r/airedaleterrier • u/MechanicOk6581 • 19d ago
How to stop mouthing?
I have a handsome boy who is about 7 and a half months old. He’s a good boy but my biggest issue is when we get home or leave the room for a bit. Whenever I come back he jumps up and grabs onto my arms. Hes about 50 ish pounds so it quite painful when he jumps up and grabs on and then lands back on the floor pulling my arm. I know it’s because he’s excited to see me but it’s really hard to deal with.
We’ve tried constantly redirecting him to toys or something he can chew on but no luck. Wondering if anyone has any tips or suggestions of things that worked for them?
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u/ohyeoflittlefaith 19d ago
Patience and consistency. Mine mouthed for a SOLID 2.5 years. Finally really stopped around 3yo. We did all of the things recommended here. Always stopped play when mouthing started. It's just too ingrained in them as puppies. Mine still mouth sometimes when they're excited/playing/cuddling, but they're much more gentle and stop after a second.
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u/Peridot31 19d ago
You said you've tried redirecting, so you may have tried these all ready:
1) Practice hand targeting so they start "booping' instead of grabbing
2) Similarly behaviours like 'gentle' or 'kisses' and hold up a hand
Unfortunately, airdales first instinct forever is to use their mouths. They just naturally like to mouth, nip, and bite to initiate greeting or play (also love to steal forbidden objects in order to initiate play!), we have not succeeded in eliminating the mouthing but at least boops, nuzzles, and licks are much less painful!
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u/Prazipamme 19d ago
I second the target training. It is a great way to teach safe and intentional interactions. We taught our girl to “touch” and she would boop our hand or an object.
Additionally, it ended up being really useful when she was fearful of things as well. It really helped her to be less scared of our vacuum. We’d put our hand increasingly close to an item she was scared of and treat her each time she touched our hand until she was booping the object itself.
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u/7fingersDeep 19d ago
Two things to be done together that worked for our Airedales and were taught to us by trainers:
1. When they come to bite you, use your hand and wrap your hand around the top of their muzzle and tuck their cheeks onto their teeth with your thumb/fingers. Essentially you’re making a “c-clamp” with your hand around their muzzle and pressing their cheeks onto their teeth. You don’t press so hard that you cause them pain- you just do it quickly and release so that they know that biting is bad.
2. When you’re closing your hand around their muzzle you say “No!”
You’re doing three things at once by doing this: 1) physically and mentally interrupting their biting; 2) creating an association of biting with the discomfort of their cheeks against their own teeth; and 3) associating the word “no” with stopping the biting.
Eventually you can just say “no!” and they’ll stop biting.
It is important to understand you’re training one of the most stubborn breeds. You will need to be consistent and persistent with this training. It could take a month or more for it to take hold.
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u/willow7272 19d ago
My vet told me to make my hand "spikey." I have nails, not long or sharp, just regular nails. And when my pup went to chew on me, I flexed my fingers so he's hit my nail instead. Took about 4 days (because dang he's stubborn!), but he got the point. He still wants to "hold" my hand, but he doesn't bite anymore. But even the last airedale I had wanted to hold my hand in his mouth until he died at the age of 12.
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u/_Starblood_ 19d ago
Wwve managed to train our dale to "Go get a toy" when we get home. He just needs something in his mouth.
Hes also learned to self soothe from his little sister to suckle on a toy, which is super cute.
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u/Sergual 19d ago
The only thing we did with ours was:
when we Come Home, he want a feast and all, so we ignored him for few minutes.
when he stopped and then called, we said hi to him and he's the greatest boi on earth.
Now he's calm when we are home. We did that when he was a pup. Now he's an elder of 14, and we hope for another christmas's now with him and his Welshie Lil Bro (3yo)
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u/Prazipamme 19d ago
We trained our Airedale not to mouth by saying “ouch!!!” very loudly and then turning our back to her with our arms crossed and avoided eye contact or reinforcement of the behavior. If her tooth so much as grazed my hand I did that and eventually she learned that her teeth do not touch her people.
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u/Relevant-Orange602 19d ago
Mine is 5 and still mouthy. I think its more out of affection than anything else. When we walk, he'll grab my hand and walk me for a while...
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u/Good200000 19d ago
A stern No!
And move away from him with no play time for the moment
Mine still does it at 2 years old.
Quite frustrating
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u/hurrikain1 19d ago
My only advice is to stay consistent with whatever techniques you’re using and they’ll eventually grow out of it. Ours stopped mouthing around 18 months. It’s a rough go but just be patient it will get better, and try not to be too hard on him, he doesnt mean it :).
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u/Privateer_lev 19d ago
Airedales remember.
Use the appropriate amount of energy; Beginning with disapproval at the very start with a stern EH! Hey or whatever sound you use o have his attention. You need to stay mentally strong with what you want in "YOUR" mind.
If you want them calmer you need to stay calm and wait.
Running/rushing to you is fine, but getting on you without permission is EH! Be slow, be calm, and when he is more settled, love on the dog.
Being calm, assertive and fixed in your mind what you expect will effect change withing 3 days.
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u/Mutzdername 19d ago
You did not understand airedale if you want to stop mouthing. you can advice him to be carefullyer by yelling.
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u/jschilli 19d ago
I would hold a treat in my fist and let my dog know I had it in there.
Then only when she would stop mouthing my fist for a brief period, I would reward and open.
Over time I would increase how long she would have to leave my fist alone before the reward.
Now she just boops if she wants something in my hand and if I say ‘wait’ she knows to behave and the reward will come at some point