Ok, I bought my G.F. a choclate lab for Christmas (early gift), and she is very rambunctious to say the least? I have two problems that I can't seem to correct?

1) I can't tell when she is Groweling or Barking when we play with a toy if it is out of aggression becasue I ahve taken the toy away (she can usually see it and I throw it after a few seconds). But she will sometimes bark, and jump and bite me when I take it away as well? Play barking, and biting or aggression??

2) She bites very, very hard when playing, holding her, walking from her, and always? We give her toys to chew on to avert her attention, but still does it? I've tried to "yelp" loud when she bites hard. worked for a bit but now she ignores it. She bit me soo hard this morning, my natural reaction was to "belt" her one, and I did it? that worked, but that isn't the way I want to go and I don't want to beat my dog into subbmission??

Any help would be greatly appreciated??

Adam

Hi Adam

My male Lab went nuts with biting when he first came home and yes, it really hurts! I used the suggestion that I got here.."NO BITE!"

Every time he bit me I said "NO BITE" in a deep voice and then redirected him to a toy to bite and praised him with a happy "yes". I kept toys on me and close at hand every time we played. It took awhile but he's doing so much better and he will stop biting me now when I give the command. Also, sometimes he gets so worked up and hectic that no command registers. When he's in crazy puppy mode then playtime ends with a stern "NO BITE" and he gets ignored.

Hope this helps!

Have you read through this? http://www.leerburg.com/puppygroundwork.htm
It should have lots of good info for you to apply. Make sure that the G.F. reads or listens to this, too. Good luck with the pup, savor her puppydom cause it ain't here long enough.

I should add that, in the beginning, I didn't think I'd EVER get to sit down on the floor with this pup without first putting on full body armour. Now, at almost 5 months, I can lay down with him without getting chewed on.

Have lots of patience too & whatever you do, don't hit the little guy again! He is biting you the same way he bit his litter mates because he doesn't know the difference. Redirect him with a toy. If he keeps it up, stick him in his crate until he settles, then bring him back out. Be sure he has plenty of soft chew toys.

It's pure puppy behavior, prey drive, not aggression. When you walk away, your feet/legs are moving, stimulating his prey drive. When you hold him, he focuses on your hands as prey. My pup didn't like to be held until recently, so I just didn't, figuring he would grow out of it and settle eventually. I did help it along by letting him nibble at a treat in my hands while gently stroking his back. He didn't like his sides touched so started stroking his chest, which he loves now and will sit for a spell while I do it. He was definitely an alligator, a real hard biter, not just a nibbler, and I've got scars on my hands and arms to prove it. He was hectic. He has calmed down considerably with some play exercises/training I do with him. Also he's growing out of the "bite everything in sight" phase. (Thank God!)

Another thing I might suggest, which I did with my pup (when I remembered to do it and we were going to have a play session), is spraying my hands and arms with Bitter Apple Took him by surprise the first time, and I noticed definite reluctance on his part to bite again. Didn't cure him right away, but gave him something to think about during playtime. Meanwhile, I would show him a toy to bite (diverting) instead of me.

No hitting the puppy - remember, he's a baby, just a baby. What you teach now is what he will learn, if taught with gentleness and firmness, and consistency. He may turn into a defensive biter if you use physical pain on him. If you're calm, you'll teach him to be calm (give him time). Dogs respect a calm leader.

Ed's puppy groundwork article that Michael posted is IMO required reading. I also focused on Ed's behavior with puppies on his puppy DVDs. Gentle, gentle, gentle. Calm and firm.

Make sure he always has a flat collar and leash on when out of the crate. Also, for my pup, my yelping when he bit me didn't work. It made him come at me more. Only thing I can figure is the sound stimulated him to bite more, much like live prey squealing during a "kill".

READ this article <:-)

http://www.leerburg.com/bitingpuppies.htm

And order this DVD <:-)

http://www.leerburg.com/120.htm

You won't be sorry !!!

Uhmm, I didn't want to hit her, but the way she had my hand and how I pulled it away It was is I gave it to her good, but it was't an offensive strike (Like it sounds like from re-reading my first post). I def. believe that striking her doesn't do much in the long-term except make her afraid of me?

The bitter-apple idea sounds great. I'm gonna give her a good dose of sour?? Ha, got to ge the camera out for this one, HA HA

Thanks alot. Worked all day yesterday on the "no bite" thing and it seems to be working a bit, especially with objects she picks up to chew on that I don't want to to chew on.

Thanks

How old is the pup?

I have a 7 month old female GSD and I thought she was possessed!!!! I felt like all she did was bite. It got so bad that my fiance started to think the dog hated her and didn't want to play with the dog.

Just make sure you tell her no when she bites you and redirect her biting towards one of her toys.

THEN.....

Once she is done teething you will be amazed at how much less she bites. Around 5-5.5 months the biting almost stopped, but when she was a puppy, those puppy teeth cut me open quite a few times.

My puppy is 13 weeks and sometimes I can get him to stop and sometimes can't. If I yelp a little he starts licking my hand. Then not 2 minutes later he starts trying to chew my hand again. So I constantly try to show him other things to chew.

He also like one poster above doesn't like his sides to be touched. Don't know why. He just doesn't. When putting on his leash he wants to bite too. I have a toy handy in case he tries and I stick in his mouth.

Only thing to do is keep on showing them we aren't their chew things. Hard to be paitent when you just want to pet them and they want to bite on you.