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  1. #1
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    New Lab puppy problems

    Hello,
    I am new and I hate that my first post is a cry for help. But we have a 3 1/2 month old yellow Lab who has us at our wits end. We have had many dogs, including Labs and Lab mixes, but this girl has the worse behavior we have ever encountered. We are even thinking that is we don't see improvement soon we may just give up the fight. I work with her everyday, walking her, leash training her, using commands, etc but it seems nothing will help.

    She has always been a "mouthy" puppy and I can't tell you how many wounds we both have from flying teeth. She seems to be obsessed with her mouth and teeth and we can only enjoy her when she is sleepy or very tired. At this point she constantly jumps up and down and doesn't respond to "Down!" Her mouth is always open and sometimes bites down on us while jumping. Be assured it is play, not aggression, but it still breaks the skin.

    Have you any advice for us? She is beautiful and it would break my heart to have to give her up. BTW we have a large property and she mostly has freedom to run and play so she has no problem with being cooped up.

    Thanks,
    pslane

  2. #2
    Senior Dog SamsonsMom's Avatar
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    My boy Asher is 17 weeks today. He is all mouth and attitude. A few weeks back, while jumping up and his mouth wide open, his tooth caught in my pinky finger and ripped (very deep) in my finger tip and I had to go to urgent care to get the fatty tissue tucked back into my finger and to get stitches. Dealt with antibiotics for a week. He's had a UTI (lots of peeing in his crate until I took a urine sample in) and then diarrhea from the antibiotics. Add in I have a 4 yr old lab that just barks and barks at Asher and will simply not allow Asher to touch him most times. I have two 9 month old kitties and Asher just can't figure out he's not supposed to Chase and chomp after them. Asher loves to go for the wooden legs of the end table, the corner of the TV stand, the wooden gate, etc. Your issues sound similar to mine so I guess I'm saying I don't think your girl is out of the ordinary. Maybe just a little more free spirited than dogs you had in the past. I do know, I do not remember Samson being like Asher is. Asher knows sit, leave it, and no. I'm working on drop it because outside if he sees it, it's going in his mouth. Work work work and more work. We had our 2nd puppy class on Saturday. One thing I've learned from Samson is I have to stay in control and be patient. They are so good at reading body language and tension. I hope you work it out with your little girl and do not give up on her. It's not easy and gets very frustrating at times but they are worth it. Just maybe she has too much freedom and it's interfering with how closed in she may be when you try to do the training. I'm not a pro at this by any means. I come to this board for advice just as you have. I'm sure some very experienced folks will give you some great advice! Good luck!

  3. #3
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    What you are experiencing is pretty normal for a Lab puppy. I've got a 10 1/2 month old who was very mouthy as a young pup, will still grab your hand or arm now and then when playing. Two things I've found that have worked well for me. When they try to bite you, put your hand over their muzzle and roll the upped lip over a canine tooth and squeeze it and tell them "no bite". You don't have to press hard, only hard enough to impress upon them that biting hurts. The other thing is when the puppy lunges at you trying to bite, turn away and give a high pitched yelp.

    Labs do tend to be jumpers, it's something you have to actually train them to not do. Being so young, your puppy is full of energy and needs to learn self control, which is something that tends to be very hard to do with Labs. What training have you done so far? Teaching sit means sit and don't move until I tell you will help with this. You will probably have to correct the puppy thousands or times before they really understand, but it's better to start now than to be wrestling with a 75 pound dog.

    At the age of your puppy they are like little sponges. You said you have a large property. Do you let the pup roam around on his own? if yes, I'd put a stop to that now. The puppy needs to learn YOU are in control of them and their environment. You decide when they go out, you decide when they play, you decide when the eat. And make them earn these privledges. There is a concept of Nothing in Life is Free (NILF). Buy letting the puppy roam on it's own it's learning independence and he's in control. If it's possible I'd also sign up for a class as soon as possible. A good trainer can be a lot of help with these issues.

  4. #4
    Senior Dog Meeps83's Avatar
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    I have an almost 3 year old and an 8 1/2 month old. They are so similar yet so different.

    Mav, the almost 3 year old, is very intuitive, smart, and really wants to please.

