Nipping Cocker Spaniel

Question
QUESTION: Hi.
Can you tell me how I can stop my 6-month english cocker spaniel from biting everytime he gets excited and wants to play? I've tried everything and he just takes it as a game.

ANSWER: I'm assuming this is "playful" tugging/mouthing type of nipping and not aggressive?

If that's it..here's my favorite remedy.  Get a bunch of empty pop/beer cans...put 15 pennies in each one and tape the tops shut.

Have them everywhere within instant reach.  (No good if you have to go find the can).

When you tell him NO or OFF or whatever word you use and he doesn't obey...raise the can high and bring it down hard (like you're throwing a baseball as hard as you can).
This makes ONE loud cracking sound.

Keep eye contact until he backs off.  Don't touch/scold or do anything else.  Ignore him for 10 minutes after.

A dog's hearing is ultra sensitive and if this sounds loud to you, it's thundering to him.  It freaks most dogs out.
In a short time, all you'll have to do is pick the can up and "tinkle it" for him to back off.
Best of luck
Any questions, do write back or let me know how it went.
Delores

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi again.
I tried with the soda can like you said and it worked for while, but when he gets really riled for play he just barks and goes into play position even if I repeat the noise. What should I do?

Answer
Are you sure you're doing it right?  Most dogs freak out at this.
Are you doing any training at all?  This pup sounds pretty spoiled. (My dogs, of course, aren't.  Yeah..right!)

Okay...when you whack the can down HARD..keep eye contact..and if he goes into "play position" and barks..move towards him and do it again saying NO.
If he continues, put his leash on him and plunk him into his crate.
They're not stupid and will figure out "when I do that it doesn't work and I end up in this darned crate".
Dogs continue behavior that works for them and this little guy sounds smart enough to have figured out that it's a loud noise but essentially there's no downside here.
Make it so it doesn't work for him.
Let me put it this way...you're being bamboozled by a 6 month old puppy.  Who's the pack leader here? LOL
Delores