She's a baby - they're more interested in playing than being held - give her time

if you say she's perfect in all ways how could you consider putting an ad in the paper ? Most people have a hard time with puppies this young (training etc) so it sounds like you have a wonderful puppy even if you did get her too young

I just went back and re-read one of the responses to your question about mouthing. PLEASE think twice before following the recommendation that you cover their muzzle and swat it. In a puppy this young (or any age, IMO) using your hand to discipline this way can only backfire and cause fear issues or even turn a playful mouthing in to aggressive biting.

Redirection is a much better option. Since you said she mouths when you are holding her, have something she can chew on close by. When she goes for your hand, tell her "no bite" and give her the toy instead. Yelp when she bites, like her playmates would have done to tell her she was getting too rough. If she continues to bite at you despite offering her the alternative, pick her up and put her in her crate for a minute or two(walk away). She will learn that mouthing hands means the end of playtime.

You could also try putting some bitter apple on your hands prior to holding her.

Sounds like your pup needs a little lesson in bite inhibition- There are as many methods of doing this as there are stars in the sky lol There are also just as many responses from each pup- after all, they are individuals. Just find the one that is humane and works for your pup.
Here's a link that has several methods: Bite Inhibition.
Hope this helps- good luck

Capt_Noonie:

Yeah... I know... But the situation was out of my control and I felt I'd be better to take care of Magnus rather than an unfit breeder that would sell the pup at 4 weeks.

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As for the muzzle holding... B/c he came to us so young, he had some major issues with biting as he got older. And I've looked up all info I could to remedy this and tried everything with not much luck. The bitter apple had some result but it did nothing when I didn't have it handy. It got to a point where he'd bite hard enough to see blood.

If the other less aggressive methods work, that'd be great~ They weren't as successful for me so I was just sharing what did work. I apologize if I offended anyone with sharing that method.

Magnus- you didn't offend. That's the beauty of this forum. We've all had different experiences and different results with things. Sharing them here lets everyone pick and choose what feels right to them.

I agree with Rhette mama, it's not offensive at all. I do think you should be careful though, you don't want to replace one issue with another.

Play is the best way to bond with your dog. Are YOU more interesting than the toys? Play with your puppy, teach her that you are the best fun in town. All puppies like to tug, so play tug with her. They have packs of little tennis balls in pet stores that you can buy. Get one or two sets of the six packs, roll the balls (don't throw at first) away from you, then when she gets there, call her to you and do it in the happiest, most fun voice you have. You may have to bounce the next ball or wave it around to get her attention. When she gets to you, give her a tiny special (not everyday) treat and make a big deal over her. Play train her to come to you. Convince your puppy that YOU are better than toys alone. Have fun with her and let her have fun with you.

Give the toys a name. All the stuffed toys here are "babies," balls are "balls," and I have a fleece tug toy that I refer to as the "tuggie." When you want her to play with you, ask her "where's your tuggie?" Start looking for it and repeating it. When you find the tuggie, hold it up and tell her "I've got your tuggie." Drag it along the floor and let her get it. Then play tug with her. Engage her and get her interested in you. Part of what puppies learn the longer they stay with their family is how to play. So, what you have to do, is teach your puppy how to play with YOU! Teach your puppy, don't expect her to learn everything you want through osmosis.

Believe me, if your puppy believes you are fun and interesting, she will bond to you like glue and want to be with you more than the toys alone and more than boring other people!

Start looking for puppy obedience classes, you would be amazed at how much fun they can be for you and your puppy. Find a class where the emphasis is positive reinforcement, but wait to start until a couple weeks after your baby has her last set of shots.

I definitely agree and the only time I use that particular method is if he shows to be really aggressive. He shown great improvement and hope I won't have to do this. If anyone has any other method that could be done with hands only, I'd be more than happy to try. But it's hard to do so when you take them out and don't have anything.

For example, he got his mouth on some cigar on the ground. I was trying to get it out of his mouth before he swallowed it. He bite down so hard and wouldn't let go that I had about a half inch of cut on my hand. -_- In those cases, treats don't even work. *sigh*

The responses here are great. I feel much better about my situation and since others have gone thru this I feel there may be light at the end of the tunnel. LOL I look forward to the day Zoe will want to be cuddled but until then I'll try the advice given on this board and hope for the best. Thanks for being there for Yorkie novices like myself.