Mouthing

[jessie86]

Hi,

My beautiful 12 week old Gun Dog, is mouthing us like crazy. (STILL)

He actively chases us to bite us, and for the behaviour to stop we have to either isolate him, or I have to physically pick him up and calm him down.

The yelping and pretending we are another dog, isn't working, and It's now getting bad as he's biting peoples legs when they visit us.

I don't want this habit to last, he is soo good in all other respects, it's just the biting, he has drawn blood before also.

Any suggestions??

Puppy Preschool haven't given us any advice that actually works.

I'm now getting angry at him, which we originally said we wouldn't do, however it's just getting really frustrating.

[corvus]

What would you like him to do instead of biting? Teach him to do it and reward like crazy when he does!

I found slow-motion walking while asking pup to heel worked well. I'd walk to the nearest toy, then ask for a sit and throw the toy. At that age the moment you tell them to chase the toy they tend to forget about everything else. And you get to practise basic skills when the puppy is excited.

[Genabee]

I used to shove one of her toys in her mouth!

Mouthing can also be a symptom of other things. Make sure that puppy has been out to the toilet and isn't hungry. Like a toddler, they fidgit (sp?) if they need to potty or eat!!! Ice cubes to play with may also distract him.

My pup is 6 months now and she still tries to mouth every now and then, but I find distracting her straight away works. I usually get some teats and run through some tricks with her and then she forgets about mouthing me!

[poodlefan]

Gundog pups can be damn difficult to deter with anything but aversive methods. Bred to retrieve, they live to have things in their mouths at times.

I've had more than one gallop towards me with its mouth open ready to latch on.

Before I advise, what methods have you tried?

[sas]

Some pups are super hard to stop during the mouthing stage and will chase after you to bite.

I wouldn't pick the dog up as that is rewarding.

What corrective type things have you tried?

[persephone]

What exercise/training is he getting each day? Do you work on his find/fetch instincts?

[aussielover]

Have you been ignoring him when he chases you to try to bite?

My lab was terrible and would latch on to pants when she was 8 weeks old. Although it was really hard, I just stood still and eventually she got sick of it and would give up. She sort of grew out of this behaviour by 10 weeks though, and shows no inclination at all anymore.

If she started mouthing my hands or other body parts, I would just get up and walk away.

Not sure this works for all dogs though.

I was asking for a sit or drop intially, but she leanred to "chain" this behaviour- meaning she started to realise that biting= being asked to sit (interaction, which is rewarding in itself)) = food (reward).

Asking for another command imo, is good for prevention, but once they start engaging in the undesirable behaviour, I find ignoring works best.

[Enigma01au]

My Lab pup is 7 months and has only now just stopped mouthing us! It was especially bad while he was teething so we gave him LOTS of chew friendly toys / bones/pig ears etc....

We were beginning to think we'd done something wrong, but now I know it was just him being a Lab puppy. I can now wear my favourite clothes without fear of holes being added

[Nekhbet]

You need to be firm with him

If he goes in for the bite slip your thumg under his tongue and press down until he yelps. Dont say anything, just hold on until his tantrum is over. Then, give him a second, offer your hand and if he doesnt bite you praise him. A little bit of treat works well too. Then try again, if he tries to bite give him a chance with growling 'GRRRR AHHH' (dont go mental here lol, just firm and gruff) if he doesnt stop, thumb under tongue again. If he backs off, GOOD DOG, treat/toy.

you need to stop mouthing ASAP. This method teaches consequence and what is acceptable. If he goes for your clothing same thing applies, after doing this groundwork give him a 'AHHH" and if he still goes on consequence. If he complies, big reward.

[luvsdogs]

Hi,

My beautiful 12 week old Gun Dog, is mouthing us like crazy. (STILL)

He actively chases us to bite us, and for the behaviour to stop we have to either isolate him, or I have to physically pick him up and calm him down.

The yelping and pretending we are another dog, isn't working, and It's now getting bad as he's biting peoples legs when they visit us.

I don't want this habit to last, he is soo good in all other respects, it's just the biting, he has drawn blood before also.

