# What command to use?



## Nickyb (Jul 11, 2011)

I taught Zoey how to "speak" on command and "Snap" on command but I feel like these words sound to similar for her to easily distinguish the two. She gets them mixed up often so we might need a new word. Speak is obviously just her barking.... Snap is her snapping her teeth, or an air bite if you will.

Has anyone taught your dog the snap and if so, what command did you use?


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## JeanKBBMMMAAN (May 11, 2005)

Zoey has some biting issues. Is there a reason to teach her these things? Is it advisable? Asking other people who will read this thread, not the OP. 

Are you just naming it so that you can extinguish the behavior?


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## Nickyb (Jul 11, 2011)

JeanKBBMMMAAN said:


> Zoey has some biting issues. Is there a reason to teach her these things? Is it advisable? Asking other people who will read this thread, not the OP.
> 
> Are you just naming it so that you can extinguish the behavior?


Teaching her the command so I can control it. She air bites ALL THE TIME and to pretty much everyone who walks in the door, it is quite intimidating. Although with her history, maybe its not the greatest idea? Thoughts?


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## Castlemaid (Jun 29, 2006)

When she air snaps - what is her body language? How do people react, and what does Sophie do afterwards? 

I'm trying to figure out if her snapping is excited play behaviour or a display of aggression.


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## JeanKBBMMMAAN (May 11, 2005)

That's what I am hoping other people will kick in with too. Because she has bitten, I would definitely want to look at the behavior closely.

When I got my GSD at 8 months she did the excitement chatter. Her sister, who I fostered years later, does a snappa snappa. My dog "grew out" of the behavior as she got less nervous, more confident (3 years of obedience classes). I have not seen her do it in forever. With her, it was just a matter of getting comfortable, feeling protected, not feeling she had to do anything, and leashing/tethering to me to reinforce that feeling of "oh, she's got it." 

Her sister, when I first got her, did it all the time, and I didn't even realize how much until she almost snappa snapped my face at the vet office and they all went EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE and I didn't know why!  As time went by, she did it much less, but she was about 9 when I started fostering, and it was pretty ingrained. She still does it in her new home. With her I tried replacement behaviors to give her something else to do, strict boundaries/NILIF. She also needs tethering in new situations/with new people to keep her on the straight and narrow.

ETA - Castlemaid made me think - say on the off chance it were excitement and happiness - I would still tether her and use a tug or ball to keep her mouth occupado  with you, not the guests engaging her.


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## Nickyb (Jul 11, 2011)

Thanks for the responses!!! I really didn't think it was an issue until I looked at it a different way, and I appreciate ya'll helping me think that way!

I'll take some video of it but in the mean time, I'll do my best to describe. 

It's a pretty serious snap, but shes done it ever since I got her. She'll just sit and when I give her the snap command, she'll simply just snap. She does it on walks occasionally when she see's something of interest. She doesn't do it ALL the time but on the off chance she does it when somebody is over, they go WHOA wtf was that! She doesn't stare at them and do it rather just walks around and does a snap or two. Zoey is an oddball if you can't tell and pretty hard to read.


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## Anthony8858 (Sep 18, 2011)

Nickyb said:


> Thanks for the responses!!! I really didn't think it was an issue until I looked at it a different way, and I appreciate ya'll helping me think that way!
> 
> I'll take some video of it but in the mean time, I'll do my best to describe.
> 
> It's a pretty serious snap, but shes done it ever since I got her. She'll just sit and when I give her the snap command, she'll simply just snap. *She does it on walks occasionally when she see's something of interest. She doesn't do it ALL the time but on the off chance she does it when somebody is over, they go WHOA wtf was that!* She doesn't stare at them and do it rather just walks around and does a snap or two. Zoey is an oddball if you can't tell and pretty hard to read.


Nick,

^^^ Those observations would concern me. I can see that escalating into a nip.
Walking, and seeing something of interest, sounds as if there's a level of frustration.
I'm no expert, but I would try to discourage this behavior, before giving it a command name.

Kira does this "snapping" ONLY if she's waiting for me to throw her frisbee, and I'm taking too long to throw it. She gets excited, and anxious.
If she were to exhibit the same anxious behavior when she meets people, I suspect I would have a potential problem.


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