How do I break this habit?

[wildcat180]

My husband brought home an older puppy a couple of months ago. For the most part, he's been wonderful to train. Housebroken in no time, crate trained quickly, picked up the routine of the house, no problem. He listens really well, even walks with me off leash on our property. He's still learning his boundaries, like not chasing the chickens, but he's doing really well.

But we have a habit I REALLY don't like. In all my years of raising dogs, and training them, I've never dealt with anything like it, so I'm at a loss as to how to break it. Odin is very "handsy". He likes to paw at us. He doesn't jump up or anything like that, he just slaps us with his paws. I can't stand it. Even if we're sitting on the couch together, he'll paw at me. (Nothing like having a dog claw the facial area...) With a baby coming in a matter of days, I have to find a way to stop him from doing this.

Here's what I've tried so far, to no avail. When he paws, sternly saying no and pushing the offending paw off. I've tried ignoring him when he does it, but he just gets worse and starts digging with his nails as he paws. I've slapped his paw, moved away from him when he paws, and I've flat out yelled at him when he does it. Anything has just been met with more pawing.

I'm tired of being slapped by my dog!

If it matters, he's a shepherd mix, about 8 months old.

[Diamond_Y]

Can he see well? My schnauzer got really bad about it as he started losing his sight. He is not as bad now as he was, so I think as he's become acclimated to being blind, he doesn't feel the need to paw at us as much.

[wildcat180]

Oh yeah, he sees just fine. He does it to get our attention. The thing is, he'll also do it when we're already petting him...

[farmergal]

Same problem here only mine is a toy poodle. Sorry I don't have an answer for you. I dog bite mine (that's a quick jab with the end of my fingers to her neck and hiss. Sometimes it works most of the time not.

What do you think your dog wants? I know mine wants up on my lap or attention. I think it's a form of anxiety.

[Diamond_Y]

I don't have any answers for you, but I do know just how you feel. Winston drove us batty for a long time!

[Gallamist]

What about getting a remote shock collar for him? Each time he paws you hit the button on the remote and give him a little zap...he will learn quickly to NOT paw at you...You can adjust the "zap" on the collar.

[NHIceGSD]

Maybe it's a shepard thing? Ours uses his paws like hands... it's kind of disturbing to watch sometimes.. but I agree that the pawing of people is obnoxious. Have you tried a spray bottle? Everytime he paws... "Spritz". Our happened to be scared of life at the time, so it only took 2 squirts for the behaviour to stop ( Now if I could only stop him from opening all the doors with the AC on..... )

[farmergal]

Never pet or coo when he's in this frame of mind. You need to get him in a calm submissive frame of mind.

Sandy is slowly learning that it is OK to lay by my feet and I love her just as much as if she were on my lap.

[wildcat180]

I don't use shock collars. I believe they should only in extreme cases and as a last resort. This dog is highly intelligent and very needy. I want him to equate wanting attention with pain. I want to find a way to communicate to him that it's unacceptable to hit us with his feet. I don't feel it's such an extreme thing to warrant the use of pain as a deterrent.

I generally don't "reward" his behavior by petting him. He'll do it even when I *am* petting him. When he does it at that point, I stop petting him and move away. (If I didn't move away, he'd increase his pawing.)

He will also do it when he wants something. Just before feeding time, he'll come and start pawing at me. I wait until a little while after he stops before feeding. I certainly don't want him to think he can get what he wants when he does that...Even if it means the dogs have to wait an extra 15 minutes to eat.

He does it for everything. He'll do it for nothing. He just does it.

[lelo2006]

Are you training him at all to obey basic commands (sit, lay down, come ect.). I found that my dog did that until I trained her with some basic commands. As soon as she tried to paw at me I immediately told her to go lie down.

It sounds like he's a little too clingy and expects attention right now on the spot, that isn't a good thing in dogs because it also says that they don't respect you if they feel they can just jab at you for your attention. Try some basic training and see if that helps.

Hope it all goes well. Congrates on the up coming baby.

[wildcat180]

Thanks!

Yeah, we've been doing basic commands and I do try to "distract" him with a command. He's still earning the "go lay down". He is very clingy, which is why he's been slow to pick up the "go lay down", he doesn't want to leave my side. But he's trying. Because he is trying, I make sure he gets a good deal of my time.

He doesn't do this to my husband, not really. I can't help but wonder if he senses the upcoming labor and that it has something to do with why he's bad with me...

