Richard Cross Terris asked:

Many puppies have a problem with biting. Gentle biting is normal in the animal world, often as a sign of affection, so it is only natural for a puppy to bite like this. The most important thing is to teach the puppy from an early age not to bite, and the best way to do this is to be firm with the canine immediately after the bite has happened. You can’t explain to your dog that what it did five minutes ago was wrong, and trying to tell a dog off even a short period after the event can cause confusion and won’t help train the puppy.

You should start trying to deter your dog from biting by using a keyword. Most people use no, said firmly and quickly after the bite. If this does not work you may have to try tapping your dog on the nose with a short stick, not hard enough to hurt, but enough to let it know it was wrong. Try not to tap your dog on the face with your hand as it may end up thinking it is being told off whenever you go to stroke it in the future. If the dog still does not respond to these methods, firmer techniques may have to be used. You should never try and scare your puppy though, as yo don’t want a nervous dog later in life.

Make sure your dog always knows who is leader of the pack. Remember that dogs are social animals, and must be taught what is socially acceptable from a young age.