Finger chomping.

If Hocus has a toy he likes to chomp his way along it.
He does it if you have a bit in your hand and often chomps my finger/hand too, he isn't aiming for me.
Doing some training on the park tonight and tugging as reward and he has split my knuckle and bruised my wrist.
I don't want to stop tugging as a reward as it is his top reward, wins over food, but would like to stop the chopping on me!

If I give him a toy to carry on a walk he constantly tries to get me to play, prodding me in the leg and nipping my leg as he chomps the toy. Until he gets a reaction, either I take it give it to Teg, take it put it away (tried that for a while thinking he'd stop if I put it away each time-nope!) or tell him to ****** off! At which point he'll run over to Teg then back to me and we start over again!

Any suggestions on how to stop the little darling?!

I would not take toys out on walks until he has learned some self control and you have taught him a "that is enough" command so that he understands the toy is yours and under your control

I would also not accept accidents.

The dog must learn that teeth and flesh do NOT mix so I would STOP the game immediately the dog "missed" and put the toy away.

I train my dogs in bitework therefore it is essential they understand these rules.

HTH

Perhaps stop the game when he makes contact with your skin? Thats the only suggestion I can give you.

I don't know how you could get him to stop prodding you. Having gundogs they annoy you for so long and then get bored, but Collies are obsessive of things..

This might help?

From Whole Dog Journal

Rules of the game

These are general guidelines for making tug a positive training/relationship experience. The calmer and better-behaved your dog is, the less necessary it is to follow the rules strictly. The more rowdy and out of control your dog, the more closely you will want to adhere to them. By the way, don’t be alarmed by your dog’s growls during tug – it’s all part of the game. As long as his other behaviors are appropriate, let him growl his heart out!

• Rule #1: You start the game. Keep the tug toy put away, and get it out when you want to play. It’s perfectly okay to get it out when you know he is in the mood, but it’s your choice to start the game. You control the good stuff.

• Rule #2: No grabbing. Hold up the toy. If your dog grabs or leaps for it, say “Oops!” and hide it behind your back. Then offer it again. When he is no longer keeping or grabbing, say “Take it!” and offer his end to him. Then give him the cue to “Tug!” or “Pull!” and the game is on. You control the good stuff and allow him to have it out of the goodness of your heart.

• Rule #3: You win most of the time. “Winning” means you have the toy and your dog doesn’t. At first, you may need to offer him an irresistible treat as you say, “Give!” He’ll have to drop the toy to eat the treat, and you’ve won! As soon as he devours the treat, say “Take it!” again and offer him his end of the toy. Now he got two rewards for letting go of it – he got the treat, and he gets the toy back again! At least, he gets his end of the toy back. Practice the “Give” part of the game numerous times during each play session. Eventually you will be able to fade the use of the treat, as he realizes that the reward for “Give!” is more tug.

• Rule #4: Use time-outs as needed. If your dog gets too aroused and/or is putting his mouth on you or your clothing, use a “Too bad, time out!” when his arousal level starts to escalate to an unacceptable level, or the instant his teeth touch forbidden surfaces. Put the toy high on a shelf and sit down for a few minutes. Then you can, if you want, retrieve the toy and play again.

If you have a dog who allows his teeth to stray into forbidden territory frequently by creeping his jaws up the length of the toy, use a tug object with a clear demarcation near his end of the toy – a change in texture or material – and do a time-out immediately anytime his teeth cross that line. You control the good stuff, and his inappropriate behavior makes the good stuff go away.

• Rule #5: Supervise children. Very young children should not play tug with your dog unless and until the dog is impeccable about his self-control, and then only under direct supervision. Middle to older children can play with moderate supervision if they can be relied on to play by the rules, and if your dog is under reasonable self-control and not likely to get into trouble. Children can control the good stuff too!

• Rule #6: You end the game. You get to decide when tug is over, not your dog. End the game with a “Give, all done!” cue and put the toy away on a high shelf or in a secure drawer. It’ll be there, ready and waiting, when you decide to play tug again. You control the good stuff.

He will give up the toy as soon as I ask and if I put the toy away my command is "enough" and they have to find something else to do which they do.
He doesn't prod me unless he has a toy in his mouth and I am walking. I like the fact he would rather play with me than Teg, but would like to channel it in a more appropriate manner.
Teg will happily carry a toy for the whole of a walk and although he will try and get me to play he doesn't physically, he'll put it on the floor and back off which I just ignore.
I guess Hocus just won't be able to have a toy for the whole walk.

I will be more strict with teeth on "forbidden territory" and stop play as soon as it happens.
That piece from whole dog journal is good, thanks sb.

I scream and swear and jump up and down if any of my dogs are careless and catch me. This isn`t a considered training method but it seems to work.

That may have happened last night when he got my knuckle!

Works for being body slammed and knocked to the ground too (although I just lay there screaming and swearing rather than jumping up and down)

This has been relevant to us to so thanks! Smokey bear what do u mean by bite work??