Help with mouthing

[Selina27]

@Natalie , the trainer advised me to have one hand at an angle of 45 degrees to the ground, palm towards the dog and with your other hand quickly fire treats over the top onto the ground. I hope that makes sense, I'll ask my son or daughter to video me doing it if I remember.

The idea is that your hand is asking them to respect your space and the food encourages the dog to focus on the ground. I can honestly say that it worked like a charm and she quickly stopped mouthing me. She was older than Bear mind you, no longer a puppy, but what was happening was that she would do so in greeting, if we'd been separated at all, and she would actually nip me and it hurt! I'm sure it was because I didn't handle her puppy nipping of me very well and waited for her to outgrow that behaviour, rather than addressing it, so didn't learn it wasn't ok.

She will still occasionally pick up my arm or pull my sleeve if she wants something, like breakfast or for me to go and sit by the fire with her, but that's ok because she's very gentle now.

 

[Natalie]

thanks @Selina27 , so this doesn't end up rewarding them for the grabbing and mouthing behaviour? I'll have to get more prepared and have treats on me at all times. He does it much more with me than with OH, and he loves it when he gets a stretchy sleeve and just pulls on it like mad!
Bear's puppy biting has sort of merged into this now, every single day I am still trying to turn my back on him to stop it but it's pretty difficult when he's got hold of your wrist! I too was hoping he was just late growing out of it, but 9 months is just too old for this now, and it does still hurt even if it;s all play and excitement.

 

[Selina27]

so this doesn't end up rewarding them for the grabbing and mouthing behaviour?

No, because you pre empt it really. I guess you are giving them something else to do. It was probably easier for me to be prepared, because I knew when she was going to do it, but in all honesty I think I only did it half a dozen times before she stopped inappropriately mouthing.