Samodor Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 Picked up a 5.5 month old lab today... (mind you i was told she was 16 weeks but her d.o.b was on her vacc card) I was told she was great with kids, and so on... BUT... she isnt THAT great, and i just need to know if the behaviour she is displaying is easily altered, OR if she may be better suited to an older family. She is nipping/biting.. she follows the kids biting/nipping at the backs of thier arms, and when my son was sitting on the ground she bit/napped his head.. I dont know if i should call them a bite or a nip.... it isnt done in a malicous way.... but it hurts the kids as it makes them cry and they are startiing to be scared of her, and they have never shown fear of an animal in thier lives!!!! I am concerned, and need some advice, as i may still be able to take her back to where i got her. (as bad as it sounds, my kids come first) Advice? We havent had one ounce of trouble like this with out boy so..... im just a little perplexed as to what to do. I have sternly said no, and so on but she really just looks at me. What i need to know is what does this behaviour mean from a 5.5 month old and is it hard to correct? tnx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bjelkier Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 It could mean that she has not had much training with this kind of thing before. It could be fixed easily with some simple training or maybe you will need a behaviourlist to help out. You have only had her for a day, there is no way to tell right now if she would be better for an older family. Give her some time to settle in. And if you are worried about your children keep them away from her until you know what is going on. What kind of situation did she come from? Did she live with children of a similar age? Has she had any obediance training? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winterpaws Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 Picked up a 5.5 month old lab today... (mind you i was told she was 16 weeks but her d.o.b was on her vacc card)I was told she was great with kids, and so on... BUT... she isnt THAT great, and i just need to know if the behaviour she is displaying is easily altered, OR if she may be better suited to an older family. She is nipping/biting.. she follows the kids biting/nipping at the backs of thier arms, and when my son was sitting on the ground she bit/napped his head.. I dont know if i should call them a bite or a nip.... it isnt done in a malicous way.... but it hurts the kids as it makes them cry and they are startiing to be scared of her, and they have never shown fear of an animal in thier lives!!!! I am concerned, and need some advice, as i may still be able to take her back to where i got her. (as bad as it sounds, my kids come first) Advice? We havent had one ounce of trouble like this with out boy so..... im just a little perplexed as to what to do. I have sternly said no, and so on but she really just looks at me. What i need to know is what does this behaviour mean from a 5.5 month old and is it hard to correct? tnx She's a puppy - it's what they do. You train them out of it with a firm gentle manner. Do you have any books on puppy care there? Have you got a local library close With the greatest respect - you seem to be going through dogs at a great rate of knots. Rather than dumping everything that doesn't fit some percieved ideal of the perfect puppy you might get out there and do some homework before leaping into adding another dog. Maybe the dog was good in the other home and the probem is your leadership... not the poor pup Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samodor Posted October 23, 2008 Author Share Posted October 23, 2008 With the greatest respect - you seem to be going through dogs at a great rate of knots. Rather than dumping everything that doesn't fit some percieved ideal of the perfect puppy you might get out there and do some homework before leaping into adding another dog. Maybe the dog was good in the other home and the probem is your leadership... not the poor pup Excuse me? there is not one ounce of respect in that statement at all and you need to get your fact straight!!!!! The fact i am asking for advice SHOWS i have the interest of all involved.... especially pups.... "Going through dogs at a great rate"??? may i ask what you base this on?? A rescue that DID not work out how i and my family hoped, and i did try all i could and looks like made the wrong decision by turning to DOL for help. Rusky is/was the first dog i have rescued, he had the issue's NOT me and at his age were well and truly ingrained.... as it was him who didnt want to be with our dog. I sat on the phone for 2 days solid, talking with 3 different samoyed breeder's including the president and then secretary of the samoyed club in vic, consulted 3 dog behavourist's and then as much as it broke my heart made the decison he wasnt suited to us. He is now still in my family but in a more appropriate house and it worked out BETTER than well. He lives with a small JRT and is happy as.. not one ounce of agression and that JRT is a male! THAT IS THE FIRST AND ONLY DOG I HAVE HAD TO RE-HOME AND IT BROKE MY