Hi, my maltese puppy is 12 weeks old and he's starting to bite my hands a lot. He doesn't do it all the time that I play with him, but sometimes he'll start bitting and he won't stop. I tell him "No!" and take my hand away, only for him to bark at me and try to bite some other part of me. He's really a wonderful puppy, and I love him so much, but this is starting to get frustrating and I don't want it to become a habit I can't break him from.

I would really appriciate someone's help!

Thanks!

Your pup is probably 'teething' the way babies do. Get him a play toy that he can bite on. I gave my pup cold carrots to teeth on, which offered nutriontal benefit and ease from the pain of the teeth coming in.

And for anyone wondering how the cold carrots worked out. That was l2 years ago and she is a 60 lb. hound and still bouncing and still playing, and still considers a carrot treat !

Love the carrot idea!
Also try a loud, high pitched "OW!!" when he does this--stand up and walk away. Let him know that if he plays too rough, you are not going to play, period! Be very dramatic... you want to startle him and immediately stop the interaction. When you come back in a minute or so (an eternity for a playful pup), bring a toy (or a carrot!) to reinforce the difference between things that are OK to bite and things that are off limits.

One of the many reasons a responsible breeder would NEVER let a pup leave prior to 7-8 weeks!!

Bite Inhibition -- an Essential Part of Socialization

Dogs must learn to use teeth properly as part of behavior development. By helping dogs learn bite inhibition early on, you can help avoid bite incidents involving other dogs as well as people. This tipsheet contains information adapted from articles by Dr. Ian Dunbar in the November 1999 "Whole Dog Journal" and by September Morn in the April 2003 "DogFancy."

Dogs normally learn bite inhibition by 4 and a half months of age. Dunbar believes it's the single most important thing that dogs learn. So try to teach your dogs bite inhibition by age three months and reinforce throughout their lives.

Bite inhibition is a learned response in which the dog consciously inhibits the full force of his biting ability. Most dogs display bite inhibition when they are playing together, and even when engaging in a fight with another dog. If a dog does not have bite inhibition, he could injure and possibly even kill another dog.

Puppies who are properly socialized learn bite inhibition while nursing and playing. When pups bite while nursing, the mother dog will train them by standing up and walking away. When pups bite too hard during play with siblings, the bitten pup will yelp and stop playing with the rough pup. Or the bitten sibling might leap up and knock the rough-housing pup over with a loud bark or growl. This teaches a puppy that playtime ends if he bites too hard.

This is one reason puppies should go to puppy kindergarten or socialization class, where they can play and mouth while carefully supervised. They will learn that while gentle bites might be tolerated, hard bites will stop the play session.

People can use the same idea to teach their puppies bite inhibition.

* Sit down with the pup to play, bringing his attention to your hands. When the pup tries to bite your hand too hard, yelp or say 'Oww' firmly and stop interaction. In addition to stopping interaction, some canine specialists advise to pull your hands back and freeze, and to avert your eyes or look to the side, away from the pup.

* Do not make your response sound like wincing or whining, or the pup may think it's part of the game. The pup needs to learn that fun stops when he bites.

* Give the pup a toy to chomp on intead of your hands or clothing. If he does not take the toy and instead nips again, stop interacting. Turn away, cross your arms, do not look back... you can even walk away.

* After time has passed, face your pup again and offer your hand. If he tries to bite, repeat the process.

* When your pup is gentle, pet and praise him calmly and resume play.

* If he bites again, say "Oww" as you did previously, and give him a 10-minute time-out. Leave the room, or better yet, place your pup in a time-out area. This area can be a separate room with no people or animal occupants, or in his crate. But avoid making this action seem like punishment -- you do not want the pup to learn to fear the crate or associate it with punishment. Time out is not the same as punishment. It is a suspension of playtime and fun.

* As you practice, the pup will use less and less pressure as he comes in contact with your hand.

* Keep in mind that the first goal is to teach the dog to actively inhibit the force of his bite, and THEN reduce the frequency. If you never let the pup put his jaws on you at all, when it does happen (say, an accident during which the dog's paw gets stepped on), the dog will probably react with an over-strong bite.

* Do not tap or smack the dog's nose as punishment for nipping -- instead of discouraging nipping, this tends to trigger instinctive biting in self-defense.

* Do not tease a pup or dog by flashing hands around his face or tapping his face. This can scare or startle the dog and trigger biting behavior, whether in play or self-defense.

* However, as the bite inhibition training progresses, you can gradually begin to incorporate some sudden movements into your play with the dog so he learns to be less spooked by human movement. If a dog is afraid of objects, you can help desensitize him by slowly incorporating hand-held objects into play.

* Daily grooming helps a dog get used to human touch. Teach your pup early on to allow you to touch his face and open his mouth. This will prepare him for activities like vet exams and tooth brushing. Start by gently raise the dog's lip and praise. You can also give a treat. Gradually lift the rest of his lip and examine the inside of his month.

* That is why it is important to not punish the dog. Instead, teach him acceptable behavior and continually reinforce your role as a leader who he can and must trust.

Very good jeff.