My little lab puppy is currently only about 8 weeks old but every time u go to stroke her she will bite you - only playfully of course, but still... they have quite sharp teeth! I was wondering if this is something she is going to grow out of, or if there is something I have to do to stop her doing this! Someone did suggest that every time she bites turn around and wimper, but I can't see this being very effective (though i may be wrong)!
ny advice?
xxx

labman

Young Labs, which I know best, and other puppies tend to very bad about
biting. You see a litter of them, and all the ones that are awake are biting
another one or themselves. I am not even sure they realize that when they are
alone, if they quit biting, they would quit being bitten. At 3 to 4 months
they are getting their adult teeth, and it seems they spend every waking
moment biting or chewing. One thing you can do at that stage is to knot and wet a piece of cloth. Then freeze it. The cooling will soothe the gums. Only let the puppy have it when you are there to watch it. I maintain a Lab's favorite chew toy is another
Lab. Otherwise they settle for any person they can. They keep hoping to find
one that won't yelp and jerk their hand away, or growl "Bad dog." and clamp
their mouth shut. Then offer a chew toy. They keep trying despite hundreds
of corrections. Another good technique is to quit playing and go away. Be
sure to praise them when they are playing nice and not biting.

You just have to keep on correcting them, hundreds of times, not dozens.
Provide sturdy, safe toys such as Kongs and Nylabones. Avoid things they can
chew pieces off and choke on them. Keep them away from electrical cords.
Crates are essential for most young Labs and other dogs.

The pet stores are full of toys that many dogs will quickly chew up into
pieces they could choke on or cause intestinal blockages. If you are not
there to watch, stick to sturdy stuff such as Nylabones and Kongs. Keep a
close eye on chew toys and quickly discard anything that is coming apart in
pieces. Rawhide is especially bad because it swells after being swallowed.
These problems are the worst with, but not limited to, large, aggressive
chewers such as Labs.

Ropes from the pets' store quickly turn to hazardous shreds. Ones I made
lasted much better. Go to a hardware or home center that sells rope by the
foot. Buy 2' of 3/4" poly rope. Melt the ends, and tie knots in it. Get
them as tight as possible, put it in a vise and pound it with a hammer. Watch
carefully, and be ready to discard when it comes apart.

Not only do you need to turn away, but walk off. with their short attention spans, a few minutes is enough. ayelp maybe better than a whimper.

With a new puppy, see the sticky at http://www.askmehelpdesk.com/dogs/in...tml#post251802

jillianleab

A former boss of mine had this problem with their family dog (a lab). Their poor kids were afraid to play with the dog becuase he bit so much!

They made sure to keep toys within arms reach at all times, and when it looked like the pup was about to bite, they would shove the toy in his mouth. If they didn't get to a toy in time, they yelped loudly and stopped playing. This technique worked well with their dog, hopefully something similar will work with yours!

Good luck!

sjordan6247

I always sprayed my dog with water from a spray bottle. He hated getting the tip of his nose wet.

But another thought, don't play any tug of war games with him and he will probably stop. My dog was an EXTREMELY aggressive puppy. Our vet recommended not playing tug with him at all and after about a month he did not bite or act aggressive towards anyone. We always would play fetch or we would squeak toys together. I started him on clicker training recently and it really works. It is so weird to see how much he has changed. I can remember bringing him home the first time and he wouldn't even let me hold him in my lap without pitching a fit. It took about two days for him to give in and be sociable. Now, I can't get him out of my lap.

MrPippin

Labman has given great advice here. And as he points out it must be hundreds of times and I would add it has to be every time. If you have corrected the puppy 12 times but then let him/her chew on your arm the message is lost. You can't give the pup mixed messages. Biting is a serious behavior problem that needs to be corrected while the dog is young. Young biting dogs uncorrected grow up to be adult biting dogs.

MrPippin