9 month old labrador jumps up and bites, really hurts and can't seem to snap him out of it.

Hi, I have a 9 month old male labrador called harley. He's amazing and we love him dearly but there are certain times where he seems to switch and will kind of attack me. I know it's not aggression, Think it's over excitement and sometimes even anxiety. He will go mental, running at me flat out and will jump up and bite my hands, arms and body. It's really hurts and occasionally draws blood and rips clothing. We can't seem to find anything that really works, we just have to fight our way into another room and leave him for a few mins. The problem is worse when out on a walk as we have no where to hide. He is extremely food motivated but that rarely works when he is in that frame of mind. I know it probably sounds like we're stupid and doing it all wrong but he weighs nearly 30kg now, is very strong, and can jump very high..we feel like we're getting nowhere with this and would like some help. He used to do it when he was a lot younger but it was easier to manage and we thought we had corrected it by using treats and getting him to sit and lay. After a few tricks and treats he'd be ok and we could carry on but it seems to of come back even worse. I've noticed that 3 things seems to trigger it off.
1 - if he passes another person or dog.
2 - he will sometimes hear another dog bark and that can set him off. Mainly if he can hear a dog or noise but cannot see where it's coming from.
3 - no real reason at all haha. I'll be walking up the garden and he'll just start biting at my clothing and then jumping up.
Doesn't make and difference what we do. We have tried ignoring it, Walking away, standing still and seeing if he'll stop or get bored, food rarely stops him now, on or off the lead is just as bad. Any kind of movement or shouting or pushing him away just makes it worse. He is very boisterous around other people and dogs. Other than this though, he is pretty good and very loving. We've attended many classes and training was going well. Thanks Dan

 

You don't sound stupid Dan. I would find a positive reward based trainer, possibly clicker and invest in se one to one sessions.
I could be wrong but your puppy seems either protective or jealous or wants ownership of you. Y dog will jump up at me around other dogs (but not bite) so I talk to other dogs and ignore her behaviour and she calms down. But maybe that's too simplistic for your pup.

 

Getting advice from a trainer that has chance to observe this behaviour would be a really good thing to do.

It sounds to me though like a mix of over excitement and frustration. Having a dog that is both over excited and frustrated at the drop of a hat (that he can't go and pounce on ) I do sympathise. He is getting better as he gets a bit older though.

I attended a week's training course once, and there was a young bitch on the course with pretty much the same behaviour as you describe. It was particularly bad when she was asked to do nothing after a period of activity, and she had her (extremely competent, very intelligent, and dedicated to dog training) owner in tears with it - so don't feel that you sound daft at all. Young, boisterous Labradors can be a real handful. A long period of intensive training, impulse control exercises morning, noon, and night has transformed that dog and she is now delightful. Plus, she grew up a bit.

 

Thanks, we were attending classes until the class ended a few weeks ago. We have found another local positive class which we still start next week. I have spoke to various trainers and took on their advice but I need a trainer to witness what happens I think. Today I took him out on a lovely walk, he'd been off the lead in the middle of nowhere for about 40 mins. All of a sudden he started looking round as if he heard something, he looked nervous, a minute later he started running at me and I spent the next 10 mins trying to calm him down. Nothing really worked, I just had to ride it out. Scratches and bruises on both hands, arms and my back was the result. I think walking back the way we came calmed him down, almost as if he wanted to go home? After that he was fine all the way home. He's currently sound asleep looking all cute. Most of the time he's a lovely dog but he has these Jekyll and Hyde moments

 

By any chance, was it at the point of the walk where you were going to turn back anyway? Or might he have expected it to be about when you might turn back? If so, that is quite a well known trigger for misbehaviour. I had some extreme examples of crazy and very unusual behaviour with my dog recently, on very short walks (long story), when it was time to head home.

But anyway, I'd say getting some 121s with a really good trainer would be the thing. Best of luck with it, do let us know how you get on.

 

No, I was doing a big circle. He's done this walk before and he's never played up because of that. Yes I think some 121's is best.

 

I was wondering really if other people have had the same or similar issues?

