Quick answer: key takeaways
- Routine underpins every other behaviour area.
- Biting is normal exploration and teething, not aggression.
- Chewing needs redirection and management, not correction.
- Quality of socialisation matters far more than quantity.
Routines
Consistent sleep, meals, toilet trips and short activity blocks reduce almost every unwanted behaviour. If something is going wrong, look at the routine before looking at the training.
Biting and teething
- Redirect onto an appropriate chew rather than pulling your hand away sharply.
- End the interaction calmly if teeth keep landing — a short break is the consequence.
- Expect a difficult teething phase between roughly 12 and 24 weeks.
- Check for tiredness first: over-tired puppies bite hardest.
Chewing
Manage the environment so valuable items are out of reach, and provide a rotating selection of safe chews. Punishing chewing teaches a puppy to chew where you cannot see them.
Socialisation
Aim for calm, positive, short exposures to the world your dog will live in. A puppy watching a bus go past from a comfortable distance is learning more than one being handled by ten strangers.
Where to go next
- Early Puppy Training for reward-based foundations.
- Calm Leadership for consistency and boundaries.
- Understanding Puppy Social Behaviour for communication and cues.
- Puppy Behavioural Red Flags for the signs that need professional input.
What is normal, and when to seek help
- Mouthing, chewing and testing boundaries are normal developmental behaviour.
- Growling over food or resting places, stiff freezing, or bites that break skin should be assessed by a vet and a qualified, reward-based behaviourist.
Week 1 Puppy Settle-In Guide
A gentle seven-day plan covering routines, rest, toilet trips, feeding and short training moments.Get this free guide