Encouraging biting by wearing gloves

[diddybopper04]

In another thread, a poster mentioned 2 things:

"Tapping" a puppy on the nose for biting/mouthing, and using gloves when playing with the puppy to avoid biting/mouthing.

This is a baby puppy about 10 weeks old.

I thought with all the people here recently with new puppies, this might be an interesting thing to discuss.

I feel that striking a dog in any manner is almost never appropriate, and the wearing of the gloves is going to encourage harder biting, when the thing at this age should be the teaching of bite INHIBITION.

Ok, all you people out there with puppy experience, what do YOU think?



(PS Not picking on you, Reuben, just thought this would be a good topic for discussion. )

[Burnsway]

I read that post and an eyebrow did lift but two things came to mind.

Tapping the nose or mouth is not STRIKING a dog and we shouldnt make it sound that way, so I let it go in hopes he meant what he really said....... That he tapped didnt hit or strike........

As far as the gloves I think it may depend on the dog and owner and what they are looking for. I had a bad enough time getting mouthing under control with my dog I would not have done it. For a novice or regular old pet owner I wouldn't encourage it at all. But dogs are not stupid and I think they can tell the difference between a Glove and human skin and many may just see it in the same light as a game of tug.

Neither of these I would have even thought of or suggested on food aggression..........

But the slight tapping of the nose I have done in the past over mouthing or grabbing jean ankles...etc. But really isn't a preferred method but more a reflex reaction in the moment.........

[majicka]

I wouldn't hit any of my dogs....but I would tap them on the nose or head and give them a "no". The tap is just to get their attention..i never tapped them any harder than I would tap someone on the shoulder.

I got lucky and Happy is not a mouthy puppy at all..while playing once in awhile he might mouth your hand but it's never hard and with a no he will stop. Brando (coonhound shep) was a horribly mouthy puppy especially during playtime. Nos wouldn't deter him, neither would the sheer screech of an 'ow' (couldn't be avoided sometimes!) so I had resorted to spraying bitter apple on my hands and lots of redirection. Brando would have bit right thru gloves..

[rottiluver]

When I got Diesel, his owner told me that they wore gloves and wrestled with the puppies....Which I thought was odd, but never thought much of it.

He's a year old now and still when he see's anyone wearing gloves or mitts, like in the winter time, he thinks he has to put them in his mouth, hand in them and all...It's like he hates them now!! I've never done it, and wouldn't recommend it because they are on our hands and I think encourges mouthing also. Not to mention hard to get them to accept mittens in the winter time! LOL

As for the striking a dog, I'd NEVER do that. I also just kinda pointed at his nose with one finger and said 'No'. My trainer recommended wining like a pup when he mouths. That made the situation WAY worse, he then thought that I wanted to play even harder! LOL so just saying 'No' I found worked the best compared to anything.

[Patty1231]

I tap Rocco on the nose/lips when we play scarey mouth - it's one of his favorite games. We both know the boundries here. As far as wearing gloves, (besides not making any sense generally) I would definitely NOT suggest this if you live in any climate where gloves are required in the winter. I spend half the winter DISCOURAGING Rocco from biting my gloves or trying to run off with them.

[Luvs]

Originally Posted by Burnsway

But dogs are not stupid and I think they can tell the difference between a Glove and human skin and many may just see it in the same light as a game of tug.

Akasha and Keil think gloves are GREAT for playing tug

Diddybopper, I totally agree that a puppy this young needs to learn bite inhibition. I think that by wearing gloves you will encourage the puppy to bite harder which will defeat your purpose. If the puppy is biting alot then try redirecting with a toy or something else much more appropriate for the puppy to chew on.

I also do not think that hitting a puppy or dog of any age is a good idea. The only thing a puppy learns from this is to be afraid when you reach for it

[TrishB]

Originally Posted by rottiluver

When I got Diesel, his owner told me that they wore gloves and wrestled with the puppies....Which I thought was odd, but never thought much of it.

He's a year old now and still when he see's anyone wearing gloves or mitts, like in the winter time, he thinks he has to put them in his mouth, hand in them and all....

