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  1. #101
    Senior Dog Tanya's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Snowshoe View Post
    PinkDragon14, I just want to say here, you have been amazingly receptive to all the ideas presented. Lots of people have come on this board and gotten uppity when suggestions didn't go the way they thought they should. Lots of times we see a hint of something the OP didn't even ask about and we comment on it and they protest. Some have stomped off, never to return. You have been GRRReat.
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  2. #102
    Real Retriever PinkDragon14's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Maxx&Emma View Post
    When Maxx's 1st tooth fell out I played tug all the time and it did not take long at all for those front, needle teeth to come out. It seemed like maybe 2-3 days. I also gave him lots of frozen wash cloths to tug with and chew on. Anything to remove those lethal needles, it was such a relief when they were gone!
    Every chance I get I try to direct him towards the rope in hopes that those razors will fall out! I think once his front teeth are gone, he won't be so "rude" with his teeth. I've finally accepted he's going to get worse before he gets better. Comparing this week (and late last week) to about a month ago, he's in full on teething mode. We do use the frozen washcloths (the cheapest ones I can find around the house), but he usually destroys it fairly quickly. Sometimes he'll use his plastic nylabone, but it isn't his go-to right now. The rubber kong stick (which is very crude looking LOL) seems to be his comfort toy. It's a good, durable, bouncy rubber that keeps him chewing for a while. I'm to the point where I don't care which toys get destroyed. If he isn't destroying me/anyone else, furniture, house, shoes, etc., then I'm fine with it! (And isn't ingesting the pieces, of course )

    Quote Originally Posted by Meeps83 View Post
    He sounds like Maverick.

    i figured out that what he valued above all else was me. When he went spastic like that I got pouty and ignored him completely. He would get sad and try to get my attention again. I WOULD NOT give him attention OR eye contact until he gave me a calm behavior, then I would play again but more low key.

    They are are smart and once you figure them out they are easy to train. Don't wish this time away. I miss every second of the baby time. Once he's grown it won't seem nearly as bad as you think it is now.
    The problem with him is, you can't get up and walk away. Either he gets mad or thinks you're still playing (or sometimes both). When you walk away and ignore him, he's right up your butt and biting your legs/pants/feet/whatever he can get his mouth on. That's when I turn around and he goes into time out. Next time he plays with me, I'm going to try keeping the game at a low key level and staying calm. If he starts getting out of hand, that's it.

    When I first joined and made the first biting thread, I read that if you walk away, cross your arms, and stare up at the ceiling, they'll get upset. That worked one time. After that, he caught on and kept biting. I guess his "pouting" issue is that he's over excited and needs a chill pill (via his crate).

    Quote Originally Posted by zd262 View Post
    Yes actually I take back what I said before, that I didn't have any advice for stopping biting and that Bubba just sort of grew out of it. The one thing we did majorly change on the advice of our trainer was that every interaction we had with him was a calm one. We would sit on the floor or couch with him and give him "puppy massages". We never got overly excited or rough because it was too much for him and he would bite.
    I've looked into the puppy massages - I read about them in one of the books I was reading prior to bringing him home. I'd love to try one and see if it works. Usually I'll just pet his back and rub his sides, but he ends up squirming away! Do you have any massage recommendations/websites that are really good?

    Quote Originally Posted by Snowshoe View Post
    PinkDragon14, I just want to say here, you have been amazingly receptive to all the ideas presented. Lots of people have come on this board and gotten uppity when suggestions didn't go the way they thought they should. Lots of times we see a hint of something the OP didn't even ask about and we comment on it and they protest. Some have stomped off, never to return. You have been GRRReat.
    Thank you! You all have been so supportive and amazing. It's nice to know that I'm not alone LOL

    I do try and follow through with every suggestion (more than once of course!) and see what works. I know that every dog is different and some things that have worked for others may not work for my little brown bear. Have I gotten fed up in this process? Plenty of times! But I know that something will eventually work with him, even if it takes his whole teething process.

    I'm so happy that I found this forum. There's so much great information on here and so many amazing people who are willing to help. I feel like this is my emergency hotline for my lab LOL
    ~Alyssa
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  3. #103
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    The walking away- we had a similar problem with Kimber. She'd just follow us and jump on us. It was part of the game. I finally looped a leash around a heavy table leg and when she was in a biting frenzy, I'd put her on the leash. I'd stay nearby to make sure she didn't get wrapped up in it or pull the table, but otherwise completely ignored her. I'd sit and read my book, humming if she barked at me. As soon as she calmed down, I'd then go up to her. If she started biting/snapping/lunging, I'd back away. If she stayed calm- even if just a few seconds- I'd let her loose. Sometimes once free she'd bite- and I'd leash her again.
    I called this putting her in time out.
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  5. #104
    Real Retriever PinkDragon14's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by kimbersmom View Post
    The walking away- we had a similar problem with Kimber. She'd just follow us and jump on us. It was part of the game. I finally looped a leash around a heavy table leg and when she was in a biting frenzy, I'd put her on the leash. I'd stay nearby to make sure she didn't get wrapped up in it or pull the table, but otherwise completely ignored her. I'd sit and read my book, humming if she barked at me. As soon as she calmed down, I'd then go up to her. If she started biting/snapping/lunging, I'd back away. If she stayed calm- even if just a few seconds- I'd let her loose. Sometimes once free she'd bite- and I'd leash her again.
    I called this putting her in time out.
    Hmm, I'll have to try that one. I've considered it, but all I could imagine was the coffee table making its way around the room LOL

    He does have a barking problem if he doesn't get his way, which is a completely different topic that I'll save for later. The problem is, I want to ignore it, but the barking/biting makes me give in.

