[Lopsi]

As for the nipping, I don't have any suggestions. Pixie never was a nipper, and Bogey nipped when I got hiim (as an adult) - but only in play. It hasn't bothered me, so I've not done anything about it - I kinda enjoy getting on the floor "wrestling" with him sometimes.

Training is good - but only if the puppy has enough attention to learn anything. If you have a puppy who's only interested in playing and will NOT settle down to learn for treats, training may be tough - at least for a while. For the long run, I think training was the best thing I ever did for both Pixie and Bogey - they learned to settle down and learned important things like "leave it"... and it gave us priceless bonding time.

When grooming my dogs, I usually shave just a little around their butts to prevent the poop on the hair problem. It's when they start carrying it in their fur that I know they need another shave down there. I don't know how others handle it - but I can say that shaving that part (carefully) works for us.

And finally, welcome to YT!