I have a 9 week old labrador pup called Harvey, he is an absolute joy to have most of the time but the cheeky puppy traits soon come out! He does all the normal puppy misbehaviours... chewing EVERYTHING in front of him, biting people when they stroke him (chewing not aggressive) Pulling clothes and not letting go, ripping up newspaper and torturing my other dog!! I know this is all normal behaviour for a young pup but others in our house are getting very tired of him now and are getting annoyed and I don't want him to get into trouble with them, he is my dog but I want him to be regarded as a family pet not just a nuisance!! Is there any advice for how to prevent these behaviours soon?!?! I know it just requires patience and perseverance but I'm worried they will get annoyed with him while I'm out and I don't want them to punish him as he doesnt really know he's doing wrong!
Any advice would be welcome!! Help! :)

Regards
Laura x

Hi Laura,

Of course he'll grow out of it!  Send your errant family members on here with their silly gripes - we'll sort 'em for you :D

How many 2/3 year old adult dogs have you or any of your family met that display the "cheeky puppy traits" that you describe (unless you've met mine of course :rolleyes: :D )

Sit the family members down firmly, tell them you can't believe nor will you tolerate their attitude and that you and this puppy are going to be great friends who quickly learn to grow into a confident owner with a confident well trained pup and they are missing out on some of the best fun and bond building experiences we can ever hope to share with a different species.

Run a search on here for house training issues (there are lots of threads), buy Gwen Bailey's book "The Perfect Puppy" on-line and read this article http://www.jersey.net/~mountaindog/berner1/bitestop.htm and print a copy off for everyone in the house.  Get the family trained - pups are a doddle in comparison ;)

Regards, Teri 

i'd change my family! how can they be tired of a 9 week pup? you must of only had him a week! this cheeky behaviour lasts a long time-particularly in labs so better put your family right now not the poor puppy. training takes time. Didnt everyone in the household agree to getting this puppy? it should have been agreed by all family members.

Gwen Bailey's book is great. Wish I had had it from day one. It will be a long time before your pup quietens down. I did not have any housetraining problems but I did spend more time outdoors (in Feb) than in. Always after eating, on waking up from a sleep and anytime that she started sniffing and looking for somewhere to go. Lots of praise if done in the right place. Watching, watching and more watching. I took the attitude that if she made a mistake it was my fault for missing the signs. We also used a crate and this helped as she would not soil her own bed. The crate was also a boon as there are many times in a day that you can't spend the time watching, we all have to go to the loo and such like. At these times just pop pup in the crate. Problem solved. Also this solves the problem of what happens to your pup when your not in the room as far as the rest of the familly are concerned. It was also my fault if she chewed something, I should not have left anything laying around. You have to proof your house and be as tidy as possible. Just like having a baby in the house. Distraction is also usefull instead of continually shouting (which your pup does not understand anyway) just get out a toy and play. Just remember a tired puppy is a happy puppy. Do not leave all the pups toys out. Have a box for them and only play with them one at a time. This stops them from becoming bored. A raw bone to chew on can also keep a pup occupied for quite some time. Hope this helps.

Thanks for your posts! Yes we have only had the pup just over a week  and everyone agreed to getting a lab a long time before hand and i made sure they knew how much work was involved. My dad has had labradors when he was younger and so he tolerates him and just plays, if he bites my dad just jumps back and gets him to play with a toy which is great, but others don't seem as keen to play once he bites or gets boisterous!! I can't understand how they can get sick after a week! I guess they will just get used to him, as we havent had a pup for 4 years! I keep telling them he will be alot better when I can walk him as he should be quite tired on a night when they are with him! The main problem is jumping up and biting the face, obviously playing but it hurts so must be stopped quickly, and also biting and pulling at clothes (expecially the ones you're wearing and he's hanging on the ends of your trousers!!) He's lovely and I want everyone to enjoy him, and i'm sure they will with time, I guess just alot of it will be a matter of him growing out of it - which is certainly understandable giving he's only 9 weeks old!! he finds everything exciting and everything is new to him in our house, he just needs to learn limits!! I've started putting all toys away except one but when others play with him they just tip out the box!! I think they need training more than the pup!
Thanks again for your posts
Laura x

I second the statement that your family will be harder to train than the pup - mine were/are - I'm still working on the adlut members   Giving them all printed info is great idea :)

Good luck with training them and him :)  and remember, a tired puppy - like a tired baby - can be very hyper ;)  sometimes they just have to be left to go to sleep ;) ;)

If you have to go out, why not make sure he has had all his needs attended to and then put him in his crate while you are out? If he can't repeat naughty behaviours, they do not get reinforced. Jumping up and biting are just puppy play behaviours and a child jumping back and squealing is very rewarding - so he does it again!
Are you using clicker to train him?

btw, A Labrador should not have a huge amount of vigorous exersize until his muscle/bone growth are complete so don't rely on that for at least two years!! Ten minutes spent teaching him a trick, using positive reward methods will challenge his brain and leave him more tired that an hour's exercise.

hi there. my lab is 14 weeks now - i get all the family included in the training.  I want the pup to know my kids are top dog and not just me and my hubby.  Ive noticed that when the adults arent in the same room as pup she will try it on with them, niping the bottom of their trousers.  So they ignore her and put her in the kitchen with the gate shut (this happens in the mornings on school days) after 5 minutes they (the kids) let her out, shes then very calm and knows whos in control.  I know you cant watch them every minute of the day but it gives the kids some ideas and makes them feel more confident. My kids are 7 and a half and 12

Yes, he will grow out of it, but it will happen quicker if you (and the rest of the family) are consistent, give him plenty of opportunities to play in a way you like and either a) ignore the stuff you don't like or b)distract him from it and c) make sure you praise and reward the stuff you do like - so if you catch him being quite, or playing with his own toy - tell him what a clever boy his is, and maybe play with him too....