Hello everyone!! I have an (almost) 7 month old yellow lab. At times, he bites A LOT and hard. I've read in many threads that puppies usually slow down biting around 7 months. He has slowed down a bit, but when he gets in these moods it is almost impossible to get him to stop. Do you think I need to consider putting him in trainings? What are your best tips? I'm not sure what to do when he gets in these moods - I try to ignore but the bite can be hard to ignore sometimes and when I try to put him in his crate to calm down, he gets even more excited and tries to bit when I try to pick him up.
Hi @Brooke If putting the dog in trainings, means you taking the dog to obedience class, then yes find a good positive reinforcement obedience class. In the meantime have your dog on a house line. When he starts biting then tie him to a heavy piece of furniture. Turn your back on him and walk away. Feign that you are crestfallen. You don't need to say anything. When you go back, be cheery. Act as though all if forgotten. If he will sit, then reward him. If he still wants to bite, then turn your back and leave him again. What you are doing is having time outs, where you are the one to "leave'. Don't try picking him up at all. Use the house line to get the dog away from you and prevent the biting. Have the house line on the dog only when you are there to supervise him.
Your pup is over aroused and needs time out when he behaves like this. It's normal, the important thing is how you deal with it. Don't react to his behavior. Don't use his crate as punishment. Just pop him in there calmly and walk away. Give him a kong, a long lasting chew, or redirect with a favorite toy. Does his behaviour happen at a particular time of the day?
