Hand Holding

[lyra]

We have a few Siberian husky books, one of which is Siberian Huskies for Dummies. I realize that authors tend to offer one perspective, so it's important to find information from different sources to have a well-rounded view.

There's a passage in Siberian Huskies for Dummies that I'd like some opinions on. It is:

"Hand-holding

Your Husky may gently take your hand in his mouth. This is a gesture of love and affection. He is also requesting your trust in him not to bite you. Allowing him to do so shows him that you have faith in him. This is a bonding strategy" (p. 81).

I didn't really think much of this until we started teaching Lyra bite inhibition when she was young. I know there are multitudes of opinions on bite inhibition, whether you should teach a dog to never put its mouth on a human or if mouthing is ok as long as no pressure is exerted, etc. With Lyra (and this is just our personal practice/experience), we taught the "soft bite," not that she should never put her mouth on us. I figured that I'd rather have her know how hard is too hard of a bite than to never teach her this at all. Where we maybe made a mistake is that after she learned to bite softly (ie, with little to no pressure, basically gum us), we did not then teach her to not mouth us at all.

Hence the quote. Lyra does this hand holding alllll the time. I really don't think she means anything by it - she's not trying to "exert dominance" or whatever. Usually this happens when we're snuggling on the couch or you go to pet her, and she'll gently take your hand/arm in her mouth and hold it there, kind of pushing her tongue against you at the same time. Then she proceeds to lick your hand all over. She does this anywhere from 5 seconds up to a minute or so if you let her continue. We haven't corrected this behavior because we don't really see the harm in it. The only time I ever do stop her mouthing is if she's really excited, like when we come home from work, because we're teaching her to sit and be calm before she gets attention.

Sooo, ideas? Do any of your huskies hold your hand with his/her mouth? Do you think it really is a doggie sign of affection? Or just a bad habit we never broke her of?

[Taylor Piskorski]

Cesar really enjoys this too, especially during playtime with myself or my boyfriend Andrew. He takes your forearm in his mouth, without biting down, a "soft bite" like you said above Kelly. He does it snuggling in bed or on the couch with us too, and licks your whole hand and forearm. Zoey doesn't do it, but she's not a terribly affectionate dog, she loves to be pet but doesn't snuggle or give kisses. I think Cesar does it as a way to say he loves us, or as a way to tell us during our rough housing that he won't hurt us. But I know his personality, I don't know Lyra so she may do it for different reasons.

[Mazz]

This is what I refer to as the Husky Handshake. There are some who feel this should be discouraged. Zoya does it when I get home from work, or when she comes inside from playing in the back yard. While I don't discourage it, I also don't actively encourage it. Zoya is very gentle in her touch.

It does depend on the individual dog. I would not be too keen on letting an unknown dog mouth my hand. But with Zoya, she is our baby, and we do trust her (but not off leash).

It is important though, that the the dog doing this have the proper bite inhibition.

[HuskyCouture]

wow i never heard of that. Embry does it ALL the time. He does it when he's really excited to see someone, I always thought of it as affection, like holding onto me so I don't leave him again

[Bec]

It's not something I would condone with my dogs. I teach them never to put teeth on me. Even when we are playing a tug game - the instant their teeth touch my skin (even by accident), game over.

I am sure in your instance it's probably harmless, but what if she did it to a stranger or child who is not dog savvy and it scared them and they overreacted?

[Arooroomom]

I don't allow any mouthing at all on any part of my body or anyone else's. There are way too many people who don't have common sense and I don't need to loose my dogs over some idiot thinking my dogs *bit* them because they were mouthed softly. But people around here do that sort of thing, so that may not be an issue for the rest of the world. Regardless, I have a friend who's Husky does this to his arm when he gets home. It's very strange to watch. But i'm glad my dogs don't do it.

[sutsibe]

Some of my dogs will occasionally hold my hand, but they haven't ever tried to hold my arm. They especially seem to do it when I'm wandering out in their yard with them, and we're all relaxed and relaxing. I've always interpreted it as a sign of affection, They don't do it with other people - at least not when we're out in public, for example, out walking, so I haven't ever worried about it. One of the first things I teach my puppies is bite inhibition!

[Storm Angel n Auroras Mum]

Storm does it with me quite often. He's still learning how much he can and cant push his mouth down. I have read about it and did think that this was what he was doing.

