I can't comment on the merits of the technique but re reading the post it does sound like a form of negative reinforcement Rachel.
If it is, then to decrease the behaviour the pup must find the experience aversive and then we get into the whole argument of whether aversives have any place in training and most people on here know my stance on the risks of going down such a route.
I was just not sure if the action of lifting the pup would have a calming effect rather than just shutting the pup down?
In fact I am now intrigued as to what would happen.
In Campbell's
Behaviour Problems in Dogs [3rd Edition 1999], he does recommend the standard 'freezing as per the dam would do' technique, and then only if that fails move on to the 'distraction with another chewtoy' technique. But for it to actually work, first the owner must establish a strong dominant leadership position with the pup by teaching basic commands such as sit etc which creates subordination in the puppy.
Only then comes the correction of mouthing and biting via the 'freeze' technique.
But in his
The New Better Behaviour In Dogs [also 1999], he instead describes this holding technique. I'll type his exact words here:
To correct the nippy pup, when he starts to nip or mouth, pick him up by cradling with both hands under the belly and chest and hold him with paws off the floor until he settles down. Then gently put him down, praise him, and pet him. Use this elevation dominance exercise at least five times a day, whether or not the puppy shows signs of aggression or nipping. Don't ever shake or hit the pup, etc etc...Now, there are words like
"gentle" and
"praise" there, which are good, but
"elevation dominance exercise" does sound like some sort of pseudo Monk of New Skete alpha-roll or something, but he applies the same terminology to standard basic commands establishing a
"dominant leadership position" and
"subordination" as well, so I have no idea what to make of it. Maybe back in 1999, there was less distinction between the words dominance and leadership and both were interchangeable. I can though see the lifting technique as a 'controller of resources' leadership thing just like time-outs are, as in 'I decide play stops now'. And there is praise and petting the instant the pup calms down, so is it an aversive?
I do believe he is correct though that the standard freeze/ignore technique does not work unless the pup already recognises you as the leader/mum/dad/whatever rather than as just another pup or plaything (hence why the Stilwells and Dunbars can get it to work almost instantly while for the rest of us the puppy just keeps biting). And that it does take much time and extreme patience which many new puppy owners get frustrated with.