Hello, I have a 11.5 week old girl who is wonderful although biting/mouthing rather a lot. While we are following the advice on the forum and The Labrador Site in general (which is fab) she has started to charge at me when I go into the garden with her. She attacks my feet and legs if I take a step and will not go to the toilet (even though the signs are there that she wants to go) and just now did a sort of high-speed fly-past (as she is charging around) and one of her little shark teeth caught my leg through my jeans and swiped a little gash, drawing blood. I am upset by this and have popped her in her crate; she is now sleeping so I'm thinking was overexcited? She has started doing this in the evenings too, when I take her out into the garden for her late night toilet. I can cope with her mouthing but this is worrying me. What can I do to calm things down? I put her long house lead on her eventually to try to keep her contained with a view to stop her charging around but she hates this and it puts her off going to the toilet. I don't make her excitable by whipping her up into a frenzy and making a big fuss, so any suggestions would be welcome. I must be doing something wrong but I need to know what it is. Many thanks.
Re: Charging and biting puppy You are not doing anything wrong - it's just puppy exuberance for living Running and leaping and grabbing and charging are all fun, fun, fun - that's all When you go out, I would try using the house line like a lead. Keep it business-like until you get a wee or poo - then immediately reward with a treat and let her off the line. However long it takes, leave her on the lead till she wees. Wee first, fun after. Another idea (if using a lead is just not working) is to set up a little fenced off area in your garden that you can pop her into for weeing and pooing while you wait on the other side. That can be the toilet area (you will need to keep it clean). Soon as she uses it let her out for a fun game To stop her charging at you give her something else to charge at, like a toy on the end of a rope. Drag it round and let her chase it rather than your ankles.
Re: Charging and biting puppy Hi Oberon, Well that is a relief... I have been using the house line like a lead and she will do a wee but no poo at her usual time (i.e. last thing at night) and then she just rolls around and bites the house line and then takes off like a lunatic from time to time. Maybe she just doesn't want a poo and she is just messing about. It certainly seems as if it is not a priority for her at that time any more. Actually, just talking about it makes more sense of what might be happening. Perhaps I am leading her around the garden when she just doesn't want to go. We did try fencing off a bit of the garden a couple of weeks ago because the grass and flowerbeds were like a quagmire and all she did after the initial novelty of having her own area wore off was to destroy the wire mesh and wood frame (it was a sturdy playpen-like structure, though, not an actual fence so maybe just not strong enough?!). I will try the toy on the end of a rope though, it is another focus so worth a go as the charging about and fly-by biting has got to stop. Many thanks for your help, I really appreciate it .
Re: Charging and biting puppy No worries Another thing you could do is try to focus the exuberance (after weeing) with some recall games (like calling her between two people), hide and seek games (where one person holds her and another hides and calls the puppy), hiding treats and having her find them with a 'go seek' cue, and a little bit of obedience training (like sit, drop, and touch a target with her nose). Also try calm stroking as she lies on her side (if she ever lies down ;D) and make sure you notice and reward quiet, still behaviour. She sounds absolutely like a normal, happy pup They are kind of trying, though, with all the puppy whirlwind behaviour and treating humans like pincushions etc. Hang in there!
Re: Charging and biting puppy Great ideas - we will try to channel all this energy and I will see how it goes this evening ;D phew what a relief, she is normal after all!!!
Re: Charging and biting puppy very normal, my boy was very mouthy up to being around 6 month old, he was like a lunatic,....it might get worse sorry, before it gets better it will get better
Re: Charging and biting puppy Hiya. It is very normal and lots of us have been there. Harley stopped her biting/excited biting at about 15 / 16 weeks old completely. She still mouths sometimes, but is very gentle even when playing rough Rachel's ideas are definitely worth trying. I often still use 'go find' with treats. I also use an empty plastic milk bottle (washed out of course!), squash it and put a few bits of her food in it and give her this. She spends ages trying to get them out (she is nearly 7 months now and still takes her a good 10 mins). Also, kongs are brilliant too.....fill them and freeze with food (banana, kibble soaked in water, tuna mousse with natural yoghurt etc etc). These help with the chewing and also rewards them at the same time Good luck
Re: Charging and biting puppy Aha so it could go on for a while... but as long as it is normal, that is ok (I will just have to stock up on the chocolate and wine ). Stuffed kongs also sound like the way forward, I can do that! Last night was better, just a quick outside and back in again - although I was taking the chance that Lily would wake me up in the night for a poo, but she didn't (yay!). No opportunity for misbehaving but I am sure it won't be that straightforward every night. Thanks all for your words of encouragement and ideas, I can see a light at the end of the tunnel!
