Nipping and Biting

[Dana Licata]

Hi all! I realize there are probably multiple topics already discussing this but I am new to this board and new to doodle life altogether. My pup is 15 weeks old. Currently I am working on potty training which in the past week he is doing much better in. I am also working with a trainer on basic commands. My baby boy is however a big fan of biting. I am covered in scrapes and bruises and he has drawn some blood on occasion. He has also sunk his teeth into a lot of my clothing. I have tried the bitter apple spray, the pet corrector spray, telling him no, and redirecting him with toys but to no avail. I have started trying to get up and leave the room and wait about 15 sec before walking back in and for a couple of days it seemed to lessen a little bit, but now it's back to normal again. I realize he is teething, and a little puppy, but does anyone have any other remedies on how to deal with this?

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

This is such a difficult stage.  Puppies explore their world with their mouths, and it's also how they've learned to play with their litter mates...so it's natural for them to want to bite.  Also often they're teething and it just feels good to bite on something.  When the biting starts I would take him by the collar (calmly) say "NO" and give him another toy to bite.  You will need to do this over and over before he will begin to understand.  If he's biting because he's overly excited, I would either put him in his crate for a "time out" or exercise him...a walk or a game of fetch in the yard.  You might want to google "Doggy Dan You Tube Training Videos"....he has some great tips on puppy training.