Puppy Barking & Lunging.... play or aggression?

[Roisinmck]

We have a 3 month old female lab puppy. She is super friendly and generally easy going.

Recently she has started doing this thing where she starts barking and lunging...sometimes nipping. It seems odd given her general nature. Sometimes the hair on her back stands up which is what really concerns me...doesn't "feel" like play. She won't respond when called or any command (i.e. sit). Since it mostly happens when she is off leash, it is almost impossible to get a hold of her..she is too fast now.

I had some video but it won't let me post it here.

It feels a bit aggressive and scares the kids. Would love some feedback.

Thanks - Roisin

[smartrock]

At her age, it's most likely play and not aggression. 3 months is young to see aggression and so many lab puppies do this. Lab puppies can be very mouthy and energetic. My older puppy did the same thing, along with then racing around like he had lost his mind in an excess of excitement and energy. I had holes in my sleeves and my kids lost a couple pairs of yoga pants to his jumping and nipping. I learned to turn away from him as he was coming toward me so that he couldn't actually make contact, then I encouraged him to run around to get some of that energy out. He did this every day as a puppy, but he grew into a big loveable moosh. Labs are such popular dogs, I think a lot of people aren't expecting or prepared for their wild energy as puppies.

Sometimes they get in to this crazy jumping barking mode when they're overtired as well. If it seems to be happening at a certain time of day, like later in the afternoon when she's been awake and playing for a bit, sometimes you can head it off by letting her go into her crate for a nap.

If she's jumping and barking at the kids, help them learn to turn their back to her, fold their arms, and refuse to engage. It can be scary for a kid to have their wild puppy jumping at them but if they can learn to turn away so the puppy cannot "get" them, it can help. Rather than try to run after her to get hold of her when she's like this, keep a short leash on her that you can grab or step on as she races by.

By the way, my younger pup had her older brother to jump on and bite at, so she didn't do it to us as much as her only puppy older brother had. She wasn't a better or nicer puppy, she just had another target for her energy and we had to protect our older guy from her energy sometimes.

It will get better. Take her to puppy obedience classes, be consistent in training, and know this will pass.

[Roisinmck]

Thanks for your response. It is just crazy how these puppies are sometimes. Good thing they are so stinking cute!

[arentspowell]

It sounds like puppy play to me. You will have to teach her that its not appropriate to be putting her teeth on humans. When she starts getting like that, like smartrock mentioned, the kids should get up off the floor, turn around, and stop engaging. The puppy will learn that that kind of behavior will end the fun. Also, high pitched noises and running tend to get puppies all riled up so I would encourage the kids not to play like that around the puppy.

[Tanya]

sounds like over arousal. she's just in a hyped up mode.
are you in puppy classes at all?

DO NOT use the recall command or any command really when she is in that state, you just practice her ignoring it. An over aroused dog isn't in a mind frame to "listen". maybe if it's a very strong very well practiced adn easy commadn but definately do not use your recall word.

agree with the advice above. Ideally you adn the kids (if they are old enough) start to watch her body language to predict when she is ABOUT to hit that zone and everyoen stops adn calms down (and take her away from the situation) before it escalates. Usually you can tell when they are about to hit the zone if you watch them carefully. Kids should stop all movement and be trees (other than turning around from the puppy)

[JenC]

Play for sure. Maddy used to get hackled when the other dogs were bugging her. She got it when excited in play too.

[Tanya]

hackles up just means the dog is aroused. doesn't mean "aggression". can be aroused due to exitement, anxiety, fear, etc.

[remigirl]

Thank you for posting this! Our three month old is doing the same thing…which is something old first lab never did! I appreciate all the responses :-)

[jules]

my 7 month old does the same thing