Young puppies are known to bite and nip playfully - in fact, it's hard not to chuckle when your new dog "attacks" a favorite toy.
  However, this behavior is more than just puppy playfulness; it's actually your dog's way of establishing dominance and pack hierarchy within your family.
  Allowing the behavior to continue into the pup's adulthood can be dangerous for your family and for those around you.
First, it's important to understand why your puppy is nipping.
  Dogs often use biting to establish dominance over other members of their packs.
  When a new puppy joins your family, its nips are actually requests for submission.
  If you allow your puppy to continue biting, it will begin to think of itself as the "alpha dog" of your pack.
And what's worse, if this behavior isn't addressed while your dog is young, the problem becomes more serious in adulthood.
  If your adult dog is convinced that it's in charge of the family pack, it may react aggressively to any perceived dominance challenge.
For example, if a stranger provokes your dog in any way, it may attempt to protect its pack by biting, charging or fighting off the intruder.
And it may even bite a member of the family who is challenging its dominance.
And that's bad news.
  Not only are dog bites painful, but they can actually be extremely dangerous, especially if the dog isn't up to date on its shots.
  Bites can result in rabies or other bacterial infections if they aren't treated immediately.
  They can even lead to permanent disfigurement or death.
However, aside from personal injury concerns, it's important to realize that dogs that are implicated in bites may be seized by authorities and euthanized - regardless of whether or not the dog was provoked into attack.
  There's nothing sadder than losing your family friend due to a lapse in training.
Dog biting is a serious problem, and for the safety of your family and everyone else, be sure to address it right away.