Re: Puppy problems - will things EVER improve??? This might be an old school approach, but our trainer told us to imagine all the toys are yours and not the dogs. They can't have free access. They are only allowed a toy on your terms....When you let them. That way it makes it a treat to get a toy....something "forbidden" if you like. This was really just the puppy stage. Same concept as having toys squirrelled away for kids for wet "I'm bored" days. Do you think splitting the toys into a smaller free group and larger hidden group mightt give you more control? Then again....it depends on what you expect them to do with toys because usually it involves interaction and not just leaving them to get on with it. This probably doesn't help at all as I can't quite describe what I am meaning :-\
Re: Puppy problems - will things EVER improve??? I agree with drjs@5 - it's rare that dogs want to play on their own. I have toys available all the time, but these are chew toys. All the other toys are in a cupboard and I get them out for play sessions.
Re: Puppy problems - will things EVER improve??? I alternate toys. I have most of them in a big chest (sadly the only big chest I own) and get a new one out every couple of days. It keeps them fresh and fun.
Re: Puppy problems - will things EVER improve??? Hello All! Brand new lab mom here! We got our 8 week old chocolate male lab "Zac" a week ago Sunday. He is sleeping through the night (for the most part) now and we are so happy! Our biggest issue is the biting. HOLY HANNAH! I was so glad to see it was not just us! Our arms and hands are scratched up and we thought we had gotten the rogue lab who would go from a nipping puppy to a human eating grown up! Crocodog is the PERFECT term!! We are slowly working on this. House training is going fairly well, but sometimes we will just miss the cues and he simply stops and goes. Seems to be less each day.. However - we have Thanksgiving coming up Thursday (I think I may be the lone American? Seems most of you are in the UK) and I am a bit stressed to see what happens with lots of food prep (i.e., feet to nibble on) and company (mmmm - fresh meat!) converge! So far we love him and I am loving this site!
Re: Puppy problems - will things EVER improve??? Hi Zac and your mom too! I'm Bella- a now 11 week old chocolate...and my mom and I live in Idaho. We are planning a quiet day for thanksgiving...no company or anything, so will probably be just a normal day... I've had to learn dinner manners since my mom and dad eat on the couch with a plate in their lap most times...so I've learned to either play with my toys on the floor....or sit quietly beside my mom. I like the couch, so it's no bother.... Sometimes when we play and I just can't contain myself...mom yells OUCH...no bite...the noise startles me, and I don't like it...and even worse, she stops playing after that...so I try to keep her playing without the OUCH...no bite... Nice to meet you Zac...
Re: Puppy problems - will things EVER improve??? [quote author=snowbunny link=topic=1722.msg126487#msg126487 date=1416908332] I alternate toys. I have most of them in a big chest (sadly the only big chest I own) and get a new one out every couple of days. It keeps them fresh and fun. [/quote] Not quite sure what you mean there Fiona!! ;D Welcome to the forum Zac!
Re: Puppy problems - will things EVER improve??? Zac says hi! And wants you all to know he has been very busy celebrating his 9 week birthday. He uncapped laundry detergent, slipped out of his collar, bit into and punctured the water tube going into the washing machine, bit into and punctured the dryer vent, etc... Who knew he was half crocodile!? :-\
Re: Puppy problems - will things EVER improve??? Oops! The crocadog strikes again! Large glass of wine tonight?
Re: Puppy problems - will things EVER improve??? [quote author=Zacbrownpup link=topic=1722.msg128109#msg128109 date=1417633364] Zac says hi! And wants you all to know he has been very busy celebrating his 9 week birthday. He uncapped laundry detergent, slipped out of his collar, bit into and punctured the water tube going into the washing machine, bit into and punctured the dryer vent, etc... Who knew he was half crocodile!? :-\ [/quote] giggle ....and they call it...Puppy Love..... ;D
Re: Puppy problems - will things EVER improve??? Happy 9 week birthday Zac - tell Mummy 'just you wait for 9 months!!' ;D
Re: Puppy problems - will things EVER improve??? So Zac has been learning so much with the help of a trainer! One thing I have noticed is that he gets very mouthy in the evenings. When we are "done" and relaxing on the couch, he tries to jump up and will bite. I know by now that he is not being aggressive, but last night he actually drew blood on my arm. :-\ I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts about this... Do pups tend to get mouthy at night? Or is it because we are not actively working with him?
