Dogs Play Biting Other Dogs

Question
QUESTION: I have nearly the exact same situation as http://en.allexperts.com/q/Dog-Training-3333/play-biting-park.htm
However, the difference is we are not at the dog park therefore, the answer given does not address how to deal with the dog play biting issue I have.  I work in rescue and I have a foster dog who is believed to have come from a high-volume breeding facility or was caged most of his life.  He has not been socialized with other dogs and he does not know how to play with other dogs.  He wants to play with our dogs, but he thinks that playing involves constantly biting at the feet of my dogs, which leaves them seeking refuge on the couch where he cannot jump up to yet.  How can I prepare him for his new home (which will likely have other dogs) and teach him that this is not an appropriate way to play?

Thank you.  Lynn

ANSWER: Your other dogs are already teaching him that this isn't an appropriate way to play. Dog teach other dogs by punishing them when they get out of hand, either with a snarl or a snap or refusing to engage them. Likewise if he is aggressively biting you, you should make a loud distressed noise to indicate that you've been hurt and then stand up and walk away, ignoring him and refusing to engage him. It will take time but eventually he will learn that if he plays that way, nobody will want to play with him and will begin to look for other alternatives. When he plays nicely, praise him and he will learn that that's the alternative he's looking for.

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

QUESTION: Thank you for taking time to answer my question.  I will put this method to work immediately.  I do have one additional question along the same line...When I take my dogs and the foster dog out together on leashes to go potty, the foster dog tends to want to bite at their hind feet as they walk.  He shows no signs of aggression and it seems as though he wants to engage them in play.  In this situation, my dogs cannot seek refuge on the couch.  Should I do anything differently in this case or continue as you suggest to let my dogs teach him that this is inappropriate?  One of my dogs will likely let him know by way of a snarl that it's not ok to bite her heals, but the other came from a mill and is extremely passive and submissive.  She is likely to let the biting continue.  Do you recommend that I intervene in this case or not take them out together for potty breaks until he is completely trained?

Answer
What breed of dog is he? That sounds like herding dog behavior. If you have a Corgi, Cattle Dog or any sort of Collie or Sheepdog then this is a inbred behavior that has been bred into these dogs for centuries and will be very hard to break. The behavior isn't limited to these dogs (I had a pitbull once that did that) and may appear in any other dog as well but these breeds have very very strong herding instincts.

With these instincts also come high energy so you'll need to get him out for exercise quite a bit to help him work off that energy. Herding behavior also often goes hand in hand with high intelligence so make sure he has plenty of stimulation other than the other dogs to put his mouth on, like rope toys, kongs, bullysticks and puzzles. I give my dog a water bottle full of dog food (no lid) for him to play with and that keeps him busy and gives him exercise and smearing peanut butter on the bottom of a bowl and turning it upside down for him to puzzle over is fun too.

If your dogs aren't giving him signals to stop when he's nipping at them, you'll have to do it. Just make a loud high pitched noise to startle him into stopping and then remove his playmates to another area for a few minutes. Don't look at him and ignore him completely until he is calm. If it's too hard to do this when you're taking them out, then take them out separately until he's learned some manners.