# Mouthing



## njb (Oct 5, 2006)

I would issue a firm-NO--remove the hand, or whatever she is chewing on--issue a sit command--then provide something else, like a trade, a bone or acceptable chew toy. She is old enough to understand, and she will get it rather fast since she is older. 

I can remember being sleep deprived when Julie was little and reaching around in the middle of the night to hand her ANYTHING-BUT my hand to chew on. LOL--at one point around 3 am I remember giving her a roll of duct tape--(there is a very good reason I had a roll of duct tape on my head board--it is related to the Raccoon invasion I had-long but very funny story-for you/not me)


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## Lucky's mom (Nov 4, 2005)

I don't have any specific advice when it comes to mouthing others . 

Lucky is allowed to mouth me and my husband but he doesn't do it to anyone else...including my kids. I think he got the proper communication from our reactions...subconcious and concious. And from knowing the command "off". 

You might try to teach "off". When Lucky was young I would let him mouth my hand. When it hurt, I'd pull back and say ouch...and act all upset.

When he could mouth where he wasn't hurting me...I then taught "off" by first using treats as a reward and then praise until he got the concept. So the idea was to say "off" and his lips would leave my hand.

When he was still occassionally latching on to a kid's clothing during play, I'd say "Lucky, OFF" and he'd imediately let go. Now he simply doesn't mouth anyone (but me and my husband.)

Perhaps if you could teach that command, then you can merely give her the command to stop the behavior and then get her out of the habit.


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## DanielleH (Nov 4, 2006)

Thank you NJB lol
We've been trying for the last few months to break this habbit, so far nothing as worked.. other then telling her no while I have a cookie in my hand, but when we're out in public not everyone who stops to pet her is going to have cookie.. she is very smart, and learns very quickly.. shes knows all of her commands that I have thaught her but she is very stubborn.. and doesn't like listening with out treats... this has been quite a challenge.


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## DanielleH (Nov 4, 2006)

Thank you Lucky's mom 
I hope we over come this soon..


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## njb (Oct 5, 2006)

Hang in there--smart dogs can be stubborn. I find females slightly more stubborn than males--(and is there really a difference across species?) 

The 'off' command is a good idea--but you still have to 'redirect' the behavior. 

Dogs, especially Goldens are VERY smart--and they pick up on language we don't know we are communicating. When it becomes totally unacceptable to you and she feels that--she will stop. The trick is to get her to want to please you. 

Don't give up--she will get it.


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## DanielleH (Nov 4, 2006)

NJB,
Thank you again I appreciate your advice, very much.


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## Lucky's mom (Nov 4, 2005)

Lucky is food motivated too. Now with him, if I reinforce it enough with treats he starts automatically behaving on his own.

My problem with other people was not mouthing...it was jumping. So I started handing the mob of neighborhood kids dog treats and asked them to help me train. They wouldn't pet him until he sat...and he would only sit for a cookie. Now when a "new" entity comes by he automatically sits...sorta. But he's getting himself under control.

Perhaps you could hand the people wanting to pet her a treat and tell them to pet only after your puppy (and she still is a puppy) sits nicely, no mouthing....


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## Carsonsdaddy (Nov 1, 2006)

njb said:


> Hang in there--smart dogs can be stubborn. I find females slightly more stubborn than males--(and is there really a difference across species?)


ZINGER!!! Good one.


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## ty823 (Feb 7, 2006)

Danielle,
One thing that worked well for us w/ the mouthing was when they take your hand in their mouth, grab them by their scruff and shove your hand as far to the back of their mouth as you can, saying "No bite!" or whatever. Its kind of hard to explain w/ out demonstrating, but hold your hand flat & shove the edge of your hand (between your pointer finger and your thumb) back into the crook of their jaw. They don't have teeth that far back to bite you with and it will make them gag a little bit and not want to have your hand anywhere near their mouth for awhile.


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## Hali's Mom (Oct 5, 2006)

We had this problem with Hali when she was young too. I would put a "woobie" in her mouth when she went for my arm. It worked as she now goes and gets one of her stuffed toys from the toy box before she greets anyone at the door. Guests think it is cute, (if they only knew we were saving their arms)LOL


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## DanielleH (Nov 4, 2006)

Thank you everyone for your advice))


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## zhinmin (Jan 6, 2007)

My Happy likes to jump on people especially when she come out from the room where i keep her.. She will feel excited and jump on every people she sees. How am i going to solve it?


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## LaurJen (Aug 10, 2006)

zhinmin said:


> My Happy likes to jump on people especially when she come out from the room where i keep her.. She will feel excited and jump on every people she sees. How am i going to solve it?



Welcome to the forum  How old is Happy?


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## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

I teach my Goldens to enjoy carrying something when they get excited... like a ball, a bone or a toy. I do this by making a big deal out of him as a puppy anytime he picks up a toy. (Think: "Oooooohhhhhhh! What do you haaaaave? Is that your boooonnnne!") Lots of praise and petting for holding a bone, ball or toy. If he drops it, I run and get it myself and *I* have a big party with the bone or toy. Then I get other people to make a fuss of him when he has something. I'm teaching my dog that the way to get attention is to come "show off" a bone or toy. Now when people come over, my dog immediately runs to pick up something that he can show off. It also seems that when he's got something in his mouth, he's less likely to jump on people. I think it's b/c he's concentrating on not dropping the bone or toy.

And yes, we take something on walks, too. When he was a puppy, it was a big stuffed duck! Way cute! Now it's usually just a ball on a rope.

-Stephanie


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## zhinmin (Jan 6, 2007)

She is 7 months old. Still feel excited when there's people around. Rush to them and jump..


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## zhinmin (Jan 6, 2007)

Is hard when my housemates didnt co-operate to train my Happy.(jumping and mouthing). When i am having class, she will be left in my room until i am back.. She likes to run a lot.. Thanks for all your help..


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## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

zhinmin said:


> My Happy likes to jump on people especially when she come out from the room where i keep her.. She will feel excited and jump on every people she sees. How am i going to solve it?


Try giving her something else to do... like "sit". Keep her with you on a leash if you need to. You can even drop the leash to the floor and step on it. Now, when she tries to jump, it won't work b/c you're stepping on the leash.

It's all about managing her so that she can't practice jumping and instead, has to prectice something else, like sitting, holding a toy, standing while people pet her, etc. Dogs do what works. Jumping works for them. Pisses us off, but it gets them attetion every time!

-Stephanie


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## DanielleH (Nov 4, 2006)

TY823,
Thank for the "No Bite" advice.. she seems to be getting it!! Yay progress!!!! The mouthing is almost done to none.. she still does it once in a while but no where near as much


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