Is biting a puppy's ears a safe and effective way to stop nipping?

Question

Asking about a relative's dog. She has a new puppy that is nipping and biting, of course. She says a vet's assistant told her to bite the dog's ears as a way of getting it to stop. I am horrified by the thought of anybody ever doing that. Is this a legitimate training method? Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Small (up to 22lb) | Male | unneutered | 15 lbs

Andrea M. Brodie, DVM · Accepted Answer

That does not sound like sound advice and is a catastrophe waiting to happen, in my opinion. All it takes is that the "naughty" puppy reacts by biting back, and destroying it's owners face. The proper way to go about the nipping and biting is to firmly say no every time it acts like that and immediately ignore it until it calms down. Your friend may also want to take the puppy to puppy classes where the puppy can be observed by a trainer and she can work with the trainer on stopping this behavior. Unfortunately you did not give me an age of the pup, so this would have to be adjusted accordingly.

Is biting a puppy's ears a safe and effective way to stop nipping?

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