How do I know Amy's mouthing/biting is normal for her age? My husband says something is wrong with her and everyone he speaks too says she should stop by now. Hr hasn't read one book or piece of information. Hr just telling everybody she is nasty. I think she is getting better, but will still try to get out hands if we put her harness on and sometimes will try up too on sofa and bite our arms. (I put that down to attention seeking) Sometimes when we go to touch her she tries to get hands too. Never growls at us. (sorry for the moaning post, just need a confidence boost)
Re: 12 weeks. jade honest jasper as been just the same,now i have gone forward the bad things are slowly fading away,i thought it would last for ever, day by day jasper is going from strength to strength, i didnt get to enjoy the first few weeks of his arrival, now i seem to be able to sit back and reep the rewards, we have bought a dog whistle, dont no if this is the right or wrong thing to use, last night when my son took him on his walk, he responded well to the whistle, the clicker didnt seem to work for us, i guess its all trial and error, good luck jade, its got better for us and i am sure with every thing you are doing , it will get right for you, then its time to enjoy him x
Re: 12 weeks. Jade, please don't worry about Amy's mouthing she is only 12 weeks old and there is nothing wrong with her. Pippa has written great articles on this subject which you can find on her Labrador site which will help you. I was taught by a dog trainer that when a puppy mouths you should scream and say "off", but I am sure there will be some good advice from other members. This phase will pass so please don't worry and you are not moaning, you are looking for help which is what this forum is for. Goodness me I am surprised I haven't been banned from this site with all my moany posts You will get there so chin up. Helen x
Re: 12 weeks. Lynne, have you thought about getting Pippa's Total Recall book which takes you through exercise by exercise on how to teach a reliable recall to a whistle? I am working my way through it and it is working. It's not as easy as buying a whistle and thinking a dog will know what that means, it's a building up of the response in many different situations. I am six months into my training with Charlie and still a long way to go. I can highly recommend this book which you can get on Amazon. Hope this helps. Helen x
Re: 12 weeks. Dont worry about the mouthing, it will gradually reduce. Of course you can show her you dont like it, but anyway pretty soon her needle-sharp puppy teeth will fall out and then what mouthing she still does wont hurt any more... Poppy still mouths me, terrifically gently, but never my other half - as he tells her very firmly 'no', and I dont mind about it!
Re: 12 weeks. charlie, thank you, my son as ordered the book for my birthday, next week, so can start some good training, we going to our first class tonight, lets hope that goes well, he seems to be doing very well,but will keep training thank you
Re: 12 weeks. [quote author=jade805 link=topic=1437.msg9828#msg9828 date=1366781549] How do I know Amy's mouthing/biting is normal for her age? [/quote] You can't, as each pup is individual. I have two dogs who still mouth when excited and they are 16 months and 2 years old. They only do it softly, but it is a perfectly normal dog thing to do, and this is especially the case in dogs bred to desire holding things in their mouths, such as Labs. Have a look at how you're handling the biting. I'm no fan of ignoring a problem, as other dogs wouldn't just ignore a painful nip from a rambunctious youngster. I usually go with the extremely high pitched loud SQUEEEEEEEEEL (think stuck piglet here) as soon as I feel those needle teeth digging in my flesh, but just occasionally this over excites the pup and makes it bite all the more. In those cases, I go for the Snap and Stare thing which my dogs do if a youngster is getting out of hand. As those teeth sink into my skin, I make a gruff, cross, snapping noise at them and then give them a good Paddington Bear Hard Stare. This is just basic dog language, which all dogs use between each other, so it "should" work if you get the timing and tone right. I've only ever had one pup which wound itself up and up and up and up until it was a tired, angry, snapping, biting crocodile and then I would lay her in my arms like a baby (belly up) put my arm on her chest and hand under her chin (so she couldn't bite me), so she was held gently but firmly, then I'd think patient and calm thoughts until she went to sleep. IT was like holding onto a Tasmanian Devil the first time, but it only took three goes of this for her to realise she might as well go to sleep when she got tired, as being horrid got her nowhere, and that was the end of that painful phase. As for your Husband...I think stopping him talking to all the other "Experts" would help and if he was still throwing a strop about a baby dog, then a kick up the backside is due (metaphorical or otherwise ) .
Re: 12 weeks. Thank you. Feeling very protective over my beautiful puppy. We are doing as "we" have read so I know she will stop soon. Hubby has actually done the calming down cuddle with her. Think I might put him in a training course.
Re: 12 weeks. Sounds completely typical for a pup of that age. I do think that it is important to let her know that firm biting is not on and that she needs to be careful with her teeth. When we got Obi at 9 months he had a major mouthing problem - and grown-up teeth! He had never been taught that using his teeth on people was not ok. When I first met him he even bit my face (in play, but it hurt, the little rascal). He grabbed hands and played tug of war with clothing (while you were wearing it). If you had treats in your pocket he'd start to chew through your pocket. What worked for us was combination of: A. saying "NO" or "AH AH" in a loud voice.... B. ....accompanied by an angry looking stare (which a dog understand as they hold their faces in the same way when they are angry - pressed together lips, lips pushed forward, narrowed eyes, hard direct stare)... C. ...and stopping all play. He got the message quite quickly. He is cured now (though he will nibble at the edge of your shirt if he is in a really hyper mood). Amy will be fine in the end too It sounds like you are doing the right things. ps. I could not get my hubby to read any of our training books either : if you find a good Husband Training Course, do let me know
Re: 12 weeks. I thought I'd add that when we do stop play in response to biting that is too hard we don't stop it for long - just twenty seconds or half a minute. You need to give the pup another chance to get it right. They need to learn through the experience of play. Plus, playtime is really important - it's fun and will make your puppy like you more because you are good fun to be around The exception is when they are over-hyped and not thinking. Then it's time for something quieter Also, in relation what Jules was talking about with the 'hurt squeal/yelp' versus 'cranky noise and hard stare' - with our previous dog Nicolae the 'hurt yelp' approach was very effective but with Obi the lower, less exciting sound of the growly 'Ah ah' worked better.
Re: 12 weeks. Thank you. The trainer said we do need to play more, I think I have been avoiding getting her over excited but understand now she needs to be aloud a "excited playtime". Also I have noticed she is worse when she is hungry. How do I deal with the unexpected nips, like when she jumps up at the sofa and nips at us? I normally stand up, so she can't reach but then play with her or take her out side but then she is getting a reward and reaction?
Re: 12 weeks. I'd try doing what another pup would do - yelp like you're really hurt and stay out of reach for 15-20 seconds. Then call her and go outside for a fun game. If a pup nips another too hard there's a yelp and the game stops briefly. Then they start up again. The pups learn just how much pressure is tolerated and how much is too much and will stop play. If you're consistent, she'll learn. She is just doing what puppies do
