My son found 2 lab mix puppies in a parking lot in Dec. We raised them from about 6 weeks old and found great home for brother, we kept sister. She is now about 11 weeks and I have been the primary care giver and have spent the most time with her: feeding, playing, correcting. She seems to react to me differently (in a negative way) and I don't understand why. When others in the household and friends approach her to pet her the lays down, rolls over for them to scratch her belly and is sweet and lets them pet her. When I try to be sweet with her and pet her she starts biting at my hands, play growls (like she did with brother and our other dog) and doesn't let me really love on her. She also bites at my clothes when I walk and doesn't seem to do it to anyone else. I'm a new large dog owner and I don't know what I'm doing wrong.
Hi Kelli, welcome to the forum A lot of her behaviors towards you are normal ways that puppies try to get attention from their primary caregiver. And they're programmed to use them a lot, because their survival depends upon their primary caregiver not forgetting about them! Your situation is also likely to be complicated by the fact she was separated from her mom and siblings too early. Puppies learn a lot of important information about bite inhibition between 6 and 8 weeks old, and she will have missed out on that. Take a look at these articles on our main site for more information: 6 Week Old Puppy - Your Questions Answered Teaching Bite Inhibition To Your Labrador Puppy How To Stop Your Labrador Puppy Biting I'd also seriously consider asking an experienced force-free behaviorist for some in-person support if you can afford it. Raising puppies which were separated from their mom at an early age is very different to raising puppies who stayed with their mom and siblings until they were 8 weeks old, and a little professional support can go a long way towards overcoming the extra challenges. Good luck, and let us know how you get on!
