I have a new 8 week old yellow lab (Harley). He is mouthing and I am trying (over and over and over) to get him to not bite as hard. How long has it taken some of you to achieve the mouthing that doesn't hurt?
Re: Biting Ouch! Unfortunately puppies do have teeth like needles and yes it flipping hurts. Also their little claws on your legs when they jump up - argh I used to dread going into the kitchen in the mornings when Rusty was a tiny baby he was so thrilled to see me and it was very painful so I took to putting my long wellies on over my pjs at first! Your little one is so tiny but it will be no time before you're worrying about the next stage. Although I would be aiming for no mouthing at all rather than mouthing that doesn't hurt. I'm sure you know that giving a really loud yelp and jumping away when they hurt soon teaches the message - it's how puppies communicate with other puppies but shouting and cursing tends to wind them up as part of the game as they can imagine you're barking!
Re: Biting If I don't plan on using Harley as a hunting dog just a family dog that retrieves (balls and such) can I try and get him to not bite versus biting softly? New to labs so just not sure what approach to take.
Re: Biting Hi there, developing bite inhibition is a bit of a journey. Biting softly comes first. Then later not biting at all. This article might help: Biting Pippa
Re: Biting Hello! No real advice but lots of empathy! I have an 11 week old (today) pup who we brought home 3 weeks ago. His biting got worse over the first couple of weeks I would say rather than better. Once he was well settled in (a week to 10 days) he obviously became more confident and comfortable with us, at this point the biting became worse. (Not very helpful I know). I find he has times when he is very excitable and you get lots of hard biting - if he won't get the hint (yelps and standing up away from his teeth!) he then gets removed to be on his own for a small time out. I can't say the biting itself has improved but there are times he mouths much more softly (although still with teeth) whereas before it was always a bit too hard tbh. I'm taking this as the first small step with bite inhibition, I think it just takes a while. With 3 children though I do have to carefully manage the situation. I have encouraged the children to get one of his toys to distract him with if he is all bitey. A case of you can't chew me but this is what you can chew. Would also be interested in how old other pups were when this biting calmed down. In the meantime we all have tattered arms and hands - I find a good chomp on a previous biting injury particularly sore...always that same spot on my hand....ouch!
Re: Biting I pretty much followed Pippa's advice exactly. We inherited Lady at 6 months old and her mouthing was a real issue especially when we were out and about because strangers who are not doggy can easily interpret mouthing as a biting attack, and this did in fact happen on one unguarded moment. Lady is 3 and a bit now and it was a gradual process that culminated in her being 99%+ reliable by the time she reached 3. In fact now that she is over 3 she seems to have stopped doing all sorts of puppy stuff like jumping up as well. Pippa's article will help you sort it all out.
Re: Biting Poppy is almost 8 months now, and she is much, much better about the mouthing - at first she was quite rough, but has been getting so much gentler and actually never mouths my partner any more - except this morning when she was so excited to see him that she jumped up and bit him on the hand!! :-\ Not painfully or broken skin or anything, but he was really cross and told her off and then ignored her totally for half an hour... I have been allowing her to mouth my hands gently during games, but I am going to wean her off that now. It really does take quite a while, and even when you think you have totally cracked it, it can come back to ... um ... bite you!!! :
Re: Biting I was sitting there watching tv today when McQueen started to play bite then turned it to a harsh bite and it dawned on me. With my five year old due to come home after a week away, this is going to be a serious issue. I have looked absolutely everywhere including pippa's website and book as to what to do in attempt to prevent such jabs of excitement. Maybe its just paranoia but that seriously hurt ! Any ideas ? George returns tommorrow...
Re: Biting Here is the biting article Labrina Biting Puppy bites really do hurt, and you will need to closely supervise your little one with your son for some time to come. But it will gradually get better. Pippa
Re: Biting Thank you Pippa. I had read that earlier on and tried the 'pained ' approach...he doesn't seem to be taking too kindly to that I'm afraid he seems to be getting more and more aggrivated the more I show interest in his jabbing, so I have now sent him outside in his basket by the door. Hopefully this is not wrong on my part as I do not have a crate...I'll bring him in shortly. On a funny side though, I pretended to cry, which is something I did with my son when he annoyed me and it worked ..right up until the point I stopped ...then he was happily back at biting.
Re: Biting It is just one of those puppy things Labrina, and he will realize, in time, that biting hurts and then he will learn to mouth gently, before eventually learning not to mouth at all. But the best thing, I think, is if he bites hard, to yelp loudly, and turn away from him and ignore him for a minute or two. You can also give him his chewy toy as an alternative, because he does need to chew and nip on SOMETHING - just preferably not on your hands! As Pippa says, you'll have to keep a close eye on the puppy with George at first. Luckily those needle-sharp teeth soon fall out! At around 4 months, if I remember rightly.
Re: Biting As Karen says. Lady was a complete nightmare with mouthing but now at 3 years and a quarter she has stopped completely except with me when she sometimes takes my hand or arm into her mouth when we are sitting together but doesn't bite at all - it's just affectionate. I wouldn't recommend you let your dog do that though, just to be on the safe side.
Re: Biting Ugh, today has been an utter nightmare with McQueen..he listens to NO commands...in fact ignores me and biting is not friendly I'm afraid...he growls whilst doing it angrily. Now, I know he wants something..it can't be attention as he gets plenty of attention...perhaps too much of it?
Re: Biting Hi Labrina, I am thinking that McQueen is about nine weeks old now? And that you bought him when he was about 7 weeks old? Hope I have got that right. I just want to emphasise first of all that very hard puppy biting is totally normal. And that the fierce sounding growling that accompanies it is also quite normal. You do not need to worry that your little pup is becoming savage, which sounds silly to experienced lab owners, but I know is a common worry for first time puppy owners. The biting phase can be worse and more painful with puppies that are purchased at six to seven weeks old. This is become the mother dog does a great job of starting off the 'bite inhibition' training which you have to complete. If the puppy is removed from the mother before eight weeks the new owner's job is harder in this respect. To illustrate to you that McQueen is already pulling his punches, I can tell you that my own puppy at nine weeks was capable of crushing a chicken leg bone into splinters. That is about the same size as the bone in my little finger. If McQueen was not already inhibiting his bite, that is the kind of damage he is capable of doing. So whilst his teeth are very sharp and painful and may even draw blood, he is learning. Focus on the fact that he is capable of much more damage that he is doing to you all right now, but has already learned to restrain himself to avoid harming you. So he is really doing quite well. You do need to follow the advice in the biting article. This phase will pass, but you need to protect yourself and especially from your little boy in the meantime. The growling is a sign that McQueen is thoroughly engrossed in his biting game and you need to withdraw from him, put him in time out, or his crate, with a chew toy, until he has calmed down. I see this kind of growling and biting play much much more, in families with small children, because kids get dogs over excited. If you limit the amount of time that your little boy spends with your puppy and supervise it closely (encourage calm stroking, rather than playing) this will pass more quickly Good luck and hang on in there, and don't worry about 'commands' at this age, he is really very young and cannot concentrate for long and doesn't have the capacity yet to remember much in the way of commands. Pippa
Re: Biting Thank you so much for your extensive reply, you actually set my mind at ease...Yes, I am a nervous wreck to be honest, so perhaps it comes accross to him...I know it does to everyone else LOL...your an angel ..thank you again for all you and everyone in the forums do...I would have given up a long time ago...McQueen was born on the 7th November ...so yes he was about 7 weeks ...
