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How to Get a Puppy to Stop Biting

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There is so much to love about puppies. They’re adorable, snuggly, loving and playful. But puppies also come with some destructive behaviors — accidents inside the house, chewing on things they aren’t supposed to, and perhaps worst of all, biting.

Biting, or “mouthing,” is part of how a puppy learns about the world. It’s often meant to be a playful behavior, but those sharp little teeth can hurt! Here are a few tips on how to stop puppy biting in Asheville, even in a playful way.

Looking for more comprehensive puppy training? Check out our Puppy Essentials Webinar or schedule a free in-home assessment with one of our professional trainers.

Dog Training Elite Asheville offers a professional puppy training program near you in Asheville to teach how to get a puppy to stop biting.

Not all training packages may be available at our Dog Training Elite Asheville location, please reference our pricing page for complete information on services offered.


Silver

$1,095

  • In-Home Training SessionsOne-on-one & personalized 3 Sessions
  • Group Park Training Sessions 8 Sessions
  • Come
  • Heel (walk with you, loose leash no pulling)
  • Sit (next to you & off leash at a distance)
  • Place (go to bed)
  • Quiet (stop excessive barking & whining)
  • Off(furniture when desired)

Gold

$1,895

  • In-Home Training SessionsOne-on-one & personalized 6 Sessions
  • Group Park Training Sessions 16 Sessions
  • Come
  • Heel (walk with you, loose leash no pulling)
  • Sit(next to you & off leash at a distance)
  • Place(go to bed)
  • Quiet(stop excessive barking & whining)
  • Off(furniture when desired)
  • Down(lay next to you & off leash at a distance)
  • Load Up (go into kennel, car, or dog house)
  • Manners, Safety & Boundaries
  • Calm Anxiety & Build Confidence
  • Housebreaking / Potty Training
  • STOP Jumping on People
  • STOP Mouthing & Nipping
  • STOP Chewing & Digging
  • STOP Begging & Stealing Food
  • STOP Bolting Through Doors & Running Away
  • STOP Chasing Animals, Cars & Bikes
  • STOP Reactivity (dog & human)

Platinum

$2,895

Platinum offers advanced obedience/behavioral modification with a goal of off-leash control. Includes additional training options and offers more one-on-one and group sessions than Gold.

  • In-Home Training SessionsOne-on-one & personalized 9 Sessions
  • Group Park Training Sessions 24 Sessions
  • Come
  • Heel (walk with you, loose leash no pulling)
  • Sit(next to you & off leash at a distance)
  • Place(go to bed)
  • Quiet(stop excessive barking & whining)
  • Off(furniture when desired)
  • Down(lay next to you & off leash at a distance)
  • Load Up (go into kennel, car, or dog house)
  • Manners, Safety & Boundaries
  • Calm Anxiety & Build Confidence
  • Housebreaking / Potty Training
  • STOP Jumping on People
  • STOP Mouthing & Nipping
  • STOP Chewing & Digging
  • STOP Begging & Stealing Food
  • STOP Bolting Through Doors & Running Away
  • STOP Chasing Animals, Cars & Bikes
  • STOP Reactivity (dog & human)
  • *Stay With You on a Job or Bike Ride (off-leash)
  • *Emotional Support Dog Training(ESA)
  • *Control Aggression(dog & human)
  • *Calm Extreme Anxiety(behavioral modification)
Best In-Home Dog Trainers Near Me in Asheville
Highest Rated Dog Obedience Trainers Near You in Asheville
Top Dog Trainers Near Me in Asheville
In-Home Dog Trainers Near You in Asheville

Our Balanced Theory

We base our training around the "Classical Conditioning" model (a.k.a. "Pavlovian" or "respondent conditioning"). This includes developing conditioned or automatic reflexes to commands. In its simplest form (after proper conditioning), when the owner says "sit," the dog automatically sits without thinking about it. Our unique techniques ensure our program is a success no matter what behavior we encounter.