HEART. how dare you try and paint me in a different light???? seriously!!!! I have done my homework, and in the process of doing my home work i came across this site and joined up thinking it would be great for people like us who are learning..... I was not to know she did this, and i am not saying she is a bad dog, i still adore her to bits... me saying she may be suited to a older household is me exploring ALL options in my head...thinking of all involved.... I have been reading since i first posted to see what i can read and how i can correct. Geeze, i really made a HUGE mis-judgmen thinking to post here as well to get some first hand re-life advice!!!!! You know what.... stuff this.. I posted here looking for advice... I needed to know that this is normal for a puppy and can be corrected... from experinced people not just books. And you bounce me????? I for sure DONT need this.... im looking for a positive community to be apart of! With all respect winterpaws, try getting ALL your facts straight before typing a post to someone who is a genuine dog/animal lover, who may need to learn alot about traiing dogs BUT does and did not need you to jump them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MsKatie Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 How old are your kids? They need training with this new dog too - they need to say "NO" and assert themselves. My 2 kids are 7 and 9 and never needed to do this with our other dogs as they are old and were trained before the kids came into the picture BUt they have now needed to learn with the puppy (kelpie 4.5 months now) that when she nips them they push her away and say NO and then ignore her. All 3 of them - kids and puppy - are learning together. Hope this helps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samodor Posted October 23, 2008 Author Share Posted October 23, 2008 Kelpiepupmum, THANKYOU... THAT IS helpful!!! My kids are 3.5yrs and 1.5yrs.... I will work on it with my 3.5 year old tomororw morning,and maybe for now keep our youngest just up from pups when pups is around. THANK YOU for this tip.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmolo Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 (edited) Impossible to say with certainty without seeing the puppy but sounds like 'normal' puppy mouthing. Although its normal, still needs to be nipped in the bud. Is the pup used to a lead? There are lots of different ways to correct the behaviour but you also need to set up positive, controlled interactions with the pup and the kids. ETA Your children are too young to effectively correct the pup- while they may be able to give a verbal 'no', you will need to follow through. Edited October 23, 2008 by Cosmolo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MsKatie Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 (edited) Maybe have your 3.5 year old feed the pup with you - you make the pup sit and wait before the child put the food down. ETA - there is post about a 7 month lab still biting - you might want to read through that one too Edited October 23, 2008 by Kelpiepupmum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samodor Posted October 23, 2008 Author Share Posted October 23, 2008 (edited) Kelpiepupmum- Ooooo now see, i didnt even think of that... ofcourse! THANK YOU. ETA: TA, will go look... Cosmolo- She is good on the lead... i may actually reply to your email and possibly book a time with you (lol yes i did get it, i have just been flat chat). Thank you for replying, and i will email you Edited October 23, 2008 by Samodor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huski Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 Don't forget labs are retrievers and they are typically a 'mouthy' breed. Puppies typically go through this stage. As you haven't had a pup before (or recently) its easy to forget that sometimes you need to teach them not to bite. It's perfectly normal. Everytime she nips she "ah" or a high pitched yip and then give her something she IS allowed to chew on like a toy or a bone etc. Alternatively if she is doing it for attention, turn your back on her and ignore her so she learns she does not get your attention in this manner. When you have a puppy its all about patience and time. Don't expect too much of them or you will be setting them up for failure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winterpaws Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 With the greatest respect - you seem to be going through dogs at a great rate of knots. Rather than dumping everything that doesn't fit some percieved ideal of the perfect puppy you might get out there and do some homework before leaping into adding another dog. Maybe the dog was good in the other home and the probem is your leadership... not the poor pup Excuse me? there is not one ounce of respect in that statement at all and you need to get your fact straight!!!!! The fact i am asking for advice SHOWS i have the interest of all involved.... especially pups.... "Going through dogs at a great rate"??? may i ask what you base this on?? A rescue that DID not work out how i and my family hoped, and i did try all i could and looks like made the wrong decision by turning to DOL for