Exercise R Us » Exercise Training » "Mouthing" GSD Rescue – How To Stop
Question:
Howdy Gang, Our rescue group just rehomed a 1 1/2 year old male GSD who has a problem with mouthing his owners. This was a problem with his original owners too. I have pulled out my training books and I have read various conflicting methods regarding this issue. Thought I would ask for some expertise here from the group. He will do it when you are doing something he doesn’t care for (sometimes), but mostly when he wants your attention or wants you to play. His new folks are taking him to the local dog park and letting him run around and wrestle other dogs, and he also gets lengthy walks, so I don’t think lack of exercise is part of the problem. This dog used to be an "outside" dog during the day and was crated in the basement at night, so he didn’t get much attention from his previous owners. His previous owners were rather meek people who seemed to be somewhat intimidated by their own dog, so he did not have much of a role model when it comes to an authority figure. When I met him he was a little dominant, but once he figured he couldn’t push me around, he started behaving himself. Jerry – don’t even waste the effort to tell me how lazy/ignorant/stupid I am as you have done on the previous occasion – I don’t read your blather anymore. Thanks in advance for any help from the folks here that I respect so much! Lea
Response:
Of course I am having a rushed day but whats wrong with. 1 Teaching the dog to listen and why thats such a good idea. 2 Telling it what you what and not paying any attention (restricting can sometimes be more attention then what it was getting before) to what you don’t.* 3 Thanking it alot. Transfering the mouthing to an object tends to be the easiest. I make a big deal of finding the "Ball" before we go outside. I focus on it getting the ball, as soon as we find it I have the dog go sit on the pad by the door and wait. Make a big fuss about the "ball" as soon as we are outside. Of course you will find dog with balls in their mouths sitting on pads by every door around here. dw * of course there is a balance and restriction when handled by someone with exp’ can be very effective, fast and strong (as in depth of memory). However most people are not clear with the dogs about what is attention and what is restriction and thereby confuse the dog. We just helped a lady with a GS who jumped on people, barked, pulled and in everyway took control. If you saw how she "punished" her dog you would act up too. She would take the dogs face in her hands rub it’s nose with hers and tell it in a soft voice what a bad boy it was for a good minite or so. The dog found a new home (massive barking complaints – forced this) and I suggested she gets a cat or me. I need to go cool down now and hide this message from the goddess I live with. was that a save or what – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Howdy Gang, Our rescue group just rehomed a 1 1/2 year old male GSD who has > a problem with mouthing his owners. This was a problem with his original > owners too. I have pulled out my training books and I have read various > conflicting methods regarding this issue. Thought I would ask for some > expertise here from the group. He will do it when you are doing something > he doesn’t care for (sometimes), but mostly when he wants your attention or > wants you to play. His new folks are taking him to the local dog park and > snip > Thanks in advance for any help from the folks here that I respect so much! > Lea
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Howdy Gang, Our rescue group just rehomed a 1 1/2 year old male GSD who has > a problem with mouthing his owners. This was a problem with his original > owners too. I have pulled out my training books and I have read various > conflicting methods regarding this issue. Thought I would ask for some > expertise here from the group. He will do it when you are doing something > he doesn’t care for (sometimes), but mostly when he wants your attention or > wants you to play. His new folks are taking him to the local dog park and > letting him run around and wrestle other dogs, and he also gets lengthy > walks, so I don’t think lack of exercise is part of the problem. This dog > used to be an "outside" dog during the day and was crated in the basement at > night, so he didn’t get much attention from his previous owners. His > previous owners were rather meek people who seemed to be somewhat > intimidated by their own dog, so he did not have much of a role model when > it comes to an authority figure. When I met him he was a little dominant, > but once he figured he couldn’t push me around, he started behaving himself. > Jerry – don’t even waste the effort to tell me how lazy/ignorant/stupid > I am as you have done on the previous occasion – I don’t read your blather > anymore. > Thanks in advance for any help from the folks here that I respect so much! > Lea
Hello Lea, If you had read my blather, you wouldn’t be asking stupid, ignorant questions right now. You are not lazy in my opinion, however… because if you were, you’d have used the information I post here, and would have been done with the problem already. Enjoy your problemS. J>>> 
DRAINING THE SWAMP, AND RELOCATING THE GATORS… J>>> "CUSTOM WILL RECONCILE PEOPLE TO ANY ATROCITY." G.B. Shaw. "I know that most men, including those at ease with problems of the greatest complexity, can seldom accept even the simplest and most obvious truth if it would oblige them to admit the falsity of conclusions which they have delighted in explaining to colleagues, proudly taught to others, and which they have woven, thread by thread, into the fabric of their lives." Leo Tolstoy Is it any wonder that the following sig file has generated more complaints to my personal email than any other controversial post I have made to date, bar none?: caveat If you have to do things to your dog to train him, that you would rather not have to do, then you shouldn’t be doing them. If you have a dog trainer that tells you to jerk your dog around, choke him, pinch his ears, or twist his toes, shock, shake, slap, scold, hit, or punish him in any manner, that corrections are appropriate, that the dog won’t think of you as the punisher, or that corrections are not harmful, or if they can’t train your dog to do what you want, look for a trainer that knows Howe. Sincerely, Jerry Howe, Wits’ End Dog Training http://www.doggydoright.com Nature, to be mastered, must be obeyed. -Francis Bacon- There are terrible people who, instead of solving a problem, bungle it and make it more difficult for all who come after. Who ever can’t hit the nail on the head should, please, not hit at all. -Nietzsche- The abilities to think, rationalize and solve problems are learned qualities. The Wits’ End Dog Training Method challenges the learning centers in the dogs brain. These centers, once challenged, develop and continue to grow exponentially, to make him smarter. The Wits’ End Dog Training method capitalizes on praising split seconds of canine thought, strategy, and timing, not mindless hours of forced repetition, constant corrections, and scolding. -Jerry Howe-
