Do Yorkies Bite A Lot? (Explained)

Many dogs have a problem with biting. They may be teething or get excited when they play and then bite someone who is near them. This is a problem that you need to deal with as soon as possible to avoid it turning into a habit that can hurt someone down the line. Many pet owners who decide to bring a Yorkie into their homes will be curious as to whether the Yorkie is able to bite a lot or not.

Yorkies can bite a lot. When they are not properly trained on how to interact with other dogs and people and their owners do not train them how to not bite, Yorkies tend to bite. They may do this because their teeth hurt, they are playing, or to get attention. Sometimes it will hurt and it does become more frequent if the owners do not do something about it.

Let’s take a closer look at whether Yorkies like to bite a lot, why your yorkie may be fond of biting, and some of the ways that you can make sure your Yorkie stops the bad habit of biting.

Do Yorkies Bite a Lot?

Some Yorkies will bite a lot. It will depend on the individual Yorkie and some of the habits and behaviors that they have learned along the way. If they are not properly trained on how to not bite their owners or other dogs, then they are more likely to bite for a longer period of time. Other Yorkies are trained well and do not bite as much as others.

Yorkies can bite for a variety of different reasons. They often learn about biting when they wrestle and play in their litter after being born. During this time, their bite does not hurt that much because their teeth are so small and not that sharp. The other puppies may teach them to stop though if they bite too much.

However, if the Yorkie is not taught to stop with the biting and continues that behavior at home, then it is up to you to train them on how to behave instead.

You need to let them know that biting is not something that you will allow. Being audible with the fact that the bite hurt or stopping playing with them will make a big difference in how quickly they will respond to that too.

Why Do Yorkies Bite?

There are different reasons why your Yorkie is biting. No matter what the reason is though, your Yorkie will be able to learn how to stop with some patience and using the steps that we will discuss later.

Some of the reasons why a Yorkie will bite include:

• Teething: Many Yorkie puppies are going to gnaw and perhaps bite because they are teething. This will start when the puppy is around three months old and can last until they are between six to eight months. If you notice the biting during this time, then it is a sign the puppy is teething. Provide the yorkie with something to chew on to help.
• To play or when excited: Your Yorkie can get hyper when they play with you. They may bite without realizing what they do. This is why bite inhibition works. It will teach the Yorkie to think about what they are doing if they want to play.
• To get attention: Some Yorkies will bite in order to get more attention. Whether they need food, to go outside, or they want to play, this biting can still happen. You will need to train the Yorkie to see that biting, even when they need something, is not allowed.
• They are in pain: If biting starts to happen out of the ordinary for your puppy, then it could be a sign of some medical issue or some pain that they have and you need to address.
• They bite out of habit: If the Yorkie has not been trained to stop biting at an early age, then they may develop a habit of biting just because they want to. Catching the habit early on will help kick that habit to the curb.
• Fear and anxiety: When the Yorkie starts to bite when they are in no locations or around new people, it may be a sign that they are anxious. If you notice that they are pacing, growling, and whining at the same time, then this is the most likely cause.

As you can see, there are many reasons why your Yorkie may decide to start biting. But none of them are reasons why you should continue to let your Yorkie bite. Make sure to train your Yorkie not to do this and see what a difference it will make.

Should I Let My Yorkie Bite?

Since Yorkies are so small and their mouths are not that big, some pet owners may wonder whether it is a big deal to let the Yorkie bite or not.

They assume that it is not worth the trouble because the bite will not hurt. You should never let your yorkie continue to bite. This problem will continue to grow, with the bites becoming more frequent.

And even with a small mouth, the Yorkie can put down a lot of pressure through those teeth, and someone will get seriously hurt down the line, whether it is you or a child or someone else who comes to visit.

How Can I Stop My Yorkie from Biting?

All puppies are going to bite a little bit. They learn how to do this by wrestling the other puppies in their litter. While this is normal, it is not a thing that you should let them do all the time.

When you start to notice your Yorkie is biting quite a bit, there are a few steps you can use to stop it including:

Socialize the Puppy

One thing to do to help your Yorkie learn not to bite is to socialize them. This is even more important for the Yorkie because they can be more anti-social to other dogs.

Start socializing your Yorkie early on, usually between the age of three to twelve weeks old. If you do have an older Yorkie, it is not too late to work on the socialization part as well. This is still an effective tool, even when the Yorkie is older.

Teach That Biting is Bad

One of the best things that you can teach your Yorkie is bite inhibition. Your Yorkie is going to come into contact with other dogs and children. This can sometimes result in nips and bites, even though they are often accidental. When you teach bite inhibition early on, you let the puppy bite you just a little, but they you make a clear “Ouch!” or “Ow” and then take the hand away.

This is meant to teach the puppy that their bite hurts and it isn’t nice. They may not have known that to start. If you have more than one dog, they will help your Yorkie learn better as well. Other dogs do not want to be bitten either so when this happens, they will learn to stop too.

Stop Playing When the Biting Happens

Once your puppy bites, it is time to stop the playing. If they bite you and you keep on playing, then they will think that the biting is fine and will keep on going. When you stop playing, you are showing them that the biting is no longer acceptable. Some of the steps that you can use to help with this include:

• Give an audible sound to the Yorkie that the bite hurt.
• Place your hands out of the way, such as under the armpits.
• Leave the area and the room so you can’t play.
• After a few minutes, once the Yorkie has time to calm down, you can come back in.
• Continue with this process each time the biting happens.

When your Yorkie learns that they will no longer get attention or affection after this behavior, they will do a better job at stopping as quickly as possible.

Give Chew Toys

Your Yorkie needs a chance to chew on things. This can help them when their teeth grow and hurt and provides them with some entertainment as well.

A good way to make sure that they are not going to chew and bite on you is to give them their own chew toys. This will give them a bit of relief without them biting those in the family.

Getting the Biting to Stop

Yorkie puppies may learn how to bite when they wrestle and play with their siblings after being born. Most Yorkies will grow out of this pretty quickly, though there are some who never seem to give up on these habits and it just does not stop.

When you understand why the Yorkie is biting and learn the right steps to prevent it, you will find that the Yorkie will learn and they will stop biting.