Biting

Q: How do we stop puppy from biting all the time? We have tried and tried to distract him with another toy but he still bites. We have tried saying no in an angry voice but it has no affect. We have had to put him in his crate for time out but that doesn't really work either. In general when we tell him no he gets more determined to do what we are correcting him about. He is a 12 week ole teacup Pomerania.

A: Unfortunately the corrective measures you have tried are sending the wrong message or no message at all. I know you will see suggestions of substituting a toy but that hardly ever works, in a way, at least to me, it is actually rewarding the behavior.....if you bite me I will play with you. Using his crate as a “time out” is also not appropriate. The bottom line is your corrective steps are not noticeable and reservable for him. Even though you will read discussions from behavoralists that your hand should not be part of your correction I find that a “thump” on the nose along with verbal admonishment works the best for me. If you use a “time out” it needs to be in a “penalty box (room)” that is unfamiliar, many times a bathroom works well.