I have a 3 month old puppy that likes to bark back at me when she is being corrected for bad behavior. I think it's cute now but I know I am asking for trouble later.

Is saying "no bark" or just saying "no" enough?

Can't remember, is your pup a shepherd?

Dear Michele: I am not a trainer, but I do have a terrior pup that like to talk back. I don't put up with it. I say no and immediately place him in the position I asked him to be in. He is only 15 weeks old now, so that position is either down (jumping up on me), sit, or usually don't bite!
It does seem cute when they are little, however, especially with the little jack russel mix I have, I want my authority established while he is young. Just as with my children I don't tolerate disobedience. Just a little insight from someone who has had the same problem with her dog.
God bless you.
Hope you had a wonderful thanksgiving.
Sharon Empson

Yes, my pup is a 3 month shepherd. I don't take the talking back from my kids so why should I from a dog. lol. The only time I get that behavior is when I tell her no biting my hands. She thinks my hands are squeaky toys when I yelp or say ouch. A game. Yes, I redirect to an appropriate toy and it is getting better, but I don't want this to become a habit.

Ahh. Others can correct me if I'm wrong, but this has been my experience.

In that specific situation (my wife created it with our sheltie) the "Talking" is part of the game. When you say "no" I bet you're moving your hands away from the dog, and when you do that I just bet it's when the dog makes a sound. I'd even go so far as to bet that it isn't a bark, but a ululating growl/moan, with mouth open and lips back a bit.

When you're hit with teeth the instant reaction is to pull back quickly (of course!) and this stimulates prey drive in the dog. Since s/he's playing with you the vocalization is probably just...your dog being goofy. Basically saying "Get back here! I'll get you! I'm a scary dog! Rarr!"

I'd work on teaching her that your hands are not toys. Don't worry about the vocalization unless it starts cropping up elsewhere. Make sure you're working on pack structure and you should be ok.

The yelp and withdraw is good, also moving your hands slowly, and stopping when it looks like s/he is focusing on them too much. It shouldn't take more than a few sessions to break the habit of wanting to play with your hands (which is a totally normal thing). The hardest thing for you will probably be not teasing or "biting" the dog with your hands. Doing this teaches the dog that hands are for wrestling, just like littermates.

I believe your assessment is correct to a degree. She really does bark. The same type of bark when she wants to play with the cat who wants nothing to do with her. lol.

We will be playing with a toy of some sort and she will go after my hand rather than the toy. I guess I am teasing her to a degree by playing keep away or hide and seek with it. She gets over excited and when she hits my hands, I do pull away and try to correct her by holding her muzzle closed. (I don't think this is working too well. lol.) She barks at me, I correct her again, she runs around the room and goes and lies down a distance from me. I find it funny to see this behavior now because it reminds me of a pouting child.

Is this dog for work or for family pet?

Does it really matter if it's a working dog or pet? Speaking out of ignorance here. lol.

The dog is supposed to be a pet but she has German bloodlines. Her parents do a lot of bitework training so I believe genetics has a lot to do with this.

Whether the dog will work or just be a pet makes a difference in how you train them. I know some people don't do any bite inhibition at all with working dogs. They just let the puppy clamp down on them, in play.

It doesn't sound like something you need to correct for at this stage, continue to do what you're already doing I'd say. Give it a good fierce yelp or cry when she nicks your skin, pull your hand away, stop the game, and turn your body away from the pup.

UNLESS you plan on training her in bitework. I think if you want to have her work you can still do bite inhibition, you just might have to handle a little resistance in bite training down the road. This specific paragraph is literally just "what I think", all theory, since I don't have personal experience with sleeve / suit work. (yet.)

Thanks. I feel better. If this was going to be a problem down the road, I would rather nip it in the bud now.