hello forum members,
i've got myself an american staffie (10 weeks,bitch) who had a bit of a mouthing/biting problem (just a little more than a typical puppy) and be following the articles on this site i thought i had the problem under controll, but for the last few days shes started snapping at faces. today she even drew blood (just a little, but any is too much for me) from my face! so my question to you all is how can i prevent her from doing this? she knowes the meaning of the "no" command, and i correct her after each snap. after the correction she will instantly stop and sit at my feet, but 10mins later shes back at it. i'm just lost!!! so if anyone has some good advice, please help.
thanks, nathan.

First of all you need to come to terms with the fact that she really does NEED to bite. Your goal should be to teach her to only bite something other than flesh. One way to do this is to not play with her without a 'biteable' object in hand (a towel, rubber toy etc.). She may prefer your hands at first but you should show her the other object is 'the game' not you. When she bites you squeeze the back of her mouth between your thumb and middle finger to get her to let go. This will hurt her a bit (that is the point) and help her prefer a toy. You could also try shoving your hand deeper in her mouth to get her to dislike biting you. It is very important that you don't pull away from her though.
Pulling away is a) playing by her rules and encouraging her to bite and b) showing her you fear her teeth. Its is far better to get bitten by a pup at this age than pulling away all the time and filling her head with dominance tendancies for future reference...

So don't pull away, grab her, open her mouth and get your hand back, while saying a very deep, drawn-out and manly "NO" that sounds like a growl (no need to shout) <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> Then shove a toy in its place and speak to her in a happy tone like: "THAT's my pretty Girl!".

Another trick that works for some people is just walking away as soon as she bites and not playing any more but pit-bull puppies are not so sensitive and are usually oblivious to such tactics. I wouldn't go that way. It is for idiots who are too dumb to just stick it out and bond with their puppy properly. "Leaving" doesn't solve the problem it just "sweeps it under the rug".

She HAS to learn not to bite you and only YOU can teach her that and NOW is the time because it doesn't get easier.

Be patient and consistent (NEVER laugh or even smile when she is play-biting)in your corrections and show her a better game. And hey, watch the face! It isn't uncommon for pit-bull pups to break their owners nose (all in good fun of course!)! Avoid sitting on the floor with her until she learns to only bite other things. Good Luck! Btw, most pit-bull pups are like this so give her time and don't worry --yet! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

dear stella
thanks for the advice, i'll be sure to try your tactics in the morning. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
best regards'
Nathan Ford

p.s.thanke for the anti "sweeps it under the rug" advice. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />