# Shaking Can with Coins in it- good or bad?



## Jackson23

Anyone here heard of shaking a pop can filled with pennies when the puppy gets a little too crazy? She's a great puppy but she goes on these viscous streaks where she snarls and tries snapping when she doesn't get her way. I've had her cling onto my hand and bite as hard as she could, as if she is trying to injure me. 

So I read that (only once in a while) you can shake this can and they immediately retreat.. I've tried it only a few times now and it seems to working- is there any downside to this tactic?

Is this similar to the 'clicker' approach?


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## Curbside Prophet

Jackson23 said:


> is there any downside to this tactic?


Yes, you're eliciting a startle/fear response. This IMO makes dogs more reactive to loud, abrupt noises, not to mention the association the dog can make with you. 



> Is this similar to the 'clicker' approach?


It's the exact opposite of clicker training. You're using the can noise to mark inappropriate behavior. A clicker is used to mark appropriate behavior.


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## wvasko

How old is this savage beast puppy


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## Marsh Muppet

I've never been a fan of the technique for the reasons CP noted. If you want your dog to grow up to be a calm, well balanced adult, don't scare him when he is little.


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## wvasko

For those that have not read this before, there is very little a puppy can do wrong. Shaking cans may work on an occasional older dog but puppies is a no-no. Buy a pair of leather work gloves for your hands so you don't get hurt.


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## Jackson23

Hmm what should I do then? The puppy is about 2 months old but she gets very very very aggressive. Biting as hard as she can, snarling, trying to bite my face. This tactic seems to be the only that immedietly lets her know what she is doing is wrong and causes her to back off for a while. 

But if you all think its not working.. suggestions? I feel like now is the age when I should be correcting this problem as soon as possible! 

I know puppies bite and it's natural, but those around me who've had puppies say they gnawed on fingers on occasion but never snarled and bit hard. 

The yelping on my part doesn't work, and leaving her alone only encourages her to chase my feet. 

Ideas? Thanks!


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## Curbside Prophet

Yelp, and while calling her a nasty cur, close a door behind her, a gate, or place her in an ex-pen or crate and walk out the room. You don't have to leave for very long, but you need to rehearse (this behavior) = (no more attention). 

Keep in mind too that it gets worse before it gets better. It's called an extinction burst, and a frustrated puppy can be a Tasmanian Devil through the extinction burst.

Google and follow "the bite stops here".


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## cshellenberger

Use these training excercises, they work, you (and everyone in the household) just have to be CONSISTANT. 

http://dogstardaily.com/training/puppy-biting
http://dogstardaily.com/training/teaching-bite-inhibition

Also download and print this out

AFTER You Get Your Puppy.pdf


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## drea

Jackson23 said:


> Hmm what should I do then? The puppy is about 2 months old but she gets very very very aggressive. Biting as hard as she can, snarling, trying to bite my face. This tactic seems to be the only that immedietly lets her know what she is doing is wrong and causes her to back off for a while.
> 
> But if you all think its not working.. suggestions? I feel like now is the age when I should be correcting this problem as soon as possible!
> 
> I know puppies bite and it's natural, but those around me who've had puppies say they gnawed on fingers on occasion but never snarled and bit hard.
> 
> The yelping on my part doesn't work, and leaving her alone only encourages her to chase my feet.
> 
> Ideas? Thanks!


If I didn't know better, I'd think I wrote this post!
Tucker was a hellion as a puppy; my ankles really took a beating, and my arms, and my legs ! Shaking a can with pennies only made Tucker more revved up, so I stopped that early on.

If I had known then what I know now, I would have spent a lot more time on teaching self-control to Tucker at an earlier age.

Check out Doggy Zen in the sticky section at the top of the page, as well as Nothing In Life Is Free, also at the top of the page. Great stuff there.


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## sizzledog

I've never used it as punishment. However, my dogs know the sound... it's part of the national breed club's temperament test! 

When my dogs hear a rattling can full of gravel or coins, they come running to investigate.


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## Curbside Prophet

sizzledog said:


> When my dogs hear a rattling can full of gravel or coins, they come running to investigate.


One litmus test for identifying a good breeder is to ascertain how noisy their home is. I want my pup to be socialized around common household noises, even loud ones like vacuum cleaners, and I want my breeder to be conscious of it too.


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## sizzledog

Very true! I don't think any dog that comes from my breeder's home is sound sensitive...


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## drea

Sizzledog, what gorgeous animals you have! I'm partial to dobies since we had one when I was younger. Also love snakes.


