English Bulldog- Biting

Question
We just bought our little guy a week ago.  He's an 8 week old English Bulldog.  We're having trouble with him biting us and our clothing. He seems to do it to do it as a way of playing or getting attention. I've read that this is normal behavior but I was wondering how do we stop him from doing this. We realize it will take time but we want to get him started on the right path. Also, he likes to growl. Since he was born with a cleft pallet, he was bottle fed and kept by himself.   Could this have made a difference?  Do you have any tips to stop his biting and growling?  We love our little puppy and just want him to be a well behaved member of our family!

Answer
First of all, all puppies know is biting and growling until someone teaches them differently. It is there way of playing and getting attention and perfectly normal.

Now, when he bites, give him a strong "NO BITE" command and replace your hand/foot/shoes with his own toy. If her persists in biting, pinch his lip until he squeals and again, a loud "NO BITE" and give him his own toys. Give this a few days and see if you see any improvement.  Because he was isolated, he may react differently than some puppies.

If his doesn't work, take him by the scruff of the neck and shake him HARD with a loud "NO BITE"...if he screams, that's ok.  This is usually very affective as it is the discipline a mother dog would use.

If all else fails, bite him back.  When he bites you hard and everything else has failed, take his paw and bit his toe....don't saw a word, just give him a deep growl and walk away. This sounds weird, but it works.

You will have to give each of these techiques a chance to work, like a week and then if you're not having success, go to the next one.  Good luck.  Just be patient with the little guy and consistent.

One more thing, I strongly suggest that you take him to obedience classes when he's old enough, simply for the social experience. He needs to know how to behave around other dogs and with dogs coming into your home. So obedience will ensure a well adjusted adult dog.