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Angus the Mouthy Pup – Part 2/4 | Training/B-Mod Ideas | Training Plans Workshop
Last week we started a great list of management ideas for Angus the mouthy young Cattle Dog.????We have had excellent contributions by all of these members so far: @jenz @bmacwatt @K9Ashley @Kayla @jenwalker @jan @pawsup @cath @mac @JCongdon @CBradley @denny @sandy
Now, it’s time to share our training ideas! Don’t hesitate to jump in. ????♀️
Remember, we’re going to take our collective responses and turn them into a finished Training Plan resource we can keep here for everyone to reference and use as needed. Everyone who shares an idea will be listed as a contributor on the finished edited write up. All dog-friendly methods are welcomed. Just put your thoughts or questions in the comments on this post. Let’s go!
????What TRAINING EXERCISES could be put in place for this case?
Training or Behavior Modification (B-Mod) is made up of exercises or games that you work on with the dog to change their behavior or their emotional state. Whereas management is first put in place to prevent the unwanted behaviors, the goal of training is now to teach the dog a new response in the triggering situation.
Here’s is a summary of the case details again:
- Angus is a 4-month old pup that lives with Brian, Mallory, and their two kids (ages 5 and 10). He is also cared for by their sitter. He is very mouthy during any type of play interaction – he often bites at skin or clothing, not just toys.
- If Angus can’t get to what he wants on walks (e.g., another dog), he sometimes turns and begins biting the shoes and pants of whoever is holding the leash. He’s hard to control in these instances.
- If someone tries to pick up Angus while he is running free in the house or yard, he begins grabbing at their skin or clothing. He is resistant to going in his crate.
Again, everyone who shares an idea will be listed as a contributor on the finished edited write up.
What TRAINING EXERCISES could be put in place for this case? ????
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27 Replies
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I would start him on tug with rules(teaching him release, take, no biting and no snatching from me). Potentially the tug could be used on walks to re-direct the mouthiness or help him focus. I would disrupt any bites at skin or clothing with a loud/decisive “ouch!” And end the interaction with him briefly. I would also work on the name game with him- say his name if he turns his head and acknowledges he gets a reward building into a strong recall so they don’t have to chase him down. He sounds like a pup who needs some impulse control. Working leave its and teaching a hand target (can’t bite me if you’re targeting) could be helpful as well!
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I agree with @K9Ashley that teaching Tug by the Rules, on cue (Take It, Drop, and then teaching a Sit for Please to keep the game going), could really make all the difference to a pup like this one! You’re likely playing into their need to grab and shake, giving them a rewarding alternative behavior to grabbing and shaking people, and building their ability to self-regulate by their offering a calm Sit to restart the game after a Drop.
I struggle with the OUCH as an interrupter for play-biting behaviors. For some pups is works like a charm (*startled puppy face* OH, I’m sorry I didn’t know you were so fragile) but with other pups it seems to amp them up. Have other folks seem a pattern as to when this works and when it doesn’t?
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I agree there are some dogs and situations this doesn’t work. I’ve noticed in some puppies that weren’t well socialized or taken from mom or litter mates really young they don’t seem to read the cue as readily, they are also the ones who seem more pushy in play with other dogs, incessant biting, jumping, body slamming. If they are really over stimulated ive had better luck trying to replace the behavior to a toy like a tug.
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Nice side discussion here – I agree; some dogs are really soft emotionally and would NEVER want to hurt their human – they seem so apologetic when they realize we are complete weenies when it comes to bitey-play. And, I’ve totally seen the other side… the dogs for whom biting is SO intrinsically reinforcing that knowing they made contact is the BIG WIN and they get super amped. I think there are some genetics involved. It would make sense that dogs bred to bite (such as ACDs) might be predisposed to accelerate biting when we respond… On the other hand, I still like OUCH as a marker for the withdraw of playtime. In this case, it could serve as a no-reward-marker; this behavior, right here, is why I’m leaving. But we would have to structure the learning session such that the pup cannot continue to bite, once we use the word. I would set it up with the pup being tied or behind a barrier that I could quickly exit, like in my Play Nice game I shared in this thread. What do you think?
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@k9ashley Would you like to jot down the steps for teaching Leave it to Angus? How should they go about this?
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I would start with a treat in a closed hand. When he stops trying to get the treat he is marked and rewarded. Because he is very mouthy we may need to use something other than a hand initially to cover the treat (foot, cup/container??). If he is consistently waiting patiently for the treat I would progress to holding it in my hand open, if he doesn’t go for it or looks at me he gets marked and rewarded. If he does go for it we cover the treat and wait for him to back off again. When he is able to consistently restrain himself with the open hand I would start to add the cue leave it. Practice this with treats on the floor or table and practice with undesirable things on walks. Always be sure to be able to keep him from getting the treat or item though either restricted by leash or cover the item.
