Thanks Melissa, I think saying "ouch" to some of your members PPD and Sch dogs would only make them happier.

Ken,
You need to teach him that you are not a chew toy. He may have learned that this nipping behavior gets him the attention that he desperately wants, or you are going to give him a toy. But it seems like he is working himself up to the point of frustration and starts nipping you to entice you to play. I read somewhere to use bitter apple to solve this problem, and has worked great. Don’t follow the instructions on the bottle, use in this manner. Set up a bowl with 6 cotton balls drenched in bitter apple. As your dog gets excited, and starts nipping at your hands and as he grabs your left hand for example. Take your right hand and get a cotton ball and shove it in his mouth at the same time. Slide your left hand out and hold his mouth shut for 25 seconds. You may want to grab his scruff because he will try to back out. The important part of this exercise is to go back and get him excited again and repeat this process. The key is to teach him is that we can play and you can get excited, but the second you mouth me you will pay. Timing is everything so don’t hesitate. As for NO or Pfui the dog needs to recall being pronged, scruffed, or shocked and assume such type of punishment is coming if he does not respond. If you don’t have bitter apple available you may want to put a prong and a pull-tab or leash on him and teach him what no means. Other wise your just simply nagging the dog and will get you no results.

Good Luck with him

Thank you guys for you help, I have tried all your advice, he is getting better, but I still have to correct him. I have tried bitter apple before, it really does not phase him.

listerine

Ken
If your dog endured 25 seconds with a cotton ball soaked in bitter apple you have your hands full. Most dogs start to cry as the drool bitter apple juice out of their mouth. There are other products that you may want to try. Bitter end, and Yuck (in the horse section). Other products like Tabasco probably will work, but may have a chance of staining your carpets. So I can’t say it worth it to try.

You can also try to “time out” the dog when he gets out of hand. For example, he gets excited starts nipping. Turn around and leave him hanging. Go into the next room and close the door and separate from him for twenty seconds or so. The key part of this exercise is to go back to him as if nothing happened. The second he mouths you, with no correction/reaction leave him again and again. And repeat until he is calm enough to give attention. By shutting him out when he nibbles on you may work. If he is willing to endure the corrections (a form of attention) by nipping, just take away the attention when he does it. In most situations, dogs figure out that bad behavior is an easy way to demand attention from their owners. We correct the dog consistently for the bad behaviors, and don’t praise them enough for the calm and collected behaviors. So in the dogs mind it may be worth it to get into some trouble for some attention. He is young, excitable and in need of some direction.

AKI-Yoshikawa,

My appology, I did not do the cotton ball in the mouth. I will attempt it again.
Is ther any way to make the dog be more calm. He is so hyper that I can not keep him the hosue he will destroy everything.