Gentle Mouths

[Diane]

Is there a recommended way to train an overly enthusiastic puppy how to GENTLY take treats from my hand? Willie is not biting, but he is single - mindedly focused on liver treats...
Any ideas/suggestions?
Thanks-

 

[GAD]

If he's not biting, then I would:

1) make him sit. No sit - no treat. That one is usually learned VERY fast.

2) Only allow treats to be taken by nibbling. If he snaps say "No!" and pull the treat away. Gently say "nibble" and when he does (My girls quickly learned to pull back their lips and take it with their tounges!), praise him mightily!

Good luck.

GAD

 

[shawn]

Yes, GAD is right. My puppy was a grabber also, but when he realized that unless he sat and was gentle he coudn't have a treat he changed his mind. He is now 6 months old and when I go for the treat bag, he is on his backside and waiting patiently.

 

[AmyPC]

A while back someone else on here suggested a way to train them to take things gently and for me and Rory, it really worked.

Take a treat and make a fist around it, just allowing a tiny area of it to poke out of the top of your hand.

Show your pup and allow him to try and take it. While they might try and bite it out straight away, they will shortly try and lick it out. Couple this with saying 'gentle, gentle' and after they have been licking for a while, open your hand and let them sort of lick it right up.

Eventually they will get that gentle= no teeth!

 

[Diane]

Thanks, all. These really seem to be working. The combination of making him sit with slightly hiding the treat has been really effective.