  • Empowering Owners
    We empower Owners to train so their dog knows who to obey at all times.
  • Personalized
    We deal with problem behaviors on a personal basis.
  • Environment Specific
    We train wherever issues tend to arise (i.e. jogging, park, home).
  • Supportive
    We support Owners in the off-hours (when training is "not in session").
  • Involved
    We work with all members of the household.
  • Simplified & Customized
    We plan training around the owner's schedule and require only 20 min/day follow-up practice.
  • Continued Training
    Additional programs / group sessions offered after in-home training.
  • Lifetime Investment
    We follow up & are invested in the owner's success long-term.
  • Satisfaction Ratings
    Our high client satisfaction rating sets us apart from competitors.

We help your dog become a valued companion and beloved member of the family. Read what our customers have to say and then give us a call!

Dave is a fantastic trainer and a great guy. He is both a people person and a dog person who is able to train dog and owner both with sensitivity and humor. He can lead by example or watch as you try out new techniques. You won’t be disappointed.
— Sebastian Matthews
Posted April 13th 2024
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I would give David a 10 if I could. He knows what he is doing. David, explained to me why my dog Hugo was doing certain behavior and then he helped Hugo and me do something different. When we got Hugo our neighbors said, oh no what did u do? Now, they say, wow is that Hugo? Who helped you? I tell everyone to use David at Dog Training ELITE Asheville!
— Mary Love
Posted April 1st 2024
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I can’t recommend David and Nicole enough. I jokingly call David and Nicole the dog whisperers. From the first training we received they were so kind and helpful. They gave both me and my kids the skills needed to train Millie. She went from a very playful, chewing, stubborn puppy to a well behaved dog I feel comfortable having around other people. Their method of in-home training allowed me to watch them train Millie in her own environment, then they would watch me do the same to make necessary corrections, so that I could continue the same skills once they were gone. I have told every friend with a new (or old) puppy to call Dog Training Elite Asheville. You won’t regret it!
— Maggie Cantrell
Posted March 23rd 2024
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Our Dog Hugo is a 70# Golden Doodle rescue, we are his 3rd home. He had issues barking, chasing cars, and being aggressive with a few of the male dogs in the neighborhood. He pulled me down a few times when we first got him. He jumped on one of my neighbors recently after she had a knee replacement and that was not acceptable. We have tried other local training facilities and Hugo didn't get much better. David and Nicole have made a huge difference in Hugo's behavior, and his quality of life. He actually has more freedom now because he knows what we are asking and he is eager to please. He enjoys the training we are doing and he seems happier now because we are able to take him more places with confidence. We are happier also. I like the approach they use in training. Treats are not used as the reward. Even our neighbors have noticed that Hugo is calmer and doesn't bark at them when they pass by our house. I am so pleased with the quality of the training. If you are a Veteran they give 10% discounts as well. I highly recommend Dog Training Elite of Asheville.
— Deb Love
Posted March 20th 2024
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I would highly recommend Dog Training Elite to anyone. We began working with them last fall and our 1 yr old husky mix has transformed in ways that has been so good for her self-esteem and she is well on her way to beginning service dog training. She was overly submissive and did not know how to greet any new person or dog without rolling over in submission and not having confident boundaries. She now is able to perform all of her basic obedience commands and trust in her confidence when meeting new people and dogs. Because of Dog Training Elite, she is going to be able to help our family as a service dog and many others that she meets in the world! If you are considering using this company, go ahead and move forward now. You and your dog will gain what you want and a lot more!
— Sarah Hutchison
Posted March 17th 2024
google
We met the Dog Training Elite Asheville folks at the Apple Festival in Sept 2023. We were so impressed with their knowledge and their dogs onsite were trained and so well behaved...I kept the business card for when we would rescue a new dog. The time came and we have completed 5/6 training sessions and our 7 year golden lab rescue has gone from knowing only a couple of commands with no boundaries; barking; mouthing; etc., to a 180 of listening and obeying. At first we were a bit surprised at the cost BUT it's well worth the money. It's super convenient that they come to our home for our 1:1 sessions and then we work on our own with daily training. I would highly recommend them with five golden stars :)