    He's sleeping peacefully behind the couch right now (finally), so I'll have to try that when he wakes up. I may be able to fit the loop around the couch leg (which hopefully he can't drag around the room). Thank you for the tip!

    Things are difficult when you don't have the plastic pen/gated areas, but knowing this little brown demon, he'd find a way out. I hate putting him in his crate for time out because I don't want to associate it with "bad" things, but I do try to keep it positive (treats in there, toys in there, treat in crate at bedtime, naps, etc.)
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  6. #105
    Senior Dog windycanyon's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Maxx&Emma View Post
    I played tug when Maxx was teething, it did not continue past the point of teething and I never had any issues with him. Once in a while he and Emma will play tug with a toy, never an issue, it never gors beyond a short game of fun and when one is done the game is over. I don't think it is fair to say playing tug is going to cause ongoing issues.
    You read further into what I said than what I said... I sure don't think it helps in the case of an easily overstimulated puppy though to calm him down. I agree w/ zd262 in that you want to be the CALM leader w /the overly stimulated ones.
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  7. #106
    Real Retriever PinkDragon14's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by kimbersmom View Post
    The walking away- we had a similar problem with Kimber. She'd just follow us and jump on us. It was part of the game. I finally looped a leash around a heavy table leg and when she was in a biting frenzy, I'd put her on the leash. I'd stay nearby to make sure she didn't get wrapped up in it or pull the table, but otherwise completely ignored her. I'd sit and read my book, humming if she barked at me. As soon as she calmed down, I'd then go up to her. If she started biting/snapping/lunging, I'd back away. If she stayed calm- even if just a few seconds- I'd let her loose. Sometimes once free she'd bite- and I'd leash her again.
    I called this putting her in time out.
    Update to this: I was trying to cook in the kitchen about an hour ago when he started jumping and biting me. I took him, leashed him, and put the leash around the couch leg. It didn't go well. I will take most of the blame for it, as I was rushing and probably did it wrong. He decided it would be fun to try and tug the leash away (which obviously didn't get him anywhere). I ended up just putting him in his crate for 10mins instead. I'll try again later (because I'm positive there will be a later ) and go slower and make sure I'm doing it right. It was a great idea though.

    I will say this: I was finishing up and I let him out of his crate. He started barking at me while I was at the sink and I stood there, hands on my hips, staring him down. He kept barking and I started humming and walked away. He stopped and moved onto his toy. I walked by him and made the mistake of petting him (I wasn't thinking at all) and he started again. I let him bark it out while I ignored him and finished what I was doing. Now he's over chewing on his toys and occupying himself
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  8. #107
    Senior Dog Meeps83's Avatar
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    The problem with him is, you can't get up and walk away. Either he gets mad or thinks you're still playing (or sometimes both). When you walk away and ignore him, he's right up your butt and biting your legs/pants/feet/whatever he can get his mouth on. That's when I turn around and he goes into time out. Next time he plays with me, I'm going to try keeping the game at a low key level and staying calm. If he starts getting out of hand, that's it.

    When I first joined and made the first biting thread, I read that if you walk away, cross your arms, and stare up at the ceiling, they'll get upset. That worked one time. After that, he caught on and kept biting. I guess his "pouting" issue is that he's over excited and needs a chill pill (via his crate).

    True true. But when you turn around he gets your attention and wins. It doesn't matter how it happens but if he gets what he wants, ie you turning around, training is done. He won. You lost ��

    oh those dogs are smart aren't they.

  9. #108
    Real Retriever PinkDragon14's Avatar
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    They're very smart for both good and bad things LOL

    I gave him a loud and deep NO BITE last night and he got the idea...for a little while. It was bedtime anyway, but he kind of settled down and wandered away.

    Now this morning, he was right back to biting me. I was excited when I thought he got the idea!
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  10. #109
    Senior Dog Labradorks's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by PinkDragon14 View Post
    They're very smart for both good and bad things LOL

    I gave him a loud and deep NO BITE last night and he got the idea...for a little while. It was bedtime anyway, but he kind of settled down and wandered away.

    Now this morning, he was right back to biting me. I was excited when I thought he got the idea!
    Puppies are born biting. It's what they do. One correction is typically not going to change the behavior they are wired for. Biting is as natural to them as playing. Of course you need to let them know what is and is not desirable, but you have to remember that he is doing what comes natural to him and you have to show him what you want instead, not just focus on what you do not want.

