Dogs which mouth (frantically) when they greet you

PucciNPoni

PucciNPoni

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I've got a Cairn in just now that is insisting on mouthing my hand upon greetibng me - it's like a hyper-nervous response. I find it rather rude. Any behaviourists want to help me tackle this one? What would you say to the owners? And how do I get it to NOT mouth me?!
 
When doglet grabs your hand make a loud pitched screech - like you would if it hurt. This is how they warn each other that YOU ARE HURTING ME! When doglet lets go, make a big fuss of him/her. It will stop. When you first walk through the door, ignore doglet until calm, then make a big fuss. He will realise that you want to get in the door and not be chewed before he gets cuddles:D
 
If it's a very young pup the 'squeak' when it mouths approach may work; however, I've found with terriers that this often only serves to wind them up more. Also, IME unlikely to work with an older dog.

You need to convince the owners to train the correct behaviour, as unless they do so, you are going to just have to develop a strategy to 'manage' the behaviour when the dog is with you. I would try and convince them by saying what if dog did the mouthing on a young child? What if dog loses its bite inhibition? DDA? etc etc. In other words, put fear of god into them! Cruel maybe, but IME it can be a great motivator!

To manage the behaviour, I would ensure that I had something in my pocket to shove in its chops when it approached (soft toy? kong?).....so divert the behaviour and reward when it is distracted onto something else.

An 'aversive' to employ would be to ensure that I'd just freshly washed my hands in a strong dettol solution before arrival of said dog! Does nothing for your skin, but hey ho! :D
 
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I'm liking both suggestions. One of mine does this, almost like a comfort thing, I think. A sharp no stops him and now he has picked up the habit of bringing a toy, so I ensure there's a choice in the kitchen for when I come down in the morning.
 
smiffyimp said:
When doglet grabs your hand make a loud pitched screech - like you would if it hurt. This is how they warn each other that YOU ARE HURTING ME! When doglet lets go, make a big fuss of him/her. It will stop. When you first walk through the door, ignore doglet until calm, then make a big fuss. He will realise that you want to get in the door and not be chewed before he gets cuddles:D
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Yes, generally what I do. This particular dog only has been to me once before six months ago. It wasn't nearly so bad then....he's going to be on warning as he had a few goes at me on the table (but proper I'm gonna get you type snaps)
 
gunnergundog said:
If it's a very young pup the 'squeak' when it mouths approach may work; however, I've found with terriers that this often only serves to wind them up more. Also, IME unlikely to work with an older dog.

You need to convince the owners to train the correct behaviour, as unless they do so, you are going to just have to develop a strategy to 'manage' the behaviour when the dog is with you. I would try and convince them by saying what if dog did the mouthing on a young child? What if dog loses its bite inhibition? DDA? etc etc. In other words, put fear of god into them! Cruel maybe, but IME it can be a great motivator!

To manage the behaviour, I would ensure that I had something in my pocket to shove in its chops when it approached (soft toy? kong?).....so divert the behaviour and reward when it is distracted onto something else.

An 'aversive' to employ would be to ensure that I'd just freshly washed my hands in a strong dettol solution before arrival of said dog! Does nothing for your skin, but hey ho! :D
Click to expand...

I'm going to have a rather serious discussion with these people. Last time it was in, it wasn't quite so bad - but then I suggested they bring him in every month, six weeks at least - just to get him a bit better about grooming as he's already been chucked out of one salon for biting. So I did warn them then that it would be under my rules or not at all. So six months later, they bring it in again and he's much worse this time.

And as for the aversive - I rather like that! Better the itchy skin than punctured skin!
 
PucciNPoni said:
I'm going to have a rather serious discussion with these people. Last time it was in, it wasn't quite so bad - but then I suggested they bring him in every month, six weeks at least - just to get him a bit better about grooming as he's already been chucked out of one salon for biting. So I did warn them then that it would be under my rules or not at all. So six months later, they bring it in again and he's much worse this time.

