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Puppy Training


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 Des Moines, 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 Des Moines offers a professional puppy training program near you in Des Moines to teach how to get a puppy to stop biting.

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


Silver

$850

  • In-Home Training SessionsOne-on-one & personalized 4 Sessions
  • Group Park Training Sessions 1 Month
  • Come
  • Heel(walk with you without pulling)
  • Sit(next to you & off leash at a distance)
  • Off(furniture if desired)
  • Quiet(stop excessive barking & whining)
  • Place(go to bed)

Gold

$1,595

  • In-Home Training SessionsOne-on-one & personalized 6 Sessions
  • Group Park Training Sessions 16 Sessions
  • Come
  • Heel(walk with you without pulling)
  • Sit(next to you & off leash at a distance)
  • Off(furniture if desired)
  • Quiet(stop excessive barking & whining)
  • Place(go to bed)
  • Down(next to you & off leash at a distance)
  • Housebreaking / Potty Training
  • Calm Anxiety & Build Confidence
  • Get into Car or Kennel
  • STOP Running Away
  • STOP Jumping on People
  • STOP Puppy Biting
  • STOP Chasing Animals
  • STOP Chewing
  • STOP Digging

Platinum

$2,095

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 8 Sessions
  • Group Park Training Sessions 24 Sessions
  • Come
  • Place(go to bed)
  • Heel(walk with you without pulling)
  • Sit(next to you & off leash at a distance)
  • Off(furniture if desired)
  • Quiet(stop excessive barking & whining)
  • Down(next to you & off leash at a distance)
  • Housebreaking / Potty Training
  • Build Confidence
  • Get into Car or Kennel
  • STOP Running Away
  • STOP Jumping on People
  • STOP Puppy Biting
  • STOP Chasing Animals
  • STOP Chewing
  • STOP Digging
  • Choose to Address Advanced Concerns: - Calm Anxiety
    - Control Aggression(dog & human)
  • Or Choose One Tailored Skill Below: *Specialized training options based upon your dog's abilities. - Therapy dog training See Details - Emotional Support Dog Training
    - Ride on a Golf Cart, Skateboard, or Wagon
    - Stay with You on Jog, Hike, or Bike Ride
    - Other Custom Command Approved by Trainer
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Highest Rated Dog Obedience Trainers Near You in Des Moines
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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!

