97 Tips for Raising Labs
Following are approximately 97 questions readers of BigYellowDog.com submitted in recent years. They were answered by a licensed veterinarian on the site as a general service to all Lab owners. This information is for general reference only. Always consult your veterinarian for any questions about your Lab's health. We hope this information is somewhat helpful. At this time, we are not accepting any more questions.
Question
We rescued a lab puppy that was taken from its mother at 3-4 weeks. We brought her home at 5 1/2 weeks and noticed immediately that she seemed aggressive and seemed to bite us excessively. This is our first Lab, so we don't really know what is normal. Our pup is now 18 weeks old and still tries to bite us constantly. She doesn't have a problem with furniture, etc.--only people. Her biting and growling seems like an enticement to play as she is usually wagging her tail. Yet, she bites and growls at us so persistently and frequently that we've been forced to buy a muzzle for her which we use for 10-15 minutes at a time to calm her down when nothing else will work. When she is in a biting mode no toy or bone is accepted as a substitute. For the last three months we have been consistent in telling her "no bite" and substituting a toy, trying to flip her on her back in a dominance position and telling her no. Nothing seems to phase her drive for biting and playing. Basically, we're wondering if she is a normal, highly energetic pup who will grow out of this, or if it sounds like she has aggression problems that may become dangerous later on. We love this dog and have devoted tons of time to training her and working with her, but we fear that her growling and biting will be a nuisance - if not a danger - to neighbors and visitors.
Answer
All puppies, just like people, have different personalities. Your puppy is just a high energy puppy. Labs can be high energy dogs. Puppies naturally play-bite with their mouths. This is normal behavior and she needs to be directed in how to use this behavior. Your first correction was the correct one, which is to say "no bite" and replace your hand, leg, etc., with a toy, bone, etc. I do not like the idea of a muzzle for a puppy. You are reprimanding her for something that is a natural instinct in a puppy, which is to use their mouths to communicate. Because this is a natural instinct, you can expect it to continue for quite a while until the puppy understands that your hands, legs, etc., are not chew toys. But to be overly aggressive in your correction will only make the puppy fear you. So please just be patient and continue the "no bite" correction and replacement with something acceptable for her to chew on. Also, remember the puppy left her litter at 5.5 wks of age and is doing the same thing with you that she would have done with her litter mates, which is rough housing, biting each other and chasing. All this is normal behavior in a puppy. I also would recommend also that you enroll her in a local puppy class in your area.
