Teaching Tootsie

So our wild puppy has ended up being a little crazier than I would like. I have a baby gate up in the kitchen until she is potty trained. Anytime you step over that gate you are walking into a battle zone. She charges and goes right for the feet. She has a huge nipping problem (I know all puppies do but she is constantly biting). It was cute at first but she has drawn blood several times and it needed to stop. We have tried everything to get her to stop. I hate hitting but some people suggested giving her a whack if she bites. I tried it and it only worked half of the time. I read last night online that you should growl at the puppy like the Mom would and it should make them stop. I tried it a couple times this morning but my throat was so dry it came out as this weird whiny noise. She did stop once and looked at me a little confused, I wonder what that noise meant in her language....

I was outside working in the yard and I heard my daughter call for me because the puppy had a hold of her leg. I ran over and got down right in the dogs face, while baring my teeth I let out a huge growl. The dog yelped and ran away. I thought my problems were solved until I heard "what the heck is wrong with that lady?" I looked over and a bunch of kids were watching the puppy through the fence and now just stood there staring at me. I had no clue what to do so I crawl behind a bush and waited for them to leave. There was no way to recover from that situation, I was on all fours, out in the dirt, growling at a dog. This might just be one of the most awkward moments of my life. But maybe it was worth it. Hours later my puppy is not biting and we can walk safely in our kitchen, I just can't ever show my face in public again. :)