Our 6 month old lab mix refuses to stop biting. My wife and I have tried yelping, grabbing scruff to show dominance, redirection, low pitch loud commands. She just keeps gnawing. It never feels aggressive, not showing teeth or growling but she'll grab hands when we pet or play with her, arms when she seems bored, she'll lay down at our feet looking like she wants to cuddle then just grab a mouthful of ankle. We have chew toys, rope toys, treats, kibble, but these don't last and I hate just stuffing her with treats or locking her in her crate just so we can sit cook dinner or watch TV for a little bit. Is this something we should just consider a phase and power through with redirect and other commands?
Hi there, and welcome to the forum Lots of puppy parents reach a point where it feels like all hope is lost before things start to get better again! Take a look at these articles on our main site for coping strategies and tips for guiding her out of this behavior: When Do Puppies Stop Biting? How To Stop Your Labrador Puppy Biting Aggressive Puppies Punishments or attempts to establish dominance won't work - I know that's confusing and frustrating to hear when so many seemingly credible trainers still insist on recommending them, but they have been completely discredited and debunked in the modern training community. You can read more about the evidence for that here, if you're interested: Punishment in Dog Training Alpha Dog - The Facts About Dog Dominance I hope that helps!
