I have a 1 yo maltese X. Hes been doing well in training. He loves people and when he plays, he loves to bite ppl lightly. It never hurts.
However, whenever i give him a toy and try to take it back from his mouth. He will grunt and if u insist taking away his toy. He will bite u really really hard. When i take the toy away and he will become normal again.
How to avoid this problem?
Selfish dog
Moderators: emmabeth, BoardHost
Simple. Dont take his toy away.
(that is what you asked, how to avoid the problem, how to cure it is a different matter. Im not trying to be a smartalec, im trying to get you to view the problem differently, you dont really mean 'avoid' you mean 'change his behaviour').
How to CURE the problem depends on a few things...
Firstly, when you play with him with a toy, HOW do you try and take the toy back. Do you hold the toy and calmly ask him to give it to you, or do you try to wrestle the toy from his mouth?
Do you let him play then decide to end the game abruptly adn put the toy away?
You NEED to get him to see that giving toys up is LOTS OF FUN.
Currently it would seem it is not lots of fun at all (or that it IS but the fun coems in fighting to keep the toy and in biting you).
Either way, start with a toy that isnt really taht great, when you want it back, dont just take it, swap it for another 'not that great' toy.
Here you will teach him that giving something up means getting something and if you are using toys that arent so great anyway he will not be quite so keen to keep hold of them so you are setting y ourself up to succeed there.
If he finds that ALL toys are great, swap a toy for a treat, just a tiny one.
If you play tuggy games with toys and want to end them, with you having the toy back, hold the toy still, dont rag it around or pull it, just hold it still and ask calmly and offer the treat.
Dont bother with a set command yet, put that command (give/leave) in once he is happily swapping toys and treats.
If he bites you, even as part of a game, and its too hard to be acceptable, then yell OWWWWW and stop playing (dont take the toy away, he may just try to bite harder to win if thats worked in teh past). Id use this method with caution though as some dogs are more excited by the OWW noise, and if you do do it, it MUST be accompanied by a clear end of play, so get upa nd leave the room immediately you yell oww, and shut the door behind you. Biting = no game.
hth
Em
(that is what you asked, how to avoid the problem, how to cure it is a different matter. Im not trying to be a smartalec, im trying to get you to view the problem differently, you dont really mean 'avoid' you mean 'change his behaviour').
How to CURE the problem depends on a few things...
Firstly, when you play with him with a toy, HOW do you try and take the toy back. Do you hold the toy and calmly ask him to give it to you, or do you try to wrestle the toy from his mouth?
Do you let him play then decide to end the game abruptly adn put the toy away?
You NEED to get him to see that giving toys up is LOTS OF FUN.
Currently it would seem it is not lots of fun at all (or that it IS but the fun coems in fighting to keep the toy and in biting you).
Either way, start with a toy that isnt really taht great, when you want it back, dont just take it, swap it for another 'not that great' toy.
Here you will teach him that giving something up means getting something and if you are using toys that arent so great anyway he will not be quite so keen to keep hold of them so you are setting y ourself up to succeed there.
If he finds that ALL toys are great, swap a toy for a treat, just a tiny one.
If you play tuggy games with toys and want to end them, with you having the toy back, hold the toy still, dont rag it around or pull it, just hold it still and ask calmly and offer the treat.
Dont bother with a set command yet, put that command (give/leave) in once he is happily swapping toys and treats.
If he bites you, even as part of a game, and its too hard to be acceptable, then yell OWWWWW and stop playing (dont take the toy away, he may just try to bite harder to win if thats worked in teh past). Id use this method with caution though as some dogs are more excited by the OWW noise, and if you do do it, it MUST be accompanied by a clear end of play, so get upa nd leave the room immediately you yell oww, and shut the door behind you. Biting = no game.
hth
Em