 

I'd say we hear a couple of times a year from people with teenage Labs coming on the forum with similar stories of biting and going crazy (we hear of owners pulling their hair out at the antics of teenage Labradors in general about every day ). Although, usually there is a clearer trigger. Stopping playing with frisbees is the one I remember the most - teenage dogs going nuts after something exciting ends is not at all an unusual thing.

You don't seem to have as clear a trigger here though.

 

Um yes me me ! You've just described to a T what I have struggled with with Myles (8 1/2 months chocolate male). I posted about it about a month ago (see link below). It's like a switch flips, and he gets the zoomies and runs around and right at me, biting arms, clothes, lunging at me. I did same as you and just tried to move to another location. I have had it happen on a lead walk, usually there is a trigger. Last week we were in an open field and I thought I would try to get him to run with me (for fun). Well stupid me, his switch flipped and he lost all control. Running in circles around me (with me trying to hold lead) and nothing I could do or say would stop him. I wound up with a giant dew claw scratch that drew blood. My pet sitter has a worse time with it than I do, I've learned his body language so well that I can usually tell when he's about to do it. His panting changes, he lags behind me, will try to grab lead in his mouth. At this point I try to redirect him with a "look at me" and a couple of commands with treats. He's getting better.

But I've determined that it's usually either over excitement or frustration as Julie said. And often it's when he's tired. It's happening less frequently now and I do think he will grow out of a lot of it. Hang in there!

http://thelabradorforum.com/forum/n...behaviour/250987-jumping-at-me-during-zoomies

 

I have a similar, but different, thing with Willow. If she gets over-excited, she will sometimes leap up and try to lick/nip my nose. She only ever does it with me or my husband - probably because we're the only ones she gets that excited with. It will be one leap, from four feet on the ground, and then nothing else. It's really difficult to train out, because it only happens every now and again (about once a week), you just can't see it coming, and it's not a repeated movement. Our strategy is to immediately turn our backs and ignore her, but since she never does it more than once, that seems a bit limited. The other thing is to try to calm her down when she gets over-excited - but she's a one-year-old Labrador

You're not alone in nutty behaviour from your Lab!

It may be worth chatting to a behaviourist rather than a standard trainer?

 

Dan, you are going to be very pleased to hear from me. You are not nuts or doing the wrong thing. My Molly was exactly the same when she was 9 months old, which was this time last year.

Just so you'll know that you are not alone. It was summer, I was wearing shorts and singlet, my legs and arms were covered with scratches where she leapt up and pawed me. I was longing for the winter so I could wear a could wear a coat and long trousers so it wouldn't hurt so much.

She was at her very worst on the lead when she would throw her entire muscular body from side to side. I am only 5 foot 2 inches and weigh 112 pounds I just had to hang on for dear life, if there was a handy lamp post or fence I would literally wrap my arms round it.

I was embarrassed by my out of control dog and tried walking her on different routes so she didn't get a reputation.

I was very careful where I walked, I couldn't risk narrow country lanes or narrow streets in the town as I knew I need space to hang on to her.

I longed for the winter so I could walk her under cover of darkness.

A neighbour told me I should get a muzzle for her.

I never sensed any aggression from her.

I never found out what triggered these episodes. Like you I wracked my brains.

I consulted a trainer.

Nothing worked. The best I could do was not react as I am sure that would have escalated things.

My take on it was that it was just an explosion of energy with nowhere to go. We are after all, talking about a teenager.

Now for the GOOD NEWS. One day it just stopped. I would say she was about 11 months and I realised it hadn't happened for a few days. I think she simply grew out of it.

Molly is by nature a boisterous beast and I think always be. But she is never agressive.

So hang in there, the storm will soon pass.

Oh, and the neighbour that told me to get a muzzle, i saw him the other day and he said " it is like a different dog" and gave her a biscuit.

 

Hi and welcome from me and Harley (female, 2 years old, fix red lab). You have had some really good Input above.
Harley still gets excited when certain people come to our house She persists in jumping up at them from all angles. I have had to persist by turning away from her and getting other people to do the same, but keeping calm at the same time. I think I used to get really anxious and upset when she got jumpy and I think this made her even worse!

