we have a 12 week old lab puppy...how do you stop the playful biting or at least keep it to a minimum...

we have a 3 year old son ....and the puppy is just playing....and we have tried to explain to our son that the puppy is like a baby...and doesnt know any better yet...

we have also told our son that he has to be careful ect...

any advice on this

thanks

Here is a recent link to a thread about the exact same problem you are having, make sure to read all the links provided in that thread dealing with puppies, it's a wealth of information for you

http://leerburg.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/226227/page/3#Post226227

also, i don't think it's a good idea for your son to interact with the pup right now if the pups going through his biting stage. I know it will be hard to explain and might not make any sense to you or your son, but limited exposure between the two right now is better.

This is a great article too:

http://leerburg.com/pdf/Training%20Puppies%20Not%20to%20Bite.pdf

Again, I know you are probably going to say that your pup is going to be a family dog and you want him to get used to your son, but until you get the biting under control, it will honestly be much better for all of you to limit the interractions between your son and pup.

Wendy

Joey, this is a normal stage that most puppies go through.

Like Wendy said, make sure that you are closely supervising the interaction between your pup and your 3 year old. Those puppy teeth are like needles at this age! Seperate the two if the pup is getting too 'bitey'.

Do not encourage roughhousing between your son and the pup. This will encourage the pup to bite more. Right now, he's play-biting because this is what he'd do w/ his littermates. You have to show him that biting other things is more fun than biting people!

Some things you can try:
Redirect him to bite on squeeky toys or plush puppy toys or a rolled up kitchen towel; pups are attracted to movement, so you may need to wiggle it to get his attention.

Roll a soft ball for him to chase and retrieve; he's a lab, you might find that he brings it right back to you to roll again.

Buy a hollow treat toy like one of these:
http://leerburg.com/toy.htm

Fill with cream cheese and/or peanut butter or a chew that is designed to fit tightly inside; these are great for keeping a puppy occupied. Avoid rawhide chews; they can cause blockages if swallowed in large pieces.

He will outgrow this phase, but be prepared to put up w/ it for a couple of months!

 Quote: Lynne Barrows

Roll a soft ball for him to chase and retrieve; he's a lab, you might find that he brings it right back to you to roll again.

I didn't mean 'softball'; ie the kind you hit w/ a bat! Any ball small enough for the pup to pick up and carry will work...

Something like these Alphabet Blocks would probably be perfect for a young Lab puppy.

And as an added bonus, if your son (like most boys of that age) decides to practice for his Major League pitching debuet, they're soft and won't break anything.

major league debuet...heck...hes been a start for 3 years now...ha ha...

seriously...thanks...those are the things we are already doing...trying to limit the play and redirect attention ect...just wondering if we are doing the right thing or if we were missing something...

No, you're not missing anything.

Unfortunately it's a stage that puppies go through. A tough stage when you have kids that want to play.

But hang in there, this stage doesn't last forever!

Unfortunately for puppies that young, it's how they play.