# Puppy behaviors - biting and jumping



## JamesO (Apr 22, 2011)

Hi all

I just started another thread on potty training, but just to mention it again, we have a 12 week old lab pup. He's awesome, but he's made our arms and knees his chew toys. He also jumps up a lot and really gets us with his dew claws. 

We have a lot of chew toys for him and try to distract him with them when he starts biting. We're also sure to say "No!" We were yipping for a week, but that seems to have lost its effect. 

I'm just afraid that these will become permanent behaviors. Do you have any other ideas?

Thankfully he isn't chewing furniture anymore!


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

When you yipped at him for biting, did you also get up...walk away abruptly to end the play session? If not, you should go back to the yipping loudly AND removing yourself completely from the game for at least 20 minutes.


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## JamesO (Apr 22, 2011)

We would turn and ignore for a minute or so. We thought that since their association with behavior was so short, that anything longer wouldn't serve a purpose. But it sounds like we should ignore for longer periods of time?


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

Listen to what Danemama tells you, she's a really good trainer.
I just wanted to add, don't stress out too much about it. It does get better as they get older. Promise.
When I took my moron to puppy class, every single owner there had scabby arms. Everyone looked at each other and said 'Oh thank God, I'm not the only one".


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## Savage Destiny (Mar 16, 2011)

JamesO said:


> We would turn and ignore for a minute or so. We thought that since their association with behavior was so short, that anything longer wouldn't serve a purpose. But it sounds like we should ignore for longer periods of time?


The reason DaneMama mentions leaving for longer is that it helps them understand if they bite, playtime is OVER. Turning around for a minute and continuing the game just lets them know, hey, they'll only stop for a minute if I bite!


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## Northwoods10 (Nov 22, 2010)

1st- its a LAB puppy 
2nd- its a puppy! 

LOL 

They need to be taught what is acceptable behavior. Instead of NO, use AH AH. No is too common of a word in everyday language to use for training a puppy. When he nips/jumps, etc. say AH AH and stop the play session but turning or walking away. Do not encourage the behavior by continuing the play session. 

Exercise.......the more exercise the better. 

A common mistake with puppies is that everyone "asks' them to jump up to see them b/c they are too little to bend over to pet. From now on, bend over or kneel over to pet your pup. encourage this with guests too. 

Also replace inappropriate chew items (shoes, pillows, etc) with proper chew items like nylabones or a frozen carrot. They are teething and have the constant need to chew on something.....make sure they understand what is a good thing to chew on! :wink:


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## SerenityFL (Sep 28, 2010)

My hoodlums like to jump up on me and bite my pants the second I walk in the door. Turning around doesn't do squat. All they do is jump on me and bite my pants from the back end. Joy!

So I do what Danemama said and I walk away, ignoring them. I stay away until the calm down, already! Then? I go to them, give them love and we go for walkies. 

I know they are excited to see me and that part feels good...but they must learn that no matter how excited they are, jumping up and nipping at me isn't the way to show me. I just want them to maybe wag their butts wildly, from side to side, instead.


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## SerenityFL (Sep 28, 2010)

Northwoods10 said:


> Also replace inappropriate chew items (shoes, pillows, etc) with proper chew items like nylabones *or a frozen carrot*.


Why didn't I think of that?!? I'm so going to do that! I hope they like carrots or I'm gonna be Bugs Bunny for awhile.


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## JamesO (Apr 22, 2011)

Wonderful advice, everyone. Thank you. We'll be putting it to work.


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## Tobi (Mar 18, 2011)

We've been battling with this, the Yipping very loud didn't do anything as Tobi thinks you're a big squeaky then... walking away for long periods hasn't worked as well but were starting to see progress... the biggest setback though is if you have kids and they don't do it when it happens it just reinforces the behavior so make sure that everybody is on the same page with training so that it sticks quickly... good luck


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## RawFedDogs (Jun 16, 2008)

JamesO said:


> just to mention it again, we have a 12 week old lab pup. He's awesome, but he's made our arms and knees his chew toys. He also jumps up a lot and really gets us with his dew claws.
> 
> We have a lot of chew toys for him and try to distract him with them when he starts biting. We're also sure to say "No!" We were yipping for a week, but that seems to have lost its effect.


If I had a 12 week old lab puppy and he didn't act like that I would take him to the vet cause I'm sure he has a health problem.


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## Maxy24 (Mar 5, 2011)

Along with getting up and removing yourself when he nips, make sure to give him an idea of what he should be doing. Don't play with him again until there is a toy in his mouth. Kick a toy towards him or something so he'll pick it up, then you can play. That's what we did with Tucker. Now when he's excited he'll usually run up to you like he's going to leap all over you (he liked to jump up and grab your hands or sleeves), but he'll stop short, turn around, grab a toy and run back for tug and petting. 

You can tell that sometimes he has trouble controlling his jaws. If we are rough housing he'll occasionally use those teeth of his, but as soon as you pull your hands away he runs and grabs a toy so he doesn't make the mistake again. It's getting to the point now where he'll go and get the toy before his self control fails. If there is a toy in his mouth he can play without worrying about nipping and ending our play time.

Our dog is VERY oral, he had the worst nipping I'd seen of any puppy, and that says a lot considering I volunteered at a dog rescue for 4 years. He literally made someone bleed on a daily basis. You could not pet him without getting chomped. He made a lot of progress around the 4 month mark. He will always like to have something in his mouth, chewing is his favorite thing. It's just a matter of making sure he understands what is good to chew and what is not.


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## JamesO (Apr 22, 2011)

I think the frozen carrots are definitely interesting. I gave him some sweet potato last night as I was prepping dinner and he loved it. 

