# understanding why?



## mutley66 (Oct 25, 2014)

Hi, our V is 12 months and i'm trying to understand her behaviour with me. She is always trying to play bite my hands for attention, i ignore her or turn my back on her and she does stop but after a while she will repeat it. When she was a young puppy i did let her mouth my hand occassionaly as did everyone else in the family. Now she never mouths anyone else in the family. My wife is with her all day and takes her for walks only on her lead. At night i take her out and excercise her off the lead, i am the only one who exercises her off the lead and she responds very well to my commands. I'm trying to uderstand why she has singled out me to mouth constantly??


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## einspänner (Sep 8, 2012)

Mine only mouths people she really really likes. Take it as a sign of affection?


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## tknafox2 (Apr 2, 2013)

IMO... It is affection, an invitation to play, or request for attention. Our pup still does it when he is really glad to see us. I have read on this forum that folks will place an object in their pups mouth (ball or toy) to occupy them while the greeting process is completed, and That works. 

You can see the same mouthing invitation when two dogs get together to play. They will put the other dogs muzzle in their mouth, or grab at their legs.
I believe it is very common. I also believe it hard to break V's ( in particular) of this mouthing, because they are such AFFECTIONATE dogs. I think it will stop as the dog matures.
Your pup must really love you the best, to have singled you out... she is just showing you.


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## mommaofalot (Apr 10, 2014)

Our Koda does the same thing to only me and my oldest. She does it when she wants to play or she tugs our wrist with her mouth when she wants out. Its almost as if her mouth is her hand and she is tugging us saying come on lets go!!!


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## R E McCraith (Nov 24, 2011)

Mut ? do you eat alot of tuna fish & not wash your hands ! LOL - I go with - No Harm - No Foul - the pup knows you take him off lead - this is what makes him happy - just his way of saying - LET's GO


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## mswhipple (Mar 7, 2011)

Yep, Mutley66, I think she loves you the best!!


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## chilithevizsla (Apr 2, 2014)

It sounds like over excitement. You obviously find it inappropriate so you need a way of stopping it.
Ignoring behaviors is actually a bad thing to do in terms of stopping them. As someone who was insistent on positive training I misunderstood this at the beginning too! What you should be doing is redirecting unwanted behaviors to a more appropriate behavior. Like someone mentioned try and offer her a soft toy instead of allowing access to your hand. It may be that she associates you with really exciting things like the off lead walk so she gets over threshold with you, try training some more calming behaviors with her such as lay down calmly next to you so she isn't always over excited by your presence.


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