[Diesel_Dawg]

So very true! I thought we were chicken flavored for a while!

LOL!

 

[tammyhuffman]

LOL!

It is funny now, it sure was not then! Those little shark teeth and snapping jaws hurt! Maxx's best outlet was classes and exercise along with quite a few forced naps. It is party time when they start losing their baby teeth!

 

[BigBrownDog]

And - holding the puppy down on his back (alpha roll) usually only results in a much more wound up puppy. It is a very, very outdated and ineffective technique. Please do not do that anymore.

Engage him mentally, work him physically (fetch, walks of 20-25 minutes in length at this age, puppy push ups (which are repeating commands of down, stand, sit, down, stand, sit)), play with him, keep a strict schedule and USE A CRATE to allow you to get a break and for him to take naps when he really needs them and can't settle down on his own.

Reward him lavishly when he gets it right. He will try hard to keep getting it right to keep getting the reward. Focus on the positive and the negative behaviors will receed in frequency.

Please do also get him in a puppy K class and then a beginning obedience class. Good luck!

 

[tismom]

Good luck. I think most of us have seen this type of behavior with Lab puppies. You've gotten some great advice about handling the situation.
I will throw out one more thing: our Titan didn't understand "no bite," but he did understand "no mouth." The new phrasing worked very quickly.
(It's a shame that pups don't come with their own vocabulary book!)

 

[Dog Paddle]

I read most comments and I watched the video. Boy, that's mild compared to some times with my pup.

My ideas:

Don't sit on the floor with bare feet to tempt him. At least not until you've got some control.

Quiet down the kids, they may be ramping him up.

YES, giving him a toy after he mouths you may seem like a reward. You KNOW he is going to mouth you, get the toy going before he has a chance to.

He seemed suitably chastised by your finger pointing at his face and then you ruined it by petting him. Chastise and let him think about it for awhile. A couple of minutes did it for us. Don't feel guilty. Well, OK, feel guilty, but don't spoil the lesson.

Have you tried short time-outs? He wants attention and play, withdrawing your attention, often accomplished by simply turning your back, is a punishment that might work. Google up on Operant Conditioning. This would be negative punishment. The negative is you are taking away attention, which he craves.

Do you practise NILIF? Highly recommend it.

Are you going to puppy classes? Highly recommend it.

Tug of War. Many now believe it is a valuable way to have fun, teach pup respect and give him some exercise. The tug belongs to you, and he must give it up when you say so. If he loves to tug it can be a fabulous way to reward him for good behaviour. Ask him to SIT. When he does, then release and play tug. For about 10 seconds, then have him give it up. Have him sit again. I do think the kids are too young for this, done wrongly it can lead to problems. I would teach him GIVE before starting to play tug.

 

[Eresh]

From looking at the video, he seems like a much, much milder version of my Luci (who is more husky than lab). I echo most of the others' advice. It sounds like he needs both physical and mental stimulation. Does he like to play fetch? That's an easy one, since one can do it from the comfort of the couch. I also recommend going to obedience classes. For some reason, the act of going to a class as opposed to just doing it at home seems to give better mental stimulation (at least for my dogs). Maybe it's because they have to concentrate with more stimuli around? Also, when mine gets too wound up (and she bites HARD when she is), it's usually because she either needs to go poop or needs a break (overstimulated like a toddler).

 

[jojuvan]

First off....thank you all sooooo much for the wonderful advice! Boy, did I need it. So I called a trainer referred by some friends and followed the advice he gave me (which mimicked most of yours) and just doing this for 1/2 a day he's changed and learned so much! So basically I've been doing the ignoring method. The instant he bites or growls I immediately either remove myself or him for a couple min. Then I come back and only start giving him attention if he's being good. I'm telling after only doing this 3 times he seemed to get it! We actually had an enjoyable day with him! Now at the end of the day I don't even have to leave if he starts up. I can ignore him and he stops biting, sits down nicely and stares at me....being a very good boy!!! I've been praising him like crazy all day....playing with him every time he comes and asks nicely ( instead of biting and barking). Im hoping that it'll be just a couple more days....a week at most and we will have no more biting!!!!! I was so stupid before...trying all these physical things. The trainer I talked to said our puppy was on the defensive with us. He's associated the word no with physical pain from me. So now every time we say no bite he I,immediately bites more and harder because he thinks he's gonna be pushed down by me. I feel awful. I'm the one who needed the training... . Oh thank you guys so much. My hubby loved the advise as well.

