Advice / Tips for training my Staffie

All puppies mouth. It’s an absolute necessity.

How are you supposed to build trust if you’re trying to suppress a natural and essential behaviour???

A puppy needs to be able to mouth, BUT it’s up to you, the human, to manage the when, where and how.

Every so often, put on some thick DIY or gardening gloves, sit on the floor, and let them enjoy a good old “tussle” with your hands;

and

as soon as they get too worked up, walk away and leave them standing there all on their own:

this is how you teach the pup to control their excitement and their jaw pressure,

two essential skills for a reliable dog in the future. Owners who try to shut down that mouthing instinct from the word go will never achieve this (and they’ll regret it the day a poorly judged bite happens because the dog never learned at the right time...)

As for training, I'm going to give clicker training a go. At the moment, he’s pretty much mastered "sit" in just a week—he’s already starting to be really responsive to the command about 3/4 of the time! :)

“Nipping at sleeves and hands needs to be monitored as it shows the dog thinks they are your equal, and that’s why you might have some trouble training them.”

Well, I have to say I completely disagree with that! It has absolutely nothing to do with any kind of hierarchy. He doesn't think he's your equal, or your boss, or anything of the sort. He’s just a baby exploring his world with his teeth (just like a toddler would use their hands) and he simply doesn’t realise yet that sleeves, hands and feet aren't meant to be mouthed. You just need to keep showing him what he is allowed to bite, like you’re already doing. Most importantly, be patient because at around 4 months old, they start losing their puppy teeth and the urge to mouth will get even stronger, but it will pass eventually! ;)

Make sure you socialise him well too—let him meet other dogs, people and visit different places, all at his own pace without forcing him if he seems a bit hesitant.