I have been informed by a reliable source that if you want to stop a dog from doing wrong such as biting, tapping the dog on the nose works, as this is the most sensitive spot. Has anyone else use this method to teach right from wrong.

absolutely not as damage can be caused by doing this.as well as possibly making a dog headshy.

My auntie was told this by the dog trainer when they had there first dog. Whether right or wrong i believe they used this method with their first dog and had no problems. Does anyone else have further advice on this matter, i would like to get my facts right before i mention this.

How hard a "tap"? A gentle one, and the dog will think you're playing and join in gleefully, and a hard one will hurt it and possibly cause damage. I wouldn't do it. The last thing I want is a dog that shies away from my hand, thinking it's going to get a whack. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to train a dog without using force and intimidation.

Just my opinion.
:)

Not that hard a tap.So am i right in thinking this is not a tryed and tested way of training, has anyone heard of this method before. The reason being i have been told is that if you tap a dog anywhere else it doesn't work. This method has been told by a dog trainer.

What sort of a dog trainer?! ;)

Logically, if you tap a dog on its nose, it is going to start fearing hands coming near its face or head. And where do children like to stroke a dog? On its head. The possibility of causing the dog to snap at hands near its face is very real.

I don't know much about the trainer, but they had a retriever for 15 years and used this method. Not all the time, but they had the loveliest dog and had no problems with maddie. I don't want aggrievate people, i was just curious to know if this is a practised method. I will mention this to my auntie. The funny thing is they have a book that supposedly tells you everthing you need to know. Also i'm trying to collect as much info as possible as hopefully our retriever should be due september time.

It used to be a way of training back in the dark ages the same as when a puppy had an accident on the carpet the way to sort it was to rub it's nose in it. Thank god most people now train with kindness and reward not punishment

So how do you teach a dog that biting is wrong? Which to me is the most important thing to teach a puppy?

Gwen Bailey's Perfect Puppy book is good for all things puppies and what to teach them

Almost all puppies mouth or nip, not really biting. It's part of growing up, and the best way to discourage it is to loudly say 'ouch' or yelp, walk away from the pup, and ignore him for a couple of minutes. This is how their litter mates react (they don't say ouch, they yelp ;) ). My libby, who had very sharp needle teeth benefited well from this approach, and as the pup finds the behaviour is unacceptable, and the 'all important' attention is withdrawn, they soon learn.

liberty

Thankyou Liberty i have heard of that before but didn't know the reasoning behind it.

yip, that worked for my dog too. Whenever he played and got too rough, we'd cry out "OWWWW" and he very soon learnt to stop. It works EXCELLENTLY.
Also another method we were recommended to stop bad behaviour.....a small empty juice bottle/container with a few pebbles in, and everytime the pup did something we did not want him to do, we would shake the bottle. The shock of the sudden noice would stop him in his tracks we would then reward him with praise. Again, this worked everytime, and I have 2 very well behaved, obedient and happy dogs.
Am getting my 3rd baby soon, in 4 weeks, a Basset hound, so will need to be putting this to practise again very soon. :-)
Steph xx