I know that pups nip my lab X is 1 and we rescued him a few weeks ago... all is going great and he is very happy but in his play he nips and as he is quite big it can hurt.. We have tried the yelping the stop playing and leave him to calm down….. and he does stop for a short period but then another time he does it again.... I’m worried that one day he might hurts a friend or even worse a friends kid who is just stroking him... any good ideas ...
Thanks
2007-05-25 01:12:50 · 12 answers · asked by Tony J 1 in Pets ➔ Dogs
first of all, thank you for rescueing your lab!! How wonderful.
Now for the nipping, its harder because he is a year old and a bit set in his ways as he has never been told that this was a bad behavior, when dogs play with each other....they bite. And they need to be taught "human games" from a young age.
In labbie years though...he's still quite a pup! They don't tend to "mature" until 2 or 3, gotta love labs ;-)
I have a 14wk chocolate right now, and we are working with her nipping habits. When she nips during play we grab her lower jaw, squeeze a bit and say "NO!", then release, if she does it again...same process. It is frustrating but you need to be consistent, it will take some time. More time since he is a bit older.
Another tactic is when the dog bites, form your hand into a fist and push it in the back of his mouth, not enough to hurt him, but enough to make it uncomfy.
He will learn that when he bites, it is an uncomfortable experience and he will learn to be more careful with his teeth. Labs are very smart dogs, and they wish to please you, you just need to remain assertive and consistent with them!
Good luck!
2007-05-25 01:23:18 · answer #1 · answered by Katie 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
When is he nippping you?. If it us during play, are you playing tug etc - stay away from this as the dog can get frustrated and nip. Make sure he has lots of toys to play with -labs love to chew so plastic bones, balls etc etc. Don't tease the dog too much (usually done by the men of the house!!) as he might nip out of pure frustration. Try ignoring him so, when he nips, say NO loud and firm and simply ignore him or, put him in the kitchen for a couple of minutes, bring him back in the room, if he does it again, back in the kitchen - he will eventually work out that when he nips he gets thrown out - when he is good he doesn't!! You have to keep reinforcing this constantly as he is still very young. What about getting him castrated if he is not already? - this could calm him down. Try and keep the dog in a relaxed and calm state - my other half winds our dog up into a frenzy sometimes and then wonders why he doesn't behave - ahhhhhhhh!
Do you know what the dog's history is - that could shed some light on matters.
I really do understand your problem - I have a three year old working cocker spaniel and he still nips occassionally - it is such a worry as some people could take this as a bite. Good luck - remember he is still so young and you have only had him for a short time so he is adjusting - it can take a while.
2007-05-25 01:26:14 · answer #2 · answered by Bexs 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Labs are extremely playful and extremely full of energy! I have a 2 year old chocolate. He is a gentle giant! When you get him playing the first thing he does is mouth at your hands and sometimes it results in a nip that hurts. If you think about it that is how dogs play with one another. So that is their natural play reaction. Since he was just a pup we have gotten after him, but labs have a really hard job controlling themselves. Just keep at him "no bites", he is young so it will be a long time before he comes out of this. I am expecting another year maybe more from mine. Labs definitely teach an owner patience. They are absolutely loving and caring though, and I know that I never have to worry about ours hurting my 2 girls. The worst he ever does is gets to rough playing and will run into them.
2007-05-25 01:31:25 · answer #3 · answered by Megs 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
When a dog nips they are playing. I found that if you get the dogs attention by grabbing their muzzle & say nice & let the dog know that they are playing too rough eventually you may curb it. I agree you as an owner know that the dog is playing but someone that may not be a dog lover may become scarred & the dog will sense that. I approach our dog at eye level & grab the muzzle talk stern & say nice eventually if the dog has a good temperment he will learn to play nice. If he has an alpha temperment you may not want to allow it at all. Also it takes time if the dog has been rescued to know what is right & wrong your best bet is to try to provide as much structure as possible, the dog is trying to please you & the nipping is part of him/her saying thanks for bringing me into your home. Remember you are the boss not the dog!
2007-05-25 01:28:00 · answer #4 · answered by Patty 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Even though he will stop for a short period of time, he still has the occasion to do it which means he has not fully learned that it is not ok to nip while playing. Consistency is key when training. You will need to continue to work with him to teach him that it is not acceptable. You can also take him to training and work with a trainer to help curb the urge to nip.
2007-05-25 01:22:28 · answer #5 · answered by bluemysti 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You are doing a good thing but remember they don't have a very big attention span so do what you're dong but not just once. If you have a child you will know they just keep tring you.
Also when he does nip give him something he is alowed to nip and chew on
2007-05-25 01:19:30 · answer #6 · answered by Kit_kat 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Labs are boisterous and 'mouthy', you really need to see a trainer but in the meantime try giving him something to hold. If his mouths busy he can't nip. Also, try using something like citrus oil on your sleeves, they don't like the smell or taste. I won't say put lemon or orange oil on your skin because it can cause a rash with some people, so look for a soap and hand cream or something that he doesn't like the taste of.
2007-05-25 01:18:45 · answer #7 · answered by sarah c 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
We have a 5 year old black lab and when he gets very very excitited he might catch you by nipping but nothing to cause any concern as it is very gentle and harmless - think its just an excitment thing.
2007-05-25 01:30:16 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You dont say how old your dog is, but if he's still a pup you will have to teach him 'NO!' Each time he hurts you say 'no' firmly then ignore him for a couple of minutes, he'll soon get the message if you're consistent with him!
2007-05-25 01:18:42 · answer #9 · answered by julia 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
He clearly is too excited so I would suggest carrying on yelping & walking away when he does it. He will catch on eventually, not essentially straight away. The key is consistancy. You may also need to introduce things he CAN bite & chew & praise him when he plays with those items.
2007-05-25 01:19:28 · answer #10 · answered by loveisokay 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