We can't express our gratitude enough to Dog Training Elite! Their training has transformed Archie into an incredibly well-behaved and obedient companion. Our home life has improved dramatically, thanks to their expertise. Archie is now a 'good boy' in every sense, and it's made our days together so much more enjoyable. We highly recommend Elite! Worth every penny!
— Sue B
Posted October 5th 2023
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Thank you to the whole team! I can now take Cerberus for a walk instead of him taking me for a walk. He has become more accepting of humans and we are both learning more each time we go to class! I would highly recommend DTE for anything from the minor things to complete service dog training!
— Leeja Kubik
Posted September 12th 2024
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Kim and the DTE team are fantastic! Our dog, Winston, was stubborn to say the least and his leash skills were awful - to the point that my wife hated walking him because he pulled her around the neighborhood and would go wild if he saw any sort of animal while he was out. We signed him up for their obedience training course and saw drastic improvements in his behavior and temperament after the first class! Once he got all the way through training he was a completely new dog. He is a joy to take on walks and my wife has even started running with him. As a busy body, I was skeptical, to say the least, that he would ever do place. To my surprise, after the third class, he was laying on a cot minding his own business while other dogs were training and people were coming in and out. A sight to behold. The trainers are fantastic to work with. Each day when you pick up your dog, they do a quick demonstration and then have you work on the prompts as well. They are sticklers though and expect you to do your homework with the dog. The trainers also will provide updates about the training including pictures and videos of your dog performing the training cues. Having worked with other trainers in the past, I can confidently say Dog Training Elite is the best dog obedience training program in the Des Moines Metro. If you are thinking about signing up for obedience classes for your dog, Dog Training Elite is the best bang for your buck!
— Sam Charnetski
Posted September 12th 2024
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Kim and the DTE team are fantastic! Our dog, Winston, was stubborn to say the least and his leash skills were awful - to the point that my wife hated walking him because he pulled her around the neighborhood and would go wild if he saw any sort of animal while he was out. We signed him up for their obedience training course and saw drastic improvements in his behavior and temperament after the first class! Once he got all the way through training he was a completely new dog. He is a joy to take on walks and my wife has even started running with him. As a busy body, I was skeptical, to say the least, that he would ever do place. To my surprise, after the third class, he was laying on a cot minding his own business while other dogs were training and people were coming in and out. A sight to behold. The trainers are fantastic to work with. Each day when you pick up your dog, they do a quick demonstration and then have you work on the prompts as well. They are sticklers though and expect you to do your homework with the dog. The trainers also will provide updates about the training including pictures and videos of your dog performing the training cues. Having worked with other trainers in the past, I can confidently say Dog Training Elite is the best dog obedience training program in the Des Moines Metro. If you are thinking about signing up for obedience classes for your dog, Dog Training Elite is the best bang for your buck!
— Sam Charnetski
Posted February 8th 2024
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Where do I begin? We took our sweet golden retriever, Honey, to elite dog trainings platinum 8 week training course. It was a big investment for us, so we had really high hopes. They were exceeded! Kim and Anna aren’t your typical dog trainers. In the past, with other dogs, we’ve dealt with trainers who beat your dogs personality and excitement down into submission- so I was nervous because Honey is so sweet and I didnt want her to loose that. But Elite works with your dogs personality and you can tell they actually LOVE dogs and what they do. Honey became friends with them while respecting them within 30 min of our first session. By the end, she became an independent, obedient, and happy dog who lives to please my husband and I. We will be lifelong clients of Elite!
— Olivia Mele
Posted August 29th 2024
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We have been so impressed with Dog Training Elite, from the first meeting at our home with Kimberly and Kathleen that left us with confidence that their training could help with a a hyper ambitious 15 month old Boston Terrier female. They both knew from our meeting that I was the spoiler of our baby girl and took her under their wing to training camp and completed a well behaved and obedient (with love) 10 day course of correction that changed her and me to a wonderful life together. Many kudos to their great trainers😊
— DennisDiane Harmening
Posted August 22nd 2024
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Dog training elite is literally the best. Me and my coworker felt very mislead by other training facilities in the metro because they said “our type of dog is not a good breed” for therapy dogs. DTE said that they train all breeds and sizes and don’t give up on the dogs or the owners. They have done that and so much more! We are excited to see what is to come for our therapy dogs as they start their journey helping us heal and others around us.
— Codi Deaver
Posted July 30th 2024
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I am so happy and fortunate that I found Dog Training Elite. These are the BEST trainers. They are very positive and encouraging. They are always there to help when you need it. No one believes that my puppy is 7 months old because she is so well behaved in public. If you want to have a well trained dog and work with great trainers I HIGHLY recommend DTE!
— Angie Beaudet
Posted July 30th 2024
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Kim the owner is the best. Her real passion and love for your precious pups really shows. She and all of the trainers are truly amazing at what they do. I trust and recommend this facility and each one of the trainers 100%.
