Understanding that all puppies' bite is the first step to behavior modification. The puppies are learning about their environment with their mouth…much like infant children are predisposed to putting most objects in their mouths. Some breeds may be "mouthier" than others and it is important to recognize this and train accordingly.

Just because all puppies are biting, however, does not make it acceptable for your puppy to be chewing on your shoes, clothing, body parts and most of all your small children.

1) NO HARD BITES
First we put our hand in the dog's mouth and when he bites down we promptly yelp "OW!" at which point the puppy releases your hand and you reward the dog by saying "GOOD DOG" and showing affection.

2) MOUTHING BEHAVIOUR IS OK UNTIL THE OWNER SAYS STOP
Once the dog understands that no hard biting is allowed he may just "mouth" your hand at which point you will again yelp "OW", he will release your hand, you will praise your dog. At this point your dog is beginning to think that you are rather sensitive, but will start to abide by your requests. This is not unlike when dogs play with dogs until one nips the other too hard and the bitten one tells them so by yelping and not playing.

3) THE DOG NEVER INITIATES MOUTHING BEHAVIOR
Finally you will have to teach your dog that she is never to initiate biting or mouthing.

It is important that parents back up the children on this exercise as children have a tendency to come across as squeaky toys to the dogs.

Be consistent!!! Once you start to train this behavior you must always follow through. If you allow your dog to bite your feet because you are too tired after a long day to go through the process of training, the dog has won that battle and will continue to challenge you.

Be patient, consistent, and praise for the positive behavior and you will be rewarded!