first dog owner - question about ankle biting

Got a squirt bottle? Put some water and vinegar and fabric softener in it! Shake it real well. Keep it near at hand, and everytime JollyNipper goes for the ankles you go for the water bottle with a resounding NO along with a good squirt! Works everytime I have had a problem!

My dog bites ankles out of fear. She is very afraid of strangers and is very territorial, so when someone comes to the house with whom she is not familiar, she goes on the offensive, sort of. She won't "attack" until the person turns to walk away, then she goes after their ankles to show them who's the boss. She's a "cautious canine" which is the title of a booklet by Patricia McConnell, an animal behaviorist who advocates positive reinforcement, which is much better than negative reinforcement, like the hitting and grabbing that you mention. Being firm and using a consistent command to stop the behavior is good, then reward your dog when he stops the biting will reinforce the good behavior.

I agree on the pack leader thing. If you need advice read one of Ceasar Millans books.The book Ceasars Way is a great start. Check out his website, and tv show The Dog Whisperer. He is not a trainer, he is a dog psychologist. What your dog may be doing is either stalking or herding. When he does that use a high pitch voice and a command like someone said and then walk toward him in a firm commanding way and make him back down.Give him direct eye contact when doing that. You can also watch It's Me or the Dog on animal planet. Victoria Stillwell is the trainer. I can't tell you how much I've learned from both shows and it's working for me and my two puppies.Oh yeah one more thing LOTS of exercise. He will be too tired to get into trouble.

I would not recommend any of the four solutions you listed. First, know that dogs (puppies or adults) are never supposed to bite humans even when they are playing. In the dog world, everything is based off of dominance and you need to be the pack leader. A less dominant dog would never bite the pack leader in a dog pack. I recommend choosing a command such as "no mouth" or "no bite" to use the next time your pup does this. Whatever you choose, make sure to stick with that same command every time. When your pup does this again, stand tall and firmly (not aggressively or loudly) say your command and lightly touch on the mouth. You give the touch on the mouth to indicate what your puppy is doing wrong. You must be consistent and patient and never lose your temper. Again, in the dog world they do not lose their temper at each other. They simply give a quick snap and its over as quick as it started. This is why punishing your dog or giving them a time-out does not work. Good luck.