Hello,

We were just given a GSD possibly Belgian Malinois mix (stray on co-worker's doorstep) who the vet and neuter clinic estimate his age to be around 2 years old. He is very tall and currently weighs 73 lb. (vet says he is underweight and needs to gain at least 10+ lb., his paws are huge). He has oodles of energy!

Anyway the first week that we had him, we were able to feed him treat rewards, but recently he has begun to "snatch" the treat from our hands and actually BIT our 9 year old daughter while she fed him a treat (he actually broke her skin). How do I stop this behavior? Do we begin to put the treat in our fist (palm down) then turn fist over and quickly open hand and give treat?

Thanks in advance.

PS great site, will be ordering fist couple videos this week!

burn off some energy, feed first then work on treats, don't let your daughter treat the dog until you get the biting under control, often, and my dogs do this, when you treat them they often will move quickly to take the treat which freaks normal people out so the person jerks their hand back. The dog's response is to move faster and harder in order not to lose the "prey". YOU feed the dog by hand for awhile. calmly present the treat. Remember, don't jerk your hand back and DON'T drop the treat if he gets to rough. That will only teach him that if he gets more assertive he will win the treat.

So, does that mean I am limited to training him only AFTER he eats? I've been reading that it is best to train on an empty stomach, that way he is more attentive to training, because he is really wanting that treat.

Wow, I must quickly order Pack Order and Obedience DVD's because we've only had him two weeks and I am quickly seeing him push up against us nearly knocking us over. This happens 24/7 even after a long walk. He seems to be bullying us in a playful way, but I KNOW it's NOT OK. He is now mouthing us when we pet him…yikes.

There is a great article on pack structure that you can read until the DVD gets there.
You said this dog is underweight? This might be a contributing factor in his lack of manners when taking the treats.

I would work on taking treats nicely after meals and make that the focus for the next several days.

I teach this keeping the food inside my fist and only letting him have it when he quits nibbling or licking for it. You could wear gloves to protect your hand in the beginning.

 Quote: Loretta Lewis

He is now mouthing us when we pet him…yikes.

He may not like petting and it stresses him out. If he comes up to you and nudges for a pet, make him sit first and then just give him a pat on the head or a chin scratch. If he starts to get mouthy, petting is over....

If I try training Dom when he is genuinely HUNGRY, I lose fingers and/or whole limbs. Instead of holding back a meal before training, I just feed less. He gets extremely snatchy when he's hungry. So I just make sure he has a little something in his belly.

It might take some time for your dog to begin to trust you and learn that he doesn't have to snatch the food before it disappears. Or maybe he's just a hyena like mine and doesn't work well on "empty". Just getting to know him will help.
Good luck!

Ms. Lewis,

Um, not to put too fine a point on it but I wouldn't let my 9 year old hand feed a dog - any dog - I only have two weeks experience with.

As noted, there are right ways and wrong ways to offer a treat. I prefer placing the treat in the palm of my hand, held by my thumb. And the dog does not get the treat unless it calmly is ready to accept it.

But you have no real training completed with the dog in two weeks. I mean, you can not be sure the dog will or will not behave as you wish it to because you have no history of the dog as a means of understanding or having confidence in its behavior.

Go slow with the 'pet' thing until you have more time spent in training with the dog and more confidence in its compliance.

And as hard as it is for a kid to stay away from the dog, be watchful because one of the areas of 'dominant' issues can be between a dog and a child for position in the pack.

Train when it is convenient for you but train routinely. I train before the dog eats - a few hours before - but I work with a dog all the time in little bursts. More face time gives me a better perspective on behavior reliability, in my opinion.

Zero mouthing. Work on the basics starting with 'NO'. And go to a training class - see if there is a rescue organization around that holds classes. Most of those training classes are for people with newly adopted dogs who will be in the same place as you.

Ah well...

normally you would want to train with a hungry dog, but sometimes its easier to teach manners when they're not so cranked up. You see the pic of my dog below? Think she'd be happy with long quiet walks in the park? Start on the hand feeding, the dog learns all good things come from you. See if he'll chase a ball or play tug. when the tongue hangs long, he's done.

Thanks everyone! Jennifer I LIKE THE GLOVE IDEA. Yeah, I know we've only had him a little while, so we need to get to know him, but I'm getting a little nervous with his pushiness for attention and the fact that he is so big and strong, stronger than me.

Jennifer, where can I find that article?

Thanks,

I thought of Erika while I was typing my post. Lol I would fear for my life if she was hungry and didn't feel like training. Eating the trainer would be the most obvious solution to her!