Hi everyone! My name is Claire and I have an 8 month old yellow lab named Tucker. I got Tucker when he was 11 weeks old from a farm where he was with his mother and siblings. He is up to date on all of his shots and was neutered at 6 months old. At heart Tucker is very sweet. He loves belly rubs, to lick peoples faces, and the occasional cuddle. He lives inside with free range to the majority of the downstairs and has a crate where he sleeps at night and does great. Although, most of the time Tucker is mouthing or barking. His mouthing has never broken the skin but it still hurts to say the least. I’ve found that his mouthing mainly occurs when I have food that he can’t have, he’s bored, or he wants attention. I’ve also found that he barks mainly when we have food he can’t have or he’s separated from us by a baby gate so we can eat dinner. We have a huge overhead run in our backyard where he gets lots of excersize and he knows basic commands like sit, stay, and down. I’m not sure if this is just a phase or if this is something to be worried about? Please let me know!
Hi @Claire Shipley The puppy should not be mouthing you. Redirect the dog's mouth onto the tug toy. Play tug with the dog. Initiate the tug game when the dog has done something desirable. Dog has to learn to let go of the tug. And not bite your hand. Playing tug should be fun. Ignore the barking. He is frustrated that he is not getting what he wants. What is an overhead run? Is this like a cat run?
