What do I do if my dog LIKES bitter apple?

Question

My dog is very affectionate, but he thinks that I am a dog too. He likes to mouth my hand when we play. He is very gentle, but despite that, we want him to be better mannered. I have tried soaking my entire hand with bitter apple, but if I would let him he will actually sit there and lick it all off. I've never heard of a dog that likes the taste of that stuff. I tried it myself just to make sure that someone didn't swap it for something else as a prank. Trust me, it's the real thing.

Is there an alternative to bitter apple that is even yuckier? Is that even possible?

Answer 1

1 in 10 dogs actaully LOVE bitter apple. There is another prodct called "YUCK". It contains mostly rosemarry actually, and doesnt contain alcohol which means that if the dog ever starts chewing on himself you can use it on the dogs skin with no burning.

Answer 2

My dog likes bitter apple spray, she will lick it if I spray it on anything. (And my dog also likes citrus.) It's not uncommon for a dog to actually like the taste of those substances.

What I recommend is pepper, either black pepper or cayenne pepper.

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You mentioned soaking your hand in the bitter apple spray, are you trying to teach the dog not to bite hands? If so, here's another approach to try:

When the dog bites, yelp loudly and then walk away ignore him for a short period of time (3-5 minutes or so).

When puppies bite each other too hard, they lose their playmate for a while (the bitten pup will yelp and then refuse to play for a while); so you need to do the same. This will let the dog know in it's own language to stop biting.

When you return after a few minutes, give him a proper toy to chew on, then praise him lavishly when she takes it and chews on it.
.

Answer 3

you could try Nature's Mircale Best Behavoir Training Aide. Its in a white bottle with red lettering. We have had success with that product.

Some other things you can try that dogs dont ussually like.. orange or lemon juice, pickle juice, vinegar, hot sauce or pepper sauce. There are some weird dogs who do like the taste of these too tho.

Here is a better solution. When he is mouthing tell him firmly "NO". If he Continues, tell him "NO" again, get up and walk away... its no fun for you and the game is over.

Try using toys to play intead of your hands. Praise for any appropriate interactions.

Answer 4

An alternative to Bitter Apple is to train your dog not to mouth your hand if you don't like it. If you don't know how to do that, and I'm guessing you don't, find a trainer. You don't need to punish, hurt or scare them to get them to stop this behavior. You just need to teach them the behavior you prefer and reward them for it.

www.fearfuldogs.com

Answer 5

Why not try training your dog instead.
The instant that you feel his teeth on skin, end the game. No scolding, no fumbling around for a spray bottle - nothing. Get up and go. Puppy learns : "Wow. As soon as I bite, the fun's over!" This is great because the pup needs to get this message from people as well as dogs, and it also teaches him bite inhibition - something that every dog owner is happy to have taught their dog.
Here's an article about puppy nipping:
http://clickersolutions.com/articles/2002c/mouthing.htm

Answer 6

That's funny, I've met more dogs who LOVE the stuff than dislike it.

You could tell him NO in stern voice and redirect him to a toy and then praise him for taking the toy.

You could try ending the play session if puppy teeth touch skin. Simply stand up and turn your back to him for a few seconds.

If he is really bad about being mouthy, you could give him more than he bargained for. Instead of pulling your hand away or saying anything, put your hand in his mouth further. This will elicit a gag response, and he'll spit your mouth out. After a several times of this he'll learn "eating" your hand isn't very pleasant.

Answer 7

My dog also enjoyed bitter apple, as well as tabasco sauce, black pepper, etc. The only thing that worked for me is "Chew Guard" spray...it's available at many pet stores and online.

Answer 8

Try cutting a piece of lemon or lime & rub it on your hand
real good - that should work ! Bitter Apple won't cut-it -
My idiot dogs gobble them-up as fast as they fall off the
tree !!!

Answer 9

my dog loves apples ,tomatoes,plums but he hates grapefruit or oranges try a citrus fruit maybe lemon juice. good luck

Answer 10

Well dogs do not like citrus. try soaking your hand in orange juice or lemonade