Uncomfortable corrections

Whenever I have a dog that I don't want to do something... it doesn't matter what...jumping, nipping, etc.... instead of giving a correction, I make it uncomfortable for them to do it. Dogs won't continue behaviors that aren't comfortable for them. You can apply that to almost any bad behavior.

For example, the over-zealous eater or a puppy that is play biting, I would give them my hand in a fist to bite down on. Which props open their jaw and is uncomfortable. If you hold the food between your thumb and the side of your forefinger then your hand is already in the fist. When they take it too rough, then instead of pulling your hand away (which is human instinct and dogs read that as they are in control), give them more hand than they were expecting. So say I am feeding them kibble, and they take a bite out of my hand or grab a finger while eating. Then you know that they are going to do it again. The first time was just a test. So the next time I'm prepared and when they do it again, as much of my hand that I can fit in their mouth goes in their mouth. I hold it in there while they struggle for a few seconds. Next time when they take the food nicely, I praise them. If they grab my hand again. They get what they wanted - my hand. This works with puppies. I wouldn't try it with a dog with biting or aggression problems. For play biting, I put my thumb on their tongue and hold it down while grabbing the bottom jaw with the rest of my fingers. You kind of have to set them up for it so they nip the right place and your thumb is right there. While it might sound mean the way it's described, it's really not a correction, instead you just let them have exactly what they wanted - a hand to chew on- but they get a little more than they bargained for. It's uncomfortable, so they stop doing it.

Another example is when a dog jumps up on you. Human reaction is to back up. If you walk toward them as they start to jump, it breaks their momentum and it's uncomfortable. It doesn't take long for them to figure out that they don't want to do it anymore. Some people raise their knee up, which never works on a shiba since they are so small. So walking toward them is the best method. And don't be shy about it. I always say "oops" when I make something uncomfortable.