At My WITS END with the BITING!!!!!!

I'm probably going to get a lot of negative feedback for this ... but I'm to the point, I don't care, I need help.

Lucy will be 5 months on Feb 10th.

The biting has not stopped ... or even gotten softer or less frequent.

If we're standing - she's biting our legs and feet. If we're sitting, she's biting at our hands and arms, with the odd lunge at the face.

The "yelp" method does not work. At all. Yelping makes her go even more crazy and bite harder.

She is getting AMPLE amounts of exercise (walks, energetic play time inside and out). Combined with plenty of sleep so she's not overtired.

We've tried time-outs immediately when she bites. Time outs calm her down, but within a few minutes of being freed, she's back at the biting.

I know someone's going to mention puppy classes - and bluntly, I don't have the money to pay for puppy classes. (I've done research into local classes, and they're all out of my budget). On top of that, I've been saving to pay for her getting fixed soon, so money is already allotted for.

We've had labs before (three to be exact), and other dogs, and NONE of them have had this biting issue.

Our vet told us to distract her with a toy when she starts biting - she could care less about the toy and keeps biting.

PLEASE someone give me reassurance that this is normal and that it WILL stop. I love the little girl, but the entire family is going crazy and are beyond fed up and frustrated.

Have you reviewed the sticky at the top of this section? Puppy biting!

I started it that sticky because Kimber used to make me cry. She was awful. If Lucy is nearing 5 months, she *should* be getting to the end. Kimber stopped right at 5 months; it's pretty rare to hear of a lab still biting by 6 months. If you are all being consistent in your behaviors with her when she bites, she WILL grow out of it.

I can understand money being tight; do you know anyone else who has a puppy or young dog that's good with puppies? Puppies learn a lot more and faster from other dogs than they do us, and other dogs don't put up with biting (generally). Some play dates may move this along in the right direction. Also, you don't need professional classes to teach her basic obedience: sit, stand, down, walk nicely, greet nicely, etc. Mental stimulation is important for them and can wear them out.

Try to remember (and remind your family) that it's MUCH harder to train a dog to NOT do something than to do something. Soon the biting will be over, and then you can work on fun things like NOT jumping and NOT pulling on leash.

Hang in there!

How about some that worked real good with us . It was like less than 10 bucks .

We got a bottle of lavender oil from a vitamin store like GNC . Put it on ur hands . Vicks works better on your ankles. I put a bunch on my kids ankles during ankle teething .

I sense frustration in your post.i would recommend you try the above but also calm a bit and not get Angry.i would put a drop in Gigi mouth . It calms long term but short term snaps the brain out of the nipping behaviour.

Gigi is a Labrador ,German Shepard Mix so double whammy for us on the teething side.

Can you have play dates, I noticed a big change after a few play days that a older dog corrected her crazy zoombies.

Find a local puppy social . We took Gigi to a whole bunch as it was free at PetSmart. I also found training places have them for less than 10 bucks once a week. Social interaction also cuts the bite process and effort.

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I have found the lip curl to be the most effective way to get the message across that biting in inappropriate and it hurts. Sophie was horrible, and it's what originally led me to this forum. The lip curl fixed things in about to days. Bruce wasn't too bad, by the second or third lip curl, he completely understood, and he was only 3 months old. Brooks was a bit of a hard head, and even at 9 months, he will get mouthy when he's tired and excited, which is always a bad combination in a Lab. I used the lip curl with him until he was about 5 months old, basically when his big boy teeth came in. It took a bit longer with him, but he is much higher drive than the other two. Now when he does it, I'll grab his cheek firmly, and tell him "no bite", and he's done.

Labs are mouthy by nature, and what you're dealing with is pretty normal. Most of the time all the touchy-feely stuff works ok, but with some dogs you have to make a big correction or two to get the message across. I am in no way saying you should abuse your dog, but firmness and consistency are needed to get the results you need. And just to qualify, I've been told by a several very experienced trainers and handlers that I'm too soft on the dogs.

yelping as they get older really makes things worse I agree. it seems to work best with the younger puppies. I would absolutely add more mental stimulation then try either the lip curl or if what you are doing works, crate them with something to chew, the action of chewing helps many dogs relax. actually maybe you can sorta schedule things so that he gets a forced break in his crate with a stuffed frozen kong or toy or something around the time he normally gets super nippy.

So I would work on MENTAL exercise VS physical if indeed he is getting lots of physical exercise. and you can work in mental with the physical ESPECIALLY if you work on fetching. Start slow but get them to sit for a second before throwing. and then slowly increase. train to drop on command. baby steps but it helps make them use their BRAIN as well as their body.

