Hi all I have a five month old black lab called Jet. She has always been very bitey and growly which I haven't been that worried about as when we went to see her when she was five weeks old we noticed that the litter were very rough in the way they played with one another. (Probably a red flag in hindsight!) She has all the normal puppy biting habits but she also goes on attack jumping at me again and again with an open mouth landing nips with her front adult teeth and tearing clothes etc. I think she's doing it because she wants to play as I guess it is her way of getting my attention. When other family members are home it is reasonably easy to distract her and stop the behaviour. We try to do this as much as possible as fending her off with a knee or arm only makes her worse. She is clearly "over threshold" and no amount of asking her to sit etc is helpful. I would love to be able to turn my back to her to ignore her but she just bites my back instead. I am writing this now as she seems to be getting worse this week. I was just outside playing with her, throwing a ball etc, when started "attacking" me and wouldn't stop. I had to fend her off otherwise I would have more scrapes and bruises than I already do. I eventually managed to get her by the scruff of the neck and hold her on the ground which I'm sure is a nono but I was running out of options and she had already drawn blood. This gave me enough time to escape inside! Any ideas on how to fix this would be appreciated. She is a very strong willed puppy, she doesn't like her collar, lead or car harness even though she loves her walks and she is constantly trying to break through the barriers that we have set up. Her general attitude seems to be more that of a cat!! We are not first time lab parents and are surprised at how difficult she is. Sorry this is so long. Thanks Jets Mum
Do you use treats for training? These are usually a really good motivator for young Labs even when they are in ‘loopy’ mode. Remember that this is all play (very inappropriate play) and she needs to be taught how to play properly with humans. My Mollie was very much like this until about eight months old. Try not to pin her down with your hands, it will be counter productive, but you can stand on the lead until she responds to treats. But the best way forward is lots of training to get her responsive to you. It will take time but the loopiest pups make the best Labs in the end! This is a great place to start - https://www.thelabradorsite.com/labrador-training/ And welcome to you from Mags, Tatze and Keir from Manchester UK Tatze is my pet dog, a black Lab and she's four years old. Tatze means 'paw' in German. Keir is my fifth Guide Dog puppy, a yellow Golden Retriever/Flatcoat cross and he's five months old. .
Hi, reading your post takes me back a couple of months, Maisy was like this too. She is 7 months now and still has episodes that start for no apparent reason, not even being over threshold as she can start attacking after being completely calm. I think - through a process of elimination - that she becomes like this when maybe she wants something suddenly and can't wait. For example, when we are about to go out, she knows it, she is waiting and wants to go NOW. Cue attack mode, she has torn my trousers, my coat, bitten through my jeans - when she was younger and much worse I looked like I had been self-harming. It is as if you have flicked a switch to turn nice doggy into maniac dog, I totally know what you are going through and as you will hear from many others, this phase will pass. I recently found by accident, a thread on this site about 'extinction episodes' which seems to be what this is all about. Not sure where I saw it but search and have a look, it might help. Maisy is worse when on a train or bus, I think it is the having to sit still and wait with her, the episodes are not as frequent now but just as bad when she does kick off and so embarrasing. I am hoping it won't be much longer as sometimes it brings me to tears, where did my lovely dog go? Also, when people say the best thing is to ignore the dog, turn your back, don't react etc. you know that is not always possible, it is impossible to stand still with a pup chucking itself at you at lunging with it's teeth, as is turning your back on it. You are just giving it a different target and will get the back of your clothes torn instead, or the back of your legs bitten. Hang in there and like Mags says, try training a bit more to get Jet's brain occupied and make her more responsive.
WEll I'm astounded at your story, that a puppy named Jet could be like that. My Jet certainly was not. LOL I know, they are all different. My Jet was born trained and well behaved but her successor, Oban was not. with Oban I used time outs quite a bit. I swear the only time he was still and I could cuddle him was when he was sleeping. I found ways to play that did not endanger my face and hands by drawing toys along, behind me and throwing them. RAther like a cat, but I've never had a cat bite like a puppy can. Your Jet may be teething which can often make the biting worse. I used those white rope bone things, wetted, rung out, frozen for my Jet to chew on. They turned RED and I rotated two. Oban teethed on his GR puppy friend who also turned red all along his neck ruff and scared some dog walker who thought he was injured. Hang in it does get better, often remarkably when teething is finished though I would follow the suggestions above to help it get better.
I feel for you... Tansy is nearly 7 months now but she used to do this and I'd have to escape behind the stair gate that separates the kitchen from the living room! Walks were sometimes unpleasant and I even got home in tears a few times because I thought I was doing it all wrong (well I probably am, but at least I know now that it's normal pup behaviour!) My coping strategy for walks was to carry a squeaky stuffed toy in my pocket that she loved. When she started leaping and teeth snapping I'd let her have the toy, it kept her mouth occupied and a few squeaks later she would lose interest, drop the toy and we'd carry on. Thankfully it doesn't happen very often now, only when she's tired and over-excited and I can usually distract her. The well loved squeaky toy was lost on a walk some weeks ago and we haven't needed it since so hang in there!
Thanks for your replies. It is reassuring to know that other puppies behave like this too and that she will end up being an awesome lab. I'm hoping her behaviour this week is just a phase as she was previously recalling well and heeling on the lead beautifully. She has turned deaf to all variations of her name that she used to respond to (Jet, Jetty, Pup pup pup etc) and decided she only wants to do what she wants, when she wants. I probably need some higher value treats and I will make sure I have them with me when I go outside with her! I might try a squeaky toy when we're out walking to see if that will get her attention. Like Snowshoe, Jet's predecessor Cedar (a beautiful chocolate) was well behaved right from the moment we picked her up. Jet on the other hand bit me mercilessly almost the entire way home. While we weren't expecting another Cedar it has been a little surprising how difficult they can be!
