This seems like a good questions for Carrie..she is great with the behavior stuff....

I am not a trainer, I can only give suggestions on what we have learned in obdience classes and what has worked for us. We use a lot of positive reinforment(treats, belly rubs, etc) and the clicker training

I would first of all say, NEVER leave the child unattended with the dog. Kids have a way of becoming huge chew toys...dog toys sqeuk and sqeal, so do kids!

Play biting: When we had Cincy in puppy kindergarten, they gave us some ideas how to handle this. First, when you are playing with the puppy and it bites, yelp and withdraw from him. Don't pick the puppy up and move him, YOU leave. Wait a few mintues and then play again. When he bites, again, leave him.

The next step is to teach the command "off" Give the puppy treats. After a few pieces tell your puppy off and bump him lightly on the nose. Praise him when he moves away from the food. Repeat several times, trying to get th epuppy to physically back up. When the puppy actually moves back, give lots of praise!!! You can then reward him with the treat by saying OK, take it!


Good luck to your sister and her puppy!