Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2009 11:15 pm Post subject: Re: Labrador puppies DO bite a lot and hard too.
Leralc wrote:
what frustrates me is that I DID research dog breeds etc. before we got a lab and everything said that labs were great for families and young children and that they were also a low risk for other pets such as cats!! oh how i wish I had read this first! With hindsight, we should never have been advised to get a puppy!
Plenty would share/understand this view. Many of us who got our labs as puppies have also been there and got the T shirt. However, I can vouch for the fact that it DOES get better, even though it is frustrating at the time.
Labradors need as much socialisation and training as any other breed around children and other pets such as cats. It is a time thing, but mostly it WILL improve, and they WILL all learn to rub along well together. Honestly.
They still are great family dogs once matured, but can often be wild and destructive as pups.
I would not advocate allowing mouthing or play biting games at all, as I can't help thinking that this confuses the dog and can certainly get out of hand.
I used to stop all fun and put Charlie into his crate for some time out if he started biting. It took time, and he is a stubborn dog, but he got the message eventually.
Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 6:43 am Post subject: Re: Labrador puppies DO bite a lot and hard too.
Leralc wrote:
what frustrates me is that I DID research dog breeds etc. before we got a lab and everything said that labs were great for families and young children and that they were also a low risk for other pets such as cats!!
Can I just ask.....Where did you find this information? I do have great issues with "internet" breed finders, as most of these seem to paint Labradors as some sort of Angels without Wings. I would be most concerned if you found this information from Breed Clubs or reputable breeders though.
The biggest problem with Labradors is the HUGE array of temperaments. Yes you do get easy going, laid back, biddable dogs but on the other hand you get hard-wired, hard headed, excitable, nervous, stubborn, obsessive, full on, frantic, willful dogs......and with almost 50,000 registered with the Kennel Club alone (and probably that again unregistered), there is every different combination inbetween. This is why we here advocate researching breeders, talking to them, seeing their dogs, understanding what type is best for you and your family before considering buying a pup.
Charlie is not a particularly "easy" dog. Loving and loyal yes, but also headstrong, a bit pushy and sometimes defensive. That doesn't really fit the commonly held romantic notion about labradors. He was my first dog too, so that didn't help as I probably made all the mistakes in the book.
It means I can always empathise with others who also have a "difficult" one.
Oh im so glad i read this post I am typing at the mo with what i was sure was my hands but at present resemble corned beef Hewston is 10 wks on friday and is every bit the lil crocodile. Love him to bits tho and i must admit he is really good with my 10 month old son its my 4 yr old daughter and myself that are the chew toys. Great forum guys and such a wealth of knowledge i too seached the net for lab info and im pleased to say that the lab forum popped up in my search results so ive been well informed in all aspects. Thank u
GREAT POST. I have 3 children under 6 but we had our Taz when he was a pup (sadly died in accident) he was a fantastic dog with the kids, right from day 1, he would mouth and occasionally hurt but never anything more. On the other hand he was an absolute blighter for recall and out and about never got beyond thinking he was an adorable puppy who could bounce all over everybody elses dogs however small. Those with toy breeds were legitimately quite irritated.
Anyway didn't think twice about another lab with the children and little Lola has been here for 2 days and is gorgeous but her 'biting is quite different in that she will do the 'pouncing bite'. I was completely taken aback and thought for a minute I'd 'got a wrongun'. So glad that its normal. My children, despite my 5 year olds initial screeching are now back in the swing of having a pup and are quite confident at just walking away and ignoring after a sharp NO.
Thank you so much for this information. I recently posted a message asking for help about bite inhibition, sice my pup only thinks about chewing things when he's awake.
There seems to be lots of information around, but the techniques are different. I say No, but I offer a toy to chew instead. Is this ok? or should I just ignore him completely? I put him on a time out when the he bites really strong.
The most difficult part is to open his mouth when he gets my trousers or sleepers, since he doesn't seem to care if I say NO, and continues chewing them and pulling like crazy and the only way to stop it is to open his mouth with my hands.
At least is good to know that it will get better!!
I say No, but I offer a toy to chew instead. Is this ok?
This is what I've done with all my recent crocodile pups, except I tend to say "AH AH" rather than "NO" and this seems to work pretty well over time.
I had terrible problems with my first pup (Collie x Terrier) teaching her bite inhibition but I was trying to stop her from mouthing at all right from the start and some how ended up with a dog who play bit really hard until she was over 2 years old. So I'm much more mindful now of teaching them how to control their jaws rather than trying to teach them not to use them at all. In fact I still initiate "mouthy" games right into adult hood, just so they never forget that humans have stupidly delicate skin .
As for the hanging onto the trousers thing, if they are particularly persistant, I never ever pull back (because this turns it into a game), instead I use a tecnique my old Lurcher taught me. As the pup gets a grip, I stand very still over the pup and stare hard at it (like Paddington Bear ), then if it still persists, I show my teeth and do a sharp, loud Snap/Growl at it, right in it's face if necessary. This seems to make even the boldest pup let go and think twice about doing it again. Of course as soon as the pup releases it's grip, I instantly return to being "Nice" mummy and tell it what a wonderful puppy it is.
Like everything though, the pup has test things over and over before it totally sinks in. Rome wasn't built in a day an' all that.
What an excellent post, Jules....so glad you've raised this.
As a breeder, I feel it's vital to try to get across to puppy purchasers (especially those who've not had a lab pup previously) that their puppy could do this, and how to manage it in an appropriate way. It 's especially difficult as this behaviour is often directed at the youngest members of the family.
A family who had a pup from me a couple of years ago thanked me for warning them that their sweet 8 week old pup could go through a phase of being a piranha fish.....he did...and they survived, and now have a much loved 2 year old lab.
Posted: Sun May 30, 2010 12:06 pm Post subject: Thank you!!
You have no idea how glad i am to read your post jules!! i am a first time dog owner, an i am having a lot of trouble with the bitey puppy! she just plays with her mouth alot!
i have herd that labradors are bitey but i though that my puppy (eva) was taking it a bit to the extreme, but by what i have read i am glad that eva is just like any 'normal' labrador!!!
thank you for your great post, it has certainly helped with my little monster.
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