help. Rusky is/was the first dog i have rescued, he had the issue's NOT me and at his age were well and truly ingrained.... as it was him who didnt want to be with our dog. I sat on the phone for 2 days solid, talking with 3 different samoyed breeder's including the president and then secretary of the samoyed club in vic, consulted 3 dog behavourist's and then as much as it broke my heart made the decison he wasnt suited to us. He is now still in my family but in a more appropriate house and it worked out BETTER than well. He lives with a small JRT and is happy as.. not one ounce of agression and that JRT is a male! THAT IS THE FIRST AND ONLY DOG I HAVE HAD TO RE-HOME AND IT BROKE MY HEART. how dare you try and paint me in a different light???? seriously!!!! I have done my homework, and in the process of doing my home work i came across this site and joined up thinking it would be great for people like us who are learning..... I was not to know she did this, and i am not saying she is a bad dog, i still adore her to bits... me saying she may be suited to a older household is me exploring ALL options in my head...thinking of all involved.... I have been reading since i first posted to see what i can read and how i can correct. Geeze, i really made a HUGE mis-judgmen thinking to post here as well to get some first hand re-life advice!!!!! You know what.... stuff this.. I posted here looking for advice... I needed to know that this is normal for a puppy and can be corrected... from experinced people not just books. And you bounce me????? I for sure DONT need this.... im looking for a positive community to be apart of! With all respect winterpaws, try getting ALL your facts straight before typing a post to someone who is a genuine dog/animal lover, who may need to learn alot about traiing dogs BUT does and did not need you to jump them. How long did you have the samoyed before you flicked it? This pup is in your house less than 24 hours and you are already talking about takign it back - yep that smacks to me of a family wanting to make a commitment - but then again maybe I have hear it all before....... You do need to look at your leadership whether you like what I say or not or you will keep finding you have issues with any dogs you "rescue" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AshleyB Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 As huski has mentioned, puppies will be puppies and I think that this puppy just needs training. For the time being, maybe just have her around the kids when you are around to supervise, this way you can correct her behaviour and thus the kids may begin to follow what you do to stop her from jumping and niping at them. Loudly clapping your hands can also be a good way to stop her from her actions. When she nips at the kids, loudly clap your hands or like huski said loudly say "ah" or "no" or whatever word/noise you wish to use to stop her, and then encourage her to play with something she can chew like a toy. I wish you the best of luck, be patient she is just a puppy, and probably one that has been lacking in time and attention. She now has this time and attention and is not sure about the boundaries in her new home. Remember she is a dog, and they will try all the limits until they know where they stand and how far they can push it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megan_ Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 I think you need to try a different range of things (one at a time, of course), and see what it responds to: i) Try yelping (like a puppy that has been hurt). If his motivation is rough play, this should stop it. ii) Stand up, arms folded, turn away from him (you'll need to help the little ones do this). Once he's stopped, and calmed down for a bit, praise him and give him a chew toy. If his motivation is attention, this should stop it. iii) As a previous post mentioned, if he is only nipping the kids and not you, then it could be dominance over the kids. Feed the kids first, let them feed the dog etc. And be rest assured, it is all normal. My mini schnauzer cross once bit my so hard it went through my shoe... and he doesn't have an aggressive bone in his body. I'm no labrador expert, but my understanding is that they have "extended puppyhood" so this behavior could be around for quite some time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirty Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 You need to get the dog into training. Take it to obedience, learn how to be the leader, teach the dog what it is allowed to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 Samodor I think winterpaws was a tad miffed at the fact you posted that you had the option to give the dog back already - and it was only doing what every lab puppy does. Get firm, if it cant be around kids quietly put it on a leash. I would get a professional trainer in to help you NOW instead of searching for internet advice as they assess the dogs behavior and can answer any questions you have in a practical sense, then show you there how to fix it. I use the thumb under the tongue method for biters as it stops it instantly. You also sound like you need a lot more skills in your leadership methodology and