Training
Stopping Maltipoo puppy biting and nipping
By Nelson and Kim, AVS licensed pet shop owners · Updated 13 July 2026
How do I stop my Maltipoo puppy from biting?
Redirect every mouthing to a chew toy the instant teeth touch skin, and end the game if it continues; attention is the reward, so withdrawing it is the lesson. Biting peaks with teething around four months and fades with consistency. It is play and sore gums, not aggression.
Why puppies bite, and why yours is normal
Puppies explore with their mouths, learn bite pressure from littermates, and teethe painfully from around three to six months. A nine-week-old that mouths your fingers during play is running standard puppy software; a four-month-old chewing everything below knee height is mid-teething.
Toy-breed teeth are needles, so it feels dramatic. It is not; genuine aggression in a well-bred Maltipoo puppy is vanishingly rare, and what you are managing is enthusiasm plus dental construction.
The method: redirect, then withdraw
Rule one: teeth on skin ends the fun. The moment it happens, a flat calm sound, hand goes still, and a chew toy replaces the finger; the second the puppy bites the toy instead, praise flows. Rule two: if the mouthing continues, stand up and disengage for thirty seconds. For a breed this attention-driven, the withdrawal is the entire punishment.
Every human in the flat runs the same script, including the visitor who thinks finger-wrestling is adorable. One inconsistent player resets the clock for everyone.
Teething support and the never list
Stock the pen with textures: rubber chews, rope, a cold teething toy from the freezer for sore gums. The chew toys in the starter kit exist precisely for month four. Rotate them so novelty stays on your side.
The never list: never tap the nose or hold the muzzle of a toy breed, never play rough deliberately with hands, never yelp-and-jerk (it reads as prey movement and escalates the game). Calm boredom kills biting faster than any correction.
Bite protocol
- Teeth on skin: game over, instantly
- Redirect to a chew, praise the switch
- Persistent: 30 seconds of total disengagement
- Peak teething: around month four
- Whole household runs one script
Frequently asked questions
When does Maltipoo teething end?
Adult teeth are mostly in by six to seven months, and biting fades with them, provided the redirect script ran through the peak.
My puppy only bites me, not my partner. Why?
You are more fun, or less consistent, usually both. Compare scripts: whoever tolerates mouthing longest is training it in.
Are Maltipoos aggressive biters?
No; this is one of the softer-mouthed companion breeds. Persistent hard biting with stiff body language in an older puppy is rare and worth a trainer's eye.
Do bitter sprays work?
As a supporting actor for furniture legs, yes. For skin biting the redirect-withdraw method does the real work; sprays alone teach nothing.
How do I stop my Maltipoo biting hands and ankles?
Redirect to a chew toy the instant teeth touch skin, and if the mouthing continues, stand up and withdraw attention for thirty seconds. Every person in the flat runs the same script; one player who tolerates mouthing trains it back in.
What should I never do to stop a Maltipoo biting?
Never tap the nose, hold the muzzle, or yelp-and-jerk your hand away on a toy breed: the first two frighten, and the last reads as prey movement and escalates the game. Calm redirection beats every correction.
Meet your Maltipoo
Come say hello at Balestier
2 Balestier Road #01-701, Singapore 320002 · Weekdays 12pm–6pm · Weekends 10am–6pm. Or message us first: tell us about your home and routine, and we'll tell you honestly if a Maltipoo fits.
The kit plans for month four
Chew toys, rope and teething gear ship in the 30-item starter kit.
Read the full training guide