For those of us who believe that using treats to establish a training relationship is important, we are often faced with dogs that have sloppy manners and take treats too roughly. I’ve seem many people dealing with these dogs in an incorrect manner, so I thought to address it here. It could be a possible article, but I can address it quickly in this blog.
Dogs that take treats too roughly are called “mouthy dogs.” This does not lend itself to a dog that bites; simply one that is quite sloppy when taking treats, and they oftentimes will take the treat so roughly that the handler / trainer’s hands bleed. The common mistake people make with these dogs is trying to pull away from the dog’s mouth in order to teach them manners. As if to say, “No, you take the treat slowly or you don’t get any.” Unfortunately, this doesn’t work and oftentimes makes the dog try harder to get the treats and therefor exacerbates the problem.
The best solution I’ve found is to watch the dogs behavior, and as he pushes his mouth into my hand to get the treat, I push my hand forward into his mouth with the same rate of speed. The thing that happens is the dog regresses (mainly as a startle response) and I immediately give him the treat.
Each time the dog comes to my hand to get the treat roughly, I push my hand firmly into the dog’s mouth. Each time he will regress and I immediately mark that behavior and pay him (give him the treat).
This shouldn’t take too long to teach, as most dogs will catch on quickly. It’s also a good idea to see if the food reward might just be too high for the training. I see this a lot in dealing with shelter dogs. They are so food driven that they will just about take your fingers off to get the treat.
Also, when first training a new dog (new to you), be sure to lay a piece of food on your open hand and allow the dog to take it. This serves to establish the fact that the food is there for him to take. It sets the stage that he “will” get paid and that you are fair.
The biggest mistake in dealing with dogs that are mouthy is trying to pull away as the dog goes for the treat. This will only make him lunge more and work harder to get it out of your hand. Remember, it’s not his job to get the food out of your hand, it’s his job to complete the task we’re asking and it’s our job to give him the reward.
So, if you’re dealing with a mouthy dog, be prepared to unload / reward faster and most importantly move forward to pay him. Bring the food to his mouth and he will be less likely to push, bite or mouth your hand.