Why Does My Puppy Bite More in the Evening?
Updated: Oct 14
If your lovely puppy seems to transform into a tiny crocodile every evening, you are definitely not the only puppy owner wondering what on earth has happened!
Hands get bitten, trouser legs are attacked, slippers suddenly become irresistible and the puppy who seemed perfectly reasonable earlier in the day appears to have completely lost the plot.
This is something I experienced with Bruno, my Sprocker Spaniel, too.
One of the first things I learnt to ask myself was:
Is he actually tired?
The evening “witching hour”
Puppies can become incredibly lively when they are overtired.
Instead of simply lying down and going to sleep, an overtired puppy may become more excitable, more frustrated and much more likely to use their mouth.
You might notice:
frantic zoomies
grabbing clothes
biting hands and ankles
jumping around
difficulty listening
constantly looking for something to do
It can look as though the puppy needs more exercise.
Quite often, they need the opposite.
Puppies need a lot of sleep
Young puppies spend a huge amount of their day sleeping because their brains and bodies are developing rapidly.
And puppies aren’t always very good at recognising when they need rest.
That’s where we sometimes have to help them.
With Bruno, if the biting and frantic behaviour suddenly increased, I would think about how long he had been awake and what his day had looked like before automatically adding more activity.
Sometimes a calm environment and an opportunity to sleep made far more difference than another game.
Teething can make evenings harder too
Of course, tiredness isn’t the only factor.
During teething, puppies have a genuine need to chew. Sore gums combined with tiredness and excitement can make that evening biting feel particularly relentless.
Having suitable puppy-safe chewing options available can give them a more appropriate outlet.
Be careful not to accidentally wind them up
When a puppy starts biting, our natural reaction can be to pull our hands away quickly, squeal or try to push them off.
Unfortunately, all that movement can be extremely exciting to a puppy.
Suddenly your sleeve has become the best tug toy in the house!
Try to keep your response calm and think about what your puppy actually needs at that moment.
Look at what happened before the biting
Rather than only concentrating on the bite itself, start noticing the pattern.
Was your puppy awake for a long time?
Had you just been playing an exciting game?
Are they teething?
Has the house become busy?
Is this happening at approximately the same time every evening?
Those little clues can tell you much more than the biting alone.
My biggest tip
When your puppy suddenly turns into a land shark, don’t automatically assume:
“I need to tire them out.”
Sometimes the puppy who appears to have endless energy is actually the puppy who desperately needs some sleep.
Understanding the reason behind a behaviour can make puppy life considerably easier — for both of you.
Want more help with puppy biting?
If you’re navigating puppy biting, sleep, socialisation, recall, settling and all the other challenges that come with raising a puppy, I’ve brought my practical approach together in The Puppy Survival Guide — With Extra Help for Spaniel Owners.
Practical, reward-based advice for raising a happy, confident puppy.
About the author
I’m Maria, founder of Maria Canine Care and a qualified canine behaviour practitioner (Level 6), with years of hands-on experience working with dogs.
I write these blogs to share practical, evidence-informed advice, helping owners better understand their dogs and make informed decisions about their care and training.
Find out more about Maria Canine Care on my About page.
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