Be gentle

An important part of the puppy education is bite inhibition training. A dog that bites often ends up in shelters. The training method is to put fingers inside a puppy's mouth. If it bites, cries out loud. The puppy will be alerted, and wont bite next time. Gradually, the puppy will form the reaction that once its teeth touch the human skin, it would loose its bite.

I am more interested in playing with Neo than training him. But one day, on a whim, I tried the bite inhibition training with Neo. I held a treat between my thumb and my index finger as usual. When Neo attempted to take it from my fingers, I cried out really loud "Ouch". Neo was startled. He stared at me, puzzled and upset. Then following Dan's instruction, I made a painful face and blew air to my fingers as if it really hurt. What Neo did next really surprised me. He came towards me, gently licked my fingers, and then looked up at me again, as if saying "does it make it better?"

Now we practice this training frequently. My faked cries do not upset him that much any more. He has learned to be very careful when he takes treat from me. Sometimes his teeth almost never touch my fingers.