# ...stop affectionate mouthing/biting?



## jwhittle

The husband and I adopted an aprox. 7 month old GSD this weekend from the local county animal shelter. We had a GSD mix for about seven years (who recently passed due to kidney failure - worst couple of weeks of my life!) and aren't completely new to the breed or training. We quickly discovered that Misha knows sit, lay, shake, wait, and stay. She appears to be crate trained, and I still can't figure out how she came to be a stray at the shelter. 

The worst habit I've discovered so far is when she's being affectionate she gets mouthy. She wants to put my arm and hands in her mouth. She's gentle about it and I know she has no ill intent, but it's still a behavior that needs to be corrected. So far we have been "yelping" and providing her an appropriate substitute to chew on (toy). 

I would love to hear any other advice for correcting her good intentions. She shows an amazing level of restraint with sit/stay and sit/wait, so I know someone has worked with her already and she's definitely trainable. (She doesn't know hand signals, though - only voice commands. Either that, or we're just not using the right hand signals, but I thought those were relatively standard for the basics.)


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## dogma13

Sounds like you really lucked out with Misha!If only all rescues transitioned so smoothly.I would continue to redirect and eliminate the yelp if it seems to get her more excited.
So sorry for your recent loss.It's so hard when we lose them.


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## yuriy

In addition to redirecting and "yelping" you can give her a light correction in the form of a pinch somewhere along her butt/back area. Mother dogs will often do something similar to their misbehaving pups.


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## DaisyDaws

The most effective way to correct the mouthing for me was to just walk away and stop playing. Brando learned quick that if he wanted me to keep playing not to use his mouth.


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## jwhittle

Thank you, everyone, for the advice! She already seems to be doing a little better. Walking away from her is SO hard right now. I just want to love her and snuggle her and soak up all the puppy (okay, so more like adolescent) goodness! 

But don't worry, I'm still firm with the rules. She takes correction really well. Last night I started training her on "look." I never realized how valuable that one was with Bailey until it didn't work with Misha!


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## yuriy

You could also just bite her back. "You think _you_ got teeth?"


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## Sabis mom

yuriy said:


> You could also just bite her back. "You think _you_ got teeth?"


 I know you meant this as a joke but just for anyone who might think it sounds like a good idea, I know someone who did it. The dog responded by lunging at his face. He will have the scars for the rest of his life and is very fortunate to still have his eye. Bad plan.

To the OP, I have a dog who is horrible for mouthing, and it isn't always as gentle as she intends. I don't like it, it's a terrible habit. Just keep in mind though that it is affectionate, be aware of that in any attempt to correct it. I use kisses. Whenever Shadow starts mouthing at me I just do the uh uh thing and when she switches to licks I tell her good kisses.
This is a different issue then dogs who mouth out of frustration, or as a prelude to biting. Some dogs just like to 'hold hands' as I call it. Make sure that what you are seeing is affectionate, the other should be dealt with much differently.


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## Susan_GSD_mom

Don't want to be controversial here, or start with all the naysayers popping up on what I'm going to say, but here's my view of mouthing...

The first experience I had with canines mouthing was with my first two wolf shepherds. After acquiring my first and being woke up in the middle of the night to a long, lonesome baby wolf howl in the middle of my bedroom, I knew I had some research to do, lots. I learned the importance of mouthing in a wolf's life in the pack, and noticed how much of it mine did. I decided that since there was nothing in it but good intentions, and it is so important to their pack interactions, I would allow it. I allowed it all of their lives, with every one I had. I had one male who would jump up, front feet on my chair, and very, very gently take my neck in his jaws, and there was no doubt in my mind that it was out of affection, and he would never hurt me. I didn't have a muzzle he could take hold of, so my neck was his next choice. It's one of my fondest memories of him.

I certainly don't recommend this to anyone else, but it worked for me. As a result, I still let my GSDs mouth me, as long as it is gentle. Keep in mind that I have never had children of my own, I am sure the mouthing would have to go with small children around. But I have never had a problem with it for myself. And that one male wolf shepherd was the only one who would take my neck in his jaws. I had raised him from 4 weeks old, complete trust between the two of us. My heart dog.

Susan


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## dogma13

Susan,
That's a wonderful story.All of my shepherds have mouthed me gently too,(after the teething stage was over!)Just me and occasionally hubby,never the kids.I'm not recommending either,it's a personal choice.


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## car2ner

my mom lives with us and has very fragile skin. Our nearly two year old used to "hold hands" with his mouth. He meant well but even the most careful of holds would make a small tear in her skin. We had to teach him to "find a toy" and will now greet with a Kong Woobah in his mouth...or sometimes he grabs a shoe. He doesn't chew the shoe, just holds it for the greeting. It is really cool when he manages to grab a pair of slippers and bring those.