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@k9ashley – NICE! I really like the additional idea of starting with something other than a hand to cover the food. Brilliant – Great addition to our training plan.
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@K9Ashley Wow – way to jump start us on training tips! I’m going to comment soon, but just want to toss out this list of tags to make sure everyone has a chance to participate. This is a FUN and VERY COMMON problem that we can help people solve – Puppy Biting – It’s Normal, Natural and aNNoying! ????
Jump in and tell us what you think,
@bernerlabreclectus @abbie @amy @SandyT. @SacredPaws @britt @zaneb @sandy @rads @wagswithwarren @anna @Angela @Tripod_Mom @leyli @Atticus @gina @ktinan @dogmama @marcybel @amy @steph @genak @pamm @lis @rocco @Gretchen @countrygirl @ruthabigail @gmcdevitt @rvrabel @joye334 @beaglemania @juli @hrigg @kappa_kappa_puppy @sasha52 @denise @spellonu @Yuna @minid21 @Bella @jmraffray @tomo @vinnymickey @Karin @fuzzles @Skylar @Jfly1321 @grace @ggomez @tondabenge @chris @ilana @brian @doggonespecial @hollyjmartinez @kathys @maddialflen @jenny @joybaker1611 @belleseren @lis @walkswithalex @stomper16 @gin @melissa @carolyn @brigid @hhps @levi @achtung @pawstoconsider @laurie @reddog
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Love the ideas, @k9ashley! In addition to using tug on walks, you could also incorporate the name game/watch me into the walks when passing other dogs. Start with large distance from the other dogs (maybe in the yard) and gradually reduce.
For the crate: Meals in the crate, huge reward if he ever enters on his own, don’t use the crate as punishment. Maybe a new crate or bed or revised exercise pen set-up with a bed in it if the association is already strongly negative.
If he loves tug and learns to play by the rules, you can use that as the reward for all the other new behaviors he will hopefully learn!
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Kudos, @wagswithwarren for bringing up Tug. I think this is a real winning option for this pup because he LOVES biting. Do you have any teaching tips, step-by-step for any of your ideas so that we can include them in the plan?
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@wagswithwarren My apologies – I think my initial request for “step-by-step” was confusing. I was more looking for your personal experience explained as you have tried it with a particular dog, rather than any official curriculum.
Sorry about that.
CATCH is separate from Digging Dogs, so we don’t want members to share content from that curricula or any other company’s written plans. I apologize again for stating my request in a confusing way. I do hope you’ll share your personal experience teaching these great exercises.
Does that make better sense?
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My attempt at a plan for Name Game, Watch Me, and Tug with rules. Open to suggestions!
Name Game:
1. Start at home without distractions. Say his name one time, then mark and reward any eye contact or head turn towards you. If he doesn’t look, then wait, then say his name again and either change your tone of voice or introduce a toy or treat to get his attention to you. Practice until response is reliable.
2. Repeat the above in different locations throughout the house, backyard, etc.
3. Repeat the above with gradually increasing distance and distractions.
5. Throughout all steps: Have toy or treat rewards easily available to mark and reward when he gives attention unprompted. When it’s time for his favorite things each day (meals, walks, play), say his name to get his attention and then commence the activity. As much as possible, avoid using his name when you aren’t asking for his attention and use a nickname instead. Especially important for the kids to not say his name frequently with no consequence.
Watch Me:
1. With a treat in your hand, let him sniff the treat, then move the treat up to your eye level. When you get eye contact, immediately mark and reward.
2. Same as step 1, but now give the signal (his nose -> your eyes) without a treat in that hand and keep a treat behind your back in your other hand. Mark and reward from behind your back as soon as you get eye contact.
3. Repeat the above in different locations throughout the house, backyard, etc.
4. Once the response is reliable, add the “Watch Me” cue. Say “Watch Me,” wait a second or two, then give the hand signal, then mark and reward eye contact. Practice until response is reliable.
5. Fade the hand signal. Say “Watch Me,” without a hand signal and mark and reward eye contact. If he doesn’t respond without a had signal, give the smallest signal he will respond to and gradually shrink the hand motion until you remove it. Practice until response is reliable.
6. Repeat the above with gradually increasing distance and distractions.
5. Could reward with a game of tug instead of the treat.
Tug with Rules:
1. For Angus, I’d recommend using only 1 or 2 specific tug toy(s) that is long enough to help him successfully grab the toy and not the humans. He should probably be leashed and tethered so the humans can walk away for any rule violations.