 

[tammyhuffman]

That is awesome! Good luck, just don't get upset or discouraged if puppy tests you, sometimes they do!

 

[KathyArch]

First off....thank you all sooooo much for the wonderful advice! Boy, did I need it. So I called a trainer referred by some friends and followed the advice he gave me (which mimicked most of yours) and just doing this for 1/2 a day he's changed and learned so much! So basically I've been doing the ignoring method. The instant he bites or growls I immediately either remove myself or him for a couple min. Then I come back and only start giving him attention if he's being good. I'm telling after only doing this 3 times he seemed to get it! We actually had an enjoyable day with him! Now at the end of the day I don't even have to leave if he starts up. I can ignore him and he stops biting, sits down nicely and stares at me....being a very good boy!!! I've been praising him like crazy all day....playing with him every time he comes and asks nicely ( instead of biting and barking). Im hoping that it'll be just a couple more days....a week at most and we will have no more biting!!!!! I was so stupid before...trying all these physical things. The trainer I talked to said our puppy was on the defensive with us. He's associated the word no with physical pain from me. So now every time we say no bite he I,immediately bites more and harder because he thinks he's gonna be pushed down by me. I feel awful. I'm the one who needed the training... . Oh thank you guys so much. My hubby loved the advise as well.

I'm so glad things are going better. Lab pups are for the most part scary smart and eager to please. He wants you to be happy with him. Praise is the greatest thing to him. Use lots of it. Don't feel awful. Puppies are very forgiving You knew you needed help and you came to the right place to get it. The people on this forum have helped me through several things!! I'm glad you contacted a trainer, if you can get him into a puppy class, it would do him so much good (as long as he's up to date on his shots) It helps with socialization with other dogs and it's very mentally stimulating. Jack is the first dog I've had that I didn't take to obiedant classes. We have our own personal class pretty much every day. I by no means am saying this is good, but it's better then nothing. So if for some reason you can't take him to a class, look on-line, read books. Train him. He'll love the mental work. He'll thrive on learning, and you'll end up with an amazing dog. Keep us up-dated. Best of luck to you. Never hesitate to ask for advice & tips. That's what we're here for.

 

[smokey]

I'm a little late, but, what a cute puppy! And we were there too! My son shed blood more than once and had a few articles of ripped clothing from puppy Smokey. Seems when my son cried it made Smokey crazy, he thought for sure the noise meant play harder! We did no bite followed up with giving him one of his toys and praising like he was the best dog on Earth for taking his own toy. It didn't happen over night but he now obeys commands by my 7 year old and they LOVE each other. It is just as much kid training as puppy training. My son had to learn to freeze and turn his back to Smokey instead of squealing or crying out.

Good luck, enjoy your baby! Before you know it (hard to think it) these trying days will be a laughable memory!

 

[kassabella]

I am so glad he is getting better. He is a sweetie.
He looked like my dogs do when they want to play. I don't sit on the floor if they are being bossy.

As others have said we have all been through the puppy nipping and those horrible sharp teeth that strick out of nowhere. Kassa was my first dog and was horrible. My SIL told us she was aggressive.

I found keeping them mentally and physically working helped. I taught them all things like get my slippers, or find toys and the look on their faces when they realise they have it is so rewarding.