    Bear is smart, but in a more sly way. He wants to skip all the in between steps and just get to the end.

    My point is that every dog is different. Even in the Labrador breed.

    My suggestion is to keep working with commands. Let her drag a leash everywhere because maybe she has so much freedom she can't control herself. Both indoors and outdoors. And when she gets jumpy and nippy place her in her crate for a time out. Oftentimes when hey get like this they are overtired. Also, when they start teething the nippiness usually gets better.


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  5. #5
    Senior Dog Snowshoe's Avatar
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    Know what you mean, our first one was born already trained. She didn't bite, bark or jump. She didn't steal the cat's food that was easily available to her. She walked on leash without training. She slept through the night from the get go, for heaven's sake. EVen though we knew she was an unusually special gem (and she was named for a gemstone ) still, it was a shock to get a more usual Lab puppy the next time around, who bit and stole stole things. I have no good puppy picture of him because he wasn't still for a second when he was awake.

    WE found ways to play that avoided teeth on us. If teeth were coming at us we got so we could predict it and get a toy in there before hand. We went to training classes where puppy's little black mind (not black as in evil, though that was tempting to think, but because he's black) was exercised and helped tire him out. And more training classes and more training classes. We didn't use a crate in the usual sense but we had one and put it in our gated kitchen. When a time out was needed he was popped into the kitchen, also when we needed to get something done or go out. Remarkably he did not wreck the kitchen, some do. We arrnged puppy play dates too, and that helped bring the energy level down a bit.

    YOu can do it. It might be a bit more work than you expected but you can. She's absolutely normal, sorry to tell you.

    What's her name and how about a photo?

    This is our "Holy Terror" as his Grandma dubbed him. He's 9 years old. Yep, he made it to 9 and so did we.
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  6. #6
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    Thanks for some good advice and moral support. I am working with commands, making very slow progress. By slow, I mean, if I say sit, chances are she will lay all the way down instead of just her behind. She learned "Stay" first of all. Does she always obey it, no. The large property isn't a problem because she loves to just stay on the back porch until one of us takes her for a long walk. Except for that, she only goes outside to play with toys right outside the door (which we keep propped open) and sometimes she will venture to the woods to do her business. She has some spots in the edge of the woods that are her bathroom. Occasionally I take her on the leash but no luck there because she holds the leash in her mouth the whole time. Still she is aware that she is on a leash and can go only where I take her. We had a wonderful walk this morning, no biting the jeans, no jumping. So next time we start out a walk with her bad behavior, I am going to cancel the walk.

    SamsonsMom: Sorry about your finger. I am lucky I haven't had a bite that bad. Hubby and I both have bites and scars on our arms and hands. The teeth come flying at you before you know it so I can relate! I also have 2 cats and a few days a week I let them out and Lucy is so delighted to have someone to chase and harass! My tom cat stands up to her and she can't get too close without a slap and a hiss. Worse problem is my elderly chihuahua who isn't in good health enough to have to fight her off.
    Anyway, she is trained to go into her crate at night in the house so at least we have go that conquered.

    -lucy-march-17-jpg

    What you are experiencing is pretty normal for a Lab puppy
    Thank you barry581, that makes me feel better!

    BTW We let her stay inside almost all the time when we got her at 6 weeks, until she got bigger and chewed a hold in the sheet rock!
    Last edited by coldwetnoz; 03-26-2017 at 12:06 PM. Reason: add photo

  7. #7
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    Snowshoe, thanks for the input and the support. We have also had lab pups that were easy to train. We lost our black lab mix on Christmas day in an accident. (Best dog we ever had) I was physically and emotionally sick for almost 2 months. So I know what you mean by the difference in our dogs. Lucy is under the category "Holy Terror", too, at this point but we are working hard and hope to be rewarded someday.

  8. #8
    Senior Dog smartrock's Avatar
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    Sorry you have such a little shark! Getting her at 6 weeks of age may have contributed to the biting issue- less time with Mom and siblings to get their correction for biting. Nonetheless, our first lab was quite a biter and we got him at 9 weeks of age. I agree that with him, it improved once his big teeth were in. I didn't say went away, but it did improve and he stopped all mouthy-ness. Our younger one still likes to take things in her mouth, she doesn't bite down though. She generally has a toy in her mouth whenever she's excited. She was one to take the leash in her mouth as well. I didn't cancel the walk, just stopped and told her to drop it and we didn't move forward until she had. No tug of war, no shaking, just drop it. Even at 4 years of age, if something really excites her on a walk, she wants something in her mouth and the leash is usually what she grabs.