— Christie Idehara
Posted March 11th 2024
google
We have a very reactive dog with massive anxiety. It was so bad that we couldn’t have people over to our house because the dog would viscously bark and lunge, and occasionally nip visitors. We worked with a few trainers who encouraged positive reinforcement with the use of treats and simple commands. Unfortunately, with our dogs demeanor and history, that method was ineffective. Within one meeting with David and Nicole our dog went from fierce growling, lunging, and muzzle punching to listening to our commands, and attempting to avoid the situation entirely. After two more sessions our dog was off muzzle, calm, and training easily. He now tolerates visitors to our house, and will quickly reverse course during a visit if he starts to become worried. We put our trust in David and Nicole and it truly paid off. I can not say enough good things about not only the way they train dogs and their humans, but also just how much they care about us and our dog.
— Elisabeth Herron
Posted March 11th 2024
google
Our Gracie Mae has turned into a totally different dog!! David and Nikki are so loving and attentive to not only Gracie but to us! I will forever recommend Dog Training Elite to anyone who needs help with their dog!!
— Lauren McCullough
Posted February 28th 2024
google
I had my dog Jude trained by 3 separate trainers before going to David and Nicki at Dog Training Elite. This is the first time that he is listening flawlessly without expecting a treat for the tasks. They are great with your dog and they treat you like family. Highly recommend anyone call them for your dog training needs!
— Paulette Brooks
Posted July 14th 2023
google
Nicole and David are phenomenal in helping me establish a loving and respectful relationship with Earl my puppy. I read the great reviews and contacted them BEFORE Earl came home. Nicole and David came the very next day and started me on this wonderful journey of creating a relationship with a puppy that will grow into a wonderful member of the Asheville community. With a warm expertise, they are teaching me what I must know so that I can bond with Earl in a way that Earl trusts me, has faith in my decisions and will consistently behave like a well mannered dog every where we go in the world. Nicole and David have such a professional manner whilst being generously making themselves available to answer my questions between sessions. I wish I had partnered with Dog Training Elite Asheville years ago. I strongly recommend the Platinum training package as your family and dog deserve the best opportunity to create a safe, loving and respectful environment for all. Thank you, DTE-AVL! We are grateful for you. Dedi & Earl
— dlwilliamson
Posted February 26th 2024
google
We used Dog Training Elite Asheville to help get our dog trained and registered as a therapy dog for our childcare business. We looked at all other dog training options in the area before settling on them. We felt really confident that they knew what they were doing and they did a wonderful job at helping us through the process. David and Nicole are always open and honest about where our dog was in the process and never made us feel like we were taking unnecessary steps in his training. Their therapy dog testing process is very thorough! We are so excited to be able to officially make Rigby a team member at the school and it is all thanks to David and Nicole!
— Rebecca Butler
Posted February 25th 2024
google
My dog, Abbey, had a lot of the basics down pat but was ready to do Service Dog and Therapy Dog training. David and Nicole have moved her through the training smoothly and easily. For every place I got stuck, they had a solution. The training is kind and positively reinforced without the constant trail of treats that leave the dog only performing for food in the hand. I saw new skills in Abbey very quickly each time they were introduced. She loves David and Nicole and looks forward to their arrival at our house for training days. I highly recommend them!
— Betsey Upchurch
Posted February 25th 2024
google
I cannot say enough amazing things about training with David! I told him I had to write a 12 hour miracle review. After adopting my pup in August, we were solely doing positive reinforcement training .. which actually led us to behavior issues while walking on the leash & in the house. We moved from out of state, which really stressed him out and escalated the behavior. Again, saw a behaviorist in the area with very poor results from solely positive reinforcement- it created a bratty teenage puppy. After our very first lesson with David, I didn’t even recognize my dog the next morning. That whole first week- overall SOO much better behaved. Our second lesson we worked on our sit stays with dropping the leash - before that I could never even imagined doing such a thing! It been 2 days since our second lesson and again I don’t recognize my dog in the best way. I’m 100% convinced this method of balance training and working with David is worth every penny. Bodhi was already a great dog, but now he’s even better!
