# Shih Tzu puppy lunging at face



## Smedley12 (Oct 19, 2012)

Hello all! I have a 7 month old shih tzu puppy who's a total sweetheart, and for the most part fairly obedient for a puppy. There's one issue that I can't seem to correct and it's that he lunges at my face but ONLY when he's on the couch with me. 

Here's the scoop - when I'm on the floor playing with him, he plays appropriately, we've corrected play nipping for the most part. When my face is near his when I'm sitting on the floor, he is really good - he'll sniff my nose/face and give me a little lick.

Now, when we're laying on the couch together or if I try to bring him to bed that's a totally different story. He will sometimes lay still and chew on a toy/be petted for a few minutes, but then it's almost like the excitement of being up there with me is too much and he will pounce up toward my face. He starts with a pounce followed by frantic face licking (not biting) but then he will go to my ear and nip it a little bit. If i'm laying down, it's even worse because he has more access to my face. in this case he follows the licking/biting by going up over where my head is and sniffing/licking my hair. Gross! When I say no/clap (like I did when I trained him out of play nipping), it does nothing. When I pick him up to hold him back, he does this thing with his paws where he moves them up and down like he does when he's begging for a tummy rub. So weird. usually when he does this I say no and then put him back on the floor, at this point he's wound up and barks to get picked up back on the couch.

Any suggestions on what I shuold do? I want him to be allowed to be up on the couch, but he needs to be a little more civil when he's up there! Is this just puppy behavior that will go away or should I be doing something to train him out of it? Everything else I have found on lunging is more for bigger dogs and seems like it's related to aggression which this definitely is not.


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## Hambonez (Mar 17, 2012)

My puppy face lunged when he was really little. He got put down and ignored every single time, and he grew out of it faster than his other biting. He will still lick-lunge (I think all my friends have gotten surprise french kissed by the puppy), but it's never encouraged. I would put him down on the floor and/or walk away for a few minutes every time it happens, so he learns that if he's doing that, he's losing your company for a bit.


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## chubby (Aug 18, 2011)

Hehe my Butters did that a lot when she was young, and still does when she's really excited and wants to give me kisses. When he lunges, just turn your head away and cross your arms, and don't pay him any attention. When he stops the lunging, then praise and pet him. He will learn that lunging doesn't get him the attention he seeks. If the 'freezing/ignoring' doesn't work, get off the couch and walk away.


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## doxiemommy (Dec 18, 2009)

I agree. Ignore the unwanted behavior, and, in addition, teach the "off" command, so that you can tell him "off" when he is too excited. It's much better to give the command and have him get off the couch on his own, rather than have you pick him up and move him off the couch.

Of course, you have to practice "off" just like with any command.

Watch his body language and behavior. There will be signs that he's about to get to that "too excited" stage. Try to get him off the couch BEFORE he gets to that point. Some of the signs might be super subtle, so you'll have to really watch.


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