Sandra C. asked what to do about her young Australian Shepherd that likes to nip at her and sometimes bites hard enough to draw blood. AKC GoodDog! Helpline Trainer Paisley Lunchick offers up some advice. Biting is a normal part of being a dog and serves a variety of functions. Some breeds, such as the [...]

Bathing your puppy can be tricky, especially for new owners. Taking the process step by step will help to train your puppy to better tolerate bathtime.

Question: I have a 4 month old Wire Fox Terrier who is a "mouther." Since I am the main subject of his mouthing affection, I continue to have small punctures and scratches on on my arms, hands and ankles. He has a number of puppy teething toys and we have tried "no" commands, displeasure yelps, constraint [...]

Puppy biting can become a problem behavior if not nipped in the bud. Teaching bite inhibition, offering chew toys, and training are all ways to curb biting.

Sabrina M. writes, "I have run into a problem with my puppy that I have not had before. My 11-week-old female is going into attack mode: growling, grabbing clothes, and biting legs. I have tried multiple techniques to stop it. We are currently using timeouts. Do you have any other techniques that might work? We [...]

Puppy mouthing and play biting hurts, but with patient, consistency, and these expert tips you can teach your puppy not to mouth humans.

Puppies present a variety of challenges as they develop. First, they’re sweet babies, following us around, looking to us for every cue. Then, just when you think you’ve got a handle on house-training, basic obedience commands, and confidence building (in both of you), baby teeth and brains seem to go right out the [...]

Is every attempt to "socialize" a puppy really good for him? Sometimes puppies are forced to endure unpleasant, emotionally damaging situations when their owners follow advice that was given with good intentions. To ensure that our pup receives every opportunity for optimal mental and physical development, we often need to stop, take a calming breath [...]

Learn how to stop your puppy from chewing your hands with these tips from AKC's dog training experts.

Puppies, like human babies, do a lot of learning in their early months, especially when it comes to navigating their new environment and adopting good manners. For tips on how to facilitate that learning, we turned to certified dog trainer Kate Naito, who is also an AKC Canine Good Citizen Evaluator and Manners Program Director [...]