[cellerby]

my five mos old pit sill sometimes jump at my face if i am bending down saying no. its usually when she is hyper and trying to play with the other dogs when i try to settle her down she will jump at me. she is very affectionate and will sit when i tell her, but its like she is trying to be defiant. how do you teach them this is unacceptable? the same thing happens when she is lying beside me, she is teething and will get excited and try and chew on my face, neck, hands, whatever she can get at.

[Miakoda]

In her eyes she's just doing the same movement that you are doing - moving your face towards hers. It seems she's taking it as an invitation to play or whatnot.

For one, I reserve the word "NO!" for extreme cases. I usually use a loud "eh" to get a dog's attention and let them know they are not engaging in something I find permissible.

From now on, work with her on this. When she's getting into something she's not supposed to, just use a vocal tone or noise to get her attention/startle her. Do no bend over, just stand up tall and look down on her. This is the dominant position plus she won't be able to get your face. Immediately once you have her attention, put her into a sit. As soon as she sits, reward her (treat, verbal praise, pat on the head...whatever) and then redirect her energy onto something else.

But just be patient. A pup that age is like dealing with a 12-year-old child who still acts like a child but then wants to do his own thing like a grown-up.

[cellerby]

thanks i'll start doing that right away! its funny because my maltese are really well trained so i thought i had a pretty good idea of what i was doing, but i have to admit that big dogs are a whole other story!! they get into soooo much more! lol

[Miakoda]

LOL.

No problem! Evertime I've got a puppy (or more) at the house, I swear off them forever. They're nothing but troublemakers with attitudes!

[Drgnrdr]

great advice Mia,

I just wanted to add a bit of body language explanation, when you bend over at your dog, it actually lessens you in their eyes, if you look at from their perspective, bending over almost looks like the Play bow they do, and what does a play bow mean when dogs do it, it usually means," I am just playing anything I do after this I don't really mean.." so you bend over and correct they don't take you seriously.
If she bites at your body anywhere, YIP like a mortally wounded dog, loud and high pitch usually works best, but every dog is different, try diff tones levels and high to low pitch, one will usually get a reaction, and leave the area for a few seconds, if she follows ignore her, if she bites at you, yelp again, and go behind a door for 10 seconds, keep doing it till she gets the ideal you nip I leave the game and I'm not playing, if you see she has stopped get her a toy she can chew and play with, and PRAISE her for chewing on it, you don't have to be crazy antics praise, calm ones will do, when they are calmly doing something (don't want to rile them up), unless she does something really good like come when called that is when you use Happy dance big praise,,for chewng on something good calm praise,, sometimes we forget to praise when dogs are doing the right thing, so they don't know what is it that you want. We tell them no or stop when wrong but what about when they get it right?

[kanekane]

I am having the same problem with my little pup Lilah bites at everyone all the time. If I go to pet her head she nips I tried some of the suggestions and am still working on it but boy she is something else!!! Was wondering how long it will take her to get out of that. The last pup we had didnt do this at all.

[Drgnrdr]

don't know how old your pup is, they get mouthy, some do so becasue when we play with them we use our hands, don't play "slap the puppy in the face or head" games with your dog, never use your hands for correction (like holding their mouth closed, or popping them on the nose or anything like that), they go after your hands and then will go after any hands coming at them, (even a small childs who's trying to just pet them).
Don't go over dogs head to pet them, go under the chin, if they have the habit going after your hand put a toy in their face and let them latch onto that and then pet them UNDER the chin and praise them. Over the head is a domination body language, and if your praising them then dominate praise won't get as far. If they bite you when play, like I said before YELP! and then leave the game, same as if you were another pup and they bit too hard.