# How do I stop mouthing when playing.



## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

This sounds rather like what I call "silliness" when Poppy gets over exuberant. We are working on it by teaching no jumping up (rewarding four feet on the ground), by withdrawing attention from poodles who bounce and grab at clothes (especuially when I am on the loo!), and by reinforcing impulse control wherever and whenever it happens. Still a work in progress though!


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

How old is she? Puppies are so exuberant and often also very mouthy. If she is young this could be part of your situation. Lily would act as you describe when she was a puppy/adolescent. I understand how annoying it is. At least Bridget can do this stuff at eye level the way Lily could.

fjm's suggestions of rewarding four on the floor and stopping play when it gets too high energy are very good. It isn't about not playing, but learning to play politely. Give a little time for training sit and down when the play gets too high energy so you can ask for and get a sit or down stay when she gets too over the top as a tiny time out to let her refocus and you should gain control in no time.


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## Qarza (Feb 23, 2013)

She is Two years old. I have been working on stopping play and turning away immediately she does it. She is confused now so she may be getting the message. I will be away all day today so we will see when I get home later on.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

I meant to say that Bridget can't do this stuff at eye level. Lily is mounted on springs and when she is bouncing around she boings around your face.

Although 2 is not a puppy, it doesn't mean you have fully formed adult sensibilities yet either. When I started doing obedience trials with Lily she had just turned two and she did some pretty unexpected things. By the time she was approaching three, judges were starting to tell me things like"you have a really nice working dog here." Last weekend we were at a trial and at the end of the individual exercises, the judge said " there were moments of brilliance in that routine (of course some of it was chaotic too, my words not his)". 

I think confusion is a good sign when trying to teach a new way of doing things like this. I think it means they are thinking and working out what you expect. The chaotic aspects of Lily's obedience performance right now is because she had memorized the Open A routine down to the exact order of the exercises. Now we are in Open B and the order of the exercises is different each time. She is still trying to figure out why the pattern she had learned is not the one we are following. 

You should see meaningful change fairly readily. Let us know how it goes.


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## Qarza (Feb 23, 2013)

Well it is no play today. I just had some day surgery so I have been sleeping off and on since coming home. Bridget hasn't left my side. I will be back to normal tomorrow and back to training. One thing I have learned though is that when training Bridget I have to get Poppy out of the way and vice versa,



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## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

I hope you have a speedy recovery. It sounds like you are on the right track modifying this behavior.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Yes, speedy recovery wishes from this corner too.

I agree training a new behavior has to be done with low level distractions. Having her BFF Poppy hanging around is a big distraction. Once you have seen improvement in her jumping and mouthing, bring Poppy into the mix to proof Bridget.


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## Dani (Mar 26, 2013)

Hi Qarza, 

Thankfully mouthing is a very easy habit to break. There is a very talented trainer called kikopup on youtube that has covered this issue thoroughly and hopefully this video of hers will help:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c77--cCHPyU

This method uses positive reinforcement and counter conditioning. You don't necessarily need to use a clicker when training your dog, however if you don't use a clicker already I would recommend looking up "clicker training basics" as it is very useful and can be used to easily solve any other behaviourial issues, like mouthing, in the future.  Alternatively, I'm sure you could just reward your dog with treats - it might just be a little slower to pick up on what you're trying to achieve, and thus take a short while longer to stop the issue. However it should still work!

I hope this helps!
Dani


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## Chagall's mom (Jan 9, 2010)

Dani said:


> Thankfully mouthing is a very easy habit to break. There is a very talented trainer called kikopup on youtube that has covered this issue thoroughly and hopefully this video of hers will help:
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c77--cCHPyU
> Dani


:thumb: I always like what this trainer has to offer, and her practical, positive training approach to everyday issues. Her training advice has never failed me! :nod:


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## msminnamouse (Nov 4, 2010)

If I see an open mouth, I like to stuff a toy into it. Lol. This is redirecting the dog onto an appropriate outlet for their biting instinct. They use their mouths on one another when they play and when they get worked up, they feel the same urge with us, since we're their families and this is how they know to play with us until we teach them otherwise. 

If it means carrying a toy around with me or stashing them around the house for this opportunity, then I do. To make it even clearer, mark and reward them for successfully redirecting onto a toy. Offer your fingers/hand every once in a while to test them and if they don't bite, mark and reward that. This shows them in no uncertain terms what can be mouthed and what can't be mouthed.

Another thing that can help is Susan Garrett's It's Yer Choice game. Particularly the hand part of it. It teaches them not to rush and mouth your hand. Also helps for rough treat grabbing.


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