I would make him work for all meals. Either via training or interactive toys or kongs. many interactive stuff you can do on your own. One black kong isn't terribly expensive.

Sounds like he needs to learn to chill (which comes after tiring the body and the mind).

So my method may not be the most "positive" but it was extremely effective. My chocolate lab was super duper stubborn. Super alpha. I don't remember when I did this, perhaps also around 5ish months maybe. So, dogs jaws are actually designed to bite down and not open up. Their strength is when they bite down. They have little strength to actually open their mouth. I put my fingers around his mouth LIGHTLY and said "no biting" until he stopped fighting. Then let go. I did this every time he tried to mouth my hands. It took a couple times until he got the "no biting" command. It doesn't hurt them. They're just not fans of not being able to open their mouth. You don't press their mouth closed. You just operate as a muzzle with your hand/fingers and say "no biting". That's it. That's how he stopped. And if he got overly exciting as he got older and was mouthy with a new person all I had to do was say "no biting" and he stopped immediately.

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Originally Posted by annkie

So my method may not be the most "positive" but it was extremely effective. My chocolate lab was super duper stubborn. Super alpha. I don't remember when I did this, perhaps also around 5ish months maybe. So, dogs jaws are actually designed to bite down and not open up. Their strength is when they bite down. They have little strength to actually open their mouth. I put my fingers around his mouth LIGHTLY and said "no biting" until he stopped fighting. Then let go. I did this every time he tried to mouth my hands. It took a couple times until he got the "no biting" command. It doesn't hurt them. They're just not fans of not being able to open their mouth. You don't press their mouth closed. You just operate as a muzzle with your hand/fingers and say "no biting". That's it. That's how he stopped. And if he got overly exciting as he got older and was mouthy with a new person all I had to do was say "no biting" and he stopped immediately.

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This sounds like a very good suggestion for the OP, and a thorough explanation on how to use it.

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Originally Posted by SunnySideUp

I'm probably going to get a lot of negative feedback for this ... but I'm to the point, I don't care, I need help.

Lucy will be 5 months on Feb 10th.

The biting has not stopped ... or even gotten softer or less frequent.

If we're standing - she's biting our legs and feet. If we're sitting, she's biting at our hands and arms, with the odd lunge at the face.

The "yelp" method does not work. At all. Yelping makes her go even more crazy and bite harder.

She is getting AMPLE amounts of exercise (walks, energetic play time inside and out). Combined with plenty of sleep so she's not overtired.

We've tried time-outs immediately when she bites. Time outs calm her down, but within a few minutes of being freed, she's back at the biting.

I know someone's going to mention puppy classes - and bluntly, I don't have the money to pay for puppy classes. (I've done research into local classes, and they're all out of my budget). On top of that, I've been saving to pay for her getting fixed soon, so money is already allotted for.

We've had labs before (three to be exact), and other dogs, and NONE of them have had this biting issue.

Our vet told us to distract her with a toy when she starts biting - she could care less about the toy and keeps biting.

PLEASE someone give me reassurance that this is normal and that it WILL stop. I love the little girl, but the entire family is going crazy and are beyond fed up and frustrated.

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Before you start lip curls, holding the dog's mouth shut, corrections, etc., ask yourself if the puppy's needs are being met. If the puppy's needs are not being met, start there. Tanya had a lot of good suggestions. Just because you cannot afford a class, does not mean you can't train and mentally stimulate your puppy. There are books and there are online classes. The online classes I attend cost $65 for six weeks of lectures and auditing of 12 working pairs trained by world-famous trainers. Lectures and practice is 3-6 days per week. There is a class right now called Baby Genius for puppies your dog's age. That is about $100 less expensive than in in person, once a week class, often held by a sub-par trainer in a strip mall. Unfortunately, because your puppy is now five months old and still exhibiting this behavior, this is your puppy's go to behavior when she is feeling a certain way. It will take longer to break no matter what avenue you end up going. That said, it's bound to go away on its own before the pup hits a year old.

