How do I help train our puppy?

When he nips, say NO!, firmly and immediately, pull him off you and hold his mouth closed with your hand for a few seconds. Mother dogs will do the same (with their own mouths) to puppies that nip or yap too much.

When he nips at you fake a high pitched voice and say “ow, ow, ow” like you are in pain. That teaches him he has gone too far.

Do not ever play fight with him.

I usually poke him with a finger like an older dog would bite this let’s him know that this us unacceptable behavior my big suggestion is get a nook by Cesar millan on puppies

@evil2 Get a nook?

My suggestion is to get a little clicker thing and when the dog does something bad you click. They don’t like the noise so they learn fast. Reward when they don’t do it..

Book sorry

Get Richard Wolter’s books on dog training.

The fastest way to break a pup of this habit is when he nips grab his muzzle and press his lips against his sharp little canine teeth until he yips. Do it swiftly and surely. You will not have to do it more than a couple of times before he stops. I have been doing it for years and have not yet broken the spirit of or turned any pup into a psychopathic killer who abuses because it has been disciplined.

Some will say this is harsh but a pup that nips usually turns into an adult dog that nips and when it nips the neighbor kid you can be looking at a lawsuit and/or a dead dog, so nip it in the bud (pardon the pun).

Bitter Apple spray (from any pet store) immediately and directly sprayed into the mouth with the command “No bite!” It doesn’t hurt but gets attention. I’ve never had to use it more than twice on a dog before the command alone is effective.

The clicker advice above is misleading as you can inadvertently be conditioning your dog to get a reward for the very behavior you do NOT want. My dogs both love the sound of the clicker because they know the reward is coming (operant conditioning). The clicker is used to shape behavior you want and is followed by a reward, so using the clicker for an undesirable behavior is not recommended if you are not an experienced dog trainer.

@rooeytoo is on the right track. I have done the same thing with excellent results. But timing and quick hands are important to making it an effective technique.

@Blueroses suggestion will also work, but perfect timing is often required for this method to be effective as well.

I agree that a command word (e.g., no bite) is important. But commands should be given calmly and consistently (not always possible if you are getting nipped). Chew toys are great for redirecting a dog. I found putting the bitter apple on my hand made nipping at me very undesirable and didn’t require pinpoint timing. I also question if your dog is teething. In which case, the best suggestion I have (worked for 4 dogs) is to buy a supply of cheap washcloths. Get them wet, wring them out, tie them in a knot and put in the freezer. Just like with teething children, the cold really helps with the teething pain.

I will redirect a dog to a toy, exercise the heck of him, and if he is still nippy—he gets a break from my company.

We have the same problem with our dog, ( only hes 1 year and ½) if you can tell when its coming or see a pattern reward him with a treat when he doesn’t bite. Like our dog bites when he is touched unexpectedly or when he has something food related in his mouth. We give him treats when he drops it or lets us hold him. Is he a rescue? This is often common among rescue dogs. And yes grab his mouth. He will most probably grow out of it with proper training!

The poke method is okay but there’s a quicker more efficient way to handle this. when they do it you put your hand in their mouth and move their own tongue over their back side baby teeth as they mouth you causing them to bite their own tongues. IT lets them know immediately that nipping hurts…because it hurts them. They don’t want to feel hurt when your hand is in their mouth and so they cease to put their teeth down on you too. And know that certain breeds of dogs instinctually nip…especially dogs bred for herding purposes. It’s ingrained behavior for them to do so. You use the same process to get them to stop but you usually have to also add an alternative command to get them to stop.

That’s an excellent point @Joybird . My friend brought her Blue Heeler home for the holidays last year and he kept pacing nervously and biting ankles until we realized he was trying to get the whole “flock” into one room.

My kids got signed up for 4H and worked awesome for participation in training our boxers. Rub their nose in their poop if pooped in the house worked great for us. Also a shock collar worked as well one shock that was it then just warning beep and it was recognized. Also make sure you spend plenty of time with them and let them get their exercise this will keep them from tearing up the house more nap time less playing inside.