Teaching bite inhibition to puppies

This is an article on teaching bite inhibition. It's written by my favourite Canadian behaviourist--Joan Weston--a pug and bulldog owner. She has some different ideas on inhibiting biting that I found interesting and helpful.

What Really Matters by Joan Weston
Puppy biting, mouthing and teething. It's like the Leafs
next loss. You can hope against hope for a different outcome
but it's gonna happen.
Puppies explore the world with their mouths first. Lacking
opposable thumbs to grab and hold things, those little pearly
whites are a perfectly viable alternative with the added bonus
of putting the grasped objects in position to be eaten after
play. Thankfully, with a little patience, a few steri-strips and
some common sense, you will all survive this stage and come
out the other side.
When you bring pup home for the first time, within
minutes of sitting on the floor, you'll be faced with your first
conundrum. What do I do when he bites at me and how do I
teach him to be gentle with his mouth during play?
I start my puppy by playing with him using my hands
and toys. Yes, I hand-wrestle in addition to using toys. This
allows me to teach him how hard is too hard and what is
within reason. The rules are simple - if we're hand wrestling,
he NEVER gets to initiate that game. I do. If he's playing
with a toy, he has to stay on the toy, he can't switch over and
bite me. Lastly, if he bites too hard, the game ends. Pronto.
To begin, put a harness on pup and tether him to a couch
or table. Sit on the floor and play gently with him with your
hands or a toy. Keep it fun but controlled- If pup gets too
wound up, you'll need to play less vigorously. Every ten to 20
seconds during play, say "Enough", and give him a soft treat
like a hot dog or a piece of chicken breast. Sit calmly and let
him nibble on the treat for a few minute.s.
If pup is calm, say "Okay" and play with him again. This
lets you begin to teach a word that means "Stop." If he bites
too hard, or if he leaves the toy to bite you, immediately say
"Ah-ah, you lose," then stand up and walk away from him.
Wait a few minutes and, when he calms down, play with him
again. Learn his limits - don't get him so revved up that he
can't redirect to his yummy treat.
This is a great way to teach pup how hard is too hard and
that he needs to learn to control the force of his bite. The key
to success in this exercise is the ability to rapidly withdraw
at the moment he behaves inappropriately. He will quickly
learn that if he bites too hard, the game ends and he loses
his playmate.
There are myriad opinions and tips out there, some
valuable and some worth about as much as a good bulldog
burp. Some advocate crying "OUCH" loudly when the dog
nips. This is a wonderful way to teach your dog how to turn
you into a giant squeaky toy. Squealing in a high-pitched
voice will get pup more excited and he'll love having a
roving plaything around the house that he can activate at a
moment's notice.
Likewise for grabbing the dog's muzzle and holding it
closed. This will do two things: it will make your dog more
mouth oriented, and it will cause him to become defensive
when hands come near his face. You want to think twice
about this strategy if you ever want to look in your dog's
mouth, brush his teeth, groom him, or take something away.
Grabbing the muzzle will teach your dog avoidance, or to
become more aggressive when you reach for his head. It's a
strategy that will come back to bite you later on.
Another trick that can help you survive those few months
when puppy is auditioning for Twilight is to always wear
kibble when you are in the house. When pup decides that
your pants need to be stopped as you're walking down the
hall, having kibble on board will allow quick re-direction
to a short training session. When he bites, stop moving
immediately and say "Ah-Ah." When he lets go, grab a
handful of kibble and do a quick up-tempo training session
of heels, sits, downs, stands, or tricks. A few minutes of
training is often enough to get the ya-yas out and get his
brain back on track. When you're done, give him a bone
or a toy so he doesn't latch back onto your carefully-cuffed
Calvin Klein's.
The best way to survive the piranha period in puppy's life is
to prevent it and, when it happens, to interrupt it calmly and
quickly. If you try to refocus him and he keeps biting you,
put him in the crate for a half-hour downtime.
When you're just hanging out, tether him to the couch
or table with a body harness so if he bites, you can easily
and quickly remove yourself. Leave a four-foot leash on the
back of the harness when pup is loose, so you have a way
to remove him without touching him. Baby gates placed
around the house will let you escape when your attacker is
on the move.
Finally, remember that teething will occur somewhere
between five and eight months or so and, during that time,
pup will become Pac Man, and everything in his path, a
ghost. Give him frozen rags, ice cubes, or frozen carrots to
chew to help alleviate the discomfort. Nylabones are great,
and can be reflavoured by leaving them overnight in a pot of
beef or chicken bouillon and chilled afterwards.
Stay calm and be pro-active in setting up your dog to make
the right choices in the first place and keep the Band-Aids
handy and you'll survive this normal mouthiness as your
puppy develops. If you're not sure about pup's behavior,
it's never a bad idea to contact a trainer or behavioural
consultant to do an in-home consult to help you as you go