My male choc lab is 19 wks old, he goes to training, attended pup playtime and we do a bit of training at home too each day. The problem is he hadn't learned bite inhibition so the trainer told me last night, he was biting all the way as he does a lot at home. He has his second teeth now and it really hurts so we can no longer turn our backs on him & ignore it as he chews ur ankles etc which really is painful. When we say a loud no or off it has no effect, we have yelped like a puppy with no effect, put him back in his pen with no effect. When we say a stern off and go to pick him up to put him in his pen he appears aggressive and bites hands so you can hardly catch him either. We have been doing all this from the beginning we got him at 8 wks, we are consistent, don't talk after the word off or no so not giving him any attention ,& he been socialised and training classes. At our wits end and have grandson who he can't go near as his bites would be fatal to him. I didn't expect a miracle but seems like we been doing everything we shud be for what seems like forever and no improvement. I could cry and he abs terrifies me esp when he doing the crazy frenzy runs with the bites as well . It's not the happy, fun scenario we wanted for us all as a family. Don't know what can be done now.???
hi, I have a black lab, he's now 9months old, and will still occasionally be a bit bitey when over excited. But when he was younger he was awful for it we tried everything! But we did find that rolling up a newspaper and just tapping him on the nose really worked![/QUOTE]
Here is the best advice, and remember it takes months before the pup will stop biting hands etc. I wear long sleeves and skinny jeans (and sometimes wellies!). I always have toys and chews in my pockets to put in the pup's mouth instead of my hands. They get much worse before they get better, but it's very normal. http://www.thelabradorsite.com/labrador-puppies-biting/ .
Sorry you are battling so. As @Boogie said, its a long process to stop a Lab mouthing. We have Guide Dog Puppy Riggs, 21 weeks old, and I do as @Boogie does - I try to keep a toy on me at all times and the second he looks like he wants to grab me I offer him a toy he may chew on, and then we play a little and he is praised. If I don't have a toy and he makes contact with my skin he gets a stern "no" but I try not to draw too much attention to it. He still takes a chance every now and then, but he's getting a LOT better.
I really wouldn't recommend this. It is considered an aversive, and doesn't fit with the positive training ethos of the forum. Most important thing though, if it is just a light tap, it will likely just add fuel to the fire of the "game" your dog is playing, and if too hard, an aversive, it will scare your dog and create very negative association for the future.
I can't offer much advice beyond to agree with what's been said and to comfort you that it does get better. Biscuit is 8.5 months now and was impossible when she was younger. She'll still make a go for my kid's shoes during witching hour, but much less than she used to, and more often than not will listen when told to drop. One piece of useful advice I was given, particularly if you see the behavior is happening when she is over-excited, is to correct her twice, and if she continues, to put her in a short timeout in a stimulant-free environment to help her calm down. I use a bathroom, and just calmly put her in, gently close the door, and open it without saying a word two or three minutes later (assuming she is calm). The logic is that being part of the goings-on is the best reward there is, so by separately her, you are very clearly getting across the message that a particular behavior is unacceptable. I've only ever used back-to-back times outs once, and thinking about it now haven't had to use them for ages.
Ooh yes! @CherryBiscuit's suggestion of time outs is a good one! Our Riggs was a bit rough with his siblings at puppy classes during free-play time, and as soon as someone started growling the pups would be separated, and gently held away from the play for just 30 seconds before being allowed to rejoin (they were around 9 and 10 weeks old then). The pups very quickly learn that some behaviours won't be tolerated, and they would much rather play.
