Would you like to try an experiment?

If you have a puppy approximately 9wo who tends to bite you when you are handling him, please try this.

When he bites softly, leave your fingers in his mouth but don’t say anything. But when he bites too hard, say “OW!” and wriggle your finger out of the way, still leaving your finger or fingers in his mouth.

If this sounds simple, that’s because it is. We’re not trying to create a complex association. What I have been seeing, and what I hope you will see, is that he will continue biting you with equal interest and pleasure but with a noticeably softer bite, which you can continue to adjust by saying OW! when he forgets.

A soft bite is valuable in a retriever. If you’re able to run the experiment, I hope you’ll report your findings and comments!