Crazy dog, about to give up hope. Depressed and at wits end.

Thank you. Also, when I have food or something that interest her, she comes up to me when I call no problem. But other times like today when I gave her a brand new bone, or sometime when we try to play fetch, or when she grabs something she shouldn't, she doesn't listen to recall and she growls and runs away. How do I stop this?

 

Awww. She looks like a cutie! And see... She's not biting your face off in the pic! I knew there'd be people along to provide some ideas and support! They really do love to learn things and are usually very interested in food as a reward so that helps. I found just 10-15 min at a time with Edsel just working on sit and come would really help the manic energy level. Mental exercise sometimes works better than physical if they've been alone and bored for a while. I had a 1:1 trainer come for a 1 time eval and she gave us a plan to work with which wasn't too expensive and very helpful. These crazy Labs aren't like a lot of other breeds. The info you'll find here will be most helpful! Good luck, stick with it and she'll really get better. Promise.

 

Hahaha i know right!? And yea she usually listens when I have food. Its just when she has a toy or bone or ball she won't let me go near her. She just runs no matter how many times I recall her. Its the worst when Im outside when we play fetch because 1 She thinks its ok to run away and her fetch skills suffer because she doesn't want to bring it back. ( although it is very hot here right now so maybe that has something to do with it.) 2 I can't catch her anymore!!! UGHHHH haha

 

Oh jeez i know the feeling. And hey Im from western mass!the other thing she usually listens when I have food. Its just when she has a toy or bone or ball she won't let me go near her. She just runs no matter how many times I recall her. Its getting very annoying.

 

Hahaha i know right!? And yea she usually listens when I have food. Its just when she has a toy or bone or ball she won't let me go near her. She just runs no matter how many times I recall her. Its the worst when Im outside when we play fetch because 1 She thinks its ok to run away and her fetch skills suffer because she doesn't want to bring it back. ( although it is very hot here right now so maybe that has something to do with it.) 2 I can't catch her anymore!!! UGHHHH haha

 

Thank you. Also, when I have food or something that interest her, she comes up to me when I call no problem. But other times like today when I gave her a brand new bone, or sometime when we try to play fetch, or when she grabs something she shouldn't, she doesn't listen to recall and she growls and runs away. How do I stop this?

 

You have to make coming to you more fun and interesting than whatever else she's doing. So if she takes something and runs, if you do get her back to you and take it away, then that's no fun! She may also be hoping she'll get you to chase, which is fabulous fun. Using food and high value food, like bits of chicken or turkey or fish, is good for recall training. You will see in the info on recall training and lots of other things that the food rewards are slowly reduced as time goes on so don't feel like you have to go around with your pockets full of food forever. Also try walking away from her. When she doesn't come or goes the other way, turn around and walk away from her. She will likely decide to come find you. If she takes off with something she isn't supposed to have, try to get her to swap it for something else. Make a big deal of one of her toys and get her to trade. I really learned most everything from looking at articles on the website and reading posts here of people having the same issues. Because everyone here has had all the same issues!

 

Lj Cooper doesnt fetch either.....he runs after the ball, picks it up, and drops it right there and I have to go over and retrieve it myself!! You will find threads on this website that will tell you how to train to play fetch.....Lily is basically playing.....but I know it's hard to take when she bites all the time.

 

This is normal puppy behavior, puppies always run off with anything they want to keep. You might find this helpful How to stop your dog stealing If you would like to learn how to teach your dog to retrieve items to you, then you'll find lots of info here http://totallygundogs.com/category/gundog-training/skills/retrieving/

It's really important when teaching your puppy to recall reliably, that you don't inadvertently teach her to run away from you (rather than towards you). Please have a look at this training guide for more help and information http://www.thelabradorsite.com/train-a-puppy-or-dog-to-come/

It's very important not to try and practice early recalls when your dog has something she values in her mouth. She won't come, and all that you will achieve by giving a recall command is teaching her to ignore you.

Never try to teach a puppy a recall at the same time as trying to get something from them. The two aims are not compatible and will end in tears!

 

The articles Pippa has linked to should help you with this. Just bear in mind you have to make things harder for her a very little bit at a time. If she'll recall when you have food try putting the food in a pocket, she'll know you have it but it's not under her nose. You need to think about levels of difficulty in terms of the three Ds - distance, duration, distraction. And definitely don't recall her if you don't think she'll come. Pippa's book Total Recall would give you a step by step program to build up the difficulty. See if you can get hold of a copy it will really help

 

[QUOTE="Yvonne, post: 242049, member: 809"]Lj,when Cooper was 5 to 6 months old I had to explain to everyone that I was not cutting myself or in an abusive relationship....that I had a Lab puppy!! I had so many scars, bled every single day, [/QUOTE]

Yikes! Is this something nearly all (or all!) Lab puppies do then? I'm seriously considering getting a Lab after 20 years with Rotties so am here on the forum to learn, but this is kind of scary. I mean, people say Rotties are tough, but despite my 2nd boy being a snarly snappy little thing as a pup, I don't remember him ever actually biting me. Of course, maybe I've blocked out the Puppy Hell memories. I'll keep watching this thread for all the advice, it's really interesting!