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## FearlessFreya

DaisyDaws said:


> The most effective way to correct the mouthing for me was to just walk away and stop playing. Brando learned quick that if he wanted me to keep playing not to use his mouth.


This is the only thing that worked with Freya as well. 

Once in a while she still tries, and all I have to say is "uh uh" and she switches to licking


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## Magwart

Susan, I'm with you on not minding soft, gentle mouths. I'd feel differently if I had small kids or an elderly family member in the house. I do work to stop mouthing with foster dogs because they may go to homes that don't like it or have kids....but it doesn't bother me with my personal dogs, once they learn to be gentle. 

I've had a gentle "hand holder," and I honestly used to love when that dog would very softly take my hand to show me something he thought was interesting or cool -- he didn't do it often, but when he did, it was important to him. Once it was a birds nest in a low branch in the backyard, with baby chicks in it. He didn't want to bother them. He just wanted to sit and watch them together, and share it with me. It was just his peculiar way of saying, "Mom, come see the baby birds with me!" It was one of those once-in-a-lifetime moments with a heartdog. Dang, I miss that old guy...

I guess it really depends on the family circumstances and the dog. I'd have missed some really special moments if my hand-holder hadn't been allowed to do that...but I totally understand why it ought not be allowed in every home, or with every dog.


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## mburitica181

Magwart said:


> Susan, I'm with you on not minding soft, gentle mouths. I'd feel differently if I had small kids or an elderly family member in the house. I do work to stop mouthing with foster dogs because they may go to homes that don't like it or have kids....but it doesn't bother me with my personal dogs, once they learn to be gentle.
> 
> I've had a gentle "hand holder," and I honestly used to love when that dog would very softly take my hand to show me something he thought was interesting or cool -- he didn't do it often, but when he did, it was important to him. Once it was a birds nest in a low branch in the backyard, with baby chicks in it. He didn't want to bother them. He just wanted to sit and watch them together, and share it with me. It was just his peculiar way of saying, "Mom, come see the baby birds with me!" It was one of those once-in-a-lifetime moments with a heartdog. Dang, I miss that old guy...
> 
> I guess it really depends on the family circumstances and the dog. I'd have missed some really special moments if my hand-holder hadn't been allowed to do that...but I totally understand why it ought not be allowed in every home, or with every dog.


aww that is amazing.. thank you for sharing, i could only imagine seeing that in person. Sounds like he was quite the dog.


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## jwhittle

Those who have allowed hand-holding, can you typically teach the dog that's only allowed with you and no one else? Sounds like I wouldn't mind, but we have five nieces and nephews from 9 months to 9 years and I can't risk it with them. My sister has issues trusting dogs as it is, and she would flip her lid if Misha even gently mouthed one of her kids.


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## Magwart

I never tried. I think if kids are in the picture, it's safer to not allow it at all -- esp. if there are helicopter parents in the picture who don't trust dogs.


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## Susan_GSD_mom

jwhittle said:


> Those who have allowed hand-holding, can you typically teach the dog that's only allowed with you and no one else? Sounds like I wouldn't mind, but we have five nieces and nephews from 9 months to 9 years and I can't risk it with them. My sister has issues trusting dogs as it is, and she would flip her lid if Misha even gently mouthed one of her kids.


It's not like it was something I had to teach. I'm a caregiver for my sister, and none of them have mouthed her much, if at all. It's as though they all knew she was too delicate, including rescues, likewise the two rescues we now have. All of the dogs and wolf shepherds I have had have treated her that way--like handling her 'with kid gloves.' They have never mouthed any of the kids we've had around any of them, either. I can't explain it, it's just how they have been. Don't get me wrong, during the landshark phase, everyone was fair game. But once they started to mature, their attitudes changed toward my sister.

Maybe some of our behavioral experts can offer an explanation?

Susan

PS-- The only exception... we had a wolf shepherd female who herded the two little girls (my two nieces) she grew up with, they were toddlers. She would lightly nip their diapers, and take hold of their legs to stop them for whatever reason--again, very lightly. Never a bruise, never broken skin.


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## jwhittle

Susan_GSD_mom said:


> It's not like it was something I had to teach. I'm a caregiver for my sister, and none of them have mouthed her much, if at all. It's as though they all knew she was too delicate, including rescues, likewise the two rescues we now have. All of the dogs and wolf shepherds I have had have treated her that way--like handling her 'with kid gloves.' They have never mouthed any of the kids we've had around any of them, either. I can't explain it, it's just how they have been. Don't get me wrong, during the landshark phase, everyone was fair game. But once they started to mature, their attitudes changed toward my sister.


And THIS is exactly why I wanted another shepherd. :wub:


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