Boogie
Moderator
- Location
- Manchester UK
Why do Labrador puppies bite so much?
Here on My Labrador Friends we call them ‘crocapups’ because they resemble crocodiles far more than sweet little puppies! The constant biting can still come as a real shock, especially as Labradors are known to be a gentle breed. The bites are properly painful!
Labrador puppies certainly seem to be one of the bitiest breeds, maybe because they were bred to retrieve and hold things in their mouths, which makes them very mouthy in the early days.
All pups explore and play with their mouths and Labs, being incredibly enthusiastic and exuberant, tend to do this with abandon - and puppy teeth are SHARP!
So, what’s the cure?
There isn’t one! The best way to deal with a crocapup is to manage the biting until the big teeth come in. But there are plenty of ways to manage the biting and many ways to help the your pup to leave your skin intact. Here are some ideas which have worked time and time again for me and my Labrador friends.
But first of all, remember, it’s normal!
Your puppy is playing and exploring with her mouth, she has no idea that it hurts you. Some say ‘yelp like a puppy’ to show them it hurts. This doesn’t work, and it can excite the pup even more, the pup thinking you are enjoying the game! Biting, barking growling and snarling are all part of puppy play so please don’t think your pup is aggressive in any way - s/he really is just playing.
How to manage your biting puppy.
1. Wear skinny jeans and tight sleeves. With one of my pups I even wore wellies in the house!
2. Have a puppy toy or chew in every pocket to put in their mouths as you walk in the room. I find it also helps to pick the pup up. (Just mind your ears
) You need to keep hold of the toy as the pup really wants to play with you - not the toy. You need to be more determined than the pup (and that is VERY determined!) that they will bite the toy and not you. They will continue to want to bite you, every time.
3. Try not to let the pup get overtired or over excited - the truly manic biting happens then. Give them ‘time out’ when they do get over tired/excited. Be sure to make time out a happy time, with a filled Kong or similar to keep them occupied. You want the crate or pen to be a happy place. Things which get them over excited are rubbing their tummies, chasing them, grabbing them and rough physical play. Try to avoid all of these.
4. Try not to reward pups for biting - if you shout/squeal/dance around in pain/react in any way it will reward and encourage the pup that biting is good.
5. For normal puppy biting you can set up training opportunities rather than simply reacting to it when it happens. Training sessions allow repetition and so aid learning.
6. One method is to sit on the floor playing with him/her and the instant s/he bites too hard, stand up, cross your arms and withdraw attention. No words, no eye contact, just silence. Just for a few seconds and then give him/her another chance to play nicely, with lots of vocal praise while she was doing so. If you try this and you're not flexible, you may find it easier to sit on a low stool while you play - the key is standing up immediately the puppy bites too hard. If it takes you a few seconds to get up, they'll lose that connection between behaviour and consequence.
7. Some pups just go for the ankles with the above method - so you may need to be outside a crate/puppy pen with the pup inside to play with them as in (6) above.
Lastly
Remember all pups grow out of this stage, and we are all here to help you if something isn’t working - all pups are different. No question is ever too simple or silly, every one of us has ‘been there’, and some are there right now!
Here on My Labrador Friends we call them ‘crocapups’ because they resemble crocodiles far more than sweet little puppies! The constant biting can still come as a real shock, especially as Labradors are known to be a gentle breed. The bites are properly painful!
Labrador puppies certainly seem to be one of the bitiest breeds, maybe because they were bred to retrieve and hold things in their mouths, which makes them very mouthy in the early days.
All pups explore and play with their mouths and Labs, being incredibly enthusiastic and exuberant, tend to do this with abandon - and puppy teeth are SHARP!
So, what’s the cure?
There isn’t one! The best way to deal with a crocapup is to manage the biting until the big teeth come in. But there are plenty of ways to manage the biting and many ways to help the your pup to leave your skin intact. Here are some ideas which have worked time and time again for me and my Labrador friends.
But first of all, remember, it’s normal!
Your puppy is playing and exploring with her mouth, she has no idea that it hurts you. Some say ‘yelp like a puppy’ to show them it hurts. This doesn’t work, and it can excite the pup even more, the pup thinking you are enjoying the game! Biting, barking growling and snarling are all part of puppy play so please don’t think your pup is aggressive in any way - s/he really is just playing.
How to manage your biting puppy.
1. Wear skinny jeans and tight sleeves. With one of my pups I even wore wellies in the house!
2. Have a puppy toy or chew in every pocket to put in their mouths as you walk in the room. I find it also helps to pick the pup up. (Just mind your ears
) You need to keep hold of the toy as the pup really wants to play with you - not the toy. You need to be more determined than the pup (and that is VERY determined!) that they will bite the toy and not you. They will continue to want to bite you, every time.3. Try not to let the pup get overtired or over excited - the truly manic biting happens then. Give them ‘time out’ when they do get over tired/excited. Be sure to make time out a happy time, with a filled Kong or similar to keep them occupied. You want the crate or pen to be a happy place. Things which get them over excited are rubbing their tummies, chasing them, grabbing them and rough physical play. Try to avoid all of these.
4. Try not to reward pups for biting - if you shout/squeal/dance around in pain/react in any way it will reward and encourage the pup that biting is good.
5. For normal puppy biting you can set up training opportunities rather than simply reacting to it when it happens. Training sessions allow repetition and so aid learning.
6. One method is to sit on the floor playing with him/her and the instant s/he bites too hard, stand up, cross your arms and withdraw attention. No words, no eye contact, just silence. Just for a few seconds and then give him/her another chance to play nicely, with lots of vocal praise while she was doing so. If you try this and you're not flexible, you may find it easier to sit on a low stool while you play - the key is standing up immediately the puppy bites too hard. If it takes you a few seconds to get up, they'll lose that connection between behaviour and consequence.
7. Some pups just go for the ankles with the above method - so you may need to be outside a crate/puppy pen with the pup inside to play with them as in (6) above.
Lastly
Remember all pups grow out of this stage, and we are all here to help you if something isn’t working - all pups are different. No question is ever too simple or silly, every one of us has ‘been there’, and some are there right now!
Thank you so much 
oh no now I remember.
Bramble was as good as gold and still is. Otter, well I would love to cuddle her, but you really are taking your life in your hands, it doesn't help that she is super fast at everything, including her launching tactics! 
