So, Nelly is a star don't get me wrong. She's doing really good. She's just over 8 week old and I can't quite believe how vicious her biting is getting at such a young age. We've now seen her character for sure! She can be so sweet and cuddly and next minute she locks on. I know puppy's bite and that Labradors are a particularly mouthy breed but she instantly bruises my arms. Its not even crocodile bites, she bites and stays on my arm and it's really hard to get her off. One method I've been trying is standing up and stopping contact instantly but I can't even get up because she's bloody attached to me! It's causing family fall outs too because everyone's trying to have their say on what to do. Please give suggestions that have really worked for you!?!?!
When Harley was at that stage I would either spget her off my hand and stand/ignore her for a few seconds, or I would put a soft toy in her mouth. You have to be very consistent.
I recommend you buy Pippas happy puppy handbook and get all the family to read it... several times(if you haven't already). My wife and I still fall out on what to do about our 8 month old from time to time. Everyone needs to be on the same page so there is consistency in the training. Wait till someone who "knows dogs" comes along and ruins your progress in mere seconds, but that's a different topic. What worked for us and luckily very quickly was putting a rope toy in his mouth pretty much every time it was open and heading towards us. Everyone wants to play with, pet and give love to the puppy and all he wants is to play. He doesn't have his litter mates or mom to teach him what is acceptable play or what is an acceptable pressure to use. If Duggan bit combined with excitement we let go of the toy and slowly walked away. If we wanted to pet him the toy occupied his mouth so we could rub his feet and ears and belly and all over really so he got used to touch. He can't get you if he has a full mouth. Very soon he stopped biting at us and a simple "ah ah" was enough to remind him it wasn't acceptable. You teach them how to play in an acceptable manner not the other way around. Good luck. There are many topics on this already in the forum with brilliant advice. Good luck.
It's totally normal - this is how Lab pups are! I'm on my fourth in four years and I assure you, they are not being viscous nor is it 'character' - it is ALL play. Read these articles and remember it gets worse until about 5 months old - so be consistent and determined. Be sure you all use the kind, sensible methods recommended or you will make things worse. http://www.thelabradorsite.com/labrador-puppies-biting/ ...
Ok, thankyou for the reassurance (I think) I would never not use kind methods with my dogs. I will have a look at the link.
I have a bit more sympathy for the practicalities since the chocolate monster. Willow did bite, of course, and I looked like a self-harmer for a while, but she never grabbed at legs and feet and certainly never grabbed any part of me and then shook, like Luna does. Yes, it hurts. Yes, it bruises or breaks skin. No, it's not actually that bad, and I can grit my teeth and get her off. But what I find hard to follow is the advice, that I've given myself, to simply "step over a baby gate or out of the pen". Hmm, when the devil is inside her, that's easier said than done! Hehe. When there's no reasoning with her, she gets put in her crate, not just her pen. It's easier to extricate myself from her in there. She stays there until she's calm. Then, assuming she's not just over-tired and needing a snooze, I sit outside the crate and open the door, petting her gently and verbally praising her when she's playing nicely. If she bites too hard, I quickly remove my hand and close the door, look away for a count of ten and try again. Outside of these times, though, I do lots of nice, calm handling. She's a very tactile puppy, and loves snuggling into me and having tummy rubs. She will nibble a toy or my hands while she's doing this, and, while it's gentle, I continue, tell her she's a good girl, and give her the occasional bit of frankfurter. The second she bites a touch too hard, I stop and look away. This isn't her in her frantic mood, she's just gone a tiny bit too hard. The important thing is, because it's calm and soothing time, she's able to think. I think being proactive about "handling training" is key to the puppy understanding sooner; although it doesn't stop those feverish attacks when she's over-tired or over-excited, those times can just be handled and she can learn limits the rest of the time.
Perfect, thankyou! Someone who is in my shoes. I'll try the crate method- thankfully it's in the lounge so It will be easy to get her in.
They get a certain look in their eyes when in 'crazy' mode! Tatze (my pet Lab) deals with it by going stiff as a board and putting her nose high in the air out of the pup's way. Then she jumps on her chair - her safe place where the pup isn't allowed - and turns her back on her. There's a lot to be learned from dog language ..
I do remember the days when I looked like a self-harmer too but I did not have him going for feet or legs (bum once but that was the first time I turned my back on him!). I always found him at his worst when tired or over-excited and it was just a case of getting him in his crate until he had calmed down. Good advice from snowbunny about calm handling of the pup, we did this too (without actually knowing we were doing it) and now Bailey at 11 months old can have his feet, ears, mouth, eyes and tail all gently handled without any issues. Bailey still nibbles mainly at my OH when they are wrestling but otherwise now at 11 months biting has pretty much stopped unless his is uber excited and then he will still jump with his mouth open and occasionally catches jumpers etc - at that point I still remove myself before he gets worse, after a few seconds he will calm down, sit down and whine at me as if saying sorry mum I'll behave - I can then fuss him while he is calm. Good luck, keep going, you will get there
I had regular bruises and bites from rolo mainly as everyone says when theyre over tired. He has a go now and again at almost 6 months but very rare now. It will last a while longer but it wont be forever and i noticed he got gentler as he grew too x
Okay thankyou for the encouragement. I'll keep yelping and giving her time out! Persistence and patience is key! X
That's my whole thing..Cooper at 6 months is big and when he gets all crazy with the jumping and biting I don't know how to get away. There is no calming him. I'm glad it's not summer my legs are covered in bruises. It hurts! How do I get him in the crate when he's like that?!
Can you leave the room, step over a gate or close the door behind you? Bailey does this when I'm getting dressed - so into the bathroom I go and shut the door behind me. If I'm downstairs I try to tell him to "find" something or "no" if again he still continues then I walk out of the room and close the door behind me. Yes it does hurt and I too occasionally have bruises but mostly scratches from his claws.
Baby gate or puppy play pen - easier than crate. And food rewards (or bribes) for going in. Yelping can work but then it wont, telling them no and scruff of the neck can work but they have to know how to calm down or they just come right back as a game, walking away and leaving them to calm down in a confined space can work too and which one works can change like that til they are old enough to understand NO. Our tends to only use her teeth when she gets excited playing or you are trying to treat something but persistence is the key. I can reach down the puppies throat anytime to grab thigns she shouldnt be eating but a couple of days back she had a spot just below her eye along her nose that just blew up. There had been a small lump there that had been healing and goign away and then before my eyes same area it blew up to 1cm square. Only two hands and had to hold her head and first touch that lump and then decided to hold cold salt water on it. It was a struggle at the start but amazingly the salt and the cold water worked and she was standing there with her mouth shut (wasnt impressed when I rubbed the salt in twice as it was reducing but if it was a bite wanted to get the salt in). Since then its been slightly easier to check the area - which went back down with the treatment. I also try to teach them to open there mouths if we apply pressure to the sides of the top jaw - this is to get the mouth open to remove anything that shouldnt be there
Not for me, it's not. When she's latched onto my leg or clothing, I can't lift that leg through a gate - her head follows. Picking her up makes her detach from my leg (and invariably reattach to my hand or arm) and I can then pop her in the crate and slide my hand out. It's about finding out what works best for you puppy's particular brand of crazy. You shouldn't scruff your puppy, that can really hurt them, and who wants to do that? I sometimes put the "v" of my thumb and first finger on the back of Luna's neck, to stop her turning her head back to bite me. I absolutely don't apply any pressure to her neck, it just allows me to position myself to pick her up without the crocodile being able to get a new purchase.
