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Is this NORMALl? BITE MARKS PIC

6K views 17 replies 11 participants last post by  GoPotty 
#1 · (Edited)
Is this NORMAL? BITE MARKS PIC

My puppy is 9.5 weeks old and gets about 15 minutes outside 2 times a day. She is on a schedule and potty and crate trained. She gets mental training at night.

I am just curious I keep hearing about bite marks. What is normal biting? I get mine with a nasty growl sometimes. I know this shouldn't of happen but has anyone been gotten bitten worst than my picture. I attached the pic of my bite marks. We were playing fetch and as usual she got into the zone and went bonkers after I stop playing and she went for my hand.

Today, I went through hours of past topics/ threads about biting but this can't be the norm with other puppy owners. I know labs get a bit crazy and I welcome that. I know what I signed up for.

I have an old teddy bear that I had as a kid and it is hers now. She completely tears the bear up. I am wondering if my scent is on the teddy bear and that is why she treats me like one of her peers.

 
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#2 ·
yeah, puppies have puppy teeth that are very sharp! Labs are "oral" dogs - biting is a very very very very very common issue, and one that can take awhile to correct.

two 15 minute sessions of exerice does not sound like alot for a puppy - but if it is working then fine. Maybe add a third session.
I would do multiple training (mental) sessions a day (very short ones 5 minutes or so, abit longer if they are still tehre but stop before you loose their interest)
 
#3 ·
3 10 minutes sessions (or more) might be better for her and like Tanya I split up the mental training into many units a day

looks ouchy but pretty normal to me - growling can be a play behaviour - it's hard to say without seeing the context of it
 
#4 ·
Yeah, looks familiar.

Our 11 week old puppy has nipped me a few times on the hands, arms, and ankles, so I can relate. For my wounds, I have been putting soap and water on them, and then applying triple antibiotic cream that we get at our local retail store.

I think the nipping is pretty common among lab puppies, so don't worry. To reduce the problem, we have been giving our dog chew toys, frozen wash cloths, saying "Ouch", and walking away when he gets too rambunctious. We have started to see some major progress in the last few days, so I am hoping that the worst of the play biting is behind us.
 
#5 ·
I have an old teddy bear that I had as a kid and it is hers now. She completely tears the bear up. I am wondering if my scent is on the teddy bear and that is why she treats me like one of her peers.

It is a rare dog (not just Lab) that will leave a stuffed toy intact. You are reading WAY too much into this. She is destroying the bear because it is FUN! I would not give such a small puppy a stuffed toy anyway - too much risk of ingesting the stuffing and blocking her guts up.

My Labs will destroy any stuffie given them inside of 15 minutes. Fluff all over my house.
 
#7 ·
Thanks Sharon- She is cuddling with the teddy bear now so you are right I was reading into it too much. Sleep deprivation has made a bit loopy. lol It is a pretty big teddy bear. I put small toys away when I am not supervising her, like the small kong, some dental nylabones that were too small.
 
#6 · (Edited)
Oh good, I thought my female puppy decided to become a little DIVA and decided to bite harder to get her way. I will continue to use all your tactics. The ones that work for me is when she is nuts and in the zone is leaving the room or giving her a time out in the crate. If she is relax like when she just wakes up from a nap or up or late at night, "no's" and "ouch" do work from time to time when she nibbles on my hands.

I will have to exercise her more like others suggested.

I hope this post helps other newbies out there that your puppy is acting normal even when she nips and draws blood on your hand, ankles, buttocks, etc.. or decides to run around your house in circles and collapses on the floor with exhaustion only to repeat it when he or she see somebody is willing to play with her. The bites aren't extremely painful, just annoying. I have dried hands from washing things all the time with the dog now so the little cuts get stingy, nothing anyone can't manage.
 
#8 ·
Oh good, I thought my female puppy decided to become a little DIVA and decided to bite harder to get her way. I will continue to use all your tactics. The ones that work for me is when she is nuts and in the zone is leaving the room or giving her a time out in the crate. If she is relax like when she just wakes up from a nap or up or late at night, "no's" and "ouch" do work from time to time when she nibbles on my hands.

I will have to exercise her more like others suggested.

I hope this post helps other newbies out there that your puppy is acting normal even when she nips and draws blood on your hand, ankles, buttocks, etc.. or decides to run around your house in circles and collapses on the floor with exhaustion only to repeat it when he or she see somebody is willing to play with her. The bites aren't extremely painful, just annoying. I have tried dried hands from washing things all the time with the dog now so the little cuts get stingy, nothing anyone can't manage.
We have easily 10 posts a month from new puppy owners with this same problem. It is normal for an average puppy and totally to be expected with a Labs as they are much more oral than many breeds. You'll learn to handle her in a manner that limits her ability to nip, and she'll learn that biting does not get her what she wants most which is your attention - and she will grown out of it.
 
#11 ·
My yellow lab Gracie was very mouthy and vocal...I got the bite with the snarl too. That is how I stumbled upon this site. I was scared to death that I had this monster on my hand. I would actually cry about it. My first lab was not very mouthy, so this was new to me. After plenty of reassurance I realized I was not alone and this was pretty normal. Your arm looks great compared to mine... Gracie put countless holes in my shirts and lots of marks on my arms and legs.

The good news is...she has outgrown most of it ate the age of 2. Obedience training helped too. She is such a loving, great dog. She is my best friend. So yes you are ready too much into it...as I was too. Be patient, she will outgrow it soon. Good luck and keep us posted.
 
#12 ·
I don't think i will ever forget those baby teeth and when Aspen did it it hurt. I tried advice from everyone. The screaming ouch, the yipping like a puppy, replacing it with acceptable toys yet all she wanted was my hands. The only thing that worked for me was a water bottle and a quick shot of water in the face and a firm no. I had to do it about 2 times and then after that i just had to show it to her. She loves water but she didn't care for being shot in the face with it. She's almost 6 months now and my battle scars are all healed and we have moved on. When she started losing her baby teeth she increased again with the nipping but she learned how not to bite so hard, so we just started over and out came the water bottle. Hang in there, while you are in it it seems like it will never stop but a few months later it's a distant memory.
 
#13 ·
Honestly, the thing that worked with Dio (mixed among other tactics) was to press his lips onto his teeth. We did it about 10 times and after that, the yelping OUCH and turning away was much more affective. He hasn't put his teeth on anyone since he was about 6-7 months. Might not work for every dog, but it did wonders for Dio.
 
#16 ·
Wow lots of folks coming out of the woodwork! Thanks for the support, much appreciated!

After reading your experiences, I feel more confident that my puppy will turn out to be a loving dog with consistent training, exercise and obedience school. I think I just needed to be reassured that this is normal Labrador puppy behavior. Good analogy with comparing a breed of dog to buying a car and what your lifestyle is.

Keep you guys posted in our progress.

GoPotty
 
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