 

[Mom2Java]

Glad Things Are Getting Better

We just rescued a lab/shepherd mix and are going through the same things you described. Java is 4 1/2 months Los and she can be a ball of fire at times. We are in puppy class (she's actually graduating tonight), being summer I'm home all day with her ( I'm a teacher), we play/go for walks - everything everyone advised you to do but she still has her "devil" moments as my husband and I call it. It can be frustrating/discouraging/etc. but after reading all the comments at least we know now that this is "normal" and with time/patience/reinforcement I know things will get better. Hang in there! Thank you for sharing and for everyone's ideas/thoughts/comments, when I found and joined this site last night it made me see others are experiencing the same things.

 

[jojuvan]

Good morning!

Well after a good day yesterday we seem to be starting over from square one this morning. The first thing I did this morning when I got up was pet him and love on him and praise him... happy, happy, happy. But then as soon as I tried to walk past him in the hall way to get ready for work what does he do??? Growls at me, nips and bites. So I go in the bathroom and shut the door. Then after I get done brushing my teeth I go back out. He's standing by the door and as soon as I try to walk out he growls, nips and bites. So back in the bathroom I go!

Eventually after a couple more times my hubby puts him in the bedroom so i can get ready for work. I know that all he wants to do is play.. he's just woken up and has all this energy I imagine, but he needs to learn the right way to get our attention!!!

Seriously guys.... is this really normal???? He seems to turn into Cujo when he gets in these moods!!!

And another question. I don't want to be forced to play with him when HE wants to play. When I wake up I have to get myself and the kids ready, it's busy busy busy. How do I, or how does he, learn that we play on MY time. Is this something that will come as he gets older?

 

[BellsandBeans]

Lol, I'm sorry, but yes, it's normal. When he starts his antics in the morning, try putting his leash on him and tying it to a chair. That way you and the kids can get what you need to get done and he learns biting gets nothing good. If he's behaving while being tied, toss him a few treats and praise his good behavior.

I know with my little girl (not yet 13 weeks) I have to take her for a walk with in the first hour of getting her up or she is a PILL! Biting, barking, jumping terror. After a short walk (she's a couch potato) she's ready for a nap and I can get my chores done.
Hang in there, your not alone.

 

[jojuvan]

but..... don't you sort of feel like you are 'giving in' to them? I know dogs need walks, and play, and mental stimulation and all that... but I want to do it on MY time, not theirs. I don't want to feel like I HAVE to do this or that or I'll be in trouble from my dog. What if I'm sick? What if I'm in the middle of something important? I'm having a baby in December.... what if I'm trying to feed the baby or deal with that and can't get to playing or walking right when HE wants it? I want him to be a good boy. If i say "go lay down" I want him to go lay down! Now, if I say that he gets PISSED and bites and growls at me! It seems that living this way would mean the dog is the Alpha, the one in control of my household and I do not like that.

 

[Diesel_Dawg]

Seriously guys.... is this really normal???? He seems to turn into Cujo when he gets in these moods!!!

And another question. I don't want to be forced to play with him when HE wants to play. When I wake up I have to get myself and the kids ready, it's busy busy busy. How do I, or how does he, learn that we play on MY time. Is this something that will come as he gets older?

LOL! Sorry for laughing, but you're bringing back some wonderful memories.

Yes, this is seriously normal, and it WILL get better! You are absolutely right that you should not be forced to play when he wants to, he needs to learn his place and dogs thrive on routines. But you do need to cut him a little slack for being a baby still.

If you find it impossible to get ready for work in the morning, then crate him until you are ready to deal with it (you shouldn't be late for work or all pissy because you've been attacked by shark teeth while trying to get ready). But make room in your morning routine for him, he is a part of your life now and routines will need to be adjusted, not to suit him per se, but to include him.

Assuming you get up for work and leave for work the same time everyday? So this will instill a new routine for him until he gets past this phase. Getting ready for work can be stressful when you're being attacked, the last thing you want to be is impatient or harsh to a puppy learning as that will only make it take longer.

As for the rest of the time, don't rely on the crate as that should not be used for or considered a place of punishment. Stick to ONE method - walk away, ignore him, redirect with a toy, all the while saying "no bite" but everyone in the household has to use the SAME method consistently and use it until it works. The worst mistake made is assuming after a few days because the puppy hasn't caught on yet that he never will so they switch to try something else.... all you are doing is confusing him. Every dog learns at their own pace, give him the time he needs. This really will get better, I promise!!

