Help, Any ideas to help stop play biting!!

1. Yelp quickly and loudly (to startle him and keep him from biting again)
2. Quickly turn and step very far away without making any eye contact or saying anything at all to the pup and ignore the dog for thirty seconds, max.
3. If he bites you while you are making your getaway, ignore it and move faster and yelp louder next time.

Dogs do what works. Any behavior he elicits from you when he bites is interesting, and he wants it to happen again. Remove the behavior he's trying to elicit and his biting behavior will stop working.

Remember that the biting behavior will get worse before it goes away. This is called an extinction burst, and humans do it all the time. What do you do when you push the "coke" button on the coke machine and no coke comes out? Do the pushing the button behavior again. And again, and again, because this behavior has always resulted in a coke!

Your pup, if he's consistently gotten a shovey, slappy response when he bites you, (he's probably interpreting this as play) is going to bite harder and more at first. Be consistent, and really make the biting behavior not worth doing anymore, make it a behavior that only means that play ends, and he will really have no choice but to stop because he wants to play.

Thanx, will give that a try.
Hes just very hyper and doesnt seem to take any notice no matter how loud i yelp, but i will give your way a bash.
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I love the way you put that Fisher!!![]
  'Like the coke machine'  really good interpetrtation of the problem....

I wanted to add something to a great response by fisher.

Dogs will initiate play with their paws.  When you respond with your hands, he sees this as you playing with him.  It doesn't matter what words you say or how loudly you say them, he thinks it is play.  Walking away is the absolute best thing to do.  Just be patient and it will start working.

ORIGINAL: fisher6000

1. Yelp quickly and loudly (to startle him and keep him from biting again)
2. Quickly turn and step very far away without making any eye contact or saying anything at all to the pup and ignore the dog for thirty seconds, max.
3. If he bites you while you are making your getaway, ignore it and move faster and yelp louder next time.

Dogs do what works. Any behavior he elicits from you when he bites is interesting, and he wants it to happen again. Remove the behavior he's trying to elicit and his biting behavior will stop working.

Remember that the biting behavior will get worse before it goes away. This is called an extinction burst, and humans do it all the time. What do you do when you push the "coke" button on the coke machine and no coke comes out? Do the pushing the button behavior again. And again, and again, because this behavior has always resulted in a coke!

Your pup, if he's consistently gotten a shovey, slappy response when he bites you, (he's probably interpreting this as play) is going to bite harder and more at first. Be consistent, and really make the biting behavior not worth doing anymore, make it a behavior that only means that play ends, and he will really have no choice but to stop because he wants to play.

do that, trust me it will work. i say OW! in a high pitched voice and walk away for 30 seconds and when i come back she "apoligizes" and showers me with kisses lol

Here a site you with good general suggestions.  Remember, this is normal behavior for a puppy.  After you yelp or cry out and the puppy stops be sure to praise his good behavior.  They are only seeking a response to their play so when they don't get it aventually they will stop.  This behavior will get better with maturity providing that as a pup you continue to disengage him when he does it.  Also, try to give him something he can chew on in exchange.
 
[linkhttp://www.wagntrain.com/PlayBiting.htm]http://www.wagntrain.com/PlayBiting.htm[/link]

Thanx for suggestions, will try them out.  I started today with the yelping thing but he seemed to get more excited.  He also latches himself onto trouser legs/skirts/whatever clothing is round about your ankles if you walk away, how do I deal with that?
Thanx
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If he's really enjoying biting at you as you walk away, don't. Freeze instead and stare off into space. He'll stop, it's really boring to try to chase something that isn't moving.

Lynz,
 
I work with dogs kept in a pack environment. Some of my clients have packs too. The play biting you describe is very common. I have a question.
 
Adult dogs in a ack environment have specific ways of dealing with this type of behavior from the young dogs and pups. They can stop it immediately. Do you think their response would be the best way of dealing with the problem?
 
Brad Higgins

Good suggestion Mudpuppy.  My daughters pug use to latch on to her pant legs to and she used bitter apple on her pants, it helped.  I know its hard but, a loud "ouch" and then moving away without any acknowledgement is the best thing you can do and ignore, ignore, ignore what he is doing.  I understand that at times you can't ignore but when you can, you should.
 
Remember, any reaction from you is positive to your puppy.  He is only doing it for attention to play.  If he is unsuccessful he WILL get tired of trying - until next time [] and maturity starts to set in.  When a litter of puppies have a sibling that plays to ruff they actually refuse to play with him and thats how they learn bite inabitition.
 
When you are playing with him continue to say eeeasy... and use little treats to reward him when he does show you some control and when it gets to much, yelp or ouch loudly, stop play and get off the floor and walk away. When he bites your pants leg stop still and stare into space like mudpuppy suggested. 
 
Good luck.