No news is good news? Bill

uh huh. Bill

Uh Huh. Bill

Are you adding chain oil as you go? If not you can burn up the motors pretty quickly. Bill

No need to delay informal fetch due to other training being in play. Realize EVERYTHING in this pup's life is informal training. Encourage all positive behaviors. Glad things are going well. Bill

There may be times when you need to redirect the puppy, such as distracting with a play toy. Or another dog. But this should be implemented many times a day at this age. Agreeing with Katie that it is easier to hang out with hand in mouth when pup isn't wild and with Pen that wild and tired go hand in hand. Use you inner intelligence to guide you.

Insert the back of the hand. Position so making a partial fist/ expanding size of hand is easy to accomplish. The key is that you can very gently pressure the pup to open its jaw (which causes them to release its grip. Experiment with what gives you leverage. Bill

Thumb flat on the palm. Palm faces toward you. Fingers are fully extended. Then the whole hand folds a little (getting smaller). Top and bottom fingers fold in. Bill

I'd think if it as "un-fisting" the hand to start. "Folded" with the thumb pointing towards you and filling the role of "meat" in a "taco" formed with your hand. When you need to correct, you expand the hand. The key is you need to be able to create a little pressure when necessary. Bill

@sheryl et al, while I have been saying to "go a little deeper" (which is true in a sense) a better way to express the movement is that you begin to open what was a folded hand. By partially opening the hand one is creating leverage on the pup's jaw. With slight pressure they should release. Good questions. Bill

I guess my motion into the mouth is from the side to the side front. And I go in with a folded back of the hand leading. ETA: Think of your hand being folded into a "stick". Mostly sideways in the mouth. No pressure on pup's mouth unless they clamp. Then go deeper. You want a hand position that will give you maximum leverage on pup's mouth and moving as lightly as possible to motivate a release. Most pups catch on very quickly. Your hand release is the reward. I've never used treats with this training. I would not advise it. You are rewarding the pup mightily by sitting with your hand in its mouth. Not only is it vital to the safety of your family, visitors, guests, neighbors, and anyone else this dog may encounter that she be fully bite trained, but there is another great part. Hand in the mouth helps build a tremendous bond of trust between pup and its human. Very important. The act on your part--of hanging out with you hand in your pups mouth for a bit--will build very strong mutual trust between you and pup. I'd also hand feed as much of the food as you care to. Really bond. Bill

I would not criticize anyone who legitimately needed to cry out in pain. Puppy teeth are sharp. Pain responses happen. If one is being hurt a yep is legitimate. But fake "Ows!" are a less effective training method than pushing the hand in the mouth. I will not deny that "my" method won't at times be a little painful. Puppy teeth are really sharp. But this is a life-of-the-dog training investment. As supported in the video above, there is a limited window to teach these skills. And it should be a process. All things you know, I'm just talking out loud. Bill

For the same reasons I try to end play periods---where there is tug, or retrievals, or other activities where the dog willing gives up an object---with pointedly giving the pup the item in the end along with one's "release word" that says both play time is over and "I'm giving you the prized item." I'm glad to know you are with me on the method. I consider this the far most valuable bit of information I could share with prospective dog owners. By far! Bill

I love this video on almost every point. I was prepared to have many issues with it, but instead kept saying "right on!" throughout. He makes excellent points. And I was mindful that I failed to mention the value in socializing a puppy with other puppies as part of the process (as something I take for a given). The one point of departure is the bite-inhibition method. Dunbar himself in his writings on the subject tells prospective dog trainers never to create any drama. I'd contend shouting "ow, ow" is drama. I'm also highly convinced that the level of bite inhibition training with a pup that's encouraged to stop with "Ow!" is much less. Even they criticize (rightly) the "Stop Biting!" approach. To me "Stop Biting!" and "Ow!" are virtually distinctions without a difference compared with the gold standard of training. Which demands one get's their hands into a pup's mouth early and often. Starting now. As good as this video is (and it is excellent) I feel it misses out in not giving the most effective and surest training method. Bill

Please read below. Do not chastise the pup or try to get it to stop biting--except as outlined in my post. One can stop a behavior. But that isn't really training. This area is very important. Bill