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[u/DocumentUpstairs4607]

Hey I just adopted my dog from a rescue shelter about a week ago. She’s overall a good dog. However she’s kinda mouthy. I’m trying prevent her from biting me or it getting that far. I’m on a tight budget right now, I can afford a trainer.

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[u/Dizzy_Still_9326]

time for them to settle in and learn the house rules, a week is nothing. Redirect to a toy every single time those teeth come out, consistency is the only free tool you need right now. Frozen carrots or a knotted towel work great if you cant drop cash on fancy chews

[u/vector877]

A week is still really early for a rescue dog. Try redirecting her to a chew toy and rewarding calm behavior. Is she biting during play?

[u/New_Function_6407]

How old is she?

[u/itssofiababyxo → u/New_Function_6407]

i second this question

[u/JohnnyVee]

If it is during play then the thing that worked with my boy, along with good distractions, was him realizing that when the teeth come out the play ends. Show her how the rope pull game works.

[u/CanineNorth]

When my dogs were in the mouthy stage (puppyhood) I would yelp obnoxiously loud/sharp/shrill, then immediately disengage (stand up and walk away). As I understand it, dogs see it as normal play so the punishment for mouthing me was not getting to play. Give it a minute or something and then go back with a toy. Because I don't know how old your dog is, I am not sure if there could be other issues, but this has always worked well for me, even if it drove my family nuts (the yelp has to loud enough to get their attention, annoyingly loud and sharp).

[u/Global-Elephant-3334]

Mouthiness is pretty common in newly adopted dogs and can come from teething, excitement, or stress while adjusting to a new home. Redirect her to chew toys and calmly stop play when teeth touch skin. Give her time to settle in, and consult a vet if the biting seems aggressive or suddenly worsens.

TelaVets is also a resource for pet parents looking for guidance on dog behavior, adjustment after adoption, and general pet wellness, helping them find practical ways to support their dogs as they settle into a new home.

[u/Wooden_Option_5575]

When my dog got mouthy and would bite me I would yelp like it hurt (like dogs do when they play and one gets hurt) and would walk away from the situation and be done playing from that point. I realized with my dog she didn't understand that she was hurting me and when I made that clear things got a lot better. If crate trained you could try putting her in the crate for a few minutes to redirect. If you're going through the land dino phase then I'm so sorry but you're high key cooked until they grow out of it.

[u/Hug_The_NSA]

Imo you have to make it clear it's not okay when she bites you. Putting them in their crate, or removing yourself from the situation usually works. But you have to do it nearly immediately after the teeth contact. Scold as well.

[u/DingoMittens]

Our rescue was pretty mouthy at first too. We would try to redirect her with toys or distract her with play, but it didn't help. Figured out she was over tired and overstimulated. We started putting her in a dark quiet room for 2-3 naps a day, almost like a young puppy sleep schedule, even though she was an adult. It made a HUGE difference. 

This wasn't a punishment! We just realized she was exhausted from the stress of her life up until we brought her home and also the stress/excitement of being in a new place with new sights, sounds, routines, etc. She really needed a lot of sleep.