[ChazsNewDestiny]

My uncle had a problem with dogs jumping and then scratching by digging in their nails. What he did was the paw that you get you grab ahold of it and pinch between his toes, not to hurt him, just to get his attention. Then hang on for a few seconds. It has always worked for my uncle and now with my dogs. Give it a try, then let me know.

I believe it teaches then that the action they are doing is causing an unpleasent reaction. Makes sense anyways . . . .

[wildcat180]

I'll try pinching him between his toes. I've tried squeezing his paw, but that hasn't done anything...Toe might be a bit more to get his attention.

[ChazsNewDestiny]

Originally Posted by wildcat180

I'll try pinching him between his toes. I've tried squeezing his paw, but that hasn't done anything...Toe might be a bit more to get his attention.

Make sure you pinch the skin between his toes, right back by his paw. I think it might be a pressure point. But it works good if you can hold it like that an hold on if he tries to pull away, say NO so he knows why youre doing it.

Hope it helps.

[wildcat180]

After thinking about it, I've decided not to pinch his toes, just yet. I'll hold that trick in case nothing else works. You see, I'm still trying to train him to be OK with me cutting his nails. I'm afraid I may end up with him associating the pinching with me touching his feet and not him pawing me. He's been good so far about me handling his feet and I don't want to jeopardize that if I can avoid it.

[VickiE]

MIL's golden was super bad about the exact same thing when she was a puppy. She still does it every once in a while.

Usually when Molley does this, we will make her shift her weight. Which if she doesn't put the paw down she'll fall over. Does it work? Usually yes it does work. Also, we will smack her paw and say paw down. Both usually work pretty good with her. Molley does it for the same reason. She is now 8 years old and Marie got her as a 9 month old puppy. The smacking of her paw has not hurt her need or want for attention. Good Luck with him! Just my .02 cents!

[Slim Pikkens]

Put a leash on your dog and when he doesn't listen, use the back of your hand to bump him on the neck, to get his attention. Sometimes bump him with the leash, sideways, not back toward his rump. With my bull-headed Chessie, I'll even bump him in the flank with my foot. He never knows which. A dog would never paw the leader dog or he'd be knocked over in a show of dominance. Push you dog away with his collar and give it a good quick tug to get his attention. and tell him "sit". You may have to do this 4 or 5 times but you are establishing your authority by doing this. The chessie has made a remarkable turnaround with two ten minute sessions of him walking alongside and getting bumped whenever he showed interest in something else. He needs periodic reminding but so much better now.

[wildcat180]

Originally Posted by Slim Pikkens

A dog would never paw the leader dog or he'd be knocked over in a show of dominance.

Actually, it's not always that cut and dry. Zeus is very much our resident dominant male. He's put Odin in his place once. Odin WILL paw at him when he's trying to get him to play. Zeus does not react. Zeus actually ignores him.

It's not a respect issue. If it were, we'd be having other signs. It's more like he does it to reassure himself. He defers to me in just about everything. I'm first through a door, for example, because he knows to wait.

My dogs always get a basic "course" in respect. They know I'm Alpha. Odin included. It's normally the first thing we do...

[gingerfleguel]

hi there...I have a lab that does the same thing and what worked for us...(which may not work for you but its worth a try) is when he does it...grab the paw and squeeze really hard and firmly say NO....yes there is a slight element of pain...but he will learn to relate that if he does it...it hurts.

[SweetPea&Sage]

Being that he is still a puppy and in that puppy mode, I would you suggest you keep ignoring him when he paws you, in fact walking away from him if you can. I would then teach him, which you may already be doing, that he will only get attention from you if he is sitting or laying down. I would not even address the paw issue, because something tells me any form of negative punishment he may see as a game, or in general it garners him the attention he is seeking in one form or another. In teaching him how to get your attention (by sitting or laying down and not bothering you) rather than teaching him how to not get your attention (some form of punishment for pawwing you) you may get lot farther faster.


Now if you told me this was an older dog, then I would be concerned about domiance issues. But this just sounds like a pup that doesn't have all his manners yet, and at that age it is to be expected.

My mastiffs are a breed that are notorious for the paw, but not nearly as often as your boys sounds.. with them it is an I am here thing, not a dominant thing, even at older age. I tolerate it to an extent, but they are not digging in, not rough (even for their size)....and they do it on few occasions...

- Marisa