We have a 12 week old golden/lab mix. her mom was a pure bred golden-- dad was a full bred black lab. She looks just like a golden though! Super cute! She is our second dog since we have been married (our first was a cairn terrier and we had to find a home for her after our daughter was born, as she turned aggressive towards children and bit our niece)
Anyways -- she has been with us since she was 8 weeks. She is VERY nippy-- we know that a certain level of biting is normal in a puppy, but we feel like hers gets a bit out of control. It seems like we have tried EVERYTHING! Everytime she bites we say firmly NO BITE and put a toy in her mouth. She just continues to seek out our hands or legs or whatever is nearby that is not a toy. She even sometimes chases behind us - when we are walking normally- at bites at the back of our legs. We have tried a more forceful approach too - like holding her scruff until she submits -- that doesn't work either. She will also growl, scrunch up her snout and kind of playfully snap like she's frustrated at us when she gets scolded for biting- its hard to tell if she is playing or getting aggressive.
It is getting really frustrating and we are just afraid that when she is full grown she will continue this behavior and it will really hurt! We want so badly for this to be our "third child"-- but she is really pushing the limits!It has been 4 weeks and nothing seems to be working.
Need advice......will she grow out of this!? Are we just being wimps- is this normal behavior?? (sorry this is so long!)
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snippy snappy-- help!
Replies (2)
>>We have a 12 week old golden/lab mix. her mom was a pure bred golden-- dad was a full bred black lab. She looks just like a golden though! Super cute! She is our second dog since we have been married (our first was a cairn terrier and we had to find a home for her after our daughter was born, as she turned aggressive towards children and bit our niece)
>>Anyways -- she has been with us since she was 8 weeks. She is VERY nippy-- we know that a certain level of biting is normal in a puppy, but we feel like hers gets a bit out of control. It seems like we have tried EVERYTHING! Everytime she bites we say firmly NO BITE and put a toy in her mouth. She just continues to seek out our hands or legs or whatever is nearby that is not a toy. She even sometimes chases behind us - when we are walking normally- at bites at the back of our legs. We have tried a more forceful approach too - like holding her scruff until she submits -- that doesn't work either. She will also growl, scrunch up her snout and kind of playfully snap like she's frustrated at us when she gets scolded for biting- its hard to tell if she is playing or getting aggressive.
>>It is getting really frustrating and we are just afraid that when she is full grown she will continue this behavior and it will really hurt! We want so badly for this to be our "third child"-- but she is really pushing the limits!It has been 4 weeks and nothing seems to be working.
>> Need advice......will she grow out of this!? Are we just being wimps- is this normal behavior?? (sorry this is so long!)
>>>>>>>>>>
You need to get expert help in person, promptly. The correction in particular can easily turn a wild puppy into a truly dangerous dog. Ask your veterinarian to refer you to the nearest veterinary behavior specialist, as soon as possible. This is the expert who can properly evaluate the dog's temperament and demonstrate for you how to safely and effectively work on this problem. There are no quick fixes, though there are ways to get immediate control and prevent injuries.
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Kathy Diamond Davis, author, "Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others," 2nd edition, and the free Canine Behavior Series articles at http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=SRC&S=1&SourceID=47
We had the same problem with my Bella who got over it. She's still "mouthy" sometimes cos she's a retriever. We got her tons of toys of different textures to keep her mouth from getting bored. WE also tried shaking coins in a can when she bites. Time out helps too. She's now 13 weeks old. We also stopped playing tug of war games that she loves cos Cesar Milan the Dog Whisperer suggested to someone on the show that it can make any kind of aggression worse. Our dog wasn't aggressive but does like the rough mouthy play too much. Hope this helps.