— Julie Sparks
Posted July 18th 2024
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We rescued our Petra girl from ARL in August 2023, after our beloved Rosie passed. Petra was then 14 months old and a Siberian Husky Shepherd mix. High energy and reactive - but the best heart. She deserved a chance. Petra is our 5th fur baby and we thought we could train her ourselves. Our love and prior experience was just not enough to give her her best life. Special deserves special care and that’s where Dog Training Elite rescued us! Professional, compassionate, and exemplary training and care. Kim is so caring and knowledgeable - specializing in high energy and reactive breeds. Kim has created a trusting and loving bond with Petra, as well as us! Petra girl is making great progress and we are so much more confident as well! Knowing Petra has a lifelong facility to guide us and all the tools to get her towards her good girl halo is priceless! Love us some DTE!
— Becky Sue Johnson
Posted April 11th 2024
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I absolutely love this facility? They have a team of knowledgeable trainers who look at the dog in front of them and not some program that doesn’t fit every dog. They treat the dogs as they would their own and teach the owners not just the dog!!
— Kimberly Cameron
Posted December 3rd 2023
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We’ve been using Dog Training Elite Des Moines for the dog training program since October of 2022 for our puppy Jax. When Kim first walked into our lives, Jax was the co-captain of the hot mess express. He would jump up on everyone, bark at his own shadow etc. Along the way, we’ve encountered some obstacles( dog reactivity) and we enrolled him into day camp to have him evaluated to see if we could have this issue fixed because Jax is enrolled into the SDIT program. It was determined that Jax lacked confidence and I’ve been using the tools and knowledge that Dog Training Elite Des Moines has given me and each week there has been small baby steps improvements in behavioral changes in Jax. The improvement I’ve seen in him and others have mentioned seeing in him has been noticeable. I highly recommend using this company for any and all dog training needs.
— Ashley Henriquez
Posted March 30th 2024
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If you have a dog that you have concerns about give dog training elite a try first before making any decisions. You get a free demo so they meet your dog and help figure out if their right for your dog. My dog Blue has come so far in just one class. Quin is amazing, she is so patient and kind with my dog. Give them your first call it's worth it. Barry
— Barry Williams
Posted March 2nd 2024
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From the first meeting with Dog Training Elite we were excited to work with them. Kim was so great to work with and made our life with our German Shepherd puppy so much easier. We loved that they offer in-home training with group class reinforcement for their training. Our puppy is almost a year old now and doing great! I'd highly recommend DTE.
— Mallory Snow
Posted February 11th 2024
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Dog Training Elite has provided therapy dogs to the college students I work with. I have never interacted with dogs that were so well trained. And the students are over the moon about being able to interact with the dogs.
— Tim Hammond
Posted February 9th 2024
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Thank you to the amazing team at Dog training Elite for all your hard work and dedication in helping me train Clifford for service work. We have really enjoyed working along side your team as we develop the skills as a team to work.
— Shelby Diane Harrison
Posted February 8th 2024
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Thank you to the amazing team at Dog training Elite for all your hard work and dedication in helping me train Clifford for service work. We have really enjoyed working along side your team as we develop the skills as a team to work.
— Shelby Harrison
Posted February 8th 2024
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Amazing trainers and very helpful when i have questions, im very glad i took my puppy there, and I'll be taking my older dog there too because of how good things have worked out. Best place in town I've found for dog training
— Jeremy R. Hall
Posted December 12th 2023
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great training facility for our service dog for our sons service dog. I cannot say enough good things about all the trainers we have worked with in at home 1st trainings/group/obedient/sdit trainings. The owner has always been there for questions or adding value to our training. We started our journey in Oct with a consultation, then went with their preferred breeder. Which is also was a great experience. We cant thank them enough for all the help and support we have gotten in our long journey
— Warren Huggins
Posted November 22nd 2023
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If you need a dog trainer for any reason, go to Dog Training Elite! They have been training my 6 month old German shepherd mastiff mix since she was 3 months old and I am so incredibly pleased with her progress and can't wait to see her learn more from Kim and Anna. They don't just train your dog. They also train you! So it's a 2 for 1 deal really. And they have answered every question I've had about my puppy from feeding to sleeping and everything. Kim and Anna are the best trainers! I also love the fact that they are with us for the long haul. They don't just train your dog and send you off, they are there to help with any issues that may come up. Kim and Anna know dogs and they know what they are doing and they do it right! I can't recommend them enough!!!
— Jennifer Sharp-Kopf Blohn
Posted November 12th 2023
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Dog Training Elite Des Moines 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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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 Des Moines has an award winning program in Des Moines, 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 Des Moines can teach you how to stop puppy biting.