How do I stop my puppy from biting and nipping me?

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All puppies bite.

Sometimes hard...it's just their nature.

Or not?

After reading this you might never think of puppy training advice
that you hear from others the same way.

When you look at it all through your puppy's eyes…that is when you can to understand them.

Think about it…

So many dog owners teach their puppies to mouth their fingers and hands... in a gentle way.

That’s right, we are training our puppies to do something that we then
do not want them to do later on!

How odd! And yet…

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That is the standard way that it is taught:

1. teach your puppy to mouth gently
2. and then start telling them they are doing it too hard
3. and then we teach them not to do it anymore and if they do, it's the worst thing they could possibly do…

Confused?

Sound complicated?

Well, that’s because it is!

No, don’t think you are alone...

As I say, most people are taught to do this, and so was I when I started dog training and yet there is a much easier way.

Here it is…

The big difference is that we must start as we mean to go on!

Sounds logical – and it is… even your dog will appreciate that the rules don’t change as they grow up.

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So here are the steps, somewhat simplified.

• Always provide your puppy with chew toys, chew things (could be
  a piece of wood)
• From the very start encourage your puppy to leave your fingers
  and clothes alone
• If your puppy mouths you then redirect them calmly onto
  something else
• If they continue to mouth you place them calmly on the floor and
  give a little yelp noise to let them know that their sharp teeth can
  hurt and move away
• If they continue to mouth you or your clothes take them calmly
  and quietly and place them into timeout for a minute or so.

Simple?

Take it from me, this is a far easier approach.

I adopted it from Doggy Dan’s video website The Online Dog Trainer which is such a straight forward approach to training puppies.

Now, there’s a couple of things to remember:

1. First, when your puppy is only, say 8 weeks old, you should always
give them several chances if they do accidentally mouth you. 

It's really around the 5 month old mark that you must no longer tolerate any
mouthing at all…

2. Also when you call your puppy to you, make sure that you have
something in your hand to put in their mouth. 

If you don't you are setting them up to fail.

Humans give affection through our hands...

But puppies and dogs tend to use their mouths more so they need something to mouth when you are cuddling them)

3. The last tip is this, when your puppy starts to mouth you and
ignores your chew toy, stay calm and place them on the floor.

Do not start beating your chest saying “No!” “No Bite” in your most superior voice (another old school training technique).

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This will only get them more excited…and that's the last thing you need.

Understanding your puppy is the key to developing an amazing relationship with them.

When you're able to see things through their eyes you'll start to see how your
 actions make them feel.

Doggy Dan’s video website with over 250 videos is absolutely fantastic
for helping you see things from your puppies point of view.

He even has weekly videos of how he raised his puppy, Moses, from 8 weeks of age...

And you may start with free 4 part video series here

Cheers&Love your dog,
4 Paws Hugs