Biting and snapping, even playfully, is a terrible habit in dogs that starts when they are puppies. To prevent a dog from becoming a biter, it must be trained from a very young age.

 

You should start training your young dog as early as possible, preferably before the puppy is six weeks old.

Firstly, the dog must learn that biting hurts. As soon as he snaps, you should call out a sharp "No" or "Off", as this is the reaction the dog would get from another puppy. This will make him realise that he has been playing too wildly and will bite less strongly in future.

Do not pull back the hand that the dog has grabbed with jerky movements, but slowly and give the dog a toy to chew on.

If the dog ignores the calls, you should leave the room for a few minutes. This teaches the puppy that it will lose its playmate if it snaps too hard.

Consistent behaviour is important when training a young dog. If the biting and snapping becomes less severe over time, you should still consistently call "no" as soon as the teeth make contact. The dog must learn that any kind of biting during play is unacceptable.

Good behaviour on the part of the dog, such as licking instead of snapping, should be praised and rewarded.

The "off" command can be trained by holding a dog treat in your hand and saying "off". Only when the dog stops trying to grab the treat do you say "Take" and give it to him. This teaches the dog that "off" means don't snap, otherwise he won't get a reward.

In future, too, as soon as you see a bite coming, you should immediately shout "Off" in a sharp voice.