Biting/Nipping

Out of these three things, which does your dog most dislike?
 
1..   Water spray bottle..
2... shake bottle (stones in a bottle)
3.... bike horn...
 
Every time your dog bites/nips a human...  use one of the item's above (very desreate)  so he doesn't know where it is coming from and say your word of command...  such as No Bite!  in a low growl matter of fact voice....

Actually, something like this shouldn't really require any kind of "tools."

Is it when you're playing with the dog?  If so, try freezing your hand (don't yank it away, he might chase it and bite some more)  and yelping REALY loud.  See if he jumps back and returns to lick your hand instead of bite.  If there is no reaction, yelp again, stand up, and close youself in another room for a minute.  Then come back out and try playing with him again.  Repeat.  >^^;<

Personally, I wouldn't want to use a spray bottle on my dogs... I want them to like water.  >o.o<

my dog gus is just under 4 months old. he is a border collie mix (we think he's mixed with beagle). he nips a lot too. i am thinking it is just from teething, but i dunno. he always nips at my pants when i walk....what can i do?

Personally, I wouldn't want to use a spray bottle on my dogs... I want them to like water.  >o.o<

 
 
How can you say this?   My dog's love water, it's not the water itself, its the strange squirt they get everytime they bite (from an unknow scource)  What do you do when it is raining? shelter your dog....  There's nothing harmfull about this method, its even recomended by the RSPCA in the UK...  
  I feel if this dog at 9 months, is still nipping, freezing or the yelp! is not going to work, it need's to be nipped in the bud...   before someone gets hurt...  and negative reinforcement will work to stop this , when he stops say good dog and a treat...
   Give it a few days of consitancy! and you will be able to tell him , No bite!  and he will work from your voice (if he will do it again)

ORIGINAL: Lance111
How can you say this?

I can say it from experience in actually using the method in the past. I've seen dogs come to dislike water after having this used on them. Some dogs are just like that.

ORIGINAL: Lance111
What do you do when it is raining? shelter your dog....

My dog is sheltered regardless of rain, so I don't see what this has to do with anything.

ORIGINAL: Lance111
negative reinforcement will work to stop this

IMO, it is ALWAYS best to try correcting behavior like this without negative reinforcement FIRST. It doesn't hurt the dog to try a positive method before moving up the ladder to something negative. Start simple and go from there.

Nipping is an attention seeking behavior. Also pups play with others with their mouths, they haven't any hands!
 
They need to know it hurts and it will not make you play with them.
Social seclusion is a great method. Say ouch and turn your back on them when they nip while petting or play. Soon as it stops try again.
If they use teeth again turn and leave the dogs presence. A third time put them in time out for no longer than a minute in a safe but boring area and ignore them. 

Have I mentioned that when I have a litter of pups (fostering) I always have stuffed pockets and a fanny pack full of stuff that they can chew on other than me??  I absolutely do not agree with using a spray bottle on a young pup.  And when I do use a spray bottle, this may be contrary to popular opinion, but I want them to KNOW I'm the one who is spraying them for something I don't like.  But again, I won't use a spray bottle on young pups.....I want to give them the chance to learn to do it my way without aversives.
 
I've not read the entire thread so if I don't give someone proper credit, forgive me.  Hoffman has giving absolutely dead on advice.  The one thing I would add, is that since puppies play with their littermates with their mouths, they don't understand right off that nipping YOU isn't going to get them the fun that they want.
 
I have a two year old who was a singleton and teaching him bite inhibition was like trying to empty the ocean with a teaspoon.  He had no littermates to help him learn and I certainly wasn't going to bite him back.  When Shadow is stressed, and our recent move did stress him, he will revert to the herding, mouthing behavior.  Now he doesn't use teeth, but that doesn't matter.....mouths on skin aren't allowed anymore than teeth on skin.  Shadow is two...he's a big boy and probably close to 80 lbs.  And I ignore him.  I just keep walking and totally ignore him.  And with a dog that size, it's not always easy.  But, I think its important to keep in mind what the motivating factor is in any behavior.
 
With Lance's pup, he's a pup and this is normal.  with the bit older pup, it's a learned behavior....it's worked before to get attention, and trust me, while they'd rather have love and praise, dogs, much like kids, will take ANY attention they can get if they are desparate enough for it.  With Shadow, turning into what I consider a butthead, isn't really.....it's his response to stress.  So I have to ignore his "two year old tantrums" and catch him doing something good to praise him for.

Most puppies go through a phase of nuisance nipping/mouthing.  I think different techniques work with different dogs.  Personally I'm not a fan of using a water spray, for the same reasons as Astaracheetah.
 
BTW, using a water gun is NOT negative reinforcement, it's positive punishment.
 
If you're finding the yelping method doesn't work, maybe try the shake bottle like someone else suggested.  ersonally I prefer the dog to know that the correction is coming from me, so another thing you can try is growling at your puppy.  When he nips, don't move your hand or leg, just growl.  Often this is enough to make the puppy back off and look at you.  Then you can praise and use words like "good boy to leave it" or whatever you're comfortable with.  The yelping works with some dogs, not with others.  The idea behind it is to mimic what another pup would do.  The idea behind the growl is to mimic what a mother/higher ranking dog would do. 

Thanks for all the advice everyone!!  We tried the change in a can shake method but that doesn't work.  He doesn't seem to be shocked by that at all!  Just kind of looks at it confused (however this method did work with our late great golden retriever Dusty.)  I think I will try the social seclusion method next.  I think that will definitely get the hint across since he LOVES being with people!

Just kind of looks at it confused

 
Actually, that reaction is just fine, since the object is simply to interrupt the mouthing behavior long enough to be able to praise him for *not* mouthing. 
I find that the greatest prevention for nippiness is lots and lots of exercise.  A tired dog is a good dog.
Those people who have larger groups of dogs often find that when they introduce a new pup, that pup is not as mouthy as pups who live alone in a human pack.  That's because the dogs are better at exercising one another, and better at communicating interrupting signals.

I'm brand new around here and I've been reading through some of the boards (love it all, btw!), and I have to say that the yelping and/or growling is one thing I'm going to try.  I've done the yelling "ouch" when my Sammy nips at me and it DOES interrupt him.  I'm going to have to definitely try the growl.  Very interesting stuff!
 
Oh!  My Sammy is a "about" 1 year old miniature schnauzer--he's a rescue pup!  We got him about 2.5 weeks ago and he's the biggest sweetheart.  The only "thing" is he nips at us.  I'd feel really terrible squirting him with water.