# Dog goes bonkers in evening (mouthing/nipping)



## TheSeaWithin (Sep 6, 2011)

Hi! 
I got a coonhound mix from a shelter about a month ago. He's about a year and a half. He's always had mouthing problems... grabbing my pants, etc... I have been able to manage it when it's during the day be doing time-outs. The behaviour has far from extinguished though. 
In the evening he has been awful. He will jump on me (and he doesn't jump at any other time) and grab my shirt and it is hard to get him to let go. I've tried to be a tree and that doesn't work. I've also asked him to sit and that will sometimes work, but after he sits he goes for me again. I've also tried rewarding him for sitting or when he stops mouthing. Sometimes he will sit when I ask and then bark at me. I have no idea how to get him to stop. I don't want to have people over in the evening because of this behaviour. It lasts for almost an hour. Then he'll just crash in his crate. 
Exercise: he gets one hour walk first thing in the AM, gets a 40 min walk or gets to play fetch at a ballpark at lunch, then gets an hour hike or walk in the evening. This behaviour happens when we get back from our last walk. Today he had a 40 min walk, 1.5 hour hike, and another 1h20 min walk and then went bonkers on me. I have also been home all day with him. During the day he is pretty much perfect. He does go for my pants sometimes, but never to the extreme of jumping up and barking at me. I start obedience tomorrow, so I hope that might help. This behaviour is really stressing me out. I have read the 'bite stops here' and have tried a lot of those things, but I must be doing something wrong. I hope someone can help!


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## Nil (Oct 25, 2007)

Sometimes dogs have one last burst of energy before bed, I know mine does. 

Have you tried redirecting with a toy? It sounds like he wants to interact with you but just isn't doing it properly. I would have some sort of tug rope in your pocket or nearby. When this time comes around and he starts acting excited, start playing tug with him, sometimes letting him win, sometimes asking him to let go, and sometimes throwing it across the room for him to get it. If he bites your clothing I would yelp (as if clothes=skin) and act upset as you stomp out of the room. When you come back, play with the toy some more. 

Also, what I tend to do with my dog if I can't be bothered (doing homework, washing dishes, etc.) is get some old boxes and cut small holes in them and put her dinner or part of her dinner in them. She will rip and tear the boxes (she loves ripping and tearing toys) to get the food. This gets her to mentally think about getting the food and allows her to interact with the box in a physical way (picking it up, moving it, tearing it, etc.). *I only do this when I can watch her so I know she isn't eating the box. *

And welcome to the forums!!

Edit: Sounds like he has a lot of physical exercise, have you thought about doing clicker training to teach him tricks? Teaching a dog new tricks is both rewarding for you and a great bonding experience with new dogs. If you use positive methods and teach him a couple different things you are also giving him a lot of mental exercise. Physical exercise and mental exercise together can really tire out a dog.


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## TheSeaWithin (Sep 6, 2011)

Thanks for the reply! Yes, I have given him stuffed kongs or a treat ball, but as soon as he is done he is back after me. I've also tried giving him a toy so he will stop biting my clothes. He'll grab the toy the then right back at me or my clothes. The box idea sounds fun! He does love boxes. I've tried the yelping and have removed myself from the situation. 

I did try the clicker once with him. He got freaked out and hid! I may try it again as I know it's a great tool.


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## Nil (Oct 25, 2007)

The clicker can be put in a sock (preferably clean) and clicked, too. This usually produces a sound that is a little more muffled and less of a scary thing. 

Since you have tried all of those methods I would start to suggest something aversive. Nothing physical. But maybe putting a little Bitter Apple Spray on your clothes where he bites so that when he does bite he is a bit taken back and releases so that you can jackpot that action of letting go. I am not sure what you are comfortable with and if you don't want to try that, that is fine. 

But "on paper" he seems to be getting a lot of exercise and attention. He most likely just never learned not to do it. Or maybe that was the way he got attention in his previous home so that it was a reinforced thing in his past. Who knows. What I do know is that it can be dangerous if you were holding something delicate or dangerous and the behavior needs to be curbed, which I think you are in agreement with.

Dogs like yours present a fun training challenge, haha.


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## TheSeaWithin (Sep 6, 2011)

I never thought of the sock! I do know you can get 'quiet clickers'. I'll try with the sock to see how that works. 

I have tried a bitter spray on my pant legs and that didn't help so much. It's a bitter spray from the vet. I'm not sure if bitter apple is more potent, so I should try that. 