Haha, we have a stash of chew toys in different rooms and in the back yard. Finding the Kong Stick was a definite breakthrough. He loves it. He has a duck and raccoon that he really likes as well. We're pretty diligent to redirect him with them when he starts biting. Kong with peanut butter goes with him to his crate.


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## JamesO (Apr 22, 2011)

Hi everyone

Well . . .  It's been a bit more than a week. The ignoring worked really well for a few days, but now he's just upping his perseverance and REALLY taking the fight to our knees as we walk away. We lost two pairs of jeans within 12 hours  But the bites really hurt, especially the ones behind the knees (about 90% of them). Any ideas on combating this? 

My wife and I both do a lot of behavior modification in our occupations (school psychologist, special ed. teacher), and classically the thing to do is just continue walking away. But it's really hard with a 30 lb. pup hanging from your hamstring (or tricep, as was the case a second ago as I was writing this).


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## RawFedDogs (Jun 16, 2008)

JamesO said:


> Hi everyone
> 
> Well . . .  It's been a bit more than a week. The ignoring worked really well for a few days, but now he's just upping his perseverance and REALLY taking the fight to our knees as we walk away. We lost two pairs of jeans within 12 hours  But the bites really hurt, especially the ones behind the knees (about 90% of them). Any ideas on combating this?


This is what is called an extinction burst. It means the dog tries harder because what he did before is no longer working. The extinction burst is telling that what you are doing is working. It means you are winning. Continue doing what you were doing for a little while longer. Don't change. That gives him encouragement he is winning. As an alternative, you might try a 2 minute timeout in his crate or otherwise isolated from humans in the house.


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## SerenityFL (Sep 28, 2010)

RawFedDogs said:


> This is what is called an extinction burst. It means the dog tries harder because what he did before is no longer working. The extinction burst is telling that what you are doing is working. It means you are winning. Continue doing what you were doing for a little while longer. Don't change. That gives him encouragement he is winning. As an alternative, you might try a 2 minute timeout in his crate or otherwise isolated from humans in the house.


Now there is something I have never heard from any trainer anywhere. SO good to know. And makes so much sense. And that's usually the point where I throw my hands in the air because I think it's NOT working. 

Ha, just you wait, hoodlums...now I have the knowledge.


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## Tobi (Mar 18, 2011)

SerenityFL said:


> Now there is something I have never heard from any trainer anywhere. SO good to know. And makes so much sense. And that's usually the point where I throw my hands in the air because I think it's NOT working.
> 
> Ha, just you wait, hoodlums...now I have the knowledge.


This was new to me as well... I'm glad i'm not the only one, we've spoken to trainer after trainer and they don't seem to have the answer to why he would do this when it seemed we were making progress... and now i understand and we'll just make sure we're ready for a little pain when we enter from not being around him for an hour or two.

Thank you so much for that post Bill!! :biggrin:


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

That is too funny! My husband went through several pair of pants when Cayenne was a puppy, funny she even attacked the kitchen towels. I don't remember having had a pair that she got of mine. I miss those sharp puppy teeth days! Lol


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

whiteleo said:


> I miss those sharp puppy teeth days! Lol


I do too!!!! Enjoy your pup whilst he's still a pup, they grow up way too soon.....


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

only thing to add is to go easy on carrots or sugary fruits or veggies.....sugar and teeth don't get along...even every once in a while..

antlers, bully sticks.....


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## JamesO (Apr 22, 2011)

MollyWoppy said:


> I do too!!!! Enjoy your pup whilst he's still a pup, they grow up way too soon.....


Haha, we joke about not wanting him to grow up. He's our world. So incredibly sweet, and, for a lab, pretty relaxed! We just don't want these behaviors to become habits.


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

He is so cute, just total puppy. I've had a bit to do with puppies lately, so I can absolutely guarantee its just the puppy in him, just a stage they all seem to go through. My friend was exactly like you with her pug puppy, chewing on your arms and legs and clothes, anything she could. Lasted until she was about 5 or 6 months, gradually tapering off. So, don't worry, he'll turn out fine, it won't be a lifelong habit especially since you are telling him you don't like it.
When my cattle dog x was a pup, she was always nipping my calves or my heels. That is something that needed to be checked as it is ingrained herding part of her breed. Worked on it for months (it seemed like) and now she just donks the back of my calves with her nose now and then. And, my husband, having never had a dog before, swore to me that she was viscous, biting all the time. It took a long time to convince him that it was a stage and would, one day, stop. But it did.


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## nortknee (May 5, 2011)

I LOVE the head-twist at the end...bahahaha!

Very sweet.  I can hardly wait to get one of my own.


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## JamesO (Apr 22, 2011)

nortknee said:


> I LOVE the head-twist at the end...bahahaha!
> 
> Very sweet.  I can hardly wait to get one of my own.


Yeah, that's his show stopper


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## chowder (Sep 7, 2008)

Absolutely adorable!! We had a lab puppy once. She was sweet, adorable, loving, and the last lab we will ever own! We had her for ten years. We found out that lab puppies are the exact opposite of Chow puppies. One big ball of energy and trouble wrapped up in cute just waiting for unsuspecting owners!


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## SerenityFL (Sep 28, 2010)

chowder said:


> Absolutely adorable!! We had a lab puppy once. She was sweet, adorable, loving, and the last lab we will ever own! We had her for ten years. We found out that lab puppies are the exact opposite of Chow puppies. One big ball of energy and trouble wrapped up in cute just waiting for unsuspecting owners!


Tell me about it. You see those two over there....

<------------------------------

They are NOT innocent. Do not believe that photo for a second!


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