Any one have any advice to stop my red fox lab biting legs and hanging on for dear life as I try to leave the garden?
Hi and welcome to the forum. How old is your pup and what is his/her name? I am sure someone with more experience will come along and give more help, but I can only tell you what we did with Bailey, who is our first pup. Although he never went for legs, his favourite was hands and arms (and twice my nose!). Whatever you decide to do make sure you stick with it - if you keep swapping and changing it will confuse your pup. When Bailey was tiny and a complete crocopup the first time teeth came into contact with skin I put a toy into his mouth, second time toy in his mouth, third time I crossed my arms and turned away from him for about 10 seconds, ignoring him and stopping the game. If when I re-engaged with Bailey the biting continued, I removed myself from the room and gave him 30 seconds to calm down. I never had to put him in his crate as this generally calmed him down. It did not work overnight, in a week or even two weeks - it took, it seemed, forever, but in reality it was really only until his adult teeth came through. It is something we all live through and survive - with battle scars yes, but they are all soon forgotten. Just keep remembering - this too shall pass. Good luck. BTW Bailey is a fox red lab too - who has just climbed up behind me on the settee and fallen asleep - he is now 15 months old and a bit too big to do this really!
Thank you Samantha. Oakley is 10 weeks old so still very young I know but I do want to start as we mean to go on! Hand are easier because you can take them away which I do and it has reduced. Legs I am finding are a real challenge. I am trying the time out as you did but often this involves trying to walk across the garden or kitchen with Oakley hanging off our legs. I do offer alternatives if there is one to hand but that isn't always the case. Anyone else got any suggestions?
We very quickly learnt to not go down first thing in our dressing gowns - the first morning home with our puppy back in February and we both got bitten on the ankles and scratches on our legs!! We always dressed after that with jeans, shoes and long sleeved t shirts. Wouldn't be so easy now as the weather is warm. Have you tried using a lead on Oakley in the garden? Maybe dropping a few treats or bits of kibble to distract? Always taking a toy out with you into the garden?
I would stay in the garden with him and have puppy toys in your pockets to put in his mouth instead of your legs and clothes. While mine are small I pick them up to bring them in and put a toy or chew in their mouth. This is great advice - http://www.thelabradorsite.com/labrador-puppies-biting/ And welcome to you from Mags, Tatze and Mollie from Manchester UK Tatze is my pet dog, a black Lab and she's four years old. Tatze means 'paw' in German. Mollie is my fourth Guide Dog puppy, a black Lab who is eight months old. .
