Do they ever stop being mouthy?

[mareserinitatis]

One behavior that Ada has that drives me insane is that she's still mouthy when people touch her. I know what she's doing is asking to play...or she thinks you want to play so she's responding in kind. I've determined this is what she's doing with our cat, too...

I try to turn away when she's doing it, or I tell her no. At some point, does it just click that she's not supposed to be doing that?

I'm a bit worried because I'm planning on showing her at the end of October, and I'm worried she's going to want to play with the judge, who probably won't appreciate it.

 

[Emma & Nigel's Mom]

Good question! Nigel, who is 3, still does it occasionally. Usually, I hold up my hand, as in the "stay" position and tell him to stay, because for him that means to hold perfectly still, then I can usually pet him without the mouthing.

I'm not sure if that's the correct way to handle it or not, but it's just what I do.

 

[Pipelineozzy]

I teach OFF! The minute their teeth touch skin..it's OFF. They don't stop it without training it out tho!! (And with some dogs..it's harder than with others.)
You have to be really consistent..and NEVER allow it..even in play.

 

[KatieB]

I like mouthiness to a degree. Makes for better water dogs and better advanced obedience. I like it when they want to pick things up and carry things around etc. You just have to frame it in the way that you want it. So if it is not mouthing you like then provide a toy in place of your arm. I try not to discourage mouthiness completely since it's so useful for water work but try to teach the appropriate times for it. I use off or "eh eh" if it's inappropriate or not asked for and try to redirect with a toy and praise.

 

[Bella and Gabe]

Katie, that is how my Noah is. Mouthy from the extent that he MUST have something in his mouth. Noah gets almost panic stricken if I come in the door and he doesn't have something in his mouth. I keep a basket of toys near the door and he always makes a mad dash for something...ANYTHING to put in his mouth. If he can't find something then he grabs Gabes ear and drags his big brother around. I'm thrilled he doesn't put skin to his mouth but I've always found it curious that he positively MUST have something in his mouth when anyone walks through the door.

 

[Brody the Newf]

Katie, that is how my Noah is. Mouthy from the extent that he MUST have something in his mouth. Noah gets almost panic stricken if I come in the door and he doesn't have something in his mouth. I keep a basket of toys near the door and he always makes a mad dash for something...ANYTHING to put in his mouth. If he can't find something then he grabs Gabes ear and drags his big brother around. I'm thrilled he doesn't put skin to his mouth but I've always found it curious that he positively MUST have something in his mouth when anyone walks through the door.

Brody needs something in his mouth too. After spending years trying to break him of the habit, we finally admitted that it might be hard wired in his brain and he couldn't control himself.

He's very good about not biting down if my arm is in his mouth. He's also pretty good about getting a toy. He likes me to tell him to go get one before he goes outside.

 

[new_2_newf]

Katie, that is how my Noah is. Mouthy from the extent that he MUST have something in his mouth. Noah gets almost panic stricken if I come in the door and he doesn't have something in his mouth. I keep a basket of toys near the door and he always makes a mad dash for something...ANYTHING to put in his mouth. If he can't find something then he grabs Gabes ear and drags his big brother around. I'm thrilled he doesn't put skin to his mouth but I've always found it curious that he positively MUST have something in his mouth when anyone walks through the door.

funny, my friend's two goldens do that as well.

 

[chumleysma]

Katie, that is how my Noah is. Mouthy from the extent that he MUST have something in his mouth. Noah gets almost panic stricken if I come in the door and he doesn't have something in his mouth. I keep a basket of toys near the door and he always makes a mad dash for something...ANYTHING to put in his mouth. If he can't find something then he grabs Gabes ear and drags his big brother around. I'm thrilled he doesn't put skin to his mouth but I've always found it curious that he positively MUST have something in his mouth when anyone walks through the door.

Oh my. That's my dog. He must have something in his mouth when I come through the door...anything to put in his mouth. Yet, he won't retrieve or pick items up on command. We tried this in obedience class and he wouldn't do it.

 

[R Taft]

I have always made my newf's carry stuff in their mouths. wherever we go, I ask them to carry something. So I redirect the mouthiness. We need mouthyness in both water training and Assistance training

When you have a already mouthy dog, I also teach the "off" and sometimes in extreme cases i will shove my hand down their mouth. A kinda...you want to mouth my hand , here have it, all of it. We had a lab at class that was awful to his owner and we tried lots of stuff. That was what he needed. he does not go for his owners hands anymore.

We found ignoring did not work with this lab, because it had previously been done inconsistently and he had these severe extinction bursts that made him very pushy and he hurt his owner.

With some dogs a snout grab and just saying "off", "enough" helps too.

But ours I like to redirect, keep busy and make it a job.........