Personally, I would never use the lip curl or hold my dog's mouth shut. Not because it doesn't work (some dogs just get mad and come back harder, but it can work) but because I am not into punishment, pain or potentially causing my dog to distrust me. What I do is not "touchy feely" but the path of least resistance and something that trains the dog to do something different when he is over-aroused. I teach my dogs what I want them to do instead and for me, that was shoving a toy in their mouth and not reacting to biting. As soon as the pup was getting excited and before the teeth came out, I shove the toy in their mouth then party. I created value in the toy because he learned that biting did not get a reaction, but the toy in the mouth did. For many dogs, the party starts when the teeth touch the skin or the clothes and the person starts to scream or run. To this day every single one of my dogs has defaulted to toy in mouth when overly stimulated. When they know they are getting super excited, they actively look for a toy and come back with it. Consistency is key regardless of what you decide. I've never had any issues with my dogs or the couple dozen young and untrained Labs and Goldens I've fostered.

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Originally Posted by Labradorks

Before you start lip curls, holding the dog's mouth shut, corrections, etc., ask yourself if the puppy's needs are being met. If the puppy's needs are not being met, start there. Tanya had a lot of good suggestions. Just because you cannot afford a class, does not mean you can't train and mentally stimulate your puppy. There are books and there are online classes. The online classes I attend cost $65 for six weeks of lectures and auditing of 12 working pairs trained by world-famous trainers. Lectures and practice is 3-6 days per week. There is a class right now called Baby Genius for puppies your dog's age. That is about $100 less expensive than in in person, once a week class, often held by a sub-par trainer in a strip mall. Unfortunately, because your puppy is now five months old and still exhibiting this behavior, this is your puppy's go to behavior when she is feeling a certain way. It will take longer to break no matter what avenue you end up going. That said, it's bound to go away on its own before the pup hits a year old.

Personally, I would never use the lip curl or hold my dog's mouth shut. Not because it doesn't work (some dogs just get mad and come back harder, but it can work) but because I am not into punishment, pain or potentially causing my dog to distrust me. What I do is not "touchy feely" but the path of least resistance and something that trains the dog to do something different when he is over-aroused. I teach my dogs what I want them to do instead and for me, that was shoving a toy in their mouth and not reacting to biting. As soon as the pup was getting excited and before the teeth came out, I shove the toy in their mouth then party. I created value in the toy because he learned that biting did not get a reaction, but the toy in the mouth did. For many dogs, the party starts when the teeth touch the skin or the clothes and the person starts to scream or run. To this day every single one of my dogs has defaulted to toy in mouth when overly stimulated. When they know they are getting super excited, they actively look for a toy and come back with it. Consistency is key regardless of what you decide. I've never had any issues with my dogs or the couple dozen young and untrained Labs and Goldens I've fostered.

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Did you even read the OP post? "at wits end", before getting into this positive stuff? everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I'm not going to reward a dog for biting me!

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Originally Posted by Bernie

Did you even read the OP post? "at wits end", before getting into this positive stuff? everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I'm not going to reward a dog for biting me!

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Very true. Can't treat your dog like we treat kids these days. Look how well that's turning out for us.....

Sent from Planned Parenthood

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Originally Posted by Bernie

Did you even read the OP post? "at wits end", before getting into this positive stuff? everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I'm not going to reward a dog for biting me!

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I'm sorry but how is being "at wits end" an excuse to use punitive dog training? While it may be a stress reliever for the human to be take it out on the dog, it doesn't actually help the dog understand anything. In fact if the dog is asking for ATTENTION you are actually rewarding the biting by giving them what they want (attention - even if it's negative). In fact, a time out is actually "punishment" because you are taking away what the dog wants (you!). This is why I was on the fence with the lip curl (though I have used it and would potentially try it here as well).

Behaviors like this can rarely be fixed ALONE without also looking at the dog's overall routine. Often it's a symptom of a greater "need".

Like I said before - I'm a fan of the time-out. Bite mommy, lose mommy for a few minutes.
However, it has often been advised to always have a chew toy handy to put in their mouth to kind of say "here's what you're allowed to chew on; NOT me".

I think the method you choose also depends on your dog's personality. For me, Jules was extremely resilient. Anytime he encountered anything that scared him (ex: loud popping noise) he recovered quickly. So, if you have a more sensitive dog, then perhaps an approach that's more aggressive is a bad idea. My dog was not sensitive. He always just bounced back quickly and immediately loved you.

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Originally Posted by annkie

I think the method you choose also depends on your dog's personality. For me, Jules was extremely resilient. Anytime he encountered anything that scared him (ex: loud popping noise) he recovered quickly. So, if you have a more sensitive dog, then perhaps an approach that's more aggressive is a bad idea. My dog was not sensitive. He always just bounced back quickly and immediately loved you.

