(upbeat music) [onscreen text] Mouthing. [onscreen action] Two puppies playing. [Narrator] Have you ever closely watched two puppies playing together? They use their whole bodies, and especially their mouths, during play. If one puppy gets too rough, the other puppy will let out a quick squeal to teach the other one to be gentle during play. You're going to teach your puppy that same lesson for human interactions. [onscreen action] Man petting dog. [narrator] Before we talk about teaching your pup to be gentle, let's go over how to minimize mouthing when possible. [onscreen action] Man playing with toys with dog. [narrator] First, make sure your puppy has plenty of toys to mouth on when he's playing. Also, always encourage him to keep toys in his mouth, and never use your hands as a substitute. [onscreen action] Man gets off of couch and plays with puppy. [narrator] Try to avoid getting your puppy too fired up during playtime. For example, if you know that after 10 minutes of play he starts to get too excited and mouthy, cut your play sessions down to five minutes. As your puppy matures, you should be able to play with him for longer periods. [onscreen action] Man puts puppy in crate. [narrator] If your pup gets too out of control, give him a gentle time-out by calmly placing him in his crate for a few minutes. Once he calms down, you can let him back out. [onscreen action] Man fills toy with treats. Dog plays with the toy. [narrator] Another way to prevent mouthing is to make sure your puppy's getting enough exercise. Play hide-and-seek with him, feed him out of doggy puzzles, or give him treat hunts throughout the house. [onscreen action] Woman playing with puppy with large dog toy. Woman tethers puppy to table. [narrator] Now that you know how to prevent mouthing, let's talk about how to teach your puppy to be gentle when he plays with you. Start by playing in an enclosed area and tether your puppy to a piece of furniture. This will give you better control of the situation. You also need to have some large dog toys nearby so he has something to mouth on. [onscreen action] Woman says "Ouch" at puppy. [narrator] While you're playing, if your puppy's mouth makes contact with your skin, say "Ouch!" even if it didn't hurt. You're not looking to frighten him. You just want it loud enough to get his attention. [onscreen action] Woman takes toy from puppy and faces away from him. [narrator] Immediately take a 10-second break from giving your puppy any attention by standing up and turning away from him. If he follows around to your other side, just continue to ignore him until his attention time-out is over. [onscreen action] Woman starts playing with puppy. Man plays with puppy. [narrator] Once the 10 seconds is up, go back to playing with him as though nothing happened. Look for one of his toys, and give it to him, and tell him he's a good boy when he takes his toy. Every time your puppy mouths or bites you, repeat the attention time-out, and he'll soon understand that if he places his mouth on you, the fun ends. [onscreen action] Man takes away toy and faces away from puppy. [dog] Hey! Where are you going? I wanted to play with you. [narrator] But be sure to remove your attention immediately after his teeth touch your hand so he understands what action led to the withdrawal of your attention. Now, if your puppy will not calm down despite the 10-second time-out, give him a short time-out in his crate, or you can simply walk out of the room for several minutes. By doing this, you're removing what your puppy wants most of all, your attention.