Has anyone any tips / advice on how to 'nip' this one in the bud? The most exciting time in Pongo's week at the moment is his agility classes. They are (I'm hoping!) good for him because he gets to do lots of active things that he enjoys - eg running veryveryveryfast! - and also because it is forcing him to learn to be a bit calmer and more controlled around other dogs, especially on-lead. All in all it is a very stimulating hour for him - he is extremely excited for most of that time, and we get through rather a lot of treat rewards, either for the exercises or for 'look at me instead of trying to play with that spaniel'. What this means, though, is that he gets lots of treats while very excited, and when he is excited he 'snatches' for treat rather than taking it nicely. He never bites, but he does clumsily allow his teeth to close on finger / hand... enough to smart a bit at times. Recently this 'snatchiness' has started to become the norm even when not at agility class, and I want to get it back under control. I already do the thing about holding the treat in my fist and only slowly opening the hand to let him take it.... this works in avoiding a nip (although I end up with a very slobbery hand, and sometimes my whole fist inside his mouth!) but it doesn't address the behaviour of snatching in the first place. Does anyone recognise this behavoiur, and have you any tips that have worked? Rosie
Re: Getting a little snatchy.... Yes, Poppy has been a bit of a snatcher, as she is very greedy. I was just very careful when I gave her a treat / reward, and if she sort of snatched at it I took my hand away, then brought it back to her slowly, while saying 'Gently' in a gentle, calm voice. She got the idea pretty quickly that she only got the treat if she was gentle and careful. Mostly it works; sometimes she forgets! Then I have to repeat the 'gently' command and so on.
Re: Getting a little snatchy.... Perhaps add a Leave it/take it so that he has to concentrate a little more before he gets the treat. When they're excited etc they can lose their manners a little. I've always tended to give Juno treats from between my fingers, not the flat of my hand so she's always been pretty careful but if excited she forgets occasionally but remembers her manners with a leave it. Have also said used gently when giving treats the same as Karen
Re: Getting a little snatchy.... This has happened with murphy since we started agility and using cocktail sausages as treats? I do the gently thing like karen said, but unfortunately i do need to remind him quite frequently!
Re: Getting a little snatchy.... Interesting that you've had the same, Frankie! A side-effect of agility... I guess their tiny brains just explode with excitement!
Re: Getting a little snatchy.... Yea its definately the combination of excitement, other dogs in close proximity and higher value treats! Hope you are feeling better now?
Re: Getting a little snatchy.... [quote author=Fwhitt246 link=topic=10577.msg156720#msg156720 date=1429100752] Hope you are feeling better now? [/quote] Much, thanks.... it is just as well I didn't come, the bug turned out to be a nasty little flu strain and I'd hate to have passed it on to any of the Severnside walkers! (Although I don't think Pongo will EVER forgive me for missing out on the Laundrette).
Re: Getting a little snatchy.... When Snowie was a puppy he always snatched his treats. It was very painful administering treats to him! I assumed that being a Labrador he would have a very soft mouth and would know instinctively -- he being a Lab and all! -- how to take a treat (he is my first Lab). At the school we went to, even the woman who runs the school made mention that there were several Lab puppies that had hard mouths. Of course I felt awful when she said this. Well, he's just over three years now and he has the softest mouth imaginable and oh so delicately takes anything I give him by hand. I think he just grew up! I think that I had way too high expectations that a young pup should know how to take a treat. Granted, politely taking a treat is something one needs to teach a puppy, as you would teach a child. But I also believe that he simply got older and learned how to be gentle with his mouth. I might've taught him without knowing it, but I think he also simply matured and needed time to show how gentle he would become. I shudder when I remember the unrealistic expectations I had of such a young boisterous pup.
Re: Getting a little snatchy.... I don't know if this has any bearing, but Benson only snatches from OH. He used to snatch a little with me until I started being more accurate with my treats and making sure they go right in his mouth. I used this technique when training a sit/stay and I wanted him to stay in sit by sort of "machine gunning" treats right into his mouth without him moving out of a sit. When watching Marcus the other day..and he is tall..I noticed Benson had to jump a little to get a treat, so he snatched the treat from hubby.
Re: Getting a little snatchy.... Maisie is also a bit of a snatcher when she goes for a treat while excited. I know this though and always use her cue "gentle" when giving her the treat, and I don't let her have the treat out of my fingers when she's using her teeth/a sharp mouth. When you say you are slowly unfolding the treat, do you mean you open the fist for the treat if he is using a soft mouth? Or you just do it slowly to decrease snatching? I do the first… pinch treat between fingers, say gentle, and only allow her to take it with her lips/mouth. It is something I have to emphasize EVERY TIME! I give a treat or she forgets. Overall she is generally much softer with her mouth than she used to be, but is a snatcher when excited. Another thing you can do is do a bit of an "airplane" approach where you lower the treat down to him while he's seated, and if he pops up or brings his head towards you to get the treat, the treat goes further away. Then if he is sitting calmly and not reaching for it, the treat descends again… until he sits politely and waits for the treat to come to him instead of snatching. I think just reinforcing this and never (or as close to never) as you can get to not letting him snatch the treat but use a soft mouth helps. A management option is to teach a "catch!" and throw him treats that he must catch in his mouth when he is very excited, instead of offering from fingers/hand.
Re: Getting a little snatchy.... I trained this. I think it teaches them some self control, always useful with an enthusiastic Labrador. I offered a treat in my clenched fist. You bet Molly was interested. My fist was nosed by Molly. Licked by Molly. Pawed at by Molly. But treat was not forthcoming. She sat back on her haunches and looked puzzled. Next step was to S L O W L Y unfurl my fingers. If she made a move towards it, I would reclench my fist. Eventually the treat would be exposed on the flat of my hand. I would then say "Take it" and her cooperation was wonderful to behold. It has proved a wonderful tool. It concentrates her mind on the treat in the hand and NOT jumping up when greeting people. It sounds a big ask for an excitable greedy Lab, but it was actually very easy to train.
Re: Getting a little snatchy.... Molly - I am trying this Zac!! He tends to snatch when excited also. Seeing a little improvement. They are so smart - but sometimes just can't help themselves! (tough when they are 60 lbs of excitement!)
Re: Getting a little snatchy.... Hmm Bonnie also does this but only when we're doing something super exciting on the field and they're high value treats. I trained her out of snatching on all other occasions by using the techniques people mention. We're working madly on recall at the minute and I want to give her her treat as quickly as possible so I haven't corrected her in this one scenario. In all other scenarios she's fine. She seems too overexcited on these occasions and I just don't think she'd take it in. Basically I feel I'm putting recall before manners! Not sure if that's wise, but there we go!
Re: Getting a little snatchy.... [quote author=Mollly link=topic=10577.msg156873#msg156873 date=1429175907] I trained this. I think it teaches them some self control, always useful with an enthusiastic Labrador. I offered a treat in my clenched fist. You bet Molly was interested. My fist was nosed by Molly. Licked by Molly. Pawed at by Molly. But treat was not forthcoming. She sat back on her haunches and looked puzzled. [/quote] This. Don't allow access to the treat until there is no muzzle/hand contact. As soon as they sit back, or move stop touching your hand, give them the treat - but not before.
