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ERICAW · Jan 23, 2009, 05:21 AM

Why does my 5month old black labrador keep biting us and jumping up

seashell99 · Jan 23, 2009, 06:13 AM

Labs are notorious for being, well, friendly. However, a 5 month old should know he can't jump on you and certainly not bite at you! Sometimes it is just a nip--they are playing, but it should always be discouraged.
First, I would get him to stop jumping on you by raising your knee into him when he does... he'll get the idea when you do this while firmly saying "NO".
Then, with the biting (and or nipping) you need to very firmly say "NO" and turn away from him. If that means getting up, off the floor with him, do it. He will soon get the idea that biting means no play and that is truly what he is after---when he doesn't get your attention he won't do it. This will take a bit of time (no pun intended) for him to grasp, but with consistency, he will learn!
Good luck

-shel

ERICAW · Jan 23, 2009, 06:19 AM

Originally Posted by seashell99

labs are notorious for being, well, friendly. However, a 5 month old should know he can't jump on you and certainly not bite at you! Sometimes it is just a nip--they are playing, but it should always be discouraged.
First, I would get him to stop jumping on you by raising your knee into him when he does...he'll get the idea when you do this while firmly saying "NO".
Then, with the biting (and or nipping) you need to very firmly say "NO" and turn away from him. If that means getting up, off the floor with him, do it. He will soon get the idea that biting means no play and that is truly what he is after---when he doesn't get your attention he won't do it. This will take a bit of time (no pun intended) for him to grasp, but with consistency, he will learn!
Good luck

-shel

Thank you so much will put it into practise asap thanks again

450donn · Jan 23, 2009, 09:22 AM

Remember Labs are mouthy dogs. They need, no demand something in their mouth almost all the time. Be sure he has chew toys, like a Nylabone. Be careful of what toys you provide. Those rawhide things are terrible. My first Lab was very mouthy. When he wanted something from you he would come up and literally grab you by the wrist. As long as you went with him you never felt ant teeth, but if you resisted you could feel his teeth just enough to say,"I insist". Labs because they are a working breed require lots of exercise and attention. Be sure you are providing both.

seashell99 · Jan 23, 2009, 09:46 AM

You are absolutely correct about Labs being mouthy!! I totally agree with you about making sure to provide chew toys and I highly recommend the nylabone. We have one for inside the house and one for outside. If we provide these, he doesn't chew up anything else... if he misplaces it, then he will chew on just about anything!
And yes, they MUST be worked and/or exercised!! Believe me, you will know if you are not doing enough of either of these... your buddy will let you know!

Good luck

Alty · Jan 23, 2009, 11:22 AM

All the above advice is great, but also remember, your dog is still a puppy, probably still has some of his baby teeth which means that his need to chew is even more so than normal. Always provide something to chew on, most pet stores have toys that are specifically for teething.

Dogs do what dogs do, they must be taught to live in our world, to obey our rules, it doesn't come naturally and does take time and patience. Labs are a great breed, very smart, very willing to please, so consistency and patience will get you a far way.

Enjoy him, before you know it he'll be full grown and you'll miss that puppy stage. :)

starbuck8 · Jan 24, 2009, 01:29 AM

Originally Posted by ERICAW

why does my 5month old black labrador keep biting us and jumping up

He is doing this because you aren't taking control and being his packleader. He is already 5 months old. You need to stop this behaviour now, or he could hurt someone, because at his age, he has likely got some pretty good jaw strength, and probably getting very big and powerful. This is the time to teach him, before his behaviour gets any worse. He thinks he's in charge, and if he thinks that way, good luck with that! You won't be able to control anything he does. Kneeing him to get him down, although it may temporarily work, is only a quick fix, and won't teach him anything at all. His problem isn't jumping and biting at all. That is just the symptom of the problem. You need to either take him to a good obedience trainer (school), or learn yourself how to correct these problems by becoming the packleader.

Think of how the mother dog would teach her pups. She wouldn't put her leg up and knee him in the chest, and she wouldn't shout NO. If her pup bit her, she would take care of that in short form! The mother may yelp (similar to your "NO") but she would give him a bite back to show him that the behaviour is unacceptable, to teach him the consequences. I'm not saying to bite your dog with your teeth, but you can use your hand as a "claw" to give your dog a "bite." This isn't done forcefully, but it's a quick bite around the back of the neck area, along with the assertive "NO" command. No shouting allowed! You have to remember to stay calm, but assertive when you do that, and then lead him off and make him go to the down and stay position. If he gets up to follow you, lead him right back. It's easiest to do this with a leash to begin with. If he doesn't stay, do it over and over again, after he's jumped up, or been biting. Repetition is the only way he is going to understand.

It would take me forever to try and explain everything, but if you want your dog to listen to you, you are going to have to take on the role as his pack leader.

There are some very good training books and DVD's out there, for these problems and many others. My opinion is Cesar Millan. He teaches pack mentality, and his methods work wonders. There are many other great trainers out there also.

Silverfoxkit · Jan 24, 2009, 04:41 PM

Starbucks right, labs aren't little dogs and puppy behaviors can be dangerous with adults. You should NEVER let a puppy get away with what you wouldn't let an adult do. They will pay you for a sucker given the chance! My In-laws have a five year old lab/mastiff mix that was not trained as a puppy and now he is a 95 pound health hazard! He will knock almost anyone down especially children, ram your legs out from under you when you open or close the gate to escape, and you cannot go outside with food or you may end up a hand short when he leaps and snaps for it. Now that he is an adult the behavior problems are proving to be next to impossible to fix, and my In-laws don't even really try. Unless of you want your dog to end up like Apollo then you need to start working now!