6 months ago when I first got Sophie she was my first puppy. I was also also newly single, in a new town far away from family in the middle of a pandemic. I was so exhausted, hopeless, confused, frustrated, and bloody from being bitten. The books I read had glorified puppyhood in my mind, but it was hard. Very hard. This forum helped me SO much! I stuck it out and everything everyone told me, came true. At 4 months, Sophie started biting much less. At 5 months old, her teeth started to fall out and by 6 months were all out and she stopped biting altogether. I mean ZERO bites. Her training also started to stick a bit more.she got comfortable going on car rides with me. Walking her isn’t a nightmare anymore, we both enjoy it. She knows when I’m upset at her now without having to give her a time out. I treat her with kindness only because I’m not frustrated and exhausted anymore. Life got happier. I went from having a burden, to having a best friend furball. She’s sweet, everyone she meets loves her, and I get comments that she’s super smart from trainers. She’s not perfect, she’s still got lots to learn, some bad habits to break, but every week is better and better. So if you are a new puppy owner and struggling…be patient. Read the posts in here. Ask for help. Get training or if you can’t afford it, watch videos. And don’t give up. Be consistent and you’ll get through it. Sophie and I are proof, trust me!
Thanks, my pup is just 4 months and still nips alot when tired but sometimes in play. I get discouraged because most of the training videos online show pups mainly "mouthing" not real leave marks type scratching or nips. I will put him in kennel if he wont stop n many times he'll go to sleep even if early (7) (so I'll be up a bit later when he goes down later at eleven or twelve) I hope it ebbs soon because he's so smart in many ways and can be very sweet.
This is exactly what I needed to hear today. It's been exactly 3 weeks since bring the demon (as he is affectionately known) home and the first week was BRUTAL. Its been getting slowly better but each set back feels huge. I need to hear there's light at the end of the tunnel! Thank you!!!
It’s really tough, isn’t it? My 4 month old, female, Maeve acquired the moniker ‘The Maevenator’ for the same reason! At 9-10 weeks I thought she was going to grow up to be vicious and aggressive since my last Lab never bit, chomped, growled and snarled like this! (And my kids were 2 and 4 at the time). I was at my wits end with Maeve. But with training at our local dog training center, my vet’s support, Pippa’s blogs and this forum, I learned that this behavior is normal and will subside-and it has. Puppy play at the training center has helped as well. She is learning to ‘curb her enthusiasm’ and is slowly but surely toning the bites down to an acceptable level. Seek out support and you will be rewarded.
Thanks, I'm thinking he needs a play group but in my area in the states, not as easy to find. He was also from a small litter and maybe didn't get as much "learning" in biting. ; ) He is still nippy but again more when excited or tired. I will look into more social interactions. My last 2 labs never did this and the last was very calm, mischievous but calm in mouthing etc. It's good to know when your world was different before, it's "normal" and you don't have Cujo ; ) Thanks for the support