— Michelle V
Posted February 24th 2024
google
I am incredibly satisfied with Dog Training Elite Asheville. David and Nicky have provided me with the tools, knowledge and skills to train my black lab, Olive. I have learned to safely and effectively use an E-Collar, it has been the best tool for training! Trust in David, Nicky and the Elite Dog training process. It has been worth every penny! I now have a well trained dog that I can take with me anywhere. Call them for a free in home consultation, you won’t be disappointed.
— J Hoy
Posted February 19th 2024
google
Best dog trainers does great with dogs. My dog went from nipping and jumping to calm and loving, and all around great personalities. Everyone wants their dogs train. Please get them trained by David and Nikki. They treat you like family.
— matthew Mel
Posted February 8th 2024
google
PLEASE READ TO INSURE HAPPY WELL TRAINED DOG My wife and I have always had dogs. After our 12 and 14 year old Portuguese Water Dogs passed away we waited for 4 years before bringing a Mini-Bernese Mountain Dog into our home. Being in our 70's we just weren't up to training a puppy. We sought individual training and the first several lessons were okay. Due to the energy of our 9 month old puppy, my wife and I were strongly encouraged to board our dog for a month for more intense training. This is not what our sweet, lively puppy needed. We did not agree with giving our dog away for 4 weeks for other people to do in essence what we need to do in our home. Not giving up and realizing how much in-home training made since, we called Dog Training Elite. Our first session was a wonderful experience for us as well as for our puppy. We have had only three training sessions and have experienced great growth in the behavior of our dog, Daffodil. The technics Dog Training Elite teach encourages the dog to want to please in a loving environment. We highly recommend the professional, knowledgeable methods of Dog Training Elite, Steve and Roslyn Seneker
— Happy Granpappy
Posted February 8th 2024
google
We used David and Nicki with Dog Training Elite to train our mixed-breed dog Zaria who was getting increasingly leash reactive. We started training her on recall and it was like she knew that there were other things that she wasn’t supposed to do, like reacting to other dogs and eating goose poop. Those other behaviors started improving before we even started specifically addressing them. We now live in CA near an off leash dog beach and Zaria has a solid recall and sits well at a distance. I also like that I can use the collar to reinforce “not eating nasty stuff”. At first I was concerned about using a “shock collar” but after reading other reviews and starting the training I am very comfortable with the e-collar system. The stimulation levels range from 1 to 99. Zaria works at a 3, a level of stimulation that I can’t even feel. We also use a collar system on our own with our English bulldog Kaiju to train “quiet” in the house. Again, when the collar is on he seems to “knows” when he shouldn’t be barking. I believe that the Dog Training Elite system gives a well-structured, easy to follow system for training a dog that is very useful when working at a distance from the dog and is not harmful to the dog. In fact David and Nicki were definitely favorite people for Zaria and she would be super excited to see them when they arrived for training. I think the training has made her overall a more confident dog when out and not so “worried” about the world.
— Allison Armieri
Posted January 26th 2024
google
I have been so happy with the results this training has achieved. David is the perfect model for me loving my dog but shaping his behaviors so we can go more places and have more fun together. David trained me and Fenn. It really worked. I highly recommend David and his team.
— Carole Bennett
Posted January 22nd 2024
google
David and Nicki were extremely helpful in working with us! I liked their approach to training and appreciated all the support they provided. I would recommend them to anyone. They truly care about helping you train your dog.
— Sue T
Posted January 22nd 2024
google
Nicole and David worked with me within 24 hours of bringing my puppy home. If I ever have a question they quickly return my phone call if they don’t answer the phone immediately. This company is dedicated to creating calm, happy and secure relationships between the dog and the owner. So much so that my puppy can go out into public and is polite and is a good community member. I owe this to Nicole and David of Dog Training Elite Asheville. I look forward to working with them for many years to come. Thank you Dog Training Elite Asheville for helping me become a good steward for my dog.
— dlw sport
Posted January 9th 2024
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Dog Training Elite Asheville offers expert services - like how to stop puppy biting.

