Feeling discouraged and frustrated - 14 week old puppy biting

Discussion in 'Labrador Puppies' started by mom2labs, Jun 26, 2018.

  1. mom2labs

    mom2labs Registered Users

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    Our puppy is 14 weeks, we love him so much but most of the time I don't "like" him. I feel like his biting isn't getting any better. We can't even touch him without him trying to bite. Also his "maniac" moods are so scary, we put him in the back yard yesterday when he got like this and he literally ran high speed back and forth for about 15 min. he had been exercised before this so I don't why he gets into these moods. He finally settled but he lunges at you, jumps up bites grabs. I wish this stage would end. I try to get him to sit which he will but he will immediately come out of his sit and start jumping to bite your hand. Will this ever end? I feel like there is no end in site. I knew puppies do these things but never realized to this extent. I guess we were super lucky with our older lab.
     
  2. Anomaly

    Anomaly Registered Users

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    My experience was that just when I thought it wouldn’t get any better and that I couldn’t take it anymore, it became a bit more tolerable. It’s horrible. My first lab was an anomaly (thus my username) with no challenges whatsoever. Hang tight. I’m at 6 months now and it is like night and day. Still some night, but mostly day.
     
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  3. Atemas

    Atemas Registered Users

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    Yes it will - he is still very young.

    Today, I felt a scar on my hand and had to think how I’d got it. It was from my puppy last year when she was in her crocopup stage. By the time she was 16 - 18 weeks she had changed such a lot and by about 20 weeks that had all stopped. She is now 18 months old and such a fabulous lovely dog - almost hard to remember :).
     
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  4. mom2labs

    mom2labs Registered Users

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    Thanks, I sure hope so. That is the same with our older lab, I think looking back now he was the "odd" one because he did NONE of this, we even had people say how calm he was for a lab and people were often surprised by his lack of chewing, granted, we got him at about 16 -18 weeks but still way different.
     
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  5. Maxx's Mum

    Maxx's Mum Registered Users

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    I'm not sure if it is selective memory or if it was true. Our first lab - we can't remember him biting and being a crazy crocopup. Mind you, it was 20 years ago (he passed away 7 years ago). But with Maxx....we were totally unprepared for the monster we brought home. We very nearly gave him back to the breeder but this forum saved him/us. He is now 8 months and still naughty/cheeky but such a joy and very loving and gentle. So hang in there! Honestly, labs are unbelievably hard as puppies but make up for it by being such gentle, loyal, loving adults.
     
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  6. Saffy/isla

    Saffy/isla Registered Users

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    Hey,please don't worry,it definitely definitely gets much better! My pup is 17 weeks now and the biting and lunging is much improved. She was the same, we wanted to fuss her and play with her but she just bit us all the time and the chewing wad dreadful,she has damaged more furniture in the 8 weeks we've had her than our old lab did in her lifetime!We had despaired and thought we'd got ourselves a problem dog as our dear old lab, that we lost in Jan,was never like that but then suddenly about a week ago it all stopped. She just has a brief manic period maybe once a day.

    So hang on in there
     
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  7. Granca

    Granca Registered Users

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    It could also be that he’s getting overtired, particularly as he’s still very young. This can result in frantic, mad moods rather than just crashing out and sleeping! Is he getting enough ‘time out’, just to rest, away from your older dog? It’s easier to ensure this if you have a pen or a crate with his bed in it.

    It will get better eventually, but some puppies are harder work than others!
     
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  8. mom2labs

    mom2labs Registered Users

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    Thanks for the replies, I can see sometimes how he could be over tired, however this morning not even 30 min upon waking he was doing this, I was walking down hall him behind me and out of no where he jumped up and bit my leg, I told him no bite and stopped and he just stares at me then kind of lets out a growl then will jump up, I don't think he could have possibly been tired. I do know other times I can see that he is.
     
  9. Boogie

    Boogie Supporting Member Forum Supporter

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    He was inviting play.

    They need to learn ways to invite play which doesn't involve biting. That's why putting a toy in their mouth works so well. It moves on from you putting a toy in their mouth to them finding a toy to greet you with once they are older.

    :)
     
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  10. mom2labs

    mom2labs Registered Users

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    We do this constantly and but it doesn't seem to make any difference 90% of the time, he will STILL prefer to bite our hands and just drop the toy, if we keep trying to give him a toy, he results to biting something else, our legs, arms whatever but NOT his toy. We have zillions of of different toys, nylabones, kong toys, chews, he likes most of them but for some reason he usually prefers us.
     
