Your puppy can begin to learn to stop putting his teeth on people immediately. When he was with his siblings, they would cry when he bit too hard. My policy is to yipe whenever I feel teeth on my body, especially my hands. Doesn't matter if it is a bite or just getting those teeth too close, I yipe loudly. The dog appears hard-wired to stop nipping when he hears that yipe. He comes back far more gently. Once you get a dog that takes treats politely, you will be spoiled forever! I convinced my 80-yr-old mother to try this method; she stopped dropping a treat at the last second (sure to encourage the dog to lunge for the treat) and started handing it to the dog. One dog became so good at it, he took a piece of cake off a paper napkin in a man's hand without touching the napkin! (Cake was offered him with "Please don't eat my hand.")
For the owner of a dog, housebreaking is the single most important accomplishment. However, I think for guests, they would vote for no teeth and four (feet) on the floor.
|