And as for the aversive - I rather like that! Better the itchy skin than punctured skin!
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Arrgh, Sorry I didnt realise you were a groomer I thought this was your dog. Always difficult when you see the dog once in a blue moon and the owners dont do anything about the behaviour. I agree with what you say, have a serious word with them or dont do the dog - why should you be bitten your there to offer a service not a limb:eek: Can you muzzle?
 
smiffyimp said:
Arrgh, Sorry I didnt realise you were a groomer I thought this was your dog. Always difficult when you see the dog once in a blue moon and the owners dont do anything about the behaviour. I agree with what you say, have a serious word with them or dont do the dog - why should you be bitten your there to offer a service not a limb:eek: Can you muzzle?
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Naw, that's okay. No, I have no intention of offering my limbs in service of their dog! LOL Unfortunately the problem with this dog doesn't typically arise til I do his FACE! And oddly, I can't use the muzzle when trimming a cairn properly. I sort of ended up stabbing at bits of it with the scissors quickly (and safely of course ;) ) so it's not the nicest hair cut I've ever done. But I did ask them nicely to bring the dog frequently so I could bring it round...I had every faith then that the dog could be trimmed safely. But judging from the hack marks all over hte dog's coat, they've been DIYing it, and very likely been getting the mick taken by the dog...now they want ME to fix it! arrgh!
 
OK....now I understand....so it's in a grooming environment and when you tackle the head. Sorry, I thought it was when you walked thro' the door to see the dog or some such thing.

If it were my dog I would clicker train both the 'stand' on a table and also click and treat for no reaction when firstly moving my hand around the vicinity of its head.....getting closer and closer .....and then do the same with a pair of scissors, building up to actually cutting the air with the scissors whilst in the proximity of the head. If I had to starve it of its dinner/breakfast, so be it!

This approach would take time, consistancy and need to be done primarily by the owners......suspect you may sadly be on an innings to nothing .....hope you prove me wrong!
 
PucciNPoni said:
I've got a Cairn in just now that is insisting on mouthing my hand upon greetibng me - it's like a hyper-nervous response. I find it rather rude. Any behaviourists want to help me tackle this one? What would you say to the owners? And how do I get it to NOT mouth me?!
Click to expand...

I wouldn't say anything to the owners, you can't polish a turd. I would either flick him in the mouth or bop him on the nose everytime. Make the experience uncomfortable for him.:)
 
Not so mush of a squeak but an Arghhhhhhhhhh like he was killing me stopped, and a time out my 18 month old with a big gob doing this. He used to do it as a means of playing- no ta to your giant teethies wrapped round my arm thank you
 
gunnergundog said:
OK....now I understand....so it's in a grooming environment and when you tackle the head. Sorry, I thought it was when you walked thro' the door to see the dog or some such thing.

If it were my dog I would clicker train both the 'stand' on a table and also click and treat for no reaction when firstly moving my hand around the vicinity of its head.....getting closer and closer .....and then do the same with a pair of scissors, building up to actually cutting the air with the scissors whilst in the proximity of the head. If I had to starve it of its dinner/breakfast, so be it!

This approach would take time, consistancy and need to be done primarily by the owners......suspect you may sadly be on an innings to nothing .....hope you prove me wrong!
Click to expand...

Sorry, I was just being kind of vague.

It literally was mouthing me the minute it walked thru the door - I mean I opened the trimming room door to reception and it launched it self at me, wagging it's tail like mad and then grabbing hold of my hand/arm and the jumping down - repeatedly doing this and the owners seemed oblivious. Now, part of my routine for checking in dogs is to get down to their level (if I feel safe to do so - but if I didn't, I wouldn't accept them in, full stop). I need to assess the coat, have a feel of the legs and just make sure there's nothing that I need to discuss re the grooming before I accept it in. In the future, for training purposes of this dog, I probably will just take hte lead and not speak to the dog til it's calmed down - and just let the owner know that I'll have to just be trusted on teh grooming side of it (ie, no pre groom assessment, I just do what I feel is necessary once I get in to it).

Today, once the dog was on my table, it was fine up to the point of me trimming round his face. He just snapped with no audible or physical warning. He was so quick, but I was quicker! Here's the thing, the woman told me the last time it came in (six months ago) that he was bitey - and that a previous groomer refused services and suggested she get rid of the dog. I respect her decision to not do so, but I did tell her at that time that if she wanted me to groom her dog, she would need to do it on a much more frequent basis so that I could build a relationship based on trust.

When she came to collect the dog today, she jokingly asked if I still had my fingers. I said yes, but only just. I reminded her of my suggestion of monthly grooms and that if she didn't want to do this, she could find another groomer. She booked in for a month's time. I will work on her to start getting the dog to behave at home - and will suggest clicker training too - and to seek help from a behaviourist.

I really respect folk who rescue dogs (as she did) but with some dogs it can't just end there - some of these rescues require special handling and if she's not able to do the work, or if she can't afford the pros to help, then she's not really making things better for the dog, is she?
 
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