Hello again, My 14 week old boy is doing pretty well in lots of areas, LOTS or areas he is doing great, but one, a very painful one I need help with please. His overall biting has reduced. We can pet him and love him without getting bit. He staring using his teeth and a no bite stops him but most days we are having this other occurrence.. We went for a 15 min walk, it went well. When we got home we played fetch a bit, fun, with treats and encouragement although mostly he just cares about the treats. Then he starts running around in a frenzy and biting out hunks of grass. All still ok as I hope he is burning off puppy energy. Then he just runs up, jumps and nails my hand, then my leg then tears off again. comes back by in a flash and nails me again. As my vet so kindly put it I have thin old lady skin now. Fending him off is next to impossible and I imagine he thinks its funny. Getting him in house is impossible as he lays on his back biting the leash and me if I get too close. I am pretty patient in most things but when blending from multiple spots my patience wears thin. No does nothing, treats are ignored. I know he is overexcited but it happens in a second. We are doing training every day, we have fun. He has toys. We go to puppy class, which is another story...I don't know how to handle him when he is in this mode. How to get him into the house for time out even. He is 30 lbs now and even if I could keep picking him up it is dangerous to have those little sharp teeth at my face. I have tried the stepping on the leash and settle exercise but that gets my leg chewed on. Bite inhibition is not working with him. i have had dogs that worked very well with. I am not a newbie with dogs. He thinks if I am whining while getting bit it is more fun. I love this boy! How can I deal with him when this starts? Thanks in advance.
We call that the Zoomies, and yep, it tends to happen After a walk when they're supposed to be tired. Or after a swim or during a run through a mud puddle. It's all in fun but biting you is inappropriate. Oban didn't bite, Jet bit my pants legs. I encourage zoomies. I stand in a safe place, outside, where I will not get knocked over and yell, GO, ZOOM. Now I can incite them when I want them to happen and enjoy the show. With Jet, when she got to the biting, I quit and walked away. Is it safe in your yard to leave him for a few seconds when you quit? Mine seemed to enjoy me watching as much as did, when I quit so did they. I agree, wouldn't want those teeth near my face. I do believe they are having fun but don't realize yet they can hurt you. I don't think, in your case, I would be too encouraging till he's better on bite inhibition.
My Storm used to do these crazy runs all the way up until his passing at 13 years old. He was a big lab (43kg at ideal shape), at full pace it was a lot to slow, so we learned to bend our knees when he got in this mode (as sometimes he would accidentally run into you as he ran past). Bear nearly 14 weeks now, has also started this crazy running (at about week 12), he has tried to involve us, jumping up etc at hands initially, but we managed to stop that with hands behind backs and then encouraging words as he runs off, but for him like Storm, it seems to have been more exciting to skid around the corners as fast as he can rather than jump up on us or involve us directly. Your lab sounds like he is a lot more mouthy with this run (grabbing grass and hands etc), and I could see how this could get really frustrating, we really hoped the crazy run was a Labrador thing, and we're excited when Bear did his first run, but what you describe sounds a lot more like a nightmare!! I wanted to post just to confirm it seems to be a natural thing Labradors do (well at least The two I have owned). With Storm and Bear, as @Snowshoe has mentioned this didn't seem to be an independent activity, and it quickly ends if there isn't someone to play with, or if space to run is removed (closing doors if inside etc). I am far from an expert in training (Bear is reminding me of that right now, he has his own game of chase the Bear, I am trying to work through), so I'm probably the last person who should be giving advice on how to correct this behaviour, but disingaging somehow will probably end the game. I hope you can get the biting part under control, as I really enjoy seeing Bear go for his crazy runs, it should be something to look forward to, not the nightmare you are experiencing, and I'm sure your puppy wants you to enjoy this special game too, he just doesn't understand that he is actually hurting. I'm sure someone others will have some good techniques to try to get this under control, please keep us posted on the progress.
Jubilee was like your puppy. It can be quite scary and painful. Turning away from her and putting my hands up and also throwing some yummy treats on the ground helped a little. One day when she was charging at me I put both Hands up in a stop sign and said NO! Sit. And she did! I was amazed. It worked from then on. She stopped the biting part of the zoomies around 7 months. She still has daily outside zoomies. Sometimes, she looks like she going to blast off in the house on slippery floors and "No, sit" still works. Good luck with your pup,I remember how upsetting and frustrating it was - it will get better.
Thanks everyone! It really helps to know it isn't just us! I love watching him have fun. I just hate to end up every day with new holes in me and my husband and feeling like somehow we should be able to head this off. Biting me when he is chewing on a toy and then kind of adds me in is one thing but this, it is a bit scary and I don't want my reaction to make it worse. If I can I will try leaving the action. In his big running around I don't want to lose track of him so I haven't wanted to leave him alone. He is amazingly fast with his legs as well as his jaws.
