We just brought home an 8 week old lab. She is not my first and I understand the biting phase just is what it is and we’ll get through it. She doesn’t bite me often and I think I have a good idea on how to stay away from enticing it and redirecting her. My kids on the other hand are having a tough time. I have 2 boys (7 and 4 yo) and I’ve tried to tell them that when they want to play with her they should try to be calm and use toys but this doesn’t really work much. Sometimes one of my kids will just be walking through the room and she’ll run up to them and nip at them. She’s caused a few tears and I really don’t know what to tell them other than separating them and reinforcing that they need to be calm with her, but that’s kind of impossible to ask from them all the time. Right now their best defense is to jump up on the couch to get away from her and I know that’s not a solution and could cause more problems. Anyone have some good advice on what I should be telling my kids?
When My boys were little and we got our first lab we had the same thing going on. It wasn't easy for a while and you have to keep telling them that she doesn't mean to hurt them. It will get better as soon as she looses her puppy teeth because the bite isn't so sharp. But in the mean time, all you can do it keep working with the puppy, not to bite. Sadly, the kids will need to give her commands as well. With the puppy we have now, since we have no small children and our next door neighbours have kids and want a puppy we trained with them and their kids from the get go. So. You probably should have the puppy on a lead at all times when she is with the boys so you are in control and working with her. Getting her to sit and stay calm. Obviously with food rewards. It'll be a lot of work for a while but I promise your boys will grow up with their life time friend!! P.S. One of my sons did actually have to get stitched up because he "ran" from our Sam and he chased and jumped and his teeth left a good gash in my sons back. Sooooo lots and lots of supervision
Sadly, there is no magic solution - which is why when we breed the occasional litter, we won't place a puppy in a family with kids unless the owners are dog sport people and very experienced. The only thing you can do, is ensure there is a stair-gated off area which is for the puppy, so the kids can avoid the puppy when they want to. You can also have the puppy trailing a 2.5m puppy house line so you can grab this and distract the pup if the pup is getting too boisterous with a child. And you can teach the kids to always have a toy for the pup to bite hold of - occupy the mouth, before it occupies your arm... Do be aware that you have a much stronger and larger and even more boisterous period of adolescence ahead and a 4yo can easily be knocked flying by an exuberant Labrador....
