I can't figured out a consistent response to deal with my dogs mouthiness.

Is it better at this stage for me to do the whole muzzle and "no bite!" thing?

Or should it just be a quick collar correction without explanation?

She is still dragging a leash when she is out of the crate because she will mouth me and then play catch me if you can. If I can get her to quit this game she won't have to drag the leash anymore. She is good under every other circumstance. I can tell her to go lay down, be quiet, etc. and she listens. This is the one last situation in the house that she doesn't respond to "No".

My standard poodle still does this too--and what's worked best for me is to:
1.) ignore him when he tries it--I mean actively turn my back, walk away shunning him. (I don't say NO or anything--even that much "attention" seems to reinforce the game for him.)
and/or
2.) immediately giving him something else to do instead that I know he knows pat. In his case, sit, because it was the first command he learned and he seems to do it automatically. So I tell him to sit and then he gets all the attention he wants. But only if he's sitting nicely. And by then he's given up the mouthing as an ivitation to play and get attention.

 Quote: tracy collins

My standard poodle still does this too--and what's worked best for me is to:
1.) ignore him when he tries it--I mean actively turn my back, walk away shunning him. (I don't say NO or anything--even that much "attention" seems to reinforce the game for him.)

I have tried this. The thing is she will continue mouth me with increasing intensity until I respond. Im just not zen enough to not react! She is such a good study of my body language that she knows just from me involuntarily flinching or tensing up that she is getting a reaction.

 Quote: tracy collins

2.) immediately giving him something else to do instead that I know he knows pat. In his case, sit, because it was the first command he learned and he seems to do it automatically. So I tell him to sit and then he gets all the attention he wants. But only if he's sitting nicely. And by then he's given up the mouthing as an ivitation to play and get attention.

This does work if she gives me one of those little "ruff!!" barks for attention before the mouthfest begins. Once those teeth hit, all bets are off.

Maggie pulls this on my husband when he gets home. And then, because she is now excited and in prey drive, comes over and gives me demanding bark (play with me) and even a quick pounce and the catch me if you can.

I have ALL of it extinguished when it is just me at home and I did so by staying seated when she approached me and I hadn't called her, putting my arms up with my hands behind my neck and totally ignoring her trying to get me to pet her. She quickly decided I was boring and went to lay down (this same strategy does not work for my husband, because when she first goes over to him, he absentmindedly starts petting her while he is reading or on the computer and then it escalates to her wanting more, so then the mouthy behavior starts).

My next strategy is to get it to stop with him, by tethering her up before he gets home (he is to call on his way) and when she starts with him she is getting a "No" and a good old correction. I figure she will not come to me with the pounce if she doesn't get the goods on him first. She clearly knows better, hence the correction. If only I could correct him for letting it get this far...

Does Tasha do this at certain times of the day? Like when you just get home?

She does it when she is bored, which is basically any time that we are not walking, training or already playing. It is impossible to wear her out!

Usually its when I am trying to relax. When I am busy doing chores she just lays down and watches me.

She also does it as the last blast before she finally goes to sleep. Her nap time is usually around 4:00. Then she is down for the night at around 10:00 or 11:00. Its usually about 15 or 20 minutes before she goes to sleep that she will start up.

 Quote: lauren jeffery

She also does it as the last blast before she finally goes to sleep. Her nap time is usually around 4:00. Then she is down for the night at around 10:00 or 11:00. Its usually about 15 or 20 minutes before she goes to sleep that she will start up.

We get that last craze before bed, too. It is so funny, Maggie acts differently around me (alone) and when we (my husband and I) are together and than also when it is just him. He was gone on a ski trip for a few days, and I had the perfect dog! It is clear to me that I need to train her how to behave around him.

I used to feel guilty, and entertain Maggie all the time (walks, training sessions, etc.). So, just like Tasha, when she was bored she came to me. I realized that as long as we had done our exercise, training and play, it was OK to expect her to let me relax! At first, she would take anything as a sign she could keep nudging me. "no" meant "I should try again". If I got up of the couch and walked away to ignore, it meant "o goody I get to follow her around". So being the statue on the couch with the hands behind neck and occasionally closing my eyes really worked. I think the key was also when I did this when she just started to approach me.

Just now she is laying there, she perked up and looked like maybe she should come over, I put one hand behind my head: her head went back down to finish her snooze.

Body language.

When I'm trying to relax i put my doberman away to his crate, because even though he figured out biting does not get him my attention, he has figured a series of attention getting behaviors that are all really annoying.

For dealing with the biting i used non-reinforcement or negative punishment by ignoring his behavior other than calmly and without directing my attention, i would utter a no when he mouthed, and if he persisted i would give the negative marker (no) with a nick on the e-collar about a 1 second after. I don't know if this is the ideal way to deal with it, but with my dog is now less mouthy and if he does get mouthy it normally just takes a calm no to stop the behavior and persisting is much, much less frequent.

Good luck

rob

 Quote: robert kirkwood

When I'm trying to relax i put my doberman away to his crate, because even though he figured out biting does not get him my attention, he has figured a series of attention getting behaviors that are all really annoying.

Its good to know that you do this. I feel sometimes like its a cop out to simply put her away. Its silly, but I feel like its my house and I should just be able to do what I please without being bothered. Plus I feel guilty because its just the two of us and I have to go to work.

Maybe its just not realistic for this dog at her current age.

Don't you love when there is a "series" of annoying behaviors?
I know exactly what you mean.

 Quote: Marcia Blum

Just now she is laying there, she perked up and looked like maybe she should come over, I put one hand behind my head: her head went back down to finish her snooze.

Body language.

Awesome!

Recognizing the problem before it stars is always key.

I too tried different things... the word no, the scruff under the neck, the thump on the muzzle. The last working the best yet still only a few minutes. What seemed to work best for me was learned on this site. Rather then defeat the bad behavior I picked up all his toys (those are my toys), when I came home I would ignore him at first, had him sit for food, water, while walking out the door and other times, kept him off the bed or couch etc., etc. I pretty much employed all alpha actions and within 2 days he quit his biting by 80%. He is now 5 months and his puppy biting/nipping is minimized more and more.