I am working with my 5 year old rescue on some obedience and self-control. He is doing fairly well, however, he gets a little toothy and bitey when he takes treats. I've tried palming them and putting them low, but he will occassionally bite my hand. I'd like to think that he doesn't know any better, but I'm running out of options. I've tried feeding him with a spoon, but he doesn't seem to mind his teeth on the metal.

Any suggestions?

Thanks

You can work on that a few ways. I am really working with my 3 on the "leave it" command. I put a treat in each hand and use my left hand to place a treat on on the floor in front of the dog. I say leave it while holding 1 finger up . If they move forward, I just say "ah ah leave it". If they really go for the treat, take it away, wait a minute and try over. When they do leave it, praise them, lift the treat you put down and give the dog the treat from your right hand.

Jake is a really grabby treat-taker so we always say "gentle" before handing it to him. If he gets grabby, we repeat gentle in a calm voice.

Sophie can be snappy with her treats and has nicked me a few times. She's trying to get hers before Reebok can get his. But I have a routine with them. They must sit and be still before I give them anything. I say be gentle and keep the treat in my closed hand. I say wait and then give them the treat once they have calmed down. On occasion I will ask them to lie down before they get a treat too. Another thing I do sometimes is put the treat in the dog dish and make them sit before I put the dish down.

I do alot of work with the local rescues and find that alot of dogs in shelters are quite quick to snatch food from your hand.
My routine is similar to Kim's. Always make sure they are sitting and in a calm state. I then slowly offer the hand with the treat closed tight in my palm. I then make sure they remain calm and slowly open my hand (keeping all fingers together so they aren't mistaken for the treat!) to offer the treat. If they try to grab it roughly, I move my hand away, correct them and start over.

For dogs who don't get it - I only give them treats on the floor or in their dishes.

Just be consistent with whatever method you choose. Patience will pay off in the end.