2. Give the ”take it/get it” cue and then present the toy. We can probably expect him to grab it and this should be the easy part. Start with as minimal arousal as possible. Light, easy tugs from the humans.
3. Hold a HIGH value treat at his nose, then mark and treat when he lets go. If he doesn’t let go for the treat, try tossing the treat near him. If no treat is good enough for him to drop, try using two toys and replace one with the other as the reward.
4. Ask for a sit, or a sit and watch, or whatever you’d like to reinforce. When he does it successfully, give the ”Take It” cue, present the toy, and resume tug.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until the drop is consistent and quick. Then add the cue. While tugging, say “Drop It,” wait a second or two, then present the treat or hand signal.
6. Fade the treats. For Angus, it shouldn’t take too long since the tug is a powerful motivator. First, fade the treat presentation to the nose but reward from behind your back or a pouch. Then fade the treat and just reward with resuming the game.
7. For Angus, it will pay off to be consistent among all family members with the consequences for rule violations. I think it makes sense to use the same rule for all violations for simplicity and due to his tendency to bite. For an uninvited take attempt, tooth contact to skin or clothing, a disregarded ”Drop It” (after he has learned it reliably), or over-arousal: The human should drop the toy and walk away to end the game. You can resume after a brief pause or when his arousal level lowers. Keep sessions short and obedience breaks frequent.
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What a bunch of lovely ideas; thanks for taking the time to personalize them for this case, @warren Well done – super contribution to our training plan.
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For walks, I think the Engage-Disengage game would be great. First teaching Angus a marker cue (saying yes! means he’s getting a treat) and taking treats on walks.
If the walking environment is always very busy with dogs, people, triggering events, etc. then driving to a quieter location for walks is a must.
On walks, whenever he sees a dog, mark it and toss treats in the grass for him to eat. The foraging/sniffing action becomes routine/rewarding and is a natural decompressing action that could help with his overexcitement on walks.
For yard behavior, teaching a good recall. My favorite is through hand targeting. Super easy to teach, very versatile and brings the dog to you, instead of having to chase after him. Cue him to hand target randomly when outside, and then engage in hands off play with him/give a good reward. Use the cue when you need him to come back inside, reward heavily for that so cue doesn’t get diminished through “recall means fun outside time is over, and I go back in boring crate”.
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Also! Hand targeting is great to teach kids how to do it as well, due to its simplicity and keeps the kids still, discouraging Angus from herding and nipping.
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@Kayla thanks; these are great recommendations. Do you have tips for teaching this to the kids?
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I would explain it to the kids like so:
To make it fun and easy for kids, picking a funny/easy hand signal like a peace sign or a “low-five/down low” (which is really just an open palm) is a start. Then instructing them to stand like a tree close to the pup, rub the treat, and ask the dog for a “down low” (just replacing the word touch here) When dog gives you a down low and boops their snout to your hand, toss the treat on the ground! Teaches the pup a new way to approach hands, the kids aren’t triggering the dog through crazy movements, they’re learning how to safely interact with him, and this helps prevent any fear the kids may develop of the dog which is definitely not want anyone wants.
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@Kayla these are brilliant and I love how you have made them a little more fun with the unique hand signals. Well done.
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Angus will definitely need a lot of positive reinforcement training with reward markers.
Since Angus is mouthy during play with the children, the moment he sees the children without any contact, mark YES or use clicker, reward. If he moves towards the children as well with no contact, mark YES and reward. Continue to mark and reward when no contact. He is being taught biting and jumping are not rewarding. Make sure the children are not waving their hands in his face and have them play games with his toys(fetch) and interactive activities for him – such as lure him in the crate, mark yes and treat, shut the crate door for 30 seconds, hide other treats in another room and tell him to “find the treats.” The nose work should burn off energy and associate fun with the crate! Don’t let him play too long – tether his leash to a chair or furniture to calm down – give him a Kong treat to work on while tethered. Rest and calm are two ingredients’ Angus needs!
Concerning walks, I suggested earlier to walk Angus around the family house until he is more comfortable with other dogs on the street. A front clip harness should help with pulling and a good tool for loose leash practice. Try putting peanut butter or cheese on the end of a wooden spoon and hold it down in front of him to keep him occupied while he walks instead of biting legs/pants. Reward any walking that isn’t pulling or is loose leash by letting him lick the spoon. The second he sees another dog, mark, reward and turn the other way. Don’t give him a chance to react if possible. Keep walks short since his attention span is short. Also, teach “Watch Me” for attention during the walks.