I'm not opposed to using collar corrections on a dog if needed. I am worried in this situation because it is a 'play' behaviour that he has never learned is unacceptable on people, that is could be detrimental to give him a collar correction. I have read you shouldn't correct a dog for mouthing because it's a play behaviour. I'm at the point where nothing else seems to be working, so that may do it. He has occasionally done the nipping of my clothes and jumping while out walking. I have collar corrected him there and he has stopped doing it while walking...

The frustrating part is that he's a wonderful dog at all other times. Not perfect, but for being in a shelter for 8 months and only with me for a month, he's been quite good. It's just this brief time in the evening and it drives me nuts!


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## Nil (Oct 25, 2007)

I wouldn't really want to use a collar correction if this was my personal dog, but that is up to you. (Mostly because it is play and it would be unclear to the dog what exactly he is doing wrong) I would try something that distances yourself from the aversive, like the Bitter Apple spray. The Bitter Apple Spray works for a lot of dogs but some dogs don't mind it and some down right like it. I don't know how your guy would react to it though. 

When you walk out do you act visibly upset? Sometimes dogs are so excited they don't really care if you leave. But, if they act real upset and make it a dramatic experience (ie. Yelp LOUD and frown, look VEERRRYY upset, then stomp out loudly and shut the door firmly behind you) it tends to hit home much more clearly. Also, have you thought of putting him on leash, tying the leash to something solid (couch dining room table, doorhandle, etc.) and then playing with him in the evening? That way, if he bites you and you leave, acting really upset, he can't follow you to the door and there is nothing for him to do except be bored and "think" about what he did. (<--Anthropomorphizing a bit)


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## TheSeaWithin (Sep 6, 2011)

Thanks! That is what I was also thinking about the collar correction...

I will try to act more upset. I was trying to remain calm and just removing myself from the situation. I will try to be more dramatic now. 

I have thought about keeping him on leash but have not tried it. I will do that as well. I should just keep him on leash when I return from our evening walk because that is when he gets the crazies. 

Thanks so much for all your help! I will let you know how things progress!


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## Nil (Oct 25, 2007)

Please do! I am curious to see how things turn out. Hopefully theirs will chime in with their own thoughts and ideas.


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## TheSeaWithin (Sep 6, 2011)

Things have improved! I'm being much more dramatic when he mouths and giving longer time outs. He seems to get worse on the weekends. Last weekend he was his absolute worst and that is when I posted in here. Overall he is doing way better. He's not perfect yet, but I've only have him for a little over a month! 
Thanks so much for your help. I really needed to talk it over with someone last weekend!


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## JuneBud (Feb 17, 2010)

Whoever had your dog before you got him obviously did not work on bite inhibition. Also a lot of dogs go bonkers in the evening before bedtime. Think tired 2-year-old child.


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## casey15 (Sep 24, 2011)

try using bitter apple spray, you put it on things and the taste/smell discourages dogs from nipping. THis worked wonders for our dog, who was a very aggressive nipper.


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## doxiemommy (Dec 18, 2009)

Hmm... I wouldn't recommend using longer time outs. Dogs have such short attention spans that if you make the time out too long, they'll get bored, and forget all about what got them in time out to begin with.
But, it does sound like you're seeing improvements!

It's hard with shelter dogs, you don't know how they were trained or how they were treated by previous owners. Obviously, no one took the time to train bite inhibition til you. But, I'd just say stick with it and be consistent. So many people try a method, get frustrated, give that method up, and try something else. That is so confusing to a dog because you're actually trying to teach them something and the learning process doesn't happen overnight. 

As for going bonkers, we call it the "zoomies" here! It usually happens with young puppies, but, really, it's not out of character for a 1.5 year old dog. With young puppies, they get overtired, they way a toddler would. Have you ever seen a 2 year old go kind of crazy before bedtime, and then SWEAR they aren't tired. But, 20 seconds later, they're sleeping! Same thing.

Only with yours, it happens right after your last walk. So, not only is he tired, now he's amped up from his walk. So, he's just full of energy, from the walk, and from being overtired. We always just put our guys in the crate when they did this, and they'd fall asleep in seconds!


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## winniec777 (Apr 20, 2008)

Glad to hear things are improving. Just chiming in to say it might take a while so keep up the training. And to do the training with friends and family, too, so he knows not to do it with others, either. I had so many bruises and scratches from our girl's wild phase. Took a few months to get rid of the behavior completely with the leaving the room/all fun stops method but it was worth it vs using something more aversive. Just my own preference based on my dog's softer temperament.


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