My dog keeps biting hands. What causes this and how do I stop it?

First off, I highly recommend a beginner training class with Nero, and also getting him into something fun and active such as agility or flyball, as Sheepdogs are extremely smart and extremely prone to boredom. Sometimes, having a focused training class or activity can help get out that energy and put your dog to work so they are less likely to become bored and destructive. As for nipping, there are a few things you can try out: Have a toy or bone handy that you can put in Nero's mouth when he gets excited to give him something to chew on and be mouthy with other than your hands/arms. If he picks up a toy on his own, be sure to give him lots of praise to help teach him this is a good thing. If walking away or yelping doesn't help, teaching him something such as "settle" can help him to focus on calming down and relaxing instead of ramping up the behavior with more excitement. Grabbing his collar and holding him down is likely just exciting him more, but focusing on training such as sit, down, settle, etc can divert his focus into something productive instead. Practice "airplaning" treats. This involves having Nero sit and slowly bringing a treat down to him. If he jumps up or gets excited, you have him sit again and start over. Once he can focus on staying still, he gets the treat. This can help teach some impulse control and reduce excitement behavior. Give him a job! Redirect his attention by telling him to go find a specific toy or bone. This can help him get out that excited energy and focus on chewing on the toy, instead of jumping all over you.

This is really common puppy behavior. Whenever she tries to nibble at your hand, I would replace your hand with a toy. Doing this will eventually help her realize that she is suppose to chew on toys not hands. When she barks, you can tell her no and ignore her. You can also use a water bottle to spray her a little when she barks while simultaneously telling her no. Give her some time. She will improve as she gets older. I will also leave an article below to help. Article On Mouthy Puppies https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/common-dog-behavior-issues/mouthing-nipping-and-biting-puppies

Mouthing and nipping can be an issue in puppies, and at ten months of age she likely has some or all of her adult teeth in, which can hurt! There are a few things you can do: One is to loudly yelp "OUCH!" and immediately stop play and walk away/ignore your dog. This mimics when your dog was playing with littermates and played too roughly. Your dog will also learn that when she is too energetic and nips play stops and attention is gone, which is boring! If she is calm and not nipping, offer lots of praise and treats to encourage that behavior instead. Next is the "airplane" game. Place your dog in a sitting position and put a treat in your hand. Raise it above your dog's head and begin to slowly bring it down toward your dog. If she gets up out of the sitting position, stop, place her back in a sit, and then start again. Once she can calmly sit still for the treat coming to her, offer it and praise! This can help teach her to sit calmly rather than jumping or nipping. You can also work on taking treats gently/mouthing inhibition by placing a treat in your hand and closing your fist. At first, your dog may attempt to gnaw on or chew on your hand to get the treat. A small "ouch!" can help, but you will have to wait a few minutes until she settles down. Once she is calm and not chewing on the hand, offer her the treat with a "gentle" command. It will take a few tries (and a sore hand at first), but it will help teach her to wait for treats and toys from your hand without nipping and chewing on them! Trading your hands and other objects for toys that are appropriate to chew on can also help. Offer an appropriate chew toy instead, and be sure to praise any time she is found chewing on the right objects instead!

Play biting and being excessively "mouthy" is very common in puppies. (And at 9 months old, Floyd is certainly still a puppy.) I have not personally had luck with the techniques of saying "No!" or holding the muzzle. I that makes puppies more excited. My general rule for puppies is that you make a high pitched squeak (like a littermate puppy would do if they bit too hard), then walk away from the situation. More than anything, your puppy wants to play with you. If you walk away, it is negative reinforcement, so they are less likely to do that behavior again. Depending on the puppy, the goal is to get them to look away from you or start doing something else before you engage in play again. I found that a long rope toy made a good toy to play with my puppy because there was lots of toy for him to bite at without touching my skin. Especially if Floyd is biting down, it is vital that he NEVER puts his teeth on a person. If he does, then you need to walk away and the play session is over. It will take a while, but he will get it. I also found that allowing my puppy to play with other dogs was a great way for him to learn what is appropriate play. I took my dog to doggy day care twice a week as a puppy which really helped with his energy level as well as appropriate play technique. And finally, start a puppy class. A basic obedience class is so important for a puppy. They want to behave, but don't know what to do with their energy. And Floyd is a herding breed dog, so he is smart with a lot of energy, so he needs a good outlet for his energy. I hope that was helpful! Good luck! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! You are likely describing teething which is basically a normal type of behavior when puppies are growing up and it is secondary to mouth discomfort as teeth are growing. I recommend that you get her teething type toys which you can get at your local pet store or online. Anytime that she tries to nibble at you, you say no and give her the toy. This is likely going to resolve the issue. Good luck and have a great day!

I hate to hear this is happening. If you do not want to rehome her, I recommend to work with a professional trainer because this will give you the best results the fastest. Canine aggression is a complex behavior as it can stem from dominance, possessiveness, fear, anxiety, resource guarding or a combination. Most people are not familiar with reading canine body language and training. A professional trainer is fully capable of reading the body language and then teaching you how to modify this behavior. Researching on your own will also be helpful. Familiarizing yourself with canine body language and dog training can help you to recognize what your pet is trying to say. You can find many books written on the topic and there is a trainer named Victoria Stilwell who I think is particularly helpful. Best of luck.

Biting and mouthing during play and at other times including when you pet her, when you are walking, etc. is completely normal behavior for a puppy this age - this is how puppies explore the world, and how they instinctively want to play. I do not recommend scolding her for this or telling her "no!", as this often makes dogs more frustrated and worked up, and tends to make the problem worse. Instead, redirect her to one of her toys and encourage her to bite the toy instead. Make sure that she has a variety of different toys available to provide an appropriate outlet for this behavior - long floppy rope or fleece toys for tugging, plush toys for biting and carrying, and smaller toys or balls for chasing and fetching. She also needs lots of different things to chew on - bully sticks, rawhide chews, cow or pig ears, and puzzle toys such as a Kong stuffed with peanut butter are all good options you can try. This behavior normally resolves on its own as puppies get older, so there is no need to attempt to punish her for it - just redirect her to something more appropriate, and be patient while she learns :)