Re: Charging and biting puppy Sounds good! Stocking up on chocolate and wine sounds good too! For those "ah, the puppy is now in bed for the night" moments!
Re: Charging and biting puppy Chocolate and wine are an excellent management plan! I know you use a crate, so when you have been playing the games that Rachael suggested and know that she has had play and stimulation and should be tired, don't be afraid to pop her in there for a sleep when you know she's ready, as opposed to when she thinks she is! Tired puppies are about as pleasant as over-tired toddlers, and have the same sort of ability to control their behaviour... The biting and snapping is always worse when they hit that point. Brew (now 6 months) would look at me indignantly when popped in her crate, but fall asleep before she had worked out what it was she was indignant about... Now that that stage has passed, I see no reason to give up either the wine or chocolate. ;D Clare
Re: Charging and biting puppy Yep, we're just getting into this phase I think so really good to read all these reassuring posts! Thanks all...
Re: Charging and biting puppy It is really interesting what you say about tired puppies being as much fun as tired toddlers; that is definitely how it feels - and Lily does go into her crate and nod off more or less straight away... Lily does seem to have oodles of energy though, even if she only needs about 20 mins walking/exercise per day (she is now 15 weeks). But it is a case of switching on and off like a light - one minute she is a hound of hell then the next sleeping like a baby. it is easy to get overwhelmed though and I am feeling it a bit at the moment. I will repost on a new thread about house training... it was all going so well. Thanks everyone for the suggestions and words of support it really does help! Amanda
Re: Charging and biting puppy [quote author=amandamumma link=topic=4682.msg62777#msg62777 date=1395491261] it is easy to get overwhelmed though and I am feeling it a bit at the moment. I will repost on a new thread about house training... it was all going so well. [/quote] For sure! I remember one day when he peed inside every 20 seconds (or seemed like it) and then kicked 5 different water bowls over until I found a great big iron cook pot he couldn't move - but then he sat in it, then dragged his bed into it! I think I cried at one point! ;D ;D ;D
Re: Charging and biting puppy My experience is that a tired pup is just like a tired toddler, hyper!! Molly is just six months and I have been through exactly what you are going through. Really took me by surprise, I only ever noticed and admired quiet, dignified Labs. Didn't realise what one had to go through to achieve it.
Re: Charging and biting puppy Life with a pup is full of ups and downs, isn't it? Pongo is 15 weeks old now, and we thought we'd got him through the biting and nipping phase - he is really good with us now, only nips when he is just unbearably over-excited, and always stops when told. BUT..... then my daughter and her husband came to stay last night, and he was completely back to his bad habits with them! Seems like we've only taught him to be gentle with US, not to be gentle with humans generally. Oh well....a bit more work needed.... How is yours now, amandamummy? Any improvement on the charging and biting? Rosie (and Pongo)
Re: Charging and biting puppy Yes thank you Lily is better now but with the occasional lapse, I have tried the toy thing in the garden as a diversion tactic and she seems to be going for it, or just a quick in and out with the lead on when it is late at night, so that is definitely an improvement. She is capable now of being gentle when mouthing and we tell her no and she (on the whole) stops - again, she is sometimes overexcited and is more reluctant to let go if it is my husband's hand or trouser leg, sleeve, anything... so more work to do there!! He's a big softie with her... it is amazing that they can change and progress week to week and then just go back to like they were before all your hard work as you say when they meet someone new; Lily did this yesterday when she met my friend, went absolutely mental and then charged about like a lunatic. Like you Rosie, it looks like we have a bit more work to do But it is getting better! ;D ;D
