Eating my hand to get treats

My 5 year-old lab (aspin) will try to eat my hand to get at the treat. She jsut started doing this, ever since she was a puppy she would sit and wait until i held out the treat then gently taking it out of my hands. now she'll knock me over to get at it and eat my hand to get it. she isn't deprived or anything, i don't know what caused this sudden behavior or how to stop it. it seems the more i tell her no the harder she tries to get the treat.

 

How do you hold the treat? palm up or down? Bc on who gets the dog (I hate that show) the people had to teach the dog how to take a treat, and the "experts" said the people wewre doing it wrong because they did it palm down, but later they did it palm up and the "experts" said that was wrong again bc when you feed the dog like that they have to lap it up and can't bite it out. I hate those experts, I think they are idiots, bc they got the dog not to bite it out of their hand....
anyway I could go on forever about how much I hate that show, but the idea was right if you hold your hand one way then they can't bite at it, so maybe iif you try that, it also gives better control of the treat. Maybe try that for a while and see if that helps.

 

I train this by using the word "gentle". The treat remains firmly in my hand until the dog stops trying to eat my hand to get it. I remind them by saying "gentle" in a calm voice and when they start being more gentle then they get the treat. You may have to shape the behavior by rewarding slightly more gentle behavior and keep upping your expectations as your dog begins to catch on. NEVER let him have the treat if he is knocking you over or eating your hand.

 

I won't put up with my dogs snatching treats from my hand. I absolutely will not give up the treat until the dog takes it extremely gently. Like Jamiya, I keep the treat firmly in my hand until the dog catches on that it is NOT going to get anything until it acts like a domesticated, well mannered dog!

 

Don't even tell her no, especially if it riles her up. Just stand there and ignore her until she starts to be more gentle and then let her have the treat. You could even try saying OUCH! in a really offended way if she is really hurting you. As a final measure if nothing else works, if she won't stop attacking your hand say "Too bad!" and put the treat away and walk away. Try again later.

 

Jamiya, excellent description of training through problem solving! Give the dog a problem "how do I get the treat", then let them solve it. It's amazing how fast they figure things out, if given the chance.

By letting the dog figure this out on his own, he'll be truely learning, not just learning a conditioned response. And when they solve a problem on their own, they remember it much longer than if we 'teach' them.

 

Thanks for the great advice guys! Next time she earns a treat I'll try all that.

 

Aspin is being MUCH more gentle, and i think it might have been a thing where she was overly excited and just wasn't thinking. Thanks for the advice, i stole your's Jamiya! Now she sits and waits and takes the treat when i say gentle, not when i put my hand down by her. Works great!