How to Stop a Cavapoo From Biting [Strategies]

Whether you just brought home a Cavapoo puppy, your older Cavapoo suddenly starts biting, or any situation in between, this much is for sure—you want to get to the bottom of the biting and figure out how to stop it.

A range of situations can cause Cavapoos to bite, and all come with actionable solutions. I’ll teach you how to stop a Cavapoo from biting and give you tips for positive reinforcement techniques to discourage your pup from doing so.

Why Is My Cavapoo Biting?

The reason your Cavapoo bites plays a significant role in the approach you take with stopping this behavior.

Examples of why your Cavapoo might be biting include:

• Teething
• Playing
• Troubled past
• Being protective
• Reacting from fear
• In heat
• Injury or illness

Teething

Just like human babies, Cavapoo puppies undergo teething. It’s an uncomfortable process for them, so they use biting to help relieve the pressure on their gums. 

Cavapoo puppies teeth between two to ten weeks old. During this time, it’s crucial not to discourage your puppy from biting. However, you should train them with what is and isn’t a chew toy.

How to Stop the Biting

It’s unrealistic to expect a Cavapoo puppy never to bite. So, when they do, make a high-pitched noise. It’ll remind them of the sound their siblings make when they bite too hard. 

You should also keep several chew toys around your house. Whenever your Cavapoo puppy aims for your body parts to chew on, give them their toy instead. Furthermore, walking away from a biting puppy is effective.

Playing

If you get down on the ground and start play-wrestling with your Cavapoo, they may begin biting you. Nothing is alarming about this behavior, as “play biting” is natural behavior dogs display with other dogs.

You’ll know your dog is play-biting if they’re wagging their tail, biting you softly, and looking happy. Rolling around on the ground is another common sign of play.

How to Stop the Biting

If your Cavapoo is biting you during play, ending the play is often the most effective way to get them to stop. 

If your Cavapoo continues to pursue biting you after you stop playing, ignore them. Replacing your leg or arm with a toy is another helpful strategy if you want to continue playing with your dog. 

Troubled Past

Rescued Cavapoos may bite out of habit or fear, depending on their background. If you rescued your Cavapoo from an animal shelter, you may or may not have an idea of whether your dog had an abusive past. 

You also may not have a gauge of your dog’s history if you rescued them from the street. In contrast, a formerly careless owner may have allowed your dog to nip at them.

How to Stop the Biting

You should seek professional support to train your rescued Cavapoo to stop biting. That’s especially the case if they come from an abusive background, where their biting results from self-defense. 

Hiring a dog therapist to work with you and your rescued Cavapoo is also an excellent option.

Being Protective

Cavapoos can become protective for several reasons, the most common being over their food and owners. Furthermore, even the most well-trained Cavapoos can also get remarkably aggressive if they have a bone.

You also may notice your Cavapoo biting at other dogs or people when you’re on a walk. Although it’s an embarrassing situation for you, your Cavapoo undoubtedly takes pride in being your protector.

How to Stop the Biting

If your Cavapoo bites while eating, use an interruption reward technique. Every time they allow you to approach or touch them during their mealtime, give them a treat.

Should your Cavapoo bite others during walks, teach them the “lie down” and “stay” commands. Always reward them with a treat for following your instructions.

Reacting From Fear

If your Cavapoo is in a situation that they deem threatening, they may lash out and bite the threat (which may embarrassingly be a neighbor or out-of-state relative). 

Another way that Cavapoos bite out of fear is if you or someone corner them. Loud noises and other dogs showing aggression towards them may also spark your Cavapoo to bite.

How to Stop the Biting

If the fear is a solvable problem, such as a loud noise or kids rough playing with your Cavapoo, remove the fear-inducing situation.

However, if your Cavapoo reacts out of fear for a recurring situation that’s not threatening (such as those visiting relatives), train your dog “lie down” commands. Then, ask the “threatening” person to approach your Cavapoo slowly.

You can also keep your Cavapoo in a crate during such situations. Use a muzzle while training at first, so there are no accidental bites during the training. 

In Heat

Female Cavapoos will often act irritable when they’re in heat. Unlike larger dogs, which can take a year or more to start their first heat cycle, female Cavapoos begin between five and nine months old. As a small dog, you can expect your unspayed Cavapoo to go into heat three to four times per year.

How to Stop the Biting

The best way to stop your female Cavapoo from biting due to going into heat is to spay them. Not only will this help your Cavapoo stop biting, but it’ll help prevent uterine infections and certain cancers. 

If you don’t want to spay your dog, yelp anytime they bite you, walk away from them, and continue ignoring them for up to one minute.

Injury or Illness

If you notice your dog biting you when you approach or pet a specific part of their body, they’re likely reacting out of pain. That’s especially apparent if they accompany it with a yelp.

There’s a near-endless number of injuries and illnesses that can cause your Cavapoo to bite from pain. Examples include:

• Broken bones
• Skin infection
• Arthritis
• Ear infection
• Cancer

How to Stop the Biting

If you suspect your Cavapoo is biting because of an injury or illness, take them to the vet as soon as possible. Your veterinarian will be able to do a visual examination and run tests to get to the bottom of what’s causing your Cavapoo pain.

Above all else, respect your Cavapoo’s reaction under these circumstances. Don’t yell at your pet, and do your best to avoid touching the area that appears to pain them.

You Have Control Over Your Cavapoo Biting

Regardless of why your Cavapoo is biting, the important thing is to act immediately. With the exception of injury-related pain, in which case you should take them to a vet, you should implement the strategies we talked about here to help your pup eliminate their biting behavior.

Remember, positive enforcement is critical. Between that and consistency on your part to train them, you should soon have a biting-free Cavapoo to dote on.

Don’t feel afraid to use training tools such as a muzzle or an experienced dog trainer to help you. Biting is a serious behavior and it should be corrected as soon as possible.