    Lucy is a cutie!

  9. #9
    Senior Dog TuMicks's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by smartrock View Post
    Sorry you have such a little shark! Getting her at 6 weeks of age may have contributed to the biting issue- less time with Mom and siblings to get their correction for biting. Nonetheless, our first lab was quite a biter and we got him at 9 weeks of age. I agree that with him, it improved once his big teeth were in. I didn't say went away, but it did improve and he stopped all mouthy-ness. Our younger one still likes to take things in her mouth, she doesn't bite down though. She generally has a toy in her mouth whenever she's excited. She was one to take the leash in her mouth as well. I didn't cancel the walk, just stopped and told her to drop it and we didn't move forward until she had. No tug of war, no shaking, just drop it. Even at 4 years of age, if something really excites her on a walk, she wants something in her mouth and the leash is usually what she grabs.

    Lucy is a cutie!
    I deliberately got a Lab that was guaranteed to be HOT-as-a-$2-pistol (as my dad used to say). From FIELD champions both sire and dam. Line bred on two of the craziest, high-drive field dogs to ever pick up a bird. (Yes, I was out of my mind.)

    It can be done. I train several times a week with a professional. Even the pro had a devil of a time with this dog. I highlighted SmartRock's solution, because believe it or not... better than prong-collars, electric collars, heeling sticks, riding crops (listen, y'all... don't flame me here... we can discuss methods elsewhere) But all of that had only marginal effect whereas that simple thing that SmartRock mentioned was the key. Everything stops when pup is being a butt. I not only stop... I start moving backwards.

    About the biting... I totally endorse Barry's method. Plus consider, that dog is pushing some mighty big teeth through her gums and will be until about 5 and half months of age.

    Freedom to roam: I think it's a bad idea. You have a hunting dog who will one day put her nose to the ground and start tracking something interesting and you'll turn around and she'll be gone. She doesn't need freedom. (Big misconception.) Dogs are territorial. When you give them a big property, you're giving them a huge job to do. It's in their DNA to see that big property as a responsibility, not freedom. Your pup is only 14 weeks old. Simplify her world and make YOU the center of it. She needs WAAAaaaay less room, unless you are adventuring out with her. (On lead.)

    Back to SmartRock. I'd work on static commands right now. SIT... STAY...PLACE. Don't work on COME right now. You want to reward her for being still. Around the house, let her drag a line. You can call her, but only when you have the end of the leash and can enforce the command (and then make big, happy sounds about how she "came" to you.)

    General rule of dog-training. Never give a command you're not in a position to enforce. All you're doing is teaching her that you make irrelevant noises from time to time, you're actually training her to ignore you.

    When she sits wrong (lies down) just put her in a sit position and tell her what a good SIT she does. Make her stay in a SIT for an increasing number of seconds. Don't call her to you from the SIT. Go to her and tell her how wonderful she is. Don't teach her to break her sit at this point.

    It's not easy having a Lab puppy. They do not come straight from the box as finished products. But the pay-off down the road is totally worth it.
    Last edited by TuMicks; 03-26-2017 at 04:36 PM.

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  11. #10
    Senior Dog sparky's Avatar
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    I feel your pain. Mocha as a puppy was a mouthy puppy. We looked we had been sorting cats some days. DW sat and cried one day and said "I don't think I'll ever to play with our puppy" But time and CONSTANT DAILY training we now have the sweetest most lovable 3 year old ever. He is a dream.

    Now fast forward to July of this year and after the memories of Mocha's puppyhood we got a little yellow terror! She had Mocha to chew and bite on so we were saved from that. But she found other ways to be a puppy. She gave us no signs when she was ready to pee. It took a long time to house train her. She is a shredder. Anything she gets her teeth on was torn to bits. At 8 months old she is coming around and we see signs of the sweet puppy she is going to be.

    Be patient, be consistent and sign you and your pup up for training classes.
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