Re: Puppy problems - will things EVER improve??? It's partly tiredness. Have a toy ready to put in there! We taught 'get a toy' when they got in this mood My friend has a pup lab and his arms are a map of bleeding bites!! ???
Re: Puppy problems - will things EVER improve??? Hi there, don't worry too much about this, as horrid as it is at the time, Zac will grow out of this phase. Think of the evening behaviour as being a bit like an over-tired toddler. If he is getting wound up in the evenings, that may be the time to pop him in his crate to give him a chance to calm down. We had a puppy playpen in our living room, so that when the puppy got too bitey in the evening, she could go in there. She whined for a minute or two, but didnt get too upset as she could still see us all. She soon curled up and went to sleep.
Re: Puppy problems - will things EVER improve??? Hi I am new to this forum, I also have a 9 week old Lab, mine is a female Golden, called Minnie. We bought her home last Saturday as a cuddly yellow teddy bear who couldn't stop giving us kisses, however in the past 2 days she has turned into half Lab half Crocodile. I find the posts on here really useful and reassuring that its just a phase. I am hanging onto that thought. We are following the advice on here for bite inhibition, we are being persistent but so is Minnie! and boy she can bite hard. Wendy
Re: Puppy problems - will things EVER improve??? Hi and welcome it's worth a read on the main page about biting too. Feel free to ask any questions
Re: Puppy problems - will things EVER improve??? Hi WendyHar! I feel your pain...literally and have the scars to prove it. Zac is 11 weeks and I have to say that the biting is getting a LITTLE better - in terms of it getting softer. He still will chomp down at times (usually when he is riled up) and holy heck does it hurt! But we have noticed (thanks to the advice here and our trainer) that he is learning. I can't wait until this phase is over!!! I just have these awful images of a fully grown lab chewing me to pieces!!
Re: Puppy problems - will things EVER improve??? Today we seemed to make some progress and Minnie seemed to finally understand my reaction when she was biting too hard and she did soften her bite the majority of times, so happy! Tonight she is back to being over excited and is biting me and my husband repeatedly and very hard. Putting her in her crate sent her crazy, barking, jumping around and biting her cage so my husband has gone outside with her while she calms down.
Re: Puppy problems - will things EVER improve??? I know it is hard to believe - but she is already being careful! If she wanted to hurt you she could bite right through your fingers with no problem - just give her a raw chicken wing, if you don't believe it, and see how quickly she demolishes that! She is already learning not to bite down too hard, and over the next few weeks this learning will be reinforced. In a couple of months you will have a gentle-mouthed labrador. Keep going and don't lose the faith!
Re: Puppy problems - will things EVER improve??? [quote author=Karen link=topic=1722.msg131523#msg131523 date=1419028285] I know it is hard to believe - but she is already being careful! If she wanted to hurt you she could bite right through your fingers with no problem - just give her a raw chicken wing, if you don't believe it, and see how quickly she demolishes that! She is already learning not to bite down too hard, and over the next few weeks this learning will be reinforced. In a couple of months you will have a gentle-mouthed labrador. Keep going and don't lose the faith! [/quote] Well said Karen Here is the link to the articles about puppy biting - all are worth a read. http://www.thelabradorsite.com/your-labrador-puppy-biting/
Re: Puppy problems - will things EVER improve??? Happy New Year everyone. So pleased to say the biting is beginning to calm down. Minnie does still have her crazy hour, normally early evening when she zooms around, plays really nicely then the biting can start again. So with persistence and the support from this site we are getting there. I can see its over excitement that sets her off, whereas before I was so worried she had aggression and finally she appears to be listening to us. I found the bite inhibition article really useful. We start puppy training classes this week so looking forward to that.