  11. HAH

    HAH Registered Users

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    Does he have access to his toys all the time, or are they kept away from him? This made a huge difference for us early days, the moment we started keeping most toys in a box they became SO much more fascinating when we brought them out for playing with! :doug:
     
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  12. Boogie

    Boogie Supporting Member Forum Supporter

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    Yes, they all do. It takes constant replacing toys for skin until they are six months old (in Mollie’s case seven months). This is totally normal. There are no quick fixes.

    :)
     
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  13. mom2labs

    mom2labs Registered Users

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    Gotcha, I was feeling like he wasn't "getting" it and was getting concerned
     
  14. Chewies_mum

    Chewies_mum Registered Users

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    My pup did this exact thing this morning. He doesn't do it very often and I didn't handle it very well to begin with. Eventually I realised he just wanted some attention so we did 5mins of training, then he fell asleep.

    You could try a short training session to divert him?

    EDIT: Of course, he might have just been distracted by the treat pouch.
     
  15. mom2labs

    mom2labs Registered Users

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    I have done that with him as well, some times it works other times it doesn't little stinker :rolleyes:
     
  16. Chewies_mum

    Chewies_mum Registered Users

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    Don't you wish you spoke "dog?!" I know I do.
     
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  17. Leela'smom

    Leela'smom Registered Users

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    OMG! Thank heavens for this thread! Mom2labs, you wrote exactly how I was feeling..."I'm supposed to love her, but I don't!" :( We were having EXACTLY those problems with Leela! We were unprepared for Lab puppy mouthing, and had gone to Petsmart to start puppy preK. The trainer told us that since she is so high energy, we needed to exercise her more. We started tossing toys for her while on the 15' training lead, she'd run back to her place and play with them. Then, we'd throw another one, she'd run back to her place and play. Then, out of nowhere she would charge us like a madwoman and jump and nip at us uncontrollably. *tears* Back to Petsmart: Trainer said, "she wants more". OMG, Really?! One evening, she charged at me repeatedly.. I had to hold her away as best I could.. because I was terrified! I couldn't exactly put her in a safe place to chill out, as we were outside.

    This thread has answered my question as to how this happened!! OMGOMGOMG

    We called a private trainer, who was able to come to our house and observe us. The morning before the newtrainer came, we had another episode like this where Leela ripped the back of my shirt. (because the Petsmart trainer had taught me to turn my back and say, "off!") I felt those teeth on my thighs and butt, and then I heard my shirt rip.:eek: The private trainer told us Leela needed more walks. Thankfully, that is helping. She is an easily excitable girl, but... wow, the changes that have happened in a week have been such a relief. This thread is the icing on the cake. Thank you! It is good to read testimonies from those of you who've experienced this...I'm hopeful that this time will pass quickly!
     
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  18. mom2labs

    mom2labs Registered Users

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    Yep you just described our Oakley to a T. It's not a nice feeling to be afraid of my own puppy in those moments but I know exactly how you feel. We have been doing those exact same things, I work from home and two times a day I've been going out back and playing fetch with him but at those times not every time like you said he will literally run back but jump up on me and bite. We take him for a couple of long walks a day but it's hit or miss, it helps some times but not others. I don't know if he's "over" tired in those times. Please let me know if you find any thing else helps. Good luck on your Leela.
     
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  19. Leela'smom

    Leela'smom Registered Users

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    Love the name Oakley!
    Aside from the walking, I am trying to teach her tricks using the clicker. Our trainer also wants us to practice "sit", "stay" and "watch me" many times during the day and multiple times during each training session. Because she is so reactive (her new leash makes her jump at it), I'm trying to click her for proper behavior with the new leash, and towels, and the broom, and paper, etc... The trainer told us that expending mental energy is almost as good as draining physical energy. "like the tired you feel after studying for a test", she says.

    Good luck with Oakley!
     
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  20. mom2labs

    mom2labs Registered Users

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    Thanks for the response. We are using clicker training also. Oakley knows sit, stay, lay down,and focus's on me, obviously we are still working on stay, usually I can do about 10 steps back and most of the time he does well, he plays fetch well and knows drop it, but still even after these sessions of fetch or walks he still gets into these "maniac" modes, nothing seems to work other than putting him in his crate for a little bit, then he comes out like a new puppy. One thing that is really frustrating for me is that my hubby and although when he goes into maniac moods most of the time it has nothing to do with my husband BUT there are times he will play with the puppy and rile him up then he will get into one of those moods then my husband expects the puppy to just stop when he's done, I"m like hello I don't think he really understands, I have tried explaining to him that it's probably best not to play with him like that until he understands and knows biting isn't ok, I think my husband just thinks that our older lab learned and he played with him all the time but our other lab we didn't get until he was about 4 1/2 mo old so he was at the tail end and he didn't seem to bite near as much although we think the people we got him from were mean to him. I just hope it ends soon
     
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