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My point is more that the human's emotion (being at witt's end) shouldn't dictate HOW to train. Bernie's post seemed to indicate that BECAUSE the owner was frustrated any positive/less punitive option of training should immediately be disregarded. being frustrated doesn't allow you to be more punitive "Just because". One needs to look at the situation, the cause (what is the dog wanting) and how best to address the issue.

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Originally Posted by Tanya

My point is more that the human's emotion (being at witt's end) shouldn't dictate HOW to train. Bernie's post seemed to indicate that BECAUSE the owner was frustrated any positive/less punitive option of training should immediately be disregarded. being frustrated doesn't allow you to be more punitive "Just because". One needs to look at the situation, the cause (what is the dog wanting) and how best to address the issue.

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Yes, I agree. I was just responding in general, not necessarily to your comment which is why I didn't quote it. That's all.

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Originally Posted by Tanya

I'm sorry but how is being "at wits end" an excuse to use punitive dog training? While it may be a stress reliever for the human to be take it out on the dog, it doesn't actually help the dog understand anything. In fact if the dog is asking for ATTENTION you are actually rewarding the biting by giving them what they want (attention - even if it's negative). In fact, a time out is actually "punishment" because you are taking away what the dog wants (you!). This is why I was on the fence with the lip curl (though I have used it and would potentially try it here as well).

Behaviors like this can rarely be fixed ALONE without also looking at the dog's overall routine. Often it's a symptom of a greater "need".

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So, how about this? Run to the bedroom and lock the door (deny him attention), use this opportunity to bandage up your arms and legs, carefully open door and ask
if he's "all better", problem solved.

Since you shouldn't fix a dog before a year of age, I say use your money saved for that for class and then start a new fund.

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Originally Posted by Bernie

So, how about this? Run to the bedroom and lock the door (deny him attention), use this opportunity to bandage up your arms and legs, carefully open door and ask
if he's "all better", problem solved.

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Yes that's clearly what I recommended.

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Originally Posted by Bernie

Did you even read the OP post? "at wits end", before getting into this positive stuff? everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I'm not going to reward a dog for biting me!

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If you knew what you were talking about and actually read the post, you would know that in no way was the method I outlined rewarding a dog for biting.

Being at wit's end, mad or frustrated should not dictate the type of training you provide to your dog (or child). In fact, if a person is at wit's end, mad or frustrated, it would behoove them to walk away and count to ten before punishing and by then it's too late with a dog.

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Originally Posted by SunnySideUp

I know someone's going to mention puppy classes - and bluntly, I don't have the money to pay for puppy classes. (I've done research into local classes, and they're all out of my budget). On top of that, I've been saving to pay for her getting fixed soon, so money is already allotted for.

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I don't have a suggestion for the biting, other than above. Except that I found getting the toy going as a distraction BEFORE the biting starts was a big help.

You might want to read at the link and consider when you will spay her. Of course I don't know what you mean by "soon" but I'll guess the common Vet advice of 6 months. If spaying later would work for you then there might be some money for training classes.

Neuter/Spay - Pros, Cons, Risks, Benefits - Research Article Links

Good luck.

gigi gets the zoobies even now and gets real mouthy some time. Espeically the day she goes to day care, which is once a week . all it takes is the empty lavender bottle. i think once i break it out she gets a little less crazy....I have a few empty around the house to control her.
i actually put a few drops on something and it did not even bother her but i guess she hated it as a puppy and triggers the same response. calm down and stop biting. she more like grabs gently but i hate it as it covers my arms with drool.

Bubba bit a lot, my boyfriend was pretty overwhelmed by it. The three things that helped us most were: 1. time (eventually he just stopped) 2. interacting with him in a calm way: doing "puppy massage", not getting him riled up 3. time-outs (honestly more for me than for him), we had a crate & a play pen. this also really helped with his "if i dont get my way im going to bark and whine and be a pest".

Brian was a baaaad biter lol. And just out of the blue he stopped, I have no idea why or how but I'm thankful, those puppy teeth hurt!
He stopped right at about the 5 month mark I think. And I mean just stopped! Of course it's just me and my husband and we didn't play rough with him or anything.

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Originally Posted by Labradorks

In fact, if a person is at wit's end, mad or frustrated, it would behoove them to walk away and count to ten before punishing and by then it's too late with a dog.

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example; dog runs in front of moving car...you're right! counted to ten and it's too late! oh well, at least he didn't get yelled at.

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Originally Posted by Bernie

example; dog runs in front of moving car...you're right! counted to ten and it's too late! oh well, at least he didn't get yelled at.

