Hello, I'm new to this board so I'm sure this question has been asked before. My new lab puppy ( 9 weeks old) is a real play biter. Should I allow some level of play biting on humans or should I stop him from doing it all together? Also, at the pet store today an adult dog approached my dog and they started playing. When the other dog's owner pulled her dog back my dog started to bark really loudly at the much bigger dog. I'm not sure if his barking was aggressive or not, what do you think?
Reg: 08-29-2006
Posts: 2324
Loc: Central Coast, California
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Keep a toy on you and redirect your pup to the toy when he's chomping on you. Try to keep your body movements to a minimum and make the toy the wiggliest, most interesting thing in front of your pup. And praise him when he goes for the toy.
I doubt very much if your puppy was barking aggressively. He was probably excited by his new friend, wanted to continue the game and expressed it by barking.
He's just a baby so the biting and excited barking are pretty normal puppy behaviors, IME.
Glad to see another Lab owner on the board...Welcome!
Cathy Goessman Webboard User Reg: 12-03-2007
Posts: 1231
Loc: Phoenix, AZ
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Lab puppies are really mouth oriented. Give him something to hold and carry and he'll probably be a lot less interested in hands. Fetch is great to get him less centered on you and more focused on toys and chews. You can also smear bitter apple on your hands if he's being particularly hard headed about it.
I know adult dogs that have never been broken of the habit of biting hands. Stop it now but realize that he's a BABY. 9 week old puppies are not aggressive. He just wanted to continue the game and expressed his frustration by barking.
Cathy Goessman Webboard User Reg: 12-03-2007
Posts: 1231
Loc: Phoenix, AZ
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A 9 week old puppy shouldn't be on the floor in a pet store due to the parvo risk IMO. Put him in a shopping cart or don't bring him at all. People have their dogs go potty in the store and then just wipe it up without using disinfectant all the time. Parvo can live on surfaces for awhile(not sure how long) and when your pup walks on that same surface he gets exposed.
Jennifer Marshal Webboard User Reg: 08-02-2007
Posts: 1078
Loc: Southern Oregon
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Russel,
Unless you want him to continue biting hands or other body parts in play and greeting as he grows up and when he is an adult I would not encourage it. Redirect to an appropriate play item as Sarah described above - that toy should be the best thing to the pup vs your hands and feet. If you don't catch him before he has clamped on, don't move the part he has ahold of at all, say his name or something to get his attention like the squeek of a squeekie toy and at the moment he lets go distract with the toy.
I agree that it sounds like he was barking in attempt to instigate more playtime.
IMO I would not be allowing such a young pup to play with strange dogs in a pet store. Or anywhere for that matter. If you can avoid other dogs, do so for the protection of your pup. It only takes once to create dog aggression and/or fear issues and healthwise you don't know the status of the other dogs and may be compromising the health of your new pal.
i tried the sour apple on my cane corso, and it didnt bother him at all, well it was the stuff called fooey, yeah no effect lol
i dont mind him mouthing me when we play but wehn i want to stop he doesnt, and i dont want him mouthing my guests unless its play time and they are rough housing with him.
how do i get him to stop when isay stop, my female pitt bull had no problems stoping when we said stop, is it an age issue she was well over 2 when she learned when to play and when to stop my cane corso is 6 months old?
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Labrador puppy is play biting
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