shepherds, and Heelers are genetically wired to nip at heels. This isn’t a training failure — it’s instinct that needs redirection.
• Exploration. Puppies explore the world with their mouths the way toddlers use their hands. Biting is how they learn about texture, resistance, and social boundaries.
• Attention-seeking. Even negative attention ("No! Stop!") is exciting for a puppy. If biting gets a reaction, they learn that biting is a reliable way to start an interaction.

Stage 1: Bite inhibition (weeks 1–2)

Before you stop the biting entirely, you need to teach your puppy to control their bite pressure. This is called bite inhibition, and it’s one of the most important skills a puppy can learn. A dog who never learned bite inhibition as a puppy can do real damage as an adult, even accidentally.

• When your puppy bites hard, say "ouch" in a calm, firm voice (not a scream — high-pitched sounds can excite them more). Immediately freeze and withdraw your attention for 5–10 seconds.
• Don’t pull your hand or foot away quickly. Fast movement triggers chase instinct. Instead, go limp and still.
• After 5–10 seconds of no attention, re-engage calmly. If they bite hard again, repeat. If they mouth gently, that’s progress — you’re allowing soft mouthing first, then phasing it out.
• In the first week, only react to hard bites. Let soft mouthing slide. In the second week, start marking medium-pressure bites too. By week 3, you’ll be addressing all mouthing.
• Practice 3–4 short play sessions per day (5 minutes each). End each session before your puppy gets overstimulated. A tired, wound-up puppy can’t learn.

This two-stage approach (hard bites first, then all bites) teaches your puppy to modulate pressure — a skill they’ll use their entire life.

Stage 2: Redirection to toys (weeks 2–3)

Once your puppy is starting to soften their bites, begin redirecting them to appropriate chew targets. The goal is to teach them that biting toys is fun and biting people makes the fun stop.

• Keep a tug toy or rope in every room. When your puppy goes for your ankles, immediately offer the toy instead. Make the toy more exciting than your feet — wiggle it, drag it on the ground.
• If they take the toy, play with them enthusiastically for 30 seconds. This is the reward. Ankles = boring, toy = party.
• If they ignore the toy and go back to your ankles, calmly stand up, step over a baby gate, or leave the room for 30 seconds. The message: biting me ends all fun.
• Rotate toys to keep them novel. Puppies lose interest in the same toy after a few days. Keep 3–4 in rotation and introduce new textures (rope, rubber, plush).
• For herding breeds, use a flirt pole (a pole with a toy on a string). This satisfies the chase-and-grab instinct without involving your body. 5 minutes of flirt pole can drain a herding puppy’s ankle-biting urge for hours.

Stage 3: The yelp-and-disengage method

This is the most commonly recommended technique, but it only works if done correctly. Many owners get the execution wrong and accidentally reinforce the biting.

• When your puppy bites, let out a short, sharp "ow" (not a shriek) and immediately go still. Don’t look at your puppy. Don’t speak to them.
• Count to 10 in silence. If your puppy backs off and sits or looks confused, calmly resume interaction. Reward the pause with gentle attention.
• If your puppy escalates (bites harder, jumps, barks), they’re overstimulated. Calmly leave the room or step behind a baby gate. They need a reset, not a correction.
• Never yell, push your puppy away, or hold their mouth shut. These responses either scare them (damaging trust) or excite them (making biting worse). Physical corrections don’t teach a puppy what to do instead.
• If yelping makes your puppy more excited (common in high-drive breeds), skip the yelp entirely and go straight to silent disengagement. Some puppies interpret "ow" as a fun squeaky sound.

Consistency matters more than technique. Everyone in the household needs to respond the same way. One family member who rough-houses and allows biting will undo the other three’s work.

When ankle biting is normal vs. when to worry

Almost all puppy ankle biting is normal. But occasionally there are signs that warrant professional help.

• Normal: Biting during play, excitement, or when you’re walking. Puppy has a wiggly, loose body. Biting stops when you disengage. Puppy is between 8–20 weeks old.
• Normal: Biting gets worse when puppy is tired or overstimulated. This is the puppy equivalent of a toddler tantrum — it’s frustration, not aggression. Solution: enforced nap time.
• Worth monitoring: Biting with stiff body language, hard staring, or growling that doesn’t sound playful. Resource guarding (biting when you approach food or toys). These can be early signs of anxiety or fear.
• See a professional: Biting that breaks skin regularly after age 16 weeks despite consistent training. Biting that is directed at faces rather than hands/feet. Biting accompanied by snapping or lunging at strangers.

If you’re unsure, film the behavior and show it to a certified trainer or veterinary behaviorist. They can tell the difference between play biting and concerning behavior from a short video.

A daily routine that reduces ankle biting

Much of ankle biting is caused by under-stimulation. A puppy with nothing to do will create their own entertainment — and your ankles are always available. This daily routine addresses the root cause.

• Morning: 10-minute play session with a tug toy or flirt pole, followed by a training session (sit, down, touch) for 5 minutes, then a stuffed Kong or lick mat while you get ready.
• Midday: Short walk or yard time (age-appropriate — 5 minutes per month of age), followed by a chew session with an appropriate puppy chew.
• Afternoon: Enforced nap in a crate or pen. Puppies need 16–20 hours of sleep per day. If your puppy is biting nonstop, they’re almost certainly overtired.
• Evening: Play session with redirection practice built in. End 30 minutes before bedtime to allow wind-down.
• Throughout the day: Keep shoes on in the house (protects ankles and makes them less interesting). Carry a tug toy as a "biting redirect" tool. Reward calm settling with treats or quiet praise.