Puppy biting.

Question
I have a 6 week old female cocker spaniel. She bites anything and everything she can get a hold of. When I try to pick her up to remove her she growls and tries to bite again. Does anyone have any tips, books, or ideas that could help me? Also, we have purchased the wee wee pads for puppies and she was doing very well with them, and has slacked off. Someone mentioned to me there was a special kind of drops you could buy to apply to the pads. If anyone had any information on this I would very much appreciate it. Thank you.

Answer
You have gotten your puppy WAY too young! She should have been left with her mother and littermates for at least two more weeks so that she could learn bite inhibition from them. Breeders who let puppies go this young should be horsewhipped!

When a puppy bites me, I immediately grab its lip and pinch it HARD, and it is extremely effective with about 99% of the puppies. Do it hard, do it fast, and do it briefly, while roaring in the puppy's face and staring her in the eye. Sometimes I roar, sometimes I deepen my voice (similar to a roar) and tell it "BAAAAD, puppy! Don't BITE!". Sometimes I will grab the puppy by the skin on the back of its neck and dangle it in the air while I roar in its face while staring it in the eye.

Many suggest imitating a "puppy yelp" (loud OUCH!) to curb the biting. Remember, in a litter that offended "puppy yelp" is usually followed by a pretty mad puppy wanting to get even. It is NOT the yelp that gets the offender to inhibit his bite, but the reaction he gets from his angry littermate coming back at him to give him change for his dollar.

An excellent paperback book you should get is "How to Raise a Puppy You Can Live With" by Rutherford and Neil. Read it from beginning to end.

I don't believe in wee-wee pads; I think it teaches puppies that pottying in the house is an okay thing. Weather permitting, my puppies start going outside at five weeks of age.

Karen