Locking mouth shut with certain things...mostly socks!

[Catherine & Dexter]

We have a 7 month old goldendoodle - Dexter. Sweet and affectionate, has done really well with his training so far. Good with our 3 young kids. The problem is a couple of times now he has gotten hold of things that he really loves - socks, a braided bracelet of my daughters. In these times, he has not allowed us to open his mouth and remove (as he normally would). He locks his mouth closed and won't budge. He actually pulls his paws up towards his mouth too. He goes Into total lockdown mode. Will.not.budge. Gets stiff and stubborn
I think we need the drop it command - he really doesn't know this one yet.

We've tried:
Trading a high value treat for the sock. Nothing - he doesn't even budge.
'Give it, take it' - nope, not interested in that either.
I have had to just wait and loosen it up and it has taken us 20 minutes at times to get it out of his mouth.

This has happened 3-5 times in the last couple weeks.
He is not neutered yet, we are trying to wait until he is 1 year old. No other aggressive behaviors present.
Any suggestions? He is so sweet and such a great dog
Tell me this is a phase!?!?

[Maryann,Roo and Tigger]

I so understand.  This was Tigger's favorite game and bid for attention and he still does it at least once a day.

First, try using a higher value treat for the command "trade" . The treat should be small, smelly and very tasty and used only for this purpose.  Eventually any treat he likes will do, right now you may need small pieces of liver sausage, canned tuna, cooked chicken or hot dog.

Second, to physically open his mouth put your hand under his lower jaw and push his lips in toward his teeth,(dogs like humans cannot move their upper jaw up - only their lower jaw down) as soon as he drops opens his mouth, pull out item, say trade and offer the smelly treat.  If Dexter moves away from you for a lovely game of chase - hold your hand with the smelly treat and move backwards from him, until he gets close enough to grab the item or his collar.

Be patient, this is a tough behavior to alter.  Take satisfaction in the fact that most items he chews and swallows will pass through him uneventfully.

I also use "decoy" items near things (like shoes and towels, toilet paper ) that I could not hide away.  My best decoy items are large heavy bulky socks ( not easily swallowed) that I wore to make them smell good.

[Adina P]

That's how all my dogs learned to "drop it" -- by me physically enforcing it.  Boca is our sneaky thief but drops things like they are hot potatoes the moment I tell her to.  Rosco rarely takes anything but also is less willing to give it up unless I'm close enough to take it. 

[Catherine & Dexter]

Thanks for good advice!

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I think Maryann has given you some great advice.  I would also start working really hard on the "drop it" command.  I did this training mostly using a soft ball, since I was usually working indoors.  I would throw the ball to them, after they caught it I would say "drop it", and then I'd wait....and wait....until they did.  The minute they did I would either throw it again or give them a treat.  I always had great treats in my pocket during this exercise.  Even though they're trained now, I still do this with them as reinforcement. 

[Catherine & Dexter]

Thanks so much for these ideas! I will get on it right away. Great advice and I just love all you doodle owners!

[Paige and Leo]

The high value treat works well with Leo too.  I have found that if I use these type of treats he will let loose of what he has in his mouth.  Leo loves to get socks, any clothing the my boys wear.    He is so proud of himself for getting it... then the look away when you go to get it.  He is 15 mos old and still working on drop it.  He is getting better. :)

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

You've gotten good advice and I suggest the same. A high value treat is important. Is he very food motivated? Some arent and there is nothing with high enough value it seems. I just use one word commands, two at the most. "Drop", "Drop it" or Leave it are the favorite around my house. And that continues on for years and years so having a good Drop training now will pay off for a long time. 

[Catherine & Dexter]

Thanks! Yes he is totally food motivated....working on the 'drop it' is what we need too!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Boy, do I need to re instruct on this.  Both Ned and Clancy have picked up bones dropped by birds and crunched down before we could stop them.  Bad doggies!

[Ginny Nightingale]

I agree with the advice and think that the neutering will help also--he may be less dominant. I think that anytime a dog who refuses to obey a command (once he knows it) and gets away with it, it will escalate into a bigger issue--I think that because the dog is learning that he is in charge rather than you....so please work on this and do what is needed to get that object back as quickly and easily as you can, so that other more troublesome behaviors do not follow. At 7 months, the sweet puppy months are over--you are now dealing with a teenager!!

You can also combine "sit" with "drop it"--by asking him to sit while you hold the high value treat, he is already doing something submissive, which might help with getting the object back. Works for me--never, ever chase him to get that object--always go for the treat and get him to come to you. 

[Stella]

Wow, at seven months old you can't get his mouth open?  I've always been able to get my boys to open their mouths, even my big guy who is 75lb.  Push your fingers in at the sides of the lower jaw, if you squish their lips a little at the same time it is uncomfortable for them and they will open their mouths.  

Of course, the best way to avoid this is to teach leave it and drop it, and consistently enforce the good behaviour!  It is the retriever that makes them want to carry things, so maybe designate a particular soft toy to be the 'carrying toy'.  Replace the stolen object with that toy each time.

[Catherine & Dexter]

Yes he is 7 months and yep we couldn't get his mouth open easily a couple of times. This is our first dog. I will try your method next time.
We are in the process of teaching him 'drop it'. It's different than 'leave it' for us, which he already knows.