general training knowledge. Remember too that 80% of puppies will not be like your samoyed. He sounds very soft and you will be surprised by other dogs behavior if you treat them like you treat him. He will behave, they will see it as a way to get one over you and do what they want. LJ doesnt obviously push any boundries, most others do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miranda Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 Did you do any research into the breed before you got this puppy? Labradors can be very boisterous, exuberant puppies and they can be mouthy and destructive, what your puppy is doing is normal, she is just doing what dogs do when they don't know any better. Puppies don't know how to behave around children, they have to be taught in just the same way as they have to be taught not to soil in the house, not to jump up, not to chew the furniture and so on and so on, puppies are a lot of work. Really you have only had this dog for 24 hours, yesterday she was wonderful and now you're thinking of returning her, I can't understand your attitude at all. There is a very good book called 'The Perfect Puppy' by Gwen Bailey, if you can get a copy I'm sure you'll find it useful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
black magic Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 Hi, I have a 7 mth old lab, she is my first dog, so I'm not experienced in giving you advice on what's the right thing to do. I can however share with you what we have done with Scout. We found that Yelping or saying NO in a high voice revved her up and made her worse. We found standing up and folding our arms or putting our arms over our faces worked better. Teaching your kids to stand up then fold their arms may be the way to go. The 3yo should pick that up easily. Also try to limit the kids wearing clothes with tassels or string hanging from them, as it is like dangling an irresistible invitation in front of a lab. We have found that because Scout loves being around people so much that removing our attention from her or giving her short time outs has worked the best when she displays behaviours we don't want to promote. We have re introduced the no word again now, she seems to get it alot better and it doesn't send her crazy. Also someone else told me to set them up to get a reward when they are gentle with her mouth e.g. we held a treat in the palm of our hands, and she would try and grab at it, we held it tight in our hand then the minute she licked our hand we said gentle and released the treat. They learn quickly when there is food involved. Scout also doesn't get a pat or touched by OH or myself until all four of her feet are on the floor! Lab puppies are full of life and energy hey! ours definitely keeps us on our toes! good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madeleine Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 Some people with a lab in our puppy class wore vix for a few days on their arms and legs - whatever the pup was biting at. I'm no behaviourist but it might help your kids until the order is definitely established. From what I know labs are great dogs with training, but can be a real handful without it! It might be a really good lesson for your kids how to show dominance over a dog and how to train etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna H Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 yelping didn't work for my GSP boy either, like black magic, it only made him more excited. What I've found to work is keeping a small water pistol around and squirt when he goes to chomp, it distracts him enough to listen to my sit/drop/shake command at which point I've been rewarding him. He's pretty good now and fast learning a few things... 1) I'm in charge 2) his obedience & 3) he gets more attention when he is being good. Is Vicks even safe for dogs??? I've not heard of that one, but I can see why it would work. Ewwwwwwwww to tasting Vicks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 (edited) A five month old pup mouthing.. this is behaviour that should have been extinguished before adult teeth started to come in. You've got a pup with far stronger jaws than a 8 week old and three months of practice to curb. There is no way two youngsters can deal with this... you will have to. You've acquired a young, untrained boistrous gun dog and you are going to have to set the boundaries of acceptable behaviour with this pup fast. They are bouncy, exuberant mouthy youngsters. Agree with interactions being on lead. Frankly I'd not have selected a pup this breed for the age of your kids but if you control the interactions and deal with the mouthing firmly, things should improve. However, if you are expecting this pup not to cannon off your kids at first as it bounds around I think you're going to be disappointed. But yes, book a trainer. And read that book Miranda recommended. However at no time should your children be left unsupervised with this pup. Spitz breed to gun dog is a big change.. do you have a clear idea of what it is you're looking for in a dog? Edited October 24, 2008 by poodlefan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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