Any suggestions??

Puppy Preschool haven't given us any advice that actually works.

I'm now getting angry at him, which we originally said we wouldn't do, however it's just getting really frustrating.

http://www.dogstardaily.com/training/more-...ts-so-important

[W Sibs]

You need to be firm with him

If he goes in for the bite slip your thumg under his tongue and press down until he yelps. Dont say anything, just hold on until his tantrum is over. Then, give him a second, offer your hand and if he doesnt bite you praise him. A little bit of treat works well too. Then try again, if he tries to bite give him a chance with growling 'GRRRR AHHH' (dont go mental here lol, just firm and gruff) if he doesnt stop, thumb under tongue again. If he backs off, GOOD DOG, treat/toy.

you need to stop mouthing ASAP. This method teaches consequence and what is acceptable. If he goes for your clothing same thing applies, after doing this groundwork give him a 'AHHH" and if he still goes on consequence. If he complies, big reward.

You know, I tried this method on my friend's pup who has a bad mouthing problem and it worked!! He hasn't tried to bite me since but licks my hand like crazy now

[Nekhbet]

I have a couple of gripes about that dogstar link

plus breeds that have been bred to have soft mouths, such as Springers, labs and other gundogs, seldom present much of a puppy problem

Most of the mouthy puppies I see are gundog breeds. Labs especially

Once the puppy has learned to inhibit the force of his bites and they no longer hurts, pretend they still do. Greet harder munches with a yelp of pseudo-pain. The puppy will begin to get the idea, "Whooahh! These humans are soooooo sensitive. I'll have to be much more gentle." The force of the puppy's biting will progressively decrease until biting becomes mouthing and eventually, mouthing succumbs to gumming or slobbering.

It's just all too complicated for most pups that have the attention span of a gnat. Also most puppies wont see it as humans are sensitive, they just go 'whoah weird noise' (as in noise aversive) or 'HEY GIANT SQUEAKY TOY' nom nom nom

Dogs learn faster if its black or white. I never allow a dog to put its mouth on me at all, not even gumming. Thats what toys are for. All dogs that have been taught or raised by me dont dare mouth me ever, if they are in pain you get a growl and an open mouth but they dont even lay it on my hand/arm. Yup they're allowed to warn but no matter what the situation no one is allowed to lay their mouths on me, and it has stuck permanently.

[persephone]

QUOTE

Once the puppy has learned to inhibit the force of his bites and they no longer hurts, pretend they still do. Greet harder munches with a yelp of pseudo-pain. The puppy will begin to get the idea, "Whooahh! These humans are soooooo sensitive. I'll have to be much more gentle." The force of the puppy's biting will progressively decrease until biting becomes mouthing and eventually, mouthing succumbs to gumming or slobbering.

I second nekhbet's

It's just all too complicated for most pups that have the attention span of a gnat. Also most puppies wont see it as humans are sensitive, they just go 'whoah weird noise' (as in noise aversive) or 'HEY GIANT SQUEAKY TOY' nom nom nom

Dogs learn faster if its black or white. I never allow a dog to put its mouth on me at all, not even gumming. Thats what toys are for. All dogs that have been taught or raised by me dont dare mouth me ever, if they are in pain you get a growl and an open mouth but they dont even lay it on my hand/arm. Yup they're allowed to warn but no matter what the situation no one is allowed to lay their mouths on me, and it has stuck permanently.

As tiny pups ours are taught NO mouth on human skin ( no tongue either ,preferably).

[jessie86]

I used to shove one of her toys in her mouth!

Mouthing can also be a symptom of other things. Make sure that puppy has been out to the toilet and isn't hungry. Like a toddler, they fidgit (sp?) if they need to potty or eat!!! Ice cubes to play with may also distract him.

My pup is 6 months now and she still tries to mouth every now and then, but I find distracting her straight away works. I usually get some teats and run through some tricks with her and then she forgets about mouthing me!

Thank you the ice cubes are working like a treat!

