Tips for kids and biting/mouthing puppy

[VScott & Lloyd]

So we've got a very mouthy 10 week old puppy on our hands!

I would really appreciate any tips for nipping puppies and kids and how to best handle it. My boys are 8 and 9 years old and are often victims of Lloyd's nipping and biting. He'll nip their skin and clothes, sometimes leaving holes in their shirts and shorts. It's quite upsetting to the (human) boys and a lot of times I have to intervene and get Lloyd off of them. So that means I'm always watching and not left with a lot of free time of my own when Lloyd's out of his crate. I tell them to redirect Lloyd to his chew toys or redirect him to "sit," which is the one command he knows. I also tell them to "yelp" and walk away. However when Lloyd has a hold of their clothes I literally have to go over there and pry it out of his mouth. It's really frustrating because the boys really want to play and cuddle with Lloyd but it's difficult when he hurts them.

We also try to exercise Lloyd in hopes he'll be too tired physically and mentally to nip. We'll go for short walks down the street but most of the time he just wants to sit on the grass. Most of his exercise is in the yard - exploring, playing with the ball, rolling in the grass,...and nipping at our feet, legs, hands, clothes. We provide lots of chew toys - kongs (which he's not that interested in even when filled with food), rawhide, bully sticks, kong stuffed animals, rubber chews, etc...I've been trying to train him and have been successful with "sit" so far. He gets training treats, ice cubes, and apples. 

The boys want to play tug of war with Lloyd but I've banned that game because I want Lloyd to know he always has to give up whatever he has to us if we ask for it. This is also what I taught my previous dogs before I had kids. Perhaps I should let Lloyd and the boys play tug of war to get this urge out? Or would that make matters worse?

Thanks for any suggestions :)

[VScott & Lloyd]

Sorry to hear that but know you are not alone! My 9 year old has gotten a lot better in exuding more confidence. Since dogs can sense leadership/fear/etc., he behaves a bit more for him. My 8 year old, on the other hand, wants to pet and play but is so timid. When he plays with Lloyd someone is usually looking on, either me or my 9 year old. If my 8 year old is around during Lloyd's meal times, I have him feed Lloyd his kibble out of his hand. Then I know Lloyd will definitely not bite him.

I did discover a little trick today. I try to always have little morsel sized treats around the house that are easily accessible. If he starts mouthing me or biting my lets or clothes. I tell him to drop it and move the treat near his nose. 99% of the time he drops it (my clothes, a body part, or socks on the floor) for the treat without me jerking away. I started this morning and I've already seen a marked improvement at 4pm. Now to train the kids on how to do this in a calm way! Good luck!