Rescue puppy nipping at dog legs

[Mrswildebeast]

Hi All

we just adopted a 9 month black lab. We already have a 5 year old yellow lab too. The new girl ( her name is Sprocket) adores our 5 year old lab Hobnob. We have had Sprocket for 6 weeks and she and Hobnob are inseparable. They play a lot and we always walk them together. The only issue we have is when they're in the yard off leash. Sprocket chases Hobnob and constantly nips at his hind legs. Either when he has a ball or not...she harasses him and won't stop nipping. I try to stop her, put her on leash but whenever she is off leash again she goes straight for his legs. He is very patient but it is clear he doesn't enjoy this. Any suggestions for stopping her please?

[Labradorks]

This is pretty common. And, Labs can play really rough. I have two males, equal in weight, one is five and one is two, and sometimes it's like watching the bears fight on National Geographic!

There are a few options. One is to let them figure it out. The other is to intervene. If you chose to let them figure it out, note that it only works if the "victim" is willing to deal with it. Some Labs are just too easy going to bother. If you choose to intervene, there are a few ways to do things. Note that since your newly rescued pup is a bit older, there is a very good chance that this is something she has always done and a habit that can take a very long time to break.

You can leave a long-line on the pup and right before she gets to the place where she is going to harass the other dog, give her a timeout by saying, "take a break" or "that's enough" or something and reel her back in. Give her a treat and make her wait until she is calm, maybe a down stay. Rinse and repeat. You can also do all of this, but crate her, being indifferent, not as a punishment. The goal is to not let her get to that place and eventually condition her to stop and think before she starts.

If you get angry, and do the "no bad dog" thing and take her away and punish her, one, she won't know what she is being punished for. Playing? Being around the other dog? Two, there's a good chance you will destroy your recall and she may run away from you. She will definitely continue to do it when you are not around or if she is in a safe distance from you. Or three, you will just confuse her and shut her down. Much of that depends on her temperament.

The important thing is to try to reel her in BEFORE she starts. It's a conditioned response at this point, something that needs to be redirected.

[Mrswildebeast]

Thanks. This is really helpful. My other worry is that Hobnob has hip and elbow issues so I don't want Sprocket to play too hard with him. I would prefer them to figure it out but he is so soft he will just let her do it. A friend of mine suggested a squirt bottle filled with water so we should spray her when she does it...But we haven't tried that yet.

[Maxx&Emma]

Lol, the squirt bottle! Maxx still remembers it from the few times I tried it when he was a puppy. He LOVED it and he would come straight at you, mouth wide open! It was a fun game, as far as he was concerned! Maybe you will have better results than I did.

[Labradorks]

The squirt bottle can work. But she has to be close enough for you to get her. Also, I would set up regular playdates with the pup. It is going to be difficult with your other dog's issues and you may have to keep them separated.

[Tanya]

congrats on the new addition - i totally agree with the above from labradorks. And you may have to limit their time unleashed outside especially if your older dog has some health issues and won't tell the younger dog off.

I'd make sure the younger pup gets tons of appropriate offleash play, and maybe some playdates with dogs so she can learn appropriate behaviour. Maybe start with a good solid play session and walk before letting them offleash for some trial time (or have the younger dog drag a line so you can easily interrupt).

My younger dog can be inappropriate in play so with some fosters I have to sometimes avoid any offleash play and slowly build up to it as they get to know one another. Just depends on how they fit together (or not haha).