I would think it's more because he associates gloves with wrestling / games and views them as toys. This is the danger of making everyday items into toys and then expecting the dog to view that item as 'not' a toy when it's being used in its daily use role.

While working at the vet clinic, I had a client who was complaining that her dog kept chewing on shoes. He had gone through several pairs. During the discussion, it finally came out that she had given him a pair that he had wrecked! So I asked her how he was supposed to identify 'his' pair from all of the other pairs that he has free access to? She looked at me blankly, the lightbulb went off above her head and she stopped giving him shoes.

The moral of the story is, if it won't be fun or cute as an adult, don't teach it as a puppy.

[Sparky]

We used leather gloves when we were training Zoe to give up toys, bones, etc. We taught her bite inhibition with our bare hands. There were some miscalculations, but loud screeches and ignoring her seemed to do the trick. She is no longer mouthy, and she allows us to take almost anything from her without a protest.

We have tapped her on the nose teaching her "don't touch". Using hand or the toe of our shoe when she is in the down position. Only took a couple of repetitions, as she really hates to be dinked on the nose.

[Burnsway]

Originally Posted by Sparky

she really hates to be dinked on the nose.

Can I use that word.........

[rottiluver]

Originally Posted by TrishB

The moral of the story is, if it won't be fun or cute as an adult, don't teach it as a puppy.

Exactly!! That's the best way to put it for those whose rottie's are still puppies...It does look foolish having a one yr, 165lb dog trying to play with your gloves while wearing them! Luckily he's really gentle and when told 'No' he stops, but you can see him eyeing them up cause he wants them bad!! LOL

[MacKenzie's Mom]

I have trained MacKenzie since he was 6 weeks old and hitting is not an option for me. But a tap on the nose (very lightly) and a firm no was all it took to stop him from biting ankles and pants. I treat him like a child which also means that he is corrected as well as rewarded. I can take anything out of his mouth and if he gets growly over a treat with the other dog I put it up. He is brilliant! Aren't they all?

[Luvs]

Originally Posted by rottiluver

Exactly!! That's the best way to put it for those whose rottie's are still puppies...It does look foolish having a one yr, 165lb dog trying to play with your gloves while wearing them! Luckily he's really gentle and when told 'No' he stops, but you can see him eyeing them up cause he wants them bad!! LOL

WOW 165 pounds at a year old??? What kind of dog is it? You sure its not a pony?

[kiwirottie]

I was at first told to tap Zed on the nose with a NO and redirect....I did this and I just didnt feel comfortable with it, the high pitched OW also revved(sp)him up more, so we do a NO redirect and if he does it again we do a really low loud NO like a growl, that works
We've given him the occasional scruff shake when he's gone right over the boundarys, especially in regard to our baby girl and this worked really well...we havent had to do this often at all and really it was around 11 wk mark maybe once or twice since.
He so much more settled now and we can have our daughter sitting on the floor Zed will caom and greet her with a few licks...he loves her ears then I say thats enough and make him sit on his mat.
I think a nose "tap" is an individual thing.
Great thread for as newbie Rottie pup owners to read through

[Dave Brown]

Excellent thread. As I menntioned before, my family raised Pits in the past, so I knew to not encourage biting of any kind, at all, unacceptable behavior.

As for gloves, I personally cannot see a reason for it, I happen to be of the personality thag I must have a reason for something or I don't do it, so they have not been an option.

Tabitha has experienced two "taps" on the nose, both were mouthy situations, it seemed to have stoped it, no a siple "NO" usually does the trick.

I was having a chat with a friend yesterday about dog training in general and do's and don'ts. The topic of shaking your finger in front of the dogs face came up as a "don't" I had never really thought about it as I don't do it. Any thoughts on that topic?

[RubenZ]

When I say tap, thats what I mean, A tap. And I must say now I dont have to tap her nose. She learned pretty fast. I tapped her nose and said "NO!" Now I just have to say NO and she stops what she's doing.

AND you quoted me wrong :)


I'm not gonna lie. I like to play and wrestle with my dogs. not rough just fun play. I put on gloves and like to play with her. With that she bites the gloves NOW and not my arm which is progress LOL... When I take the gloves off she knows its not play time anymore.