[BenMax]

Originally Posted by Choochi

DO NOT do puppy rolls, they are misguided and don't actually teach the pup any thing.


You have a mal... one of the most prized breeds for police work because of their biting and high prey instincts. What you're dealing with is perfectly normal and what these dogs were in fact bred to do. They are supposed to be obnoxious little nippy alligator puppies. You can't stop that instinct, but you can redirect it and eventually teach the pup some self control.

By squeaking you're only encouraging the pup to bite more, you're adding fuel to his prey drive. You need to have appropriate toys to redirect that biting energy to, that will be your best hope at this point. Something like an old rag will do just fine, even have it on a string. Play with it with the pup like you would use a cat toy. The idea is for the pup to try to catch it and bite it. When it catches it, praise the pup and play tug with him. If he goes back to your hands or body, ignore that as much as you can and try harder to make the toy more appealing. If the pup is getting overworked, give him a time out until he quiets down and then bring the toy back out right away and encourage him to chase and play with it. Eventually you can channel that drive and desire to bite the toy into very valuable training motivation. As you progress, you should start to train some control into the game. So get the pup to sit before giving him an ok to go after the toy, and of course teach the very invaluable "out".

If you're feeling overwhelmed, can you get some support from the pup's breeder? Training a mal is a must, they do not make good pets when they have no job. I hope you know what you got yourself into.

Great insight and good advice.