Learning 2

If your puppy bites your hand when you give it a treat, pull your hand back and say "Ow!" Do not let him/her have the treat. Even if the bite is not serious, play like it is so they learn that biting is not appropriate. That's very important. Often it isn't the bite that hurts or breaks the skin, that happens when you pull your hand or arm away.

When I first start training my puppy I want them to be careful of certain things because they could get hurt. So if I have a cup of coffee, tea or cocoa and the cup is warm (not hot), I will present it to the puppy and say, "Ouch, be careful!" or just, "Be careful!" Be extremely careful yourself. You want them to learn what the word means but you obviously do not want to hurt them. They quickly will learn not to approach something when you say, "Be careful!" That could be a piece of glass, the street, another dog, especially if it looks dangerous, or anything that might harm them. If I am drinking a hot beverage now and my dogs come bounding up to me while I'm reading a book or a newspaper, yes, I still read them, all I have to do is say, "Be careful!" and they know they could get hurt (burned) if they bump into me.