As far as running after Angus in the yard, teach him a strong recall cue – practice the recall 20 times a day with a high value treat as a reward. This will help in many situations, particularly getting a leash on him when he comes to you to bring him back inside. When you practice recall, lightly grab his collar when he comes then release him again to keep him from associating the fun ends when he comes.
Hope this helps!
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@jcongdon These are awesome tips! And you are leading with some really good instructions too. Could you please get a little more specific about how to begin with any of these exercises, keeping in mind that Mallory & Brian have never trained before. They really need each thing explained – how to set it up to be successful, how to do step 1, when to progress to step 2… etc. Would you be willing to add some details here? Thanks!
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Oh sure – here are specific steps: I added a few cues that are necessary to complete what suggestions I previously listed.
Angus should start with a few basic training cues for impulse control. Explanations below.
Marker Word
A marker is a word or sound such as “YES” you tell Angus in a cheery tone the second he performs a desirable behavior. We want Angus to associate the pleasant word “YES” – and “good things are going to happen!” Start by saying “YES” then give him treats – do this several times to make the association.
Sit
A sit will help Angus with impulse control and keep him out of trouble. Start in a non-distracting environment with a front clip harness tethered to a door or chair for control.
Sit:
For a sit – we want to
1. Get the behavior – put a treat close to top of the nose and bring it to top of the head. That should lure him into a sit. The second he sits, Mark “YES” and treat. Repeat 5-10 successful times.
2. Lose the lure – fade out the treat and keep your hand motion the same. When he sits, continue<font color=”rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)” face=”inherit”> to mark “YES” and treat from your other hand. Repeat 5-10 times.</font>
2. Name the behavior – Say verbally “Sit” then repeat, step 2. Repeat 5-10 times successfully.
3. Practice the behavior in many different environments – go to different rooms in your house and outside.
Release Cue
This teaches Angus he stays in a sit until you release him.
1. While Angus is in a sit, hold a treat in front of his face, then lure it out in front of him so he will follow it.
2. When he leaves the sit, say “YES” and treat. Repeat 5 times.
3. Now name the release cue “release” or “OK” in a cheery tone. Put Angus in a sit, say “Release” and lure him out of the sit with the treat, mark “YES” and treat. Do this 5-10 times.
4. You will use the release to free Angus from training mode. Once Angus has a sit and release, you may increase the sit time in second increments before releasing him. This is the beginnings of a sit stay.
Recall Cue:
Our dogs must always come to us when called, particularly for safety. Use a word or tone Angus will not hear in any other setting. Such as “Come come” or “Here here” in a high pitched, fast tone. This will keep you from chasing him to contain him. It will also be a great exercise to burn off his herding energy!
1. Have high value treats such as chicken or cheese (whatever he loves).
2. Shake a tug toy around you to get Angus’ attention or run away from him, (Dogs love to follow us when we run from them), when he comes to you, mark “YES” – reward heavily with treats thrown on the ground to keep mouth off your body. Do this a few times.
3. Now add distance and say “come come” in a high-pitched tone. When he comes, mark YES and treat and praise! Repeat 5-10 times. If outside and not contained, use a long leash – 20-30 feet – and continue to practice the recall cue at least 20 times a day treating heavily every time until he consistently comes back. Once he learns to be less mouthy, hand feed his treats. Practice inside house, in the back yard and on walks. It’s also nice to put him in sit when he reaches you – more impulse control.
4. Once Angus is proficient with a solid recall, practice this exercise consistently his whole life treating every 4 – 5 times. This is a cue he must never forget!
Teach Angus how to play nicely
I would keep the children from waving their hands in front of Angus’ face which may ramp him up. Make sure play is structured and short.
1. You may start play with him tethered to chair to keep him more confined. If he gets mouthy – say “ouch” leave or turn around and ignore for 20 seconds, then resume play.
2. With toys: Fetch a ball or frisbee throw – have treats available and trade the ball or frisbee with a treat when he brings it back. Start with very short distances (a small toss) and gradually increase. To play tug, let him tug with you, tell him to “drop it,” trade up with a treat and resume the game. He should release the toy when he sees a treat for the drop.
3. After successful play, give him a yummy filled Kong toy on the tethered leash to relax. Try putting wet kibble, peanut butter and a few treats in Kong, freeze it to keep him busy longer!
Another tip for reducing mouthy behavior is when the children are around Angus, and he isn’t jumping or mouthing, mark “YES” and treat for capturing this good behavior. Have them get closer to him and quickly mark YES and treat to the point where they can stroke his back with one hand and treat with the other. We want Angus to learn he will be rewarded for not biting anyone and we want to capture his good behavior before he has a chance to bite.