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If you cannot differentiate between acting when your dog/child/another human is in grave danger and acting when teaching, I am sorry, but I just can't help you. In fact, based on pretty much everything you post here, I am not sure that anyone can.

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Originally Posted by Labradorks

If you cannot differentiate between acting when your dog/child/another human is in grave danger and acting when teaching, I am sorry, but I just can't help you. In fact, based on pretty much everything you post here, I am not sure that anyone can.

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Just because your textbook rhetoric does not satisfy all questions, situations and people doesn't give you carte blanche to criticize,
go back and read, I didn't even leave advice for the OP, I just thought annkie's method looked good and was well presented.

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Originally Posted by Bernie

Just because your textbook rhetoric does not satisfy all questions, situations and people doesn't give you carte blanche to criticize,
go back and read, I didn't even leave advice for the OP, I just thought annkie's method looked good and was well presented.

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There is no doubt in my mind that my method won't work for every person or dog, just like everyone else's methods wont work for every person or dog. The dog's temperament and the owner must be taken into consideration. To suggest punishment based methods, that can and do go awry, on a message board to a stranger and dog you've never seen or met, is irresponsible. It is not a matter of being touchy feely or positive versus punishment based. To punish a dog that is acting out because his needs are not being met or to assume that the behavior problem is all on the puppy is unfair. In addition to trying to find out more about the situation and making suggestions that are proactive instead of simply reactive, when making suggestions to strangers on the internet, I prefer to make suggestions that are proven to work and cause the least amount of potential issues down the road in the event that the summation of the situation is completely off base. There is no video attached to the OP's post, we don't know the puppy, we don't know the OP, we don't have any idea of the situation and, just like the Bible, everyone's interpretation of the written word is different.

If you do not agree with people, that is fine, but instead of being an instigator or using examples that are completely irrelevant and way off base to try to prove people -- people who are experienced and trying to help -- wrong, why not add something to the conversation?

Have you tried tethering him to you and reinforcing sit-down for everything? NILIF? My excitable boy used to leap up from a sit. Down worked much better. I had him sit-down to wait for doors to open, each throw of the ball, for receiving toys/treats, for ear scratches/pets/attention, for meals, for the collar/leash to go on or off. A lot of Downs with kibble rewards (I used his meals) for a week made a huge difference. After that, I phased out the kibble.

Yelping, turning my back, time outs did not work with Boomer. He was 8 when I adopted him, not a puppy, but he sure acted like a puppy the first three weeks after I brought him home (chomping down on my hands, nippy, mouthy, snatching things from my hands, jumping on/against/at me). Exercise alone wasn't enough either. Interactive toys, fetch, wait-find (the hidden kibble), training sessions all helped. I also kept the pitch of my voice calm & moved with greater deliberation because he was (and still is) an easily over-excitable dog. If I moved quickly or spoke in too high a tone, boom, he'd revert back to his original behaviour.

I was pretty desperate those first three weeks. I never thought I'd ever give up a dog but, boy, did I come close with Boomer. I'm not a trainer. I just wanted to share what worked for my puppy-like, adult dog in case something there might help (even if only to empathize with the "at wit's end" part).

I also support the idea of a good trainer who understands labs. I managed to get Boomer to a certain point but my trainer helped me refine his behaviour even more. I'm so glad I stuck with him. He's still a nutbar but he's my nutbar, so that's fine.

Hang in there.

Maverick was a biter but Bear wasn't. When Mav got really bad we would put him in his crate with a chew toy. We would leave him in there and let him fall asleep. When he woke up we'd let him out. Sometimes it was 20 minutes, sometimes it was 2 hours. Nothing else worked for him either. Especially yelping as that worked him up even more.


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OP has yet to post again in this thread !. perfect.

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Originally Posted by annkie

So my method may not be the most "positive" but it was extremely effective. My chocolate lab was super duper stubborn. Super alpha. I don't remember when I did this, perhaps also around 5ish months maybe. So, dogs jaws are actually designed to bite down and not open up. Their strength is when they bite down. They have little strength to actually open their mouth. I put my fingers around his mouth LIGHTLY and said "no biting" until he stopped fighting. Then let go. I did this every time he tried to mouth my hands. It took a couple times until he got the "no biting" command. It doesn't hurt them. They're just not fans of not being able to open their mouth. You don't press their mouth closed. You just operate as a muzzle with your hand/fingers and say "no biting". That's it. That's how he stopped. And if he got overly exciting as he got older and was mouthy with a new person all I had to do was say "no biting" and he stopped immediately.