How to Get a Puppy to Stop Biting? Teach them that Biting Hurts

Getting a puppy to quit mouthing is actually very simple. You just have to teach your puppy that biting hurts.

How do you teach this? By helping your puppy learn “bite inhibition.” Bite inhibition is a puppy or a dog’s ability to control how hard they bite. Typically puppies learn bite inhibition from playing with other puppies. Biting or mouthing is a common play tactic between puppies and dogs, but occasionally a puppy will bite too hard. This causes their playmate to yelp with pain and stop playing.

The reaction of the bitten puppy helps the puppy who did the biting realize their mistake and learn not to bite so hard. Just like puppies learn how to be gentle with each other, they can learn the same lesson from humans. Even if your puppy has learned bite inhibition while playing with other puppies or dogs, they still need to be taught how sensitive human skin is.

Follow the example of your puppy’s playmates. Let your puppy mouth your hands during play. When they bite you too hard, yelp like a puppy and let your hand go limp to indicate that you have been hurt. This should stop your puppy from continuing to bite you or continuing to play. When they stop, or if they attempt to make you feel better by licking your hand, praise your puppy and resume play. You can also try “time-outs” for your puppy, where you stop playing for 20 seconds after being bitten.

The goal is to teach your puppy that if they bite, playing stops. If they are gentle, play continues. Make sure to reward your puppy with praise and possibly treats when they do a good job. At Dog Training Elite, we know positive reinforcement is the best and most effective way to train puppies and dogs.

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Proud Sponsor of The Malinois Foundation

At Dog Training Elite Asheville, we believe that Service Dogs save lives. It is our mission to make these life-saving companions available to our Veterans, First Responders, Women Survivors, and Children with Medical Needs. Whether it be for PTSD, Mobility Support, or Special Needs, Dog Training Elite Asheville works with the Malinois Foundation to heal and empower these individuals with a specialized service animal, a partner in life, and a new best friend.

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Take it to the Next Level

Once your puppy understands that they shouldn’t bite human skin hard, start working on teaching them not to bite human skin at all. Use the same techniques of yelping and stopping play. Over time, gradually reduce the amount of biting you allow until your puppy eventually learns not to bite at all.

Some other techniques for to stop mouthing include the distraction method. If your puppy tends to want to bite you when you pet him, distract him with treats so he’ll get used to being touched without mouthing your hands or arms. Keep your puppy’s favorite toy with you, and if she starts mouthing your hands, give her the toy to bite instead.

What to Avoid

There are some behaviors we humans tend to engage in when we want to play with puppies that actually encourage them to bite. If you’re at a loss for how to stop a puppy from biting, make sure to avoid these habits:

  • Avoid wiggling your fingers or toes in your puppy’s face to entice them to play. This encourages your puppy to bite your hands and feet.
  • Don’t jerk your hands away from your puppy if they bite you. They might lunge forward to grab you with their mouth.
  • Never slap or hit a puppy for biting. This ineffective and cruel and can backfire as a training method. Your puppy might start to play more aggressively, with more biting, or they can become afraid of you.

At Dog Training Elite, we never use physical punishment to train puppies and dogs. We focus on rewarding desired behaviors. This method of training helps build a strong, loving bond between puppies and their owners.

Dog Training Elite Asheville has an award winning program in Asheville, including how to get a puppy to stop biting.

Start Puppy Training Now

Teaching your pup not to bite is a huge accomplishment. But puppies have so much more to learn, and even the thought of having to train a puppy can be overwhelming. If you’re struggling with your puppy’s destructive behavior or looking for help with general training, call Dog Training Elite. We have a tried and true training method that really works for dogs of any age, including puppies. Dog Training Elite offers both individual in–home training and obedience classes for puppies.

In–home training is the perfect way to help you and your puppy bond while working with one of our professional trainers. Our trainers will adapt training to your environment and needs and empower you to continue training on your own. Obedience classes are also a great way to help your puppy learn by exposing them to other dogs and people and new sights and sounds. Combining in–home training with obedience classes ensures a well–behaved puppy who learns quickly.

What are you waiting for? Contact Dog Training Elite today for a free in–home assessment or schedule a free training demo to see what your puppy can become.

Dog Training Elite Asheville can teach you how to stop puppy biting.