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## Love's_Sophie

Curbside Prophet said:


> One litmus test for identifying a good breeder is to ascertain how noisy their home is. I want my pup to be socialized around common household noises, even loud ones like vacuum cleaners, and I want my breeder to be conscious of it too.


My puppy just sits there when I vaccum up the hair around my table...Lol! I "think" he's pretty well 'loudness desensitized'! Haha

To the OP...you've been given lots of good advice, and reading material...good luck with her!


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## Belmont

I have the exact problem with my German Shepherd puppy. I've tried the ouch method for a week, and I've redirected his biting to a toy, and finally I always stop playing with him every time he bites.


This time he has gone too far and he bit me hard enough to make me bleed. Not only that, after screaming NOOOOOO at the top of my lungs and leaving the area, he starts following me and biting my ankle and growling. He's two months old, and my previous Boxer (died of cancer) had never given me this much trouble in teaching it to not bite.

My next option was to either start using the crate as punishment or start doing the make him gag method. I didn't like either of these methods because I didn't want my dog to think of his crate as a punishment and I didn't want to hurt or get physical with him.

I stumbled upon the coin in a can method, and as soon as I yell ouch, I rattle the can and he backs off. Now he still slips from time to time but as soon as he hears the rattle, he licks instead.

I always prefer positive reinforcement, but IMO there are times that you just have to use negative reinforcement. For any other behavior issue I most likely won't use this method because I can afford to be more patient, but biting is one of the things that I will not compromise with because if this doesn't get fixed in time, it would be a tragedy for this puppy to be the dog that gets euthanized for biting someone.

I tried the nice way, and he simply doesn't get it and thinks it's a game every time I yell OUCH, YELP, and tell NOOOOOOOOOO. 

Other then this, he's been a pretty good dog. He's taking his crate training like a champ, and at night, he only wakes me to use the bathroom. He gets along with other dogs, and he's always happy when I arrive home from work.


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## wvasko

Attacked by an 8 week old GSD, Oh my.

It's a good thing the can thing worked because at 16 weeks beating with a baseball bat would be appropriate. 

Gonna say same thing I said 3/09, pups just like babies can do no wrong, when playing get a cheap pair of leather work gloves and for ankle protection some cheap slide on rubber boots.

That being said if the can/coins stopped the problem you are indeed very lucky cause with a pup it's likes playing Russian roulette with the pup's mental program. 

Problem with training aids like this, is you hear how it worked for this dog but what you don't hear are the dogs that ended up basket cases. Notice I said dogs not pups. I have just not heard many stories about 8 week old pups and coin thing. It's kinda like going flea hunting with an elephant gun.

Only reason I'm repeating is that somebody will read this post and for sure try it with their 8 week old pup. It's a gamble for sure.

Sorry I tend it vent/rant a bit on pup stuff.


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## troglodytezzz

At 8 weeks old puppies bite. That's just what they do.

When the pup bites say "Ahh Ahh" or yelp or say "No" (you don't need to yell it) and stop whatever activity was going on at the time of the bite. Remove yourself from the room if you need to. Baby gates and tethers will stop the pup from following you if that is needed. You can return to that activity 30 seconds later and stop again when the next bite happens. 

Repeat flawlessly for the next month or two. Be 100% consistent. The pup will eventually learn that teeth on skin = end of game/attention.


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## LuvMyAngels

The links Carla put way up in this thread....still apply for dealing with mouthy puppies. 

Puppy biting is not aggressive, its not a sign the pup will turn out to be a vicious adult. Its the puppy learning about his/her world. Pups dont have hands to manipulate objects in their environment so they use their mouths. Puppy mouths just happen to be equipped with the absolute most dangerous objects...puppy teeth! Since puppy is not doing anything wrong/bad/naughty, there is no need to correct him via shaker can. Be consistent with the exercises in the links above and your puppy will learn to control his bite.


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## Barbara DiLucchio

Curbside Prophet said:


> Yes, you're eliciting a startle/fear response. This IMO makes dogs more reactive to loud, abrupt noises, not to mention the association the dog can make with you.
> 
> 
> It's the exact opposite of clicker training. You're using the can noise to mark inappropriate behavior. A clicker is used to mark appropriate behavior.


I agree, that this is a terrible method and will just cause the behavior to be worse. Use a clicker instead, but not to mark bad behavior.


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## DaySleepers

This thread is 13 years old, so I'm closing it to further replies. Feel free to start your own thread, or join in any of our current discussions!


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