 

[Diesel_Dawg]

but..... don't you sort of feel like you are 'giving in' to them? I know dogs need walks, and play, and mental stimulation and all that... but I want to do it on MY time, not theirs. I don't want to feel like I HAVE to do this or that or I'll be in trouble from my dog. What if I'm sick? What if I'm in the middle of something important? I'm having a baby in December.... what if I'm trying to feed the baby or deal with that and can't get to playing or walking right when HE wants it? I want him to be a good boy. If i say "go lay down" I want him to go lay down! Now, if I say that he gets PISSED and bites and growls at me! It seems that living this way would mean the dog is the Alpha, the one in control of my household and I do not like that.

Guess what? Puppy = baby. He is learning. He is still a new member of your household. He can't talk, and he's the only furry four-legged creature. Cut him some slack.

He will eventually lay down when told.

He will stop biting, growling, demanding attention... well, Labs always want your attention, but their manners get better as they age and learn.

Don't start using terms like Alpha, just don't go there, it's old school mentality of dog vs. master and a bunch of horse pucky. He is a 15wk old puppy, he is not trying to dominate you so don't look at it that way.

Patience, patience, patience. Feel free to vent away here, but seriously try to be more patient with him.

 

[BellsandBeans]

but..... don't you sort of feel like you are 'giving in' to them? I know dogs need walks, and play, and mental stimulation and all that... but I want to do it on MY time, not theirs. I don't want to feel like I HAVE to do this or that or I'll be in trouble from my dog. What if I'm sick? What if I'm in the middle of something important? I'm having a baby in December.... what if I'm trying to feed the baby or deal with that and can't get to playing or walking right when HE wants it? I want him to be a good boy. If i say "go lay down" I want him to go lay down! Now, if I say that he gets PISSED and bites and growls at me! It seems that living this way would mean the dog is the Alpha, the one in control of my household and I do not like that.

I see what you mean, IMHO, I know (thanks to this wonderful site) that bringing a puppy home ment extra hassle/chores/responsibility depending how you see it. That means even when I don't want to walk in the rain at 6am its my job and responsibility to do so for her, IF I want a well behaved calm pup. If I don't do these things she will be a crazed frantic biting monster.

I didnt have kids. 41 now but it seems small kids are just like pups. It might be a PITA now but parents do all these thing for their children too. I think it's part of being a puppy parent.

He will get it eventually. Why not just tether him in the morning after potty and chow time. So you can do what has to be done, then carve out a block of time for him.

Again, we all understand how frustrating it is. And your not alone

 

[jojuvan]

Thank you. I'm so glad I found this forum. I'm looking forward to the day when I can give the same advice you guys gave me to another new puppy mom going through what I'm going through. And being able to laugh at myself! We will keep with what we are doing. Obviously he did learn something yesterday, so repetition is key. It's so funny.... if I'm sitting on the couch, and hubby is 'dealing' with samson by ignorning him if he's being bad... I watch from a distance how Samson reacts. Hubby is playing, Samson bites, hubby immediately turns around and ignores him. Samson sits and cocks his head at hubby, wondering what's going on and why he stopped playing... it's so cute to see his little brain work through this!!!!!

I'm so encouraged by what you all are telling me. And btw... we DID sign up for classes. It's a young dog class that teaches us how to get the correct behavior from our dogs. There is a basic and advance class, both are 6 weeks.

 

[windycanyon]

I've raised 12 labs in my last 20 yrs, compete in multiple disciplines, and just wanted to say the need for training classes never stops no matter how experienced you are. There is something about that one on one time w/ a puppy/young dog, outside of your home teaching that pup manners and work ethic around other dogs, that really solidifies a respectful relationship. I realize it may be tough having children and all, but I highly recommend you make the time to get this pup to a good class.
ETA: Just read your update-- fantastic!