    Puppies also don't understand good behavior versus bad behavior. They understand the dog behaviors they were born with and they understand that doing X will get them to Y (food, playing, attention, affection, toys, going outside, walks, etc.). If X = an undesirable behavior and leads to Y, the puppy will obviously continue doing it. And if it worked for awhile and suddenly stops, the puppy may ramp it up. Perhaps X = biting and that's no longer working. So, he might bite harder. Or, out of frustration, he might throw barking in there. Oh, that got your attention? Well, now biting PLUS barking works! So, next time that is what you're going to get. Barking can also be a sign of frustration and they can really work themselves up. When a dog is already frantic and you try punishment, depending on the dog's temperament, it can wind them up even more and make it worse.

    If the dog is throwing a tantrum -- lunging, biting and barking -- it means he wants something but does not know how to win it. So, show him. Currently, when he displays an undesirable behavior you ignore him and/or punish him and/or give him what he wants, even though you may not realize it (i.e., negative attention). Perhaps try showing him what you want and praise him. Your first step would be to not allow him to get frantic. Your second step would be to ask for a quiet sit (or down, whatever you want to do) for a half a second and reward him, either going back to playing or with a treat. Then, increase the time you are asking for the desirable behavior.

    Eventually you want him to know that the undesirable behavior doesn't work BUT he'll also have something that DOES work that he can use and help him win. An alternative. Imagine starting a new job where you don't really know the language or the culture, just that you are supposed to be sewing shirts. The first day you sew a shirt and the boss just says, "no!". The next day, you sew the same shirt, but this time it's green instead of blue and your boss says, "no!". On day three you might sew a pink shirt with white buttons. Your boss says, "no!" This goes on for weeks! Depending on your temperament, you might shut down (give up), you might become frantic (oh my god, oh my god, oh my god what do I do???) or you might just keep trying different variations of "shirt". Wouldn't it have been nice if your boss had just gotten a translator and said, "Sew me a black mens shirt, size large, with black buttons."?

    It's OK to say, "Puppy, this isn't going to help you get what you want" by ignoring undesirable behaviors, but also, find a way to tell the puppy, "This is what you can do instead."

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  12. #110
    Real Retriever PinkDragon14's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Labradorks View Post
    Puppies are born biting. It's what they do. One correction is typically not going to change the behavior they are wired for. Biting is as natural to them as playing. Of course you need to let them know what is and is not desirable, but you have to remember that he is doing what comes natural to him and you have to show him what you want instead, not just focus on what you do not want.

    Puppies also don't understand good behavior versus bad behavior. They understand the dog behaviors they were born with and they understand that doing X will get them to Y (food, playing, attention, affection, toys, going outside, walks, etc.). If X = an undesirable behavior and leads to Y, the puppy will obviously continue doing it. And if it worked for awhile and suddenly stops, the puppy may ramp it up. Perhaps X = biting and that's no longer working. So, he might bite harder. Or, out of frustration, he might throw barking in there. Oh, that got your attention? Well, now biting PLUS barking works! So, next time that is what you're going to get. Barking can also be a sign of frustration and they can really work themselves up. When a dog is already frantic and you try punishment, depending on the dog's temperament, it can wind them up even more and make it worse.

    If the dog is throwing a tantrum -- lunging, biting and barking -- it means he wants something but does not know how to win it. So, show him. Currently, when he displays an undesirable behavior you ignore him and/or punish him and/or give him what he wants, even though you may not realize it (i.e., negative attention). Perhaps try showing him what you want and praise him. Your first step would be to not allow him to get frantic. Your second step would be to ask for a quiet sit (or down, whatever you want to do) for a half a second and reward him, either going back to playing or with a treat. Then, increase the time you are asking for the desirable behavior.

    Eventually you want him to know that the undesirable behavior doesn't work BUT he'll also have something that DOES work that he can use and help him win. An alternative. Imagine starting a new job where you don't really know the language or the culture, just that you are supposed to be sewing shirts. The first day you sew a shirt and the boss just says, "no!". The next day, you sew the same shirt, but this time it's green instead of blue and your boss says, "no!". On day three you might sew a pink shirt with white buttons. Your boss says, "no!" This goes on for weeks! Depending on your temperament, you might shut down (give up), you might become frantic (oh my god, oh my god, oh my god what do I do???) or you might just keep trying different variations of "shirt". Wouldn't it have been nice if your boss had just gotten a translator and said, "Sew me a black mens shirt, size large, with black buttons."?

    It's OK to say, "Puppy, this isn't going to help you get what you want" by ignoring undesirable behaviors, but also, find a way to tell the puppy, "This is what you can do instead."
    Thank you for this - it really did help me to understand what's going through his little coconut head!

    I'm 99% sure he wants to play, but the other 1% says he just wants to aggravate me LOL

    Do you think a quiet sit in his "tantrum" followed by treat/gentle toy play would be a good idea? Also, what happens if he doesn't follow that and continues to be "rude"? Sometimes he does need alone time, but obviously, I don't want to increase the bad behavior
    ~Alyssa
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