Looking for some more tips/help re: mouthing/biting/nipping 8 month old male lab.  Still leaving him to it not letting him have attention for this.  It's just he'll be having a game and he'll be excited I suppose and grab at my hand.  Sometimes at training lately he's been jumping up trying to grab my hand as he knows theres a treat inside, etc.  Anyone else having this problem and what are you trying, etc, I know my last lab was mouthy but at least she was quite gentle.  What do I try next???? tried all the normal thing, loud ouch!, etc, shutting him out and stuff. 

Thanks in advance.  Sorry in advance writing on his board is similar to how I manage with answerphones (I'm useless).

How long have you been ignoring the behaviour?  It seems you've been trying a lot of different methods, and perhaps not giving any one the time it needs to work?  It only takes one 'slip' and doggie thinks 'yeh!  see, I knew it would work eventually!' and the whole training programme takes several big steps backwards :(((

As for biting at your hand because he knows the treats are in there - don't keep treats in your hand (unless you need them for luring - and I'd be thinking about using clicker training at this stage - get his brain working ;))  Put the treats in a pot away from you so he doesn't associate fist with treats.......

Oh I'm so glad that I'm not the only one with this problem.  Forget treats being the problem, I get this all the time with my 8 month old dog.  He bites hands, arms, feet, clothing if all else fails.  The strange thing is, that although he tries to goad them into running, he never attempts to bite our cats.  It isn't just people though, it's all the wooden furniture in the house and even the gripper rod from under the carpets, which he has pulled up at each corner.  I have corners missing off every table, desk and shelf in the house. I tried yelping when he was smaller - made it all so much more fun for him, so I tried turning and folding my arms - he jumped up and bit my back or hem, so I moved on to putting him in another room for a few minutes - he was waiting to get his revenge when I opened the door and he lay on his back so I couldn't move him, so I tried removing myself to another room.  He wee'd and poo'ed all over the carpet and then bit me when I was trying to clean up. We are off to a behaviourist later this month as I have run out of ideas, furniture and flawless skin. So I'm afraid I'm no good to you Mel, but you have my sympathy in shedloads!!

Ah ha ha just thought I'd give you all a laugh at my expense..tried ignoring my boy yesterday when he was going for my clothes, turned my back and crossed my arms so he jumped up and bit me on the bum! Didn't have to fake the scream that time, I can tell you! It made absolutely no difference either! Little monster!

I'm afraid i have no help for either only sympathy. I have a 5 month old Rhodesian Ridgeback who started chomping on me a few weeks ago, it started about the time he started getting his new teeth. I have tried yelping and this stops him for about 3 seconds then he just finds a new bit of me to chew. He grabs my coat as i'm trying to put it on, clean washing as i'm carrying it, chews my head if i go to get a toy he has trapped somewhere. Luckily he soesn't break the skin but my hands are a nice shade of bruise. I am hoping he will grow out of it as most of it is just him being an over excited puppy. We are going to our first proper trianing class on thursday and am hoping to try to get him to do at least something i tell him :). He has had a late start bless him so requires patience on my part. I wish you the best of luck and if you find a method that works please let me know.

Ignoring can help a lot but, i do wish trainers and books would tell owners that most dogs will almost certainly go through an extinction burst (ie the behaviour will get worse, which is when understandably owners give up and try something else).

Also most people are not that good at really ignoring - they will show by their body and often eyes and voice that the pup is having an efffect. Yelping unless done expertly can just produce a "hey mummy's a squeaky toy" syndrome.

I had a very bitey pup (BSd) and basically used a long lead to take her out the room for a few minutes each time she nipped (she was a nipper and dodger - very awkward !! ;) ) calmly. I used a verbal signal to show her the exact moment her behaviour caused her expulsion - a sharp but not aggressive "ah ah"said calmly but firmly. I also redirected her excitement ( you know, in the evening...... :rolleyes: :D) to her toys and praised lots if she chose the toy rather than me or anyone else.

It does take a while but by 20 weeks she was fine..... :)

Hth

Lindsay
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