I have a 17 wk old black lab and he is nipping and biting, we tell him no bite, also put in crate , but he is constantly biting and my husband cannot handle it. This is our 2nd labrador previous was an english blockhead but not sure this one is, his behavior is not at all like our previous lab. My husband is talking about getting rid of this pup because he is not an english. I dont think this makes a difference and we need to be more patient. Any suggestions?
Hi Nancy, All Labs are unique and individual, and some puppies are less bitey than others. A lot of biting behavior at 17 weeks old is pretty normal, but you're so close to the point where it starts getting better now! Pippa has written about puppy biting here and jumping up here on our main site, I'm sure these pages can help you. Forgiving puppies' more annoying qualities can be harder to do when you're still grieving the loss of a lovely old friend who'd long since outgrown them all. I hope your husband falls for your new boy as much as you have soon. Do let us know how you get on.
You are not alone! I struggled like never before with my current puppy’s biting , been there, done that and have the ripped T shirt it’s no fun for us is it, but a whole load of puppy fun for them! We came though it in the end and we have a lovely young girl of 15 months. Stick with the advice given and you will get there, even though it doesn’t always feel like it and it might take a while. All the best
Cooper is almost 5 now, and is an American Field style Lab. Tall with a two tennis ball mouth, and very fast. She was very bitey when she was a pup, but not at all now. She can be very quiet and mellow, but also loves to run and swim when she has the chance. I personally prefer the Field Style Labs now. It will get better.
Telling him 'no bite' isn't going to mean anything to him at all. You might as well say 'banana sausages' to him - it means as much. Instead, you need to have lots of tuggy toys lying around and whenever the pup bites you or your skin, reach for a tug and redirect his attempts to play onto that instead. Try to see the situation from your puppy's perspective: He is trying to play just like he played with his littermates and mom. He doesn't know people don't like this. You need to teach him that playing with your skin directly is boring and doesn't lead to much fun, whereas playing with you with toys and tugs, is great fun.... Telling him 'no bite' and wagging your finger at him, is not going to achieve anything besides making your finger look like a great thing to grab and for him to believe you are playing back with him. Putting him in the crate, isn't going to teach him anything either because he's not likely going to associate the biting with the consequence of being put in the crate. But putting the pup in the crate to calm down, can work great if you give him a stuffed Kong or something similar to occupy him with. Then he may be in a less bitey mood when he comes out. But that's not because learning has taken place, just because he doesn't feel like doing it so much. Please don't punish your puppy for biting, it is a perfectly normal puppy behaviour and you will only damage your relationship with him, if you do. Instead, work to encourage the behaviour you prefer - playing with toys. He may or may not be an 'English', which is what I think people in the US call a show-bred Labrador - but that likely has little do with with biting. Some puppies are simply bitier than others. I would be more concerned that your husband is already talking about 'getting rid' of the puppy, because that is not a great sign for the future. Usually, I encourage people to go right ahead and do that, if they are saying they are thinking about it - because the pup will have a better life if rehomed early/at a younger age, with people who will invest time and energy and not disconnect from the pup at the first sign of difficulties...
Thank you for all your info and do appreciate your tips, I have made my husband realize that he is a puppy and very loving. We will continue to train him and will follow your advice.