 

Thanks everyone, its a relief to know I'm not the only one and that I'm not doing too much wrong! As a few of you have said, it's Literally like switch and I cant find the off button! I do my best not to react to him but its hard when I'm genuinely in pain. I know how you feel when you say its embarrassing as well, other people must look at me and think I'm useless and my dog is either aggressive or a complete nut case! He can definitely be a nut case but has never shown aggression. Little git haha. Love him to bits though!

 

Yes I think a behaviourist is a good call. Trainers seem to tell me same thing and it doesn't seem to work. Training classes have been good though, it does him good to be around other people and dogs

 

Thanks for your help. We've changed a few things and it appears to be getting much better ☺. A few extra games and we take him swimming which he loves!

 

Mabel's 9.5 months now and she will jump and be boisterous at certain times and with certain people. I've now recognised what triggers it and developed a training plan. She's definitely improved. Last Tuesday was unbearable she was spinning round out of control and wrapped the lead so tightly round my legs I literally fell over. For one brief second I thought she's got to go back to the breeder I can't cope. We have training class today my trainer said I have such positively and good outlook. I'm doing brilliantly and she's a gorgeous dog. Have to share that as I began to doubt myself. So do I think you're stupid, far from it. Good luck, and don't forget to let us know how you get on.

 

Needed to hear all of your comments above as my Sinjin (17months) randomly gets zoomies while on the lead which has been both painful, confusing and discouraging to me. Doesn't happen daily and never in the house. Does unpredictably happen when our walk begins or 10 minutes later. Use harness with 30' check cord for hiking or 10' lead. Zoomies can be hilarious as long as u r not attached to yr dog. Don't know when they are coming, he doesn't hear my commands while he is in this state of wild eyed crazies. I remain calm but he still goes nuts biting leash, jumping and nipping me. Very thankful its over in about 20 seconds, yet while it's happening...ugh!!!! Any suggestions?

 

Hi @OMG - you are not alone! I am having the same problem with my 14 month old Cassie. I am currently keeping a training log on here to help me identify a pattern. For when it happens off lead I've been advised to deflect her by throwing a toy or somesuch, which does help, and when she is on harness I am standing on the lead until she is quiet and then proceed and repeat when necessary.
It's pretty horrid but lets hope we are through it soon.

 

Hi all - it's great to read these posts as I was beginning to think that somehow I had the only lab from hell. Huck is just going on 11 mos. and we love him dearly but he is the most challenging puppy I have ever had. I'm dealing with most of it and some things seem to be getting better. We've done puppy kindergarten and the next level training and he excelled at it but now he only seems to do anything if I offer treats. I guess I need to go back to basics and start over. I'm really concerned with the crazy biting thing though. He does it in the middle of a game of catch or if I tell him to do something that he really doesn't want to do like get down off the furniture or bed. He will act up several times a day. He gets all crazy, jump on us and tries to bite our hands. Same as others, I'm not afraid because it is not serious aggressiveness but it IS a nasty behavior. He does often draw blood. We've put him in his crate until he calms down but it doesn't seem to stop it from happening again. My husband has leukemia that he is being treated for and doing really well but right now he bleeds easily and I'm also concerned about him getting an infection. I don't want him to ignore Huck and stop playing with him. It's like our hands are toys too. Even if he is not being "crazy" he wants to grab them. Do we just let a few more months go by to see if this goes away? Does anyone have any info on how to stop this or get a handle on it? Someone else mentioned Jekyll and Hyde. Thanks, emmie

 

Mollie, nine month old Guide Dog puppy, does this. Not as frequently any more - but she still does it about once a day.

I either lean back with my hands behind my back or turn my back, or - if I'm sitting down, I stand up and do the same. I don't react in any way. It's always when I'm not doing what she wants. So it usually happens when I'm here at my computer, I've ignored her too long and she's 'meh, bored'.

Once I've leaned back or turned my back I ask for a sit. When she does I wait ten seconds then treat (so that she associates the sit and wait with the treat, not the jumping up and nipping)

I know that the behaviour will lessen, fade and disappear - it has with all the other pups


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