# Grabbing with mouth



## Dropbear (Nov 30, 2020)

Hi everyone. It’s been a while since I’ve been on here. Max A. Million and I have been training intensively since he was oh, seven weeks old. He is nine months old now. He’s going to be trained as my service dog once the obedience classes are completed.

I really have a couple of questions. The titular behavior is only the first, lol. Max often grabs my hand with his mouth to direct me to do things he wants me to do. The mouth grab has no real pressure on it, he’s not biting me, just trying to move my hand and prompt me. Mostly during petting, but sometimes during feeding, grooming, or just walking.

My partner doesn’t like the behavior, she says he is asserting domination. My trainer who will be helping with the service dog training says he will frequently be called upon to do things like touch me in some way to get my attention if he senses my blood sugar is out of whack.

So I am at not sure if this is something I should discourage. I mean he is very gentle and it is usually only playful type stuff, he is a puppy still. What are your thoughts on managing this and how I can do so?

More questions to come thank you in advance!


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## car2ner (Apr 9, 2014)

my big-boy will do that on occasion. People may not like it because even if the hold is gentle than angle may be awkward or the mouth slobbery. I try and teach my dog alternate behavior. After he tried to hold me I might put my hand on his back and follow him or just wrap a finger around a tooth. He seems to like that best.


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## dogma13 (Mar 8, 2014)

I don't believe it's a dominant display. It's just a communication technique. Ask your trainer how best to transition from the mouthing to a push with his nose perhaps?


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## drparker151 (Apr 10, 2020)

I stop our girl from being mouthy by making it unpleasant. I would grab the lower jaw and put pressure on the tongue with my thumb. Just enough that she’s didn’t like it. I did it every time, mouthing stopped pretty quickly.


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## WNGD (Jan 15, 2005)

No it's not dominance (just communication that you've allowed) but no, it shouldn't be acceptable for a 9 month old dog to communicate with their mouth/teeth imo. There are far better way that don't involved potentially breaking skin, bruising o freaking out a visitor/child


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

To me it means that you should stop what you are doing, but (so far) in a gentle way.


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## Dropbear (Nov 30, 2020)

wolfy dog said:


> To me it means that you should stop what you are doing, but (so far) in a gentle way.


I might not have been clear, I guess. It doesn’t seem to mean stop to me. It seems to mean more, rub me here, or let’s go this way, or put it down here. He likes brushing to be clear with that part, it just seems to be direction, really. It has slowed down in the past few days, as I am moving him towards touch with his nose to point things out to me at the trainer’s direction.

Now it’s just his sister Mon Cherie that is doing this consistently. Have to work on her too.


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## David Winners (Apr 30, 2012)

Dropbear said:


> Hi everyone. It’s been a while since I’ve been on here. Max A. Million and I have been training intensively since he was oh, seven weeks old. He is nine months old now. He’s going to be trained as my service dog once the obedience classes are completed.
> 
> I really have a couple of questions. The titular behavior is only the first, lol. Max often grabs my hand with his mouth to direct me to do things he wants me to do. The mouth grab has no real pressure on it, he’s not biting me, just trying to move my hand and prompt me. Mostly during petting, but sometimes during feeding, grooming, or just walking.
> 
> ...


If this is going to be a service dog, and you have a trainer lined up, I would simply bring it up with them. I would not make it uncomfortable for the dog. This isn't a problem behavior that is dangerous and correcting the dog could make training future behaviors more difficult.

ETA: posted before I read your last post


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