[Kells xx]

darwin does it most often, and daughtry only occaisonally,

i dont mind it as i know they wont bite me and they dont do it to anyone other than family

[ocspirit]

I'm on the mentality, no teeth on me unless I initiate a wrestling game. This is because I regularly have my dogs around an abundance of children and I also take them to retirement homes to visit with the elderly. Parents these days are so paranoid of dogs biting that I can not risk any of my dog's ever touching a tooth to skin of anyone especially a child. I once had a temporary dog here named Bonnie. She was terrible for stealing mittens. She did this to a kid as we were walking by and the kid went SCREAMING to his mom that the dog viciously attacked him. Oy! With the elderly, their skin is so thin and so fragile that even the softest graze of a tooth can leave a mark or even make bleed. If this were to ever happen my dogs could get banned from the retirement home for "biting".

[SarahNukka&Shadow]

mmm this is an interesting one... as I can see why people would teach no skin contact but then I also see alot of sense in a dog knowing how hard it can mouth before its bitting!

My Shadow, my rescue boy seems to have a built in no skin contact rule he doesn't even wrough house play with us although he will play with other dogs. But then I know he has good bite inhibition as I was once playing with a tug toy with him he went for the toy and got my hand but released immediatly without me even having to say a word (very proud of him that day! he got biiiig praise and treats! for that one)

Where as on the other hand I have Nukka my girl Iv had from a pup and have always play fought with including actually playing tug without a tug toy! I make my finger into a claw shape and she grabs on so its hooked around her teeth and I drag her around... now I would personally call this perfect bite inhibition as she NEVER hurts me with this, if my hand is limp she'll nudge it too initiate play but wont put her teeth on so I know she knows how hard is too hard. And she never does it to anyone but me and hubby (shes actually more shy around people she doesnt know so would never play mouth them) so it doesnt worry me thinking she might do it to someone and they mistake it for a bite...

However neither of them mouth when relaxed in the way discribed in the original post so thats interesting, Nukka might have done it a little when she was a baby but not since she got all her adult teeth so you might even find Lyra will grow out of it as she grows up??

[BingBlaze n Skyla]

Skyla is the only dog ov mine who will do this, she doesnt do it to any1 else but our family so long as she doesnt press down then we dont stop her if she gets to excited and/or rough doing it she gets an AHAH

[Tikaani&Aiyana]

Tikaani ALWAYS did this as a pup,we have the huskies for dummies book too so knew what it was

He only ever did it to me but never Daren.

It was often when we were play fighting and he was pulling me a away or to say hello when i got home from work. We never ever had any issues with bite inhibition.

He must have stopped doing this a bit over a year old. He has never done this to anyone else either

[innocenti]

NEO does the hand holding thing ... usually as a greeting ... never had a problem with it ...

[MattSouthall]

our storm does this nearly all the time we see her. When i come home from school she's usually waiting for me, ears up tail going like mad and when i step through our front door she can sometimes jump up (cuddles as i like to think ) but then if you stroke her she moves onto your arm with her front legs and nibbles your hand, not to hard but as a sorta trust thing.

we've got the 'husky for dummies' and we read that bit thinking it was odd but we let her, but now she's had her first season and growing up were trying to slowly get her out of it, weather it will work or not? but we are trying.

[wolfmyth]

Your Husky may gently take your hand in his mouth. This is a gesture of love and affection. He is also requesting your trust in him not to bite you. Allowing him to do so shows him that you have faith in him. This is a bonding strategy" (p. 81).

I was searching a little to see what others thought about this and the above were my exact thoughts on the feelings Akina tries to express when she does that to me. I would say they were spot on.

[lebe03]

Polee used to do this all the time when a pup but only ever did it to me and never anyone else. I never encouraged this but as it only affected me it wasn't a concern as she never bit down. She just appeared to grow out of doing this when she reached about 6 months of age and strangely I'm the only person she lets open her mouth to check her teeth and gums

[Jackie Y]

I rescued a husky back In March, his name is Kai.  They were “surrendering” him due too his “aggression”.   He just turned 3 in August I was concerned as too him being “nasty” at first but within a couple weeks he settled right in and seemed right at home.  The original owners said he was not a “cuddle” type dog or very affectionate so I really didn't push it, when I would go too “pet” him he would seem too enjoy it but would “snarl” at the same time.  During the last few months I he will now “grab” my forearm/hand with his paws almost pulling me to pet him, yet will still “snarl” and has now started what seems too sound like the “soft” biting with my hand and the family as well.   I have been trying too teach him not too and use terms with him like “no teeth” please or “be nice please” which he does respond too but now I’m wondering if it isn’t him being aggressive at all and just his way of showing his love and trust in us?   He is all in all a very lovable and good dog and also very “vocal” as well!! I find myself having conversations with him as well as “arguments” like you would with one of your own kids!!  Lol