Crate: Here are suggestions to create positive associations with the crate.
1. Throw high value treats near the crate – when Angus looks at the crate or in that direction – mark “YES” and praise – allow him to eat the treats.
2. Toss a few treats in the crate, if Angus looks at the crate, mark “YES” and treat. If he enters, mark “YES” allow him to eat the tossed treats. If he doesn’t go in on his own, lure him in with a treat and mark “YES” and treat. Let him out on his own and lure him back in the crate with a treat, mark “YES” when he enters and treat. Do this 5-10 times.
3. Add duration while in the crate – 1-5 seconds before he comes out. You can do this by shutting the crate door for 1 second, open it, let him out, “YES” and treat. Continue to add one second at a time.
4. As Angus becomes more comfortable with the crate, play crate games: Have Angus go in his crate with a treat, shut the door and hide treats around the room or in another room. Open the door and have him “find the treats.” This is a good nose/mental exercise to help burn energy.
Loose Leash walking
1. Put Angus in a front clip harness and leash. Because he is reactive toward other dogs, try walking him around your house first and your yard changing directions to make the walk interesting and to practice loose leash walking.
2. The second Angus pulls on the leash, stop the walk and do not move until the leash becomes loose because of his movement. When he loosens the leash, immediately mark YES and treat.
3. Keep doing this, changing directions (walk in figure 8’s) frequently, so he will learn a loose leash is what you want on a walk. Teach the “watch me” cue while he walks to check in with you. “Watch me” will help with his reactivity toward other dogs.
Watch me:
1. Show Angus a treat at his nose and bring it up to your nose – when he looks you in the eye, Mark “YES” and reward. Do this 5-10 times.
2. Continue the same exercise but now say the verbal cue “Watch Me” and bring your finger to your nose as before. When he looks at your eyes, “YES” and reward. Continue to mark and treat as he looks at you.
3. Say the cue in different environments and practice on the walks. Lure a treat from his face to your eyes on the walk, reward when he looks at you if he needs help focusing on the street. This will help his reactivity because he will learn watching you will bring good things.
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Wonderful details, great share.
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EXCITEMENT ON WALKS:
Engage disengage has been recommended elsewhere but too I think that Leslie McDevitt’s Up/Down Pattern Game would be a great use here as well; for that matter the 1-2-3 game too would work to get him to move away from the trigger while finding predictability in the pattern game. Additionally teaching a U-Turn on cue may be helpful so that there is cooperation on movement rather than having to pull him via leash. I hesitate to suggest this for a dog of this age but a game of Find It could also be used to offer an alternate behavior of sniffing.
BODY HANDLING:
Counter Conditioning and Desensitization would be helpful in the case of teaching him that hands coming toward him or touching him is a good thing. Using methods commonly used in cooperative care would go far in this area. Steps would need to be split as finely as needed. This such cooperative care approach can easily apply to picking him up as well
PLAY INTERACTION
Hands off games should be considered such as but not restricted to flirt pole , Bubbles, homemade agility fun. Any games that are being played that may increase excitement should be short and allow for breaks to keep arousal modulated.
NEEDS
Ensure that the pup is getting enough rest (put it on a training schedule if needed) and that he’s physical and mental needs are being met daily.
CRATE
I love Sarah Stremming’s crating games for teaching going into the crate: Mommy’s Busy, The Goods are Inside and Story Time.
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We have a bunch of great exercises and ideas taking shape here. Great contributions @K9Ashley @jenwalker @jcongdon @warren @Kayla @rebeccah
You rock. ???????? Let’s keep it rolling. -
I like to play the 20 treat game. Each day get 20 high value treats. Every time the dog does something good like sit, down, 4 paws on ground, no jumping, etc give him a treat. Don’t give a cue just reward on the good stuff. Do this for several weeks. You don’t have to do this in one session, spread it throughout the day. The idea is he will start doing the behaviors you want instead of mouthing
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Nice game, @bmacwatt – I play a version of this in my puppy classes only I ask them to take the 20-treats and go somewhere new. Give the puppy a treat anytime he sees something new at a distance, or in this case, (Angus) we could use it for DS/CC looking at dogs at a far distance. The main point is; no behavioral expectation and GO HOME after you “spend” the 20 treats. Thanks for bringing this up – I think it works equally well inside or outside and helps people learn how to “pay” for good behavior without prompting it in any way. It also teaches the puppy that his people are pretty cool. Operant/Classical for the win!
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This is a great bunch of ideas so far – love all the collaboration. Keep them coming!
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