My little (or not so little) Holly is a 15 week old black lab. First female dog I have ever owned, so it will be interesting to see if I notice any major differences. (Of course each dog has their own personality, so how much is sex related I don't think I will really be able to tell). I had an amazing chocolate lab prior to her that we lost this past fall. We got her at 7 weeks, but 10 weeks she was crocopup and biting us every 2 seconds. By 14 weeks the biting was less and less (still present, but more mouthing than biting). My fear/concern is that we took her to obedience training and she was by far the most boisterous dog there. Other puppies sat gently with their owner but Holly just wanted to explore everything. We do a lot of socilization, but I don't know if it is her young age (the other puppies are older than her) or if she is just an excitable pup. My chocolate lab was so mellow (eventually). Holly will have days where she listens great, chews on her things, and is pretty calm (with a some crazy moments). Then she will have days where she only wants to bite/play with us, and not listen to a thing. Just looking for some reassurance that this is normal puppy stuff that labs grow out of (for the most part). I don't expect a dog that does nothing (if I did, I wouldn't have gotten another lab), but I don't remember my prior dog at this age at all (apparently). Sound normal for a 15 week old pup to you all? I love her to death, do training every day, make sure she gets exercise, but I she kind of dominates our life at the moment. Thanks for listening to my gripe.
Yep, sounds like a normal Lab puppy to me! Cassie is my first Lab, but not my first dog. Crocopup (never heard the phrase pre Lab!), boisterous, over-friendly, hooligan at training classes, she's done it all Now 21 months and rapidly maturing into a lovely dog and I'm besotted with her.
Yes , I do think its sounds normal ! Fact is , they are all so different growing up and as adults too . The Labrador I lost ten weeks ago was an exemplary puppy, yes he had his moments, he was no angel but he didn't chew or bite at all . The girl Lab I had before him was a different kettle of fish altogether and yet they were treated the same and trained the same , but she was a shocker as a puppy , it passes !
My 9 month old is still occasionally a crocopup and has days where he doesn't want to listen He is still also very excitable. I see posts of his siblings and some are hunting dogs who have done photoshoots and they look so calm and obedient in their photos. I can't help but to think I got the crazy, wild one! But all sounds normal to me. He has days where he is a lazy lab and will just nap throughout the day. What does your pup look like?
So interesting to read all this. I lost my lovely big boy Lab mid Nov (only 7, too early). He was just the most chilled out dog, even as a pup. Now I have what the vet laughingly calls "a normal one". He is poster-boy pretty at nearly 12 weeks but chews a lot, mainly books, shelves and plants both in home and garden, and climbs and jumps much more than I thought possible, so can't be left unattended for a moment! They are all different.
I agree with @kateincornwall each pup is an individual and there is a whole range of behaviours which are regarded as 'normal'. Some pups show more of a behaviour than another, but one thing that is certain is that they all 'grow out' of the behaviour with positive, consistent training methods
I appreciate the feedback and answers from all. She is a beautiful little dog with a boisterous streak in her something fierce. I'll post a pic or 2 once I figure out how.
I was told Labs settle down at 2 years old, they are late maturers. If mine is anything to go by, that’s not entirely true. He settled down at 3 years of age!
My last one changed at 2 like a switch had been flicked and became wonderfully mature almost overnight. He was always pretty chilled, though.
I don't mind an active dog. Not at all. It is the nipping/biting stage that I can't wait to get through most. She doesn't bite nearly as hard anymore, but sometimes you can't go 2 minutes without her trying to mouth and bite you. Typical pup, but that is the part that frustrates me the most. She stole a glove from me today and went happily prancing away with it in her mouth. I couldn't do anything but laugh. She was so proud to have it. Fortunately I got it back in one piece.
I agree RMBIII, the biting is really getting out of control. I've been trying to teach him not to bite by slowly moving my hand towards his mouth and if he doesn't bite he gets a treat. However Mr Clever now knows that if he can smell treats he simply doesn't bite. He sits there like a yellow fur-angel and solemnly takes his treats...I can rub his tummy or do anything at all. BUT as soon as my hand is empty of treats or they go back in the cupboard he goes back to mad biting. I'm at my wits end!
These labs are smart little pups, and most are extremely motivated by food. My Holly will greatly back off when I have treats and not bite or not bite nearly as hard. When the food goes away, especially if she needs a nap, back comes the biting. The biggest thing I have learned is that pups need a LOT of sleep and I wasn't putting Holly down for nearly enough naps. A tired dog is a good dog, but an overtired dog is a pain in the butt! So I find that if Holly starts biting too much that a nap (or at least a quick trip to her room to calm down) goes a long way toward helping. The other thing I have started doing is specifically training her WHEN she starts to bite. I put her training collar on and immediately her behavior starts to improve. The mental exercise of the pup is as important or more important than the physical. Yesterday she as biting me left and right, and had recently had a nap. I put her training collar on (I use a gentle collar) and we did 10-15 minutes of her obedience training regime, and when we were done she was a complete angel for the next 2 hours (until it was time for another nap). I don't remember my prior lab being this way, but it was almost 12 years ago and we had another dog at the time as well. Every week seems to get better. The end is worth the journey.