 

[Garden_girl]

Moby carries a stuffie in his mouth when we go for walks, always. When he goes for my hands, I usually give him something better to hang on to, rather than grab my hands. Right now, this minute, he is sitting here next to me with 8 legs sticking out of his mouth (his spider stuffie), before that, he had a plastic Folgers coffee tub in his mouth. :lol: I can usually put him in a sit and he will leave my hands alone, only occasionally do I have to tell him uh-uh.

 

[lacey9875]

It must be a Newf thing-or at least a dog that was bred to retrieve. Maggie was horribly mouthy as a puppy, she pantsed Ashton at least three times, chewed anything she could fit in her mouth, and (still) has a weird habit of sucking on my arm/hand when she's cuddling.

Ronnie suggested her method of redirecting, and it worked amazingly!! Instead of chewing stuff, she brings it to me. Of course, I regularly get a ton of stuff brought to me. She also helps carry the laundry, and can pick up something off the floor and give it to me. She also grabs a toy when I get home at just in case I want to play. Hang in there, it gets better! And you have a treasure trove of information here from NN's members that have owned and trained Newfs forever!!

 

[Bella and Gabe]

Moby carries a stuffie in his mouth when we go for walks, always. When he goes for my hands, I usually give him something better to hang on to, rather than grab my hands. Right now, this minute, he is sitting here next to me with 8 legs sticking out of his mouth (his spider stuffie), before that, he had a plastic Folgers coffee tub in his mouth. :lol: I can usually put him in a sit and he will leave my hands alone, only occasionally do I have to tell him uh-uh.

:!rolling: I'm picturing the 8 legs sticking out of Moby's mouth! Gotta love it! I think Moby and Noah must be brothers!

 

[sara722003]

My Newf's and Berner's have had this need. But we've successfully 'got it outta' their systems, but we have a rescue psycho case from the Humane Society that we've had for 3 years (she's a dear one, believe me; but she is INDEED psycho-sister)---she will mouth, jump up to attach one of our body parts to her, whatever, at 3 or 5 am. She's just 'thrilled' to have us as part of her 'being'.

I believe this is an inate need that dogs get who are left for too long at shelters and feel they are never secure. Maybe this is what is going on with your Newf?

I've always felt that Berners and Newfs were some of the mouthiest breeds I've ever known. But I'd never rescued a 'basket case' before.....so now I'm coming to another understanding.

 

[Garden_girl]

:!rolling: I'm picturing the 8 legs sticking out of Moby's mouth! Gotta love it! I think Moby and Noah must be brothers!

I'll bet they ARE related - hahaha! He brought the spider in after his trip outdoors, it's soaking wet from all the rain we've had, so there is a symphony of drips plopping on the floor from the 8 legs. :lol:

I haven't had a mouthy pup since Nellie, Tucker and Murph were angels growing up. I am really enjoying this boy and all he brings to the table. We are having so much fun, Moby and I.

 

[soccerbabiesmama]

Moby carries a stuffie in his mouth when we go for walks, always. When he goes for my hands, I usually give him something better to hang on to, rather than grab my hands. Right now, this minute, he is sitting here next to me with 8 legs sticking out of his mouth (his spider stuffie), before that, he had a plastic Folgers coffee tub in his mouth. :lol: I can usually put him in a sit and he will leave my hands alone, only occasionally do I have to tell him uh-uh.

Folgers coffee tub cracks me up. :!rolling: My girl carries around a giant green plastic watering can. Hilarious to watch her run through the yard with her watering can!!!

 

[Garden_girl]

Folgers coffee tub cracks me up. :!rolling: My girl carries around a giant green plastic watering can. Hilarious to watch her run through the yard with her watering can!!!

Hahaha- you've just got to get a pic of that!

Moby carries around those big plastic garbage can covers and he can't see where he's going, lol. Last night, my husband called him over to the deck while he had the cover in his mouth and he had to turn sideways to see where he was going, but he wouldn't put it down! :!rolling:

 

[Pipelineozzy]

Carrying is a strong characteristic in a lot of them I've had at least three that "carried" all the time. The good thing was they never touched skin that way anyway. The downside was that two of them were being shown and keeping the leash out of their mouth was a challenge.

 

[Newfy Smitten]

Wow! I'm so glad to see almost every one has the same issue to some degree. The coffee tub & plastic bottles are common here too. I have to admit the big green watering can brings to mind such a visual....Kodi also will not leave his leash alone, which makes training a challenge. He won't carry a toy when walking but he will carry a stick which usually looks like one giant sabor tooth & concerns me that he'll jam it in his mouth. I have taught him to leave it, which works with my hand as well, unless he's in total play mode.

 

[Kobutsu]

Harley has always been "mouthy." He never "bites," it's always just a gentle mouth around the wrist when he REALLY has to go out. I figure it's the only opposable appendage they have....

If he gets really insistent, I just tell him "No biting!" and he stops...