 |  |  My puppy likes to bite me when we play. How can I teach him to play without biting or scratching?
You can work at solving your puppy's biting problem by doing several things simultaneously. First, you need to divert your pet's play activities away from your body. You can do this by encouraging fetch games and discouraging wrestling or tug-of-war games. Second, you can remove any positive reinforcement when biting occurs. This means that you walk away and ignore your puppy for five minutes each time it performs a behavior that you don't find acceptable. You're not even allowed to talk to the dog during this time. Third, you provide a negative reinforcement for the objectionable behavior. You can do this by painting your skin with vinegar in the vulnerable places you know the puppy will bite. You can also make a shaker can from an empty pop can containing a dozen pennies that you shake vigorously when the biting occurs. Then you can also use a firm and loud "NO!" Finally, you can offer positive reinforcement and praise when the dog plays nice. The most important point is that everyone in the family has the same game plan and follows through consistently. |  | |