[jessie86]

You need to be firm with him

If he goes in for the bite slip your thumg under his tongue and press down until he yelps. Dont say anything, just hold on until his tantrum is over. Then, give him a second, offer your hand and if he doesnt bite you praise him. A little bit of treat works well too. Then try again, if he tries to bite give him a chance with growling 'GRRRR AHHH' (dont go mental here lol, just firm and gruff) if he doesnt stop, thumb under tongue again. If he backs off, GOOD DOG, treat/toy.

you need to stop mouthing ASAP. This method teaches consequence and what is acceptable. If he goes for your clothing same thing applies, after doing this groundwork give him a 'AHHH" and if he still goes on consequence. If he complies, big reward.

Thank you so much, Our puppy school said not do any of this as they are only positive and reward based, but my husband has started doing this and it is slowly starting to work.

At first he would bit down harder, but now he knows it is uncomfortable and is stopping!!

Thank again

[jessie86]

What exercise/training is he getting each day? Do you work on his find/fetch instincts?

He gets a walk every afternoon around the suburb, and some time off the lead in the dog park.

He also gets to play with my parents Weimeraner twice a week in my parents backyard which he loves.

Every day we practice at least twice basic commands, such as: sit, stay, shake, drop, show me your tummy etc.

I think he may just be a mouthy dog, My biggest fear is that he hasn't learnt that biting human skin is bad.

And now he's 14 weeks, it's getting a bit better, He has stopped mouthing me (not completely) but I no longer have scratches and blood on me! Where as my husband still does.

What I'm finding really annoying is, when we walk him, people come up and pat him, and I always say 'be careful he is a bit bitey at the moment' and people always reply 'oh i don't care', and let him bite them, this may be fuelling the problem?

[jessie86]

Gundog pups can be damn difficult to deter with anything but aversive methods. Bred to retrieve, they live to have things in their mouths at times.

I've had more than one gallop towards me with its mouth open ready to latch on.

Before I advise, what methods have you tried?

Sorry for my late reply,

We have tried all of the below, I'm sure some people will disagree with what we've tried but it's been so difficult!

1) Yelping or screaming high pitched OUCH like another puppy

2) Shoving another toy in his mouth

3) Saying 'NOOOO' in a really gruff voice

4) Tapping him on the nose and saying 'NOOOO'

5) Tried spraying some water on him (absolute last resort, which we only did twice)

6) Isolation. - putting him outside.

7) Picking him up and holding him till he calms down.

[toofarnorth]

You need to be firm with him

If he goes in for the bite slip your thumg under his tongue and press down until he yelps. Dont say anything, just hold on until his tantrum is over. Then, give him a second, offer your hand and if he doesnt bite you praise him. A little bit of treat works well too. Then try again, if he tries to bite give him a chance with growling 'GRRRR AHHH' (dont go mental here lol, just firm and gruff) if he doesnt stop, thumb under tongue again. If he backs off, GOOD DOG, treat/toy.

you need to stop mouthing ASAP. This method teaches consequence and what is acceptable. If he goes for your clothing same thing applies, after doing this groundwork give him a 'AHHH" and if he still goes on consequence. If he complies, big reward.

You know, I tried this method on my friend's pup who has a bad mouthing problem and it worked!! He hasn't tried to bite me since but licks my hand like crazy now

Nekhbet showed us how to do this to our pup who was also mouthing a lot, and it worked almost immediately. On the odd occasion he tries to mouth me now, I do a loud 'aghh' and he stops. He just needs the occasional reminder when he is worked up.

[siks3]

I don't like to rough handle my dogs if they do something wrong I will provide a correction is needed via a leash snap even a prong collar but that whole grabbing her mouth thing doesn't seem right you are putting your hand where you don't want the dog to have it ,sounds like it could confuse the dog.

How I cured my akita from mouthing was simple. He mouthed he got put on a leash still inside the house attached to the back door. Had his freedom restricted and he hated this with a passion and he soon stopped the behavior.

[siks3]

I also forgot to mention if you cause them discomfort as soon as they mouth you the dog is never going to learn bite inhibition.

As soon as they bite down to cause pain or discomfort I growl and then it's on the lead for 5min.