Response:
I have worked with a dog with a similar tendency. We taught the dog an incredibly *strong* "Drop" command with objects. Many playful repititions. We also taught the dog how to play Tug *appropraitely….including using it to reinforce the "Drop" command. Just as she would start to put her mouth on someone’s arm or hand, the owners would give the "Drop" command. They would run her through a few "sits" or a heeling pattern, and then reward with a game of Tug. After she started to really get that "drop" meant "take your teeth off my arm", we changed the word to "Stop". If the dog was about to put her mouth on someone, the order was "Stop"…"Drop". After a few repititions, the command issued *first* becomes the new command (especially if it is highly rewarded when the dog responds after only the first one). I did it this way to first teach her to release once she had hold (thus the "Drop"), then the goal was to prevent her from grabbing hold in the first place (thus, the "Stop") When she starts to get playful "in *that* way", the owners now have the choice to give her a "Tug" command, or a "stop" command. Hope this helps. Tara – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Howdy Gang, Our rescue group just rehomed a 1 1/2 year old male GSD who has > a problem with mouthing his owners. This was a problem with his original > owners too. I have pulled out my training books and I have read various > conflicting methods regarding this issue. Thought I would ask for some > expertise here from the group. He will do it when you are doing something > he doesn’t care for (sometimes), but mostly when he wants your attention or > wants you to play. His new folks are taking him to the local dog park and > letting him run around and wrestle other dogs, and he also gets lengthy > walks, so I don’t think lack of exercise is part of the problem. This dog > used to be an "outside" dog during the day and was crated in the basement at > night, so he didn’t get much attention from his previous owners. His > previous owners were rather meek people who seemed to be somewhat > intimidated by their own dog, so he did not have much of a role model when > it comes to an authority figure. When I met him he was a little dominant, > but once he figured he couldn’t push me around, he started behaving himself. > Jerry – don’t even waste the effort to tell me how lazy/ignorant/stupid > I am as you have done on the previous occasion – I don’t read your blather > anymore. > Thanks in advance for any help from the folks here that I respect so much! > Lea
Response:
>Howdy Gang, Our rescue group just rehomed a 1 1/2 year old male GSD who has >a problem with mouthing his owners. This was a problem with his original >owners too.
What exactly do you mean by "mouthing," Lea? Putting teeth on skin? Grabbing your hand? Nudging your hand with the nose? What? >I have pulled out my training books and I have read various >conflicting methods regarding this issue. Thought I would ask for some >expertise here from the group. He will do it when you are doing something >he doesn’t care for (sometimes),
Like what? >but mostly when he wants your attention or >wants you to play.
That sounds like nudging. > When I met him he was a little dominant,
How so? What kind of "dominant" behaviors did he display to *you*? >but once he figured he couldn’t push me around, he started behaving himself.
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Response:
Hello again Lea, I am defiantly not a trainer, but my big girl was very mouthy. It became quite bad (no longer a nudge, but a forceful clamping down of the jaw on to the hand)and I really couldn’t find any good info on how to deal with her. I wasn’t on the net yet, so I couldn’t ask opinions here like we all can now. Anyway, we decided to ignore her completely unless she had something in her mouth (she had her own toys.) It worked, great. She would still nudge with her nose (we never could break that habit), but she stopped using her mouth. Lots of luck. Look forward to working with you. Heidi
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Howdy Gang, Our rescue group just rehomed a 1 1/2 year old male GSD who has > a problem with mouthing his owners. This was a problem with his original > owners too. I have pulled out my training books and I have read various > conflicting methods regarding this issue. Thought I would ask for some > expertise here from the group. He will do it when you are doing something > he doesn’t care for (sometimes), but mostly when he wants your attention or > wants you to play. His new folks are taking him to the local dog park and > letting him run around and wrestle other dogs, and he also gets lengthy > walks, so I don’t think lack of exercise is part of the problem. This dog > used to be an "outside" dog during the day and was crated in the basement at > night, so he didn’t get much attention from his previous owners. His > previous owners were rather meek people who seemed to be somewhat > intimidated by their own dog, so he did not have much of a role model when > it comes to an authority figure. When I met him he was a little dominant, > but once he figured he couldn’t push me around, he started behaving himself. > Jerry – don’t even waste the effort to tell me how
lazy/ignorant/stupid – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I am as you have done on the previous occasion – I don’t read your blather > anymore. > Thanks in advance for any help from the folks here that I respect so much! > Lea
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