Hello I need some help I have an 8 month old Labrador puppy his name is buster and when he is being good he is the most loving adorable puppy he is so good when we go on walks and he attended all his puppy training classes and passed he does all the basic commands the last few days he has become very hyper he just started getting zoomies, he has also started jumping up a lot and he now growls and starts to not bite as such as he hasn’t actually hurt me but he is starting to nip more and more I am worried we might have to rehouse him as I struggle with the new behaviour issues Please someone help me
Hi there be reassured that this is quite normal behaviour for an adolescent dog. If you put adolescent or teenager into the search bar at the top you will find lots of discussions on this topic. Stick with it and keep going with rewarding the behaviour you want and trying to ignore the behaviour you don’t.
It's true it's not uncommon behavior but it's also true that nipping hurts. Contact the trainer from your puppy class and see if there is a class you can join or if you can arrange private classes. In the meanwhile try to observe what/when/where sets him off and then intervene, ideally before he gets going. I ask for a sit and wait out the crazy stuff. If you're concerned toss a blanket over the dog - you have to think this out beforehand so the blanket is handy AND you can get away from the dog in a step or two, like stepping over a gate or closing a door. If the trainer can't help you, your next stop would be a veterinary behaviorist.
I had very bad problems with my pup biting me at 3 months old where I thought she was aggressive, my arms and hands were covered in bite marks, she would lunge at me, etc. I hired a trainer/behaviorist. She observed me and told me I was not being a proper leader and that means the dog has to assume the role and it stresses them out and they act crazy or out of control. she gave me some basic leadership things to do that I wasn’t doing, like making her wait before eating, and adding more rules, boundaries and structure. She told me Sophie didn’t have enough boundaries. I’m not exaggerating when I say, the next day I had a different pup. Her biting decreased to 20% of what it was and then at 4 months she completely stopped (unless we are playing and she mouths with no pressure) Maybe add some rules and structure and see what happens,
Labrador teenagers are very trying - definitely much more work than small puppyhood - ramps up at 8-9 months. Zoomies are very normal, and I find the evenings are the main time for that - this is when I take my 8 month old for a short training walk or get some engagement toys out. Mouthing is also common at this age; I implemented time outs when over-excitement leads to nipping or mouthing - a short break in her crate to calm down (1-2 minutes). Keep up with all your training and as they mature, you will come out the other side with a great dog! Lots of reward and praise when there is good behaviour.
When it goes down in your experience here it is going up at 10th month and I was hoping for things to start settling down at 12.
It really depends on the dog - my older lab was very laid back and had a bit of training regression (mostly recall) from 9-12ish months but no issues with mouthing, nipping, jumping etc. My younger lab is a completely different dog and I honestly don't expect her to settle down for a long time - as one thing stops, something new comes up. I'm hoping her mouthing, chewing and jumping start settling down more by 12 months. We do a lot of training and she's great - it's the over excitement and hormones of being a puppy that take over sometimes! Most people say it takes labs until age 2...