 

Yes, most Labrador puppies are very mouthy and will bite (but with human consistency and patience they learn not to). Some don't bite but they're very much the exceptions. The good thing is that once they learn to inhibit the biting they become very gentle and trustworthy with their mouths. The mouthiness transforms into a lifelong love of carrying stuff around.

 

Lilly wasn't a bad biter. She did like to jump up at you and attach onto your clothes though.
Don't risk new or treasured clothing around these lovely pups.
I was able to wear short sleeves in public. There....I've said it.....

 

I got my last dog , a chocolate Lab, at 10 weeks and he was just normal puppy bitey - ie didn't leave bleeding wounds! Molly , a Lab cross, came home at 7 weeks and really bit hard and broke skin - but it only lasted about 6 weeks.
But both were worse than an earlier cocker spaniel puppy, acquired at 8 weeks, who didn't bite much at all.

 

Yikes! Is this something nearly all (or all!) Lab puppies do then? I'm seriously considering getting a Lab after 20 years with Rotties so am here on the forum to learn, but this is kind of scary. I mean, people say Rotties are tough, but despite my 2nd boy being a snarly snappy little thing as a pup, I don't remember him ever actually biting me. Of course, maybe I've blocked out the Puppy Hell memories. I'll keep watching this thread for all the advice, it's really interesting! [/QUOTE]

I have two Black Labs and don't remember them biting very much, they certainly never drew blood. I wonder if Yellows bite more than Blacks???

 

I would highly doubt that!!!

Shadow (yellow) came to me at 14 weeks and didn't ever bite. Willow (black) came home at 8 weeks and was a normal crocopup until 14 weeks. Yes, she drew blood and we looked like self-harmers

 

Snowie is a yellow boy and I have no recollection of him biting me or anyone else when he was a puppy. All this talk of crocopup and I'm wondering if I have blocked something out of my memory?? I remember the scratched arms but it wasn't from being bitten rather than his sharp claws (puppy claws are lethal!) when he jumped up on me. My poor mom with her elderly frail skin, Snowie's claws drew blood easily on her arms, but he was just being friendly and wanting to jump up to say hallo to her or see what she was doing when she was lying on the sofa.

The only thing Snowie did re biting was taking treats with a chomp onto my fingers. Still, to this day (at age 4.5 years), if he's very excited he takes treats with a chomp -- got to be ready in that case with the treat on an open hand. But at home, if I'm giving him his salmon oil capsules, he ever so gently takes each capsule, sometimes using his tongue to scoop it out of my fingers.

He does like to carry something if he's excited, and when we come home or if someone comes to visit, he immediately goes to pick up a toy or a ball, almost like he's bringing them a gift. And I'm pretty sure he reserves high-value toys for some people -- you can see him go to his bed and check out all his belongings, and if he values that person highly then he selects his big teddy or fluffy lion and drags it along (sometimes tripping over it) to take to them (so cute!!).

 

Xena would like you to know that she makes the small human cry at least once a day, thank you very much.

Seriously though, she's probably only a mild crocopup compared to some, but having her sit next to my kid and just chomp down on her arm/hand just kills me. If I had known how it would be I honestly would not have bought a lab I keep telling my kid (and myself) that it'll get better in the next few months but that's a long time in a child's life and I'm already regretting putting my kid through this.

 

Neither Benson (chocolate) or Bramble (black) were bitey pups. Both came from large litters, I collected Benson at 10 weeks old and Bramble at just over 8 weeks. Both pups also had other labs of various ages in the household of the breeders, so I wonder if they both learned the principles of bite inhibition early from their mum, siblings and other dogs. Coming home, Bramble had 2 dogs for company, who although very tolerant, have probably helped with bite inhibition, she played a lot with Benson, he was very, very gentle, and let her climb all over him, there probably was very subtle puppy training going on there!

 

I guess I look at the bitey phase as just that..a phase. It's no different than all the developmental stages people go through and far less obnoxious than 12-16 year old girls can be. As far as children go, if they are very young, say 4 and under, then it's probably best to try to limit amount of close interaction during the bite weeks if the child is very upset by it. If older than that, then in my opinion they are old enough to understand it's a puppy thing and will stop soon. Edsel snapped around on my grandson and great nephews who all have coped without any lasting trauma. Most Labs spend a far greater percentage of their lives putting up with children hugging, squeezing, poking, pulling, dressing them up and all matter of torment, and most bear it with unbelievable tolerance and grace, than the bitey times we suffer from them. I'm thankful bitey time is when they are wee bits with puppy teeth and not now when he has massive choppers and steely jaws!