How do I get my 11 week old Golden Lab puppy to stop biting us? If we swat her on the butt or nose she just...

Question

keeps biting us and gets more mad. when we walk she knips and attacks our feet and legs. how can i get her to stop, without physically hurting her?

Answer 1

This may sound bad but you need to hit her on the noise. She is trying to show you that she is more dominate than you. You need to show her who's boss. If you don't, you won't be able to train her.

You could also try spraying her with water or pushing her down on the ground while saying "no" firmly. Or clapping your hands. They don't like that noise.

Answer 2

She's not getting mad. When you slap a puppy on the face she's going to bite harder because she thinks you're playing. If you slap harder she's just going to become afraid.

You need to hurry up and do this, because you've got about 4 or 5 weeks before there is no turning back with the nipping thing.

First, make sure she has plenty of chew toys, and try substituting a chew toy for your hand. Then, what you need to do is play with her. When she bites too hard, scream "OW!" Then calmly say "No bite," and walk out of the room. Leave her alone. Stay away for 10 seconds or 10 minutes, depending on how hard she bit you. Very soon she will learn that when teeth hit flesh, the game ends. It's going to take a couple of weeks, atleast. But remember, a dog is not capable of learning bite inhibition until 10 weeks, and after 16 weeks, it's too late.(They can still learn but it usually takes a professional.) Good luck! (And stop hitting her.)

Answer 3

i currently own a 16 week old yellow lab. He was notorious for biting. I tried various techniques. One was yelling ow loudly and then shunning the pup. it works for some puppies but it didn't mine. I also tried holding the muzzle shut. That didn't work either. After much research and talking to various dog trainers i was told to growl at the puppy much like the mother dog would do if the pup was biting too hard. You can also hold the pup by the scruff and shake a bit like the mother dog would do but I didn't need to do that. the growling seemed to do the trick. I told the puppy * no bite* and put my closed hand in his face ( this was after growling) he then licked. If he can stop biting any pup can! he was a lunatic!!!

Answer 4

You seem to have a consensus for behavior modification. Of course puppies love to bite and chew its their way of exploring the word around them. Making sure the dog has a healthy outlet for this activity is important as well, chew toys are good, although a real bone or rawhide chew toys are the best. Finding an activity for the dog such as retrieving a ball. Remember your Lab is just a puppy and will grow out of this behavior as it matures, so simply scolding the dog with a firm tone should reassure it not to continue this nipping behavior.

Answer 5

my puppy just got out of this stage and it is ver annoying ...but you have to be patient...make sure you are saying NO with a firm voice that will scare them. I also would take his mouth and squeeze in from the sides so when he bites down he will bite his own cheeks, then he will feel how much hurts, it actually is a good technique and we still do it everynow and then. You also can smack him on the butt gently it is ok and you are not hurting him, just dont do it to much because you dont want your dog to be scared of you, and i would not recomend smacking in the mouth because then the dog could become freightened or mad everytime you raise your hand at him.
Good Luck enjoy having a puppy it doesnt last long

Answer 6

Okay, first of all, this is normal. If she is biting in a play attitude then, when she begins nipping, stop her with a firm "NO!" when she stops (because the pup is surprised) tell her what a good puppy she is. THen redirect her playfull biting and niping on to an acceptable toy. (one that looks like a dog toy, not a human toy or clothing item!) Remember that these dog respond best to positive reenforcment. Negative renforcement can cause them to fear you and cause emotional and mental damage. These dogs just want to please you. Also, you may want to contact your vet for more suggestions, or go to puppy kindergarten classes, (petsmart has them) they work wonders. They not only teach the pup, they teach you how to train, and disipline a pup. If she is not biting and nipping in play but in some other manner you definatly need to see a professional! Good Luck! Oh, and one other thing if you haven't already, get her microchiped, it is just like a shot, is easy and inexpensive. And on top of it all, it almost guarantees that if your dog runs away ( they all try to at some point, regardless of what you may think) your dog will get to come home again. And if he or she is hurt of killed the shelter can call you and tell you about it. Then your dog may be saved. THe sad truth is injured dogs and cats that have no owners that can be contacted are often times put to sleep.
Please, get your dog or pup spayed/neutered and microchiped. Heck, I even considered microchiping my kids. ;)
-Mia
Veterinary Assistant

Answer 7

NEVER HIT A DOG! that is really bad. the more you pay attention to your dog while she bites the more she'll do it. Dogs are social animals.. in other words negative attention from you is better than no attention at all. Ignore her everytime she bites, walk away and do not make eye contact. Praise her when she is not biting, give her treats. redirect her biting to other toys like when she bites you, ignore her when she is settled give her a chew toy. Positive reinforcement is better than punishment. There are a lot of dog problem solving websites out there so read on them. good luck. and i dont want you to even think about swatting your dog!

Answer 8

I had a Lab they seem to tear up each little thing and that they'll...we've long previous threw many hoses, toys, wires,etc. we've stumbled on that for stuff which you spot them biting get a sprig at a puppy shop and spray it on the section they bite. whilst they bypass returned to it and bite it a bitter style is going into their mouth and that they right away stop. on your arm each and every time they bite you get there nostril and faucet it no longer so stressful yet no longer so delicate then in an quite stern voice say "NO" It takes a on the same time as even though it is going to help lots ! desire this became into effective

Answer 9

Well, you see dogs precept things differently then a human being does, if we punish a human being its preferably a swat. your puppy is most likely playing, and a swat or a firm tap on the nose, will be interpreted as playing. What a parent, or older sibling would do to suggest dominance, would form there hand in a claw like motion *ex: looking as though you are about to grab something sphere-like* and tap it amongst there ear firmly, and say no, not to were its hurting, but as a warning to say no, its a normal attitude, and it should stop in a matter of days *if realy young a constant reminder for they are puppy's* other wise there going to think your playing with them if you swat them on the nose or bottom

Answer 10

i invented my own method. so far, it has worked on my golden retriever and a pit bull/lab we used to have. basically, all i do is offer my hand to be bitten, and then if she tries, i clap my other hand over the first hand (doesn't have to be a hard clap, just enough to make a snapping sound.) as a free twofer, i also say "no" or "no biting" at the same time. this quickly (within a few days) conditions the dog to both stop biting and to calm down on command. now, i just need to clap my hands and the dog will immediately become submissive.

caesar millan's show (the dog whisperer) is great but so far i haven't seen a show of his where he addressed play biting.

[edit] oh wait, maybe ceasar's advice would help in this situation. what he would say is that the puppy doesn't respect you as pack leaders, and you need to assert yourself. to do this, simply wait for the dog to become submissive before giving affection. in most cases (on the show) the owners will punish the dog and then give affection immediately, thus reinforcing the negative behavior.

Answer 11

What you need to do is give her something that she can chew on.
Tell her no in a firm voice and give her a kong or other hard rubber chew toy.
Also, see if your community has a Kennel Club and contact them about obedience training. She is at the right age to start. Right now, she doesn't know right from wrong and you could mistakenly set up other bad habits if you don't handle these situations correctly from the beginning.
Good luck a devoted pet owner