I tried this today. He got going in the living room. I tried leaving the room but when he jumped on the chair and started ripping at it I had to try to get home off. He went for my arm and then my leg when he got on the floor. He has a pretty good sit so I tried, No, Sit! That didn't register. This is just not fun. He finally stopped and I got him in the crate but I don't think that teaches him anything. He is like, What? I didn't do anything. AARRGGHH!!
Try some training that involves an 'off' switch. Training and games are often far too weighted towards activity, doing stuff, having fun. This is fine, of course, but some dogs really need to learn how to calm themselves, it really doesn't come easily to some dogs (definitely not my dog). So you could start to look up some training exercises to train settle, be calm, switch off - the main book that covers these things is called 'control unleashed'. You might not want to buy a book without knowing more, so I googled and found this example, which might give you a few ideas of what it is all about: http://reactivechampion.blogspot.co.uk/2010/09/cu-seminar-off-switch-games.html
We have the zoomies too - and when involving or ending up in painful biting they can be scary, especially when our little bundles are no longer little bundles! I find if things need to be calmed down rattling the treat pot (I carry a small plastic pot with some of my pup's favourite treats inside) and using my magic word will get him to calm down - I am getting better at timing so I can do it just before the biting starts - he will then stop and come and sit in front of me. Nothing else seemed to work for me and my hands were starting to look like a dot to dot picture designed by a toddler! I am happy to carry on using this method as my boy does seem to be very food orientated (shock )! Hope things get better with you very soon
Cheddar does zoomies every morning on the same bit of grass on the way back from from the bit of grass we went past 1st.
We for sure have had a LOT of the zoomies and biting in our household with Duncan (almost 5 months) and I am not sure if him getting more of his adult teeth coming through was what changed things or if it was how we were responding, but instead of getting upset and frustrated (which he could definitely pick up on and made him go even more nuts) we would walk away (out of the baby gated room) and let him calm down and give him another chance and if he went back at it we would put him in his crate for a time out -- he usually started the zoomies and biting when he was overtired or overexcited so popping him in his crate 90% of the time he laid down with a deep sigh and took a nap which stopped the biting and zoomies and gave him a much needed nap Besides the crate and walking out of the room and telling him a stern NO and stopping play or interacting with him for a couple minutes (turning back around to him, turning into a tree and not paying attention, etc. all did not work and he would continue to try and bite me and my husband hard) we try to not let it get to the point even that he has the zoomies - when I know it is that time of the night and he is about to go nuts and he starts trying to bite us to get us to start playing with him or something we usually know it is time to get him out of the house and we take him for a walk to burn off that overexcited puppy energy and then when we get home he is usually pooped (usually he will see a few dogs along the walk and play with them for a bit which helps as well) just going outside did not work, but going for an actual walk around the time of the zoomies (between 6-7pm usually for us) helped tire him out and then we tried to make sure he didn't get to the point of overtired after the walk by throwing the ball or playing with his toys or anything just let him plop down for a nap or some quiet time after the walk when we got back inside We also realized that us laying down on the couch or sitting on the couch during these times encouraged even harder and worse frenzied biting, so now when we get home from a walk or anytime he is having the puppy crazies (usually first thing in the morning and then around 6-7pm) we do not lay or sit on the couch but instead stand up in the living room or kitchen area and he will independently play or get the hint and calm down I really noticed a big change in the hard biting and puppy crazies maybe about 2 weeks ago, although he still does try and nip us sometimes and has a couple periods of puppy crazies they just aren't aimed at us and our skin anymore really I kept reading posts from people on here telling others that there is a light at the end of the tunnel and the frenzied biting will go away eventually and I could not believe that within weeks the scary crocopup that has left me with lots of bite and scratch marks up and down my legs and arms would stop biting so much, but really it has reduced GREATLY and I continue to see it get better and better, so take comfort in knowing that and once you figure out what helps your pup not get to that point whether it be a walk or stopping play before it gets to the crazy point, etc. you will find out what works best for your individual pup and be able to implement that daily and save your skin and clothes Wishing you the best!