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this has always worked for us......we don't make it a big deal one way or the other. just a training tool. it doesn't hurt them and calms them down very quickly. it was a bit tougher with hte bulldog though.....not much to hole there !! new lab pup coming in a few weeks, so all this reading is good for me. puppy classes are 2 hours away. not an option in the winter time for sure. so please...everyone keep posting.

I feel for you. When Remy was a pup I looked like a heroin addict, seriously! I was so embarrassed I refused to wear short sleeves out in public! Anyway, my question is are you the alpha in your home? I wasn't, until my husband left for a hunting trip... Then I was the alpha and I was in charge of all the feedings and such and some how it all sorted itself out. Not sure if that is helpful... I will say, this too will pass and after we had it all sorted out it never happened again.

I suspect that every dog is different to some extent. Our Zo was pretty challenging for the first eight months or so and would test us periodically and unexpectedly for the next couple of years. I remember picking her up and carrying her to her crate when she was about a year and a half when she snapped at me and wouldn't go for a time out and thinking, you've got to be kidding me. She's a Rott/Aussie mix and extremely dominant. We did classes and saw a behaviorist but sometimes it just takes time and consistency to get them past it to the point that they finally recognize you as being the leader in the household and just cut it out. She's nine now and you would never know that she was so difficult. Her behavior is exceptional and everyone loves her. She's a teddy bear. Keep in mind that this is a dog who one vet once told us would have been put down if we hadn't taken her on. My advice would be to keep on it and you'll have a great dog in the end.

I think the best solution for your puppy's problem is to get your puppy in a good Obedience Class. Your puppy needs structure and some good training.

I know you mentioned you don't have the funds for a training class/classes, but isn't this part of being a responsible pet owner?

My intention is not to insult the OP, but perhaps potential pet owners should think about what a puppy's needs are BEFORE getting a puppy.

Just my opinion.

Yet to get a feedback on the OP trying the suggestion I made.maybe the cost of 10 bucks kept them away.

Unrelated a unknown lady with 2 German Shepard baby at her wits end at the dog park atleast tried and is very happy with the results.she is a young women who brought 2 Shepard puppy as a newbie... Nutz

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Hey guys!

Sorry for the post and then disappear! I read your posts and definitely took them all into consideration. My original post was at a peak moment in frustration but I am SO happy to provide the following update. Hopefully it will help any others going through an extreme biting phase like I was, along with all of your wonderful suggestions!

Shortly after my "I'm at my wit's end" rant, we tried the following things with Lucy:
- play dates with a puppy her age
- integrated her with our older dogs (even the cranky one!)
- she was spayed
- we didn't really "do" this, but she lost all her baby teeth and grew a nice new set of adult chompers

I don't know if it was a combination of the above, or if only one of the above -- but something WORKED! My little girl is the sweetest, most precious angel now. I am so happy to report that the biting has stopped almost completely. What we get now are over-excited little nips if she wants attention, or she's gungho playing, and a quick "Leave it" usually suffices. If not, we leave the room and it's over. These rare occurrences happen maybe once a week, if that.

I'd like to thank you all, from the bottom of my heart, for your support and advice! We've raised many puppies, but this was the most extreme case of mouthing we've ever experienced. I'm just so happy, beyond ecstatic, to have Lucy in my life.

And for anyone reading this post who was going through the same thing I was, at the end of the day just breathe and say "This too shall pass".

Much love all!

What a lovely update! I remember the first moment where Thor went from labrashark to sweet. It was right around 6 months old and he came at me with his standard lab puppy crazy face but settled in for a cuddle instead of a chew. When you realize that all the hard work has paid off and you have the dog you always wanted - it's fantastic. The crazies can always come out, but now they are hilarious anomalies rather than behavior issues we have to deal with daily. Wishing you the best of continued training and luck!


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Thanks for sticking with it! And for tolerating some of the more 'cranky' posts. We're a big tent!!!!!

As everyone has heard me say, my Libby was a LANDSHARK to the MAX. It was horrible ! She is now 9 months old, still has a bit of the biting going on but the spells are much, much shorter. I think she only does it now to mess with me. Using a sit-stay usually does the trick and snaps her out of it in short order. 'No bite' does not work for her. She has turned into a beautiful dog and as she has calmed down ever so slightly, I am seeing some hope for the future!

Congratulations! I'm sure it was tough to not despair and to keep with it.