# Almost 8 months, SPOO still “mouthing”



## Raindrops (Mar 24, 2019)

I reckon there have probably been dozens of threads here that are near carbon copies of your situation, so you can rest assured that it's not unusual. My dog didn't stop mouthing until around 9 months. Some stop earlier, some later. As long as you are consistent and you keep introducing structure and training good manners, you should eventually see a decrease as your dog matures. They are called landsharks for a reason! One day you will be rewarded with a well behaved companion.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

We could still rile Peggy up into mouthing and she’s 2! That’s not said to discourage you, just to reassure you that you’re not alone.  For the next couple of years, you’re going to see a big grown up body with bursts of puppy brain. The best thing you can do is gently and consistently enforce boundaries (such as nap time), reward for the good stuff, exercise the mind and body (but not too much!) and try to get the whole family on the same page. Easier said than done, I know.

Do you attend any classes with Ranger?


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## WinnieThePoodle (Sep 1, 2020)

Winnie is just over 1 and will be mouthy when she play wrestles with us. She used to be very mouthy all the time as a puppy despite our efforts to get her to stop. She just stopped doing it herself in the end. Not sure if she will ever stop completely but as it's only during play wrestling then its manageable for us.


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

My limited experience is that young puppies are mouthy almost all the time due to teething. Older puppies and young adult dogs are mouthy when they are tired or over excited. Recognizing triggers makes it easier for me to deal with it.

My puppy is 7.5 months now and if he gets mouthy, then he needs a nap and is crated. When he wakes up, he’s not mouthy.

I got my older minipoo when she was almost a year old … we quickly learned that when we returned to the house she was overly excited and mouthy (and jumping on us) so we always had a pizzle stick ready to shove in her mouth. Another trigger was getting up in the morning and going down to prepare and serve her breakfast. Pizzle stick in mouth worked to get her downstairs to the kitchen and training go to mat and wait for food helped her learn to control impulse control.

Working on impulse control helped me with both my puppy and older minipoo.


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## Spottytoes (Jul 28, 2020)

You definitely are not alone! Poodles are a mouthy breed! Bobby is 2 1/2 and is still mouthy in that he just has to have something in his mouth. He has a major need to carry things, especially if he’s excited so we just make sure he has something to carry. He has very good impulse control now but every once in awhile, if he is whipped up or we are playing, he forgets and will mouth us and needs a reminder, which he responds to very well. With that being said, I do, once in awhile, allow a special reward of “carrying” my hand when he’s calm. He loves to do that. His mouth is soft and he’s very gentle and sweet and he is so happy when he gets to do this. We worked really hard to teach what he can mouth and when. The hand holding thing is only with permission. 

He was very bitey for his first year, especially. I thought there was something wrong as we did all the training stuff we were supposed to. We just found that for him, he needs to carry stuff. That really was the magic answer for him. Not all day, but definitely when he’s excited and happy! He almost always carries something with him when he goes outside and when we get home from work. It’s a whole ritual for him.

Interestingly, “yelping” when he was young only made it worse but now, as an adult, if Bobby gets a bit mouthy with us, a little yelp or ouch from us works beautifully! That’s really all he needs as a reminder now. He looks at us quite apologetic like. He has a soft mouth so he doesn’t hurt us but his mouth does sometimes need boundaries when he’s excited. 😉 

Keep working on impulse control, provide appropriate things to mouth and know that maturity will help a lot! It does get better! They mature a lot during their second year. 😊


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