Chewing and Nip

Question
I have a 9 week old Standard Poodle who constantly nips and chews. My 1o year old son is not doing well with this. Please tell me that this will pass and we will have the wonderful Poodle I hear people talk about so much. Is this normal. He also loves to chase them which is so hard to break

Answer
Hello Chandra,
Poodles, being retrievers love to have things in their mouth at any given time.  As to what is in their mouth, it usually doesn't matter to them.  When your dog goes for your hand, grab his mouth and hold it shut and give it a firm but gentle shake, telling him "NO BITE!!".  You have to be firm with this because otherwise he will think you are playing with him and will come back for more.  As soon as you let go of his muzzle, give him a toy or something that is acceptable for him to chew on.  What that does is show him that chewing on you is unacceptable, but that its ok for him to chew on his toys.  

You should also teach him the "Out" or "Give" command.  This way, if he has something that he isn't suppose to have, you can tell him to "Give" and have him give it back.  
To teach this, show him a toy and let him take it.  Next, go to take it back and say "Give" or "Out".  Praise him when he lets go of the toy.  If he doesn't give the toy back to you when you tell him the command, gently open his mouth and take the toy back, then praise him.  You can also teach him the "Take It" command by saying "Take It" when you give him the toy.  

Teaching a dog not to chase things is very hard to overcome because its in their nature to run after things that are running away.  Your best bet would be to enroll your puppy in a puppy class and start him off with basic Obedience.  In the Obedience class, your puppy will learn things like how to walk controlled at your side, how to sit and down on command, the Stay command and Come, plus interaction with other people and dogs.  
Now is the time to get these important lessons in your dogs mind.  Controlling your young puppy now will ensure a well-behaved dog in the future.  
Your 10 yr old should also be a part of the training process so that the dog learns that he needs to listen to him as well as you.  
Check your local Yellowpages for trainers in your area and find out if they will allow your son to participate.

I hope that this helps you some.  I know having a puppy can be trying sometimes, but with patience and proper training your puppy can mature into that image of the Wonderful Poodle that he is.

If you have other questions for me, please feel free to ask.
Thanks for using AllExperts.com,
Kim