# Lucy & The Jaws of Steel



## ILoveLucy (Apr 4, 2008)

:closed_2:


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## LuvCicero (Mar 31, 2008)

Hello M,
Cicero is 19 wks now and we were having the same jaws of steel problem with him a few weeks back. He never snapped, just would not "drop it". I ask a trainer and she said, "What would you do if someone was trying to get your wedding ring off your hand?" I told her I would kick him in the [email protected]$$* -- and she said that might work but he would never like you again. She said on the other hand, if the robber heard a gun shot go off he would drop your hand and go the other way -- and not blame you for it.

Cicero was grabbing the back of my housecoat and would not let go. If I pulled he came off the floor. I was dragging him around and my housecoat was chocking me. One night I gave my husband a tiny air horn and explained when he heard me say 'drop it' to 'tap" the air horn (and keep it beside his leg in his chair). It worked. Cicero let go and looked around like "what was that" and I picked him up for kisses. It happen two other times that night -- and now he knows what 'drop it' means.

The trainer told me when I was trying to pull stuff away it was like playing tug of war with him and he thought it was a fun game. She told me to "always think like the dog --and ask myself what am I teaching him."

You can use a small air horn, or bike horn, or 'snap n pops' -- anything that makes a quick noise -- but don't let them see you do it.

Hope this will help....and good luck. :gossip:


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## ivyagogo (Sep 11, 2007)

I can't help much here. Gryff never did that. Even though he growls at my son, he's never done it because of trying to remove an object from him. Lucy sounds just like a 13 week old puppy.


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## Leslie (Feb 28, 2007)

I watched an episode of The Dog Whisperer that dealt with this. He said to not try to take it from them because, just like Dale said, they think it's time for a game of tug-o-war! :biggrin1: What he did was just "claim it" by putting his fist on it and gradually moving it forward toward the dog until the dog let go and backed away. In his words, he was using his "energy" and "calm, assertiveness" to let the dog know he owned it, not the dog.


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## EstrellaVila (Nov 30, 2007)

You can also use a soda can of coins for the noise - might be little less offensive to our human ears but can drive them crazy.


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## ivyagogo (Sep 11, 2007)

Oh Leslie, that is so smart. I can see how that would work.


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## Jacklyn Weeks (Dec 23, 2007)

....Norah used to "fake a pee" about 13 times a day. Smarty pants. Now she just gets treats when she goes outside. As for the grabbing and holding thing, we're still working on drop it with Norah but if you urgently need something she has you can get her to drop it by interesting her with other things. (For example Nick and Norah stole a chocolate a few days ago so we took 2 treats and put them in another room and they instantly dropped the chocolate to go get the treats.)


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## irnfit (Nov 21, 2006)

Kodi is great. We play and he will never bite down, maybe just grab you and let go. He will "drop it" if I tell him to.

Shelby, however, loves to chomp down hard on my hand, or will grab a finger and try to pull you. If she finds something she like, she has lock jaw and will not let go. We are working on "drop it" with her, but I usually have to pry her jaws apart.


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