After a pretty calm and encouraging month the biting has resumed but now with big teeth. Less sharp but strong! He is 6 months now, very strong and very determined. If he is doing something fun but wrong, like going after the rug, when I try to get him away, he bites at me. I know what he is saying, Let me do it, its fun! But he has to learn house manners. I said to my husband today, this is the least fun dog I have ever had in my life. He needs fun and play and exercise and gets three good walks a day and we play in the house with his toys and big rope but I want to take him in the yard to play to burn off real energy. He has balls to chase. We play with the ball and encourage him to chase them but all he wants to do is rip big chunks of grass, roots and all out of the ground. It turns into trying to protect the yard somewhat and then keep away while he eats at the chunks he has ripped up. We feel like every fun experience we should be having turns into chasing and destruction. He has no recall at all. We practice and practice and when he is focused and wants treats he comes like he is learning something but when it comes to it , nope. OK, I know he is a puppy. I want to know this will get better but we spend a lot of time with him, we spend a lot of time training with him. I don't see it working. I read along all on all the posts but sometimes I need to vent to others who get what I am whining about! Thanks for listening and any suggestions on the outside behavior is welcome.
I always got a fanny pack on me with dog treats, Millie comes and sits as soon as she hears the zipper open. We practice fetch this way too, I throw the ball and open the zipper and she comes running back to me and sits down. Well now I don't have to open it to make her come back with the ball (she zoomed out before with the ball). And when she gets overtired she starts try to be mouthy or just want to be bad and runs off, I usually then walk the other way a bit and put my back towards her and open up treat bag and say come. Works every time and I have to do it less and less, gives her distraction enough to get out of the state of mind she was in. I also started to train that I can move the ball around without having her jump for it, I get her super excited and then I open my bag and tell her to sit. Gradually I just get her excited and get her to sit before I open the bag. I always throw the ball after she sit. In my own opinion she has gotten better self control. You just gotta find out a technique that works for you and stick to it. I hope you get easier days soon.
Perhaps more and more activity and games is the wrong way to go here - it does sound like he is just getting more and more wound up and it's ending up in a bit of frantic behaviour. Young dogs need the chance to run round a bit, explore and so on - but they don't need to do this all the time. They also need to learn to chill, relax, just hang out with you, and they need to learn to do this outside. Anyway, both my dogs have had to learn to do it (my puppy picked it up quicker than my older dog, because the first thing I did with her outside was nothing). Are his walks all on lead? Getting back from a walk, all excited, is definitely the time when my puppy will turn into a biting nutter - she goes into her pen with a little puppy kong to calm down, then when she has relaxed and some of the adrenaline from the exciting walk has disappeared, I engage with her again. If instead I threw balls for her, the adrenaline would just build and build and she'd probably explode!
@JulieT's thoughts are exactly the ones I had reading your post. Your puppy is having too much excitement! He doesn't need to chase balls and rush around, doesn't need three good walks a day. Two walks are sufficient (but of course you can give him three, but not long ones so that he gets overtired), he needs to use his brain and that will tire him. Instead of throwing balls in the yard, try hiding pieces of kibble or even the ball for him to find. Have you tried clicker training? This will tire him as he needs to use his brain to discover how to get the click and reward. I do think the first six months are the worst and they do start to improve from then.
I appreciate the thought and replies. He isn't really having too much excitement. If you ask him we are boing and he wants the wild life. His walks aren't too long, about 15 minutes and a lot of that is sniffing here and there. The other parts of it are treats and non pulling training, just ambling along in the woods. Even so, there is something about the grass I will be sitting on the bench outside in the yard. Just sitting, I WANT to just chill in the yard! I have treats to hand to get some sits but outside makes him deaf. He just rips the grass out by the roots in big chunks! It has rained a good bit so it comes right up and leaves mud. Luckily we aren't grass fanatics but still, this is not really the look we are going for. Even the best treats don't interest him outside and he is a food hog! We do want to play some ball since he has a lot of energy and if he isn't tired out some he will take it out on the house later but also to distract him from the grass! Why he insists on acting like a puppy all the time, I have no idea!
Oh and the outside time aren't right after a walk. His walks are on leash as we have lots of wildlife of many kinds, skunks, raccoons, deer....many enticing lures.
Jesse is 15 weeks on Tuesday and he digs holes, pulls out grass and loves sticks. When he is in zoomie mode I sit on our screened in Porch and watch him. His biting got a lot better . I still have a bottle of bitter apple spray which he hates maybe silly but i used it on my hands and clothes before, our baseboard and furniture. Our trainer uses bitter apple spray / vinegar mixture.
Thought I would post an update on this challenging puppy. He is now 15 months old. Still a bit of a terror but overall he is doing great. I think he will always be mouthy but he has learned alot of self control. He is very alert and a bit jumpy and I think those parts of his personality fed into the other issues. We have a very calm household so I really think this is just who he is genetically. But he is happy and we love him to bits. Now if we could just figure out how to get him to come when we want him to and not just when he wants to!
Hi @Celin , it's good to read your update, I'm so pleased to hear you persevered with him and are seeing results
