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They are coy, tentative, insecure, afraid to make mistakes.

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That is strange. I would be very interested in what Robert and others have to say. Perhaps you submit the question via the AMA form. We use different training methods and different tools all the time and the dogs are cool with it. For general behavior we are balanced. For agility we are clicker and mostly positive. The only thing I can think is if you are doing the “homework” balanced and then when in class doing positive. That I think would not work. So, like us, for example, the agility training is clicker based, so all our training for agility at home is also clicker. Could that be the issue? BTW the trainer wanting to start from zero sounds like either he/she wanted the extra money, or was emotionally vested in teaching __you__ a lesson — from his/her perspective, of course.

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Robert says… that is what they do, don’t be harsh to the puppy, wear gardening gloves if you have sensitive hands. He/she will do it for the first year. Also to do less damage to your hand check out different ways to hold the treat. If that is all he/she is doing you got an angel 😇

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Chances are he just wanted to interact and did not know what else to do. You would have to see it to be sure. I would just keep an eye on it for now.

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My puppy does it to me on occasion when he is supper exited. And he definitely does not see me as a playmate. Robert’s advice is not to put your face where the puppy can reach… cuz that is what they do.

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Speaking of what I just played with my puppy and he nipped my right ear, my left year, my left cheek and my nose… all in less than a minute. Lol

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I think I’ve seen a similar question. The answer was to add consequence to her non-compliance… a long line was the suggestion for that… not an ecollar.

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Mine is on to week 15 or 16. Same behavior of getting everything in his mouth. I don’t remember my previous one, but I think it is kind of normal. I probably should teach the leave it too. But I would not expect them to avoid anything on their own and at that age I’m not sure how reliable they would be at leaving it. Most of the time I just get my hand in his mouth and get whatever it is he’s got. If they are on a leash it makes it a bit easier. Let us know how it goes!

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There was a similar question in Friday’s q&a. That dog might have been aggressive, as opposed to super enthusiastic, but it kind of amounts to the same thing… the dog being reactive where we want him to be neutral. Robert’s answer was to increase the distance and to keep at it. There is no need for him to play with other dogs. My pit was like that. This was many years ago. I took the chance and had him play with dogs from 2 different neighbors. Everything went well with those. OTOH, greeting every Bailey met was kind of playing Russian roulette. We had a few incidents, but luckily nothing physically serious. I would do it differently today.

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Friday I was walking down the road with my 2 adult dogs and this lady came down the street with this tiny dog barking his lungs out. I saw them coming and we stepped out of the road and into someone’s lawn waiting for them to pass. She looked at her dog. He was still barking up a storm and choking himself on the leash. And she said “I don’t think they are friendly”… 😂😂😂.