6 Month Old Lab "mouthing"

[Puppy Wuppy]

Hi everyone,

Our 6 month old black lab is always mouthing/biting my hands and I was just curious as to when this behaviour stops! I don't recall our last dog ever doing this. She isn't aggressive when she does it, but everytime she comes up to us for a pat, her mouth latches on to our hands, and it's a tad concerning as we have an 18 month old daughter, plus it's plain annoying We have never played games with her that encourage using the mouth (eg rough puppy play/tug of war etc) but she still does this. I understand labs are generally mouthy dogs and tend to chew everything in sight (our last dog was a lab), she just seems obsessed! For what it's worth, she has spent the last 2 months confined to the laundry with 2 'toilet trips' in the day, because she was hit by a car and needed extensive surgery and extensive and strict recovery rest. I'd just really love some tips on how to curb her hand chewing or some reasurrance that she will grow out of it Thankyou!!

[shellbyville]

Hi Puppy Wuppy,

I have labs and I am sorry to say that unless you can curb the behaviour of mouthing, she may not grow out of it.

With my young labs if they are a bit 'mouthy' I can overcome it pretty simply, by just giving her a signal that the behaviour is not acceptable. For my puppies a sharp, loud 'uh uh' usually does the trick, and then when puppy lets me pat them with no trying to mouth or bite I reward heaps with really enthusiastic 'good puppy' or something similiar. Sometimes though when you reward the puppy they may get excited and try to mouth again, just repeat the process and puppy will soon get the picture.

It is not a difficult thing to teach as long as you and the other members of the household are consistent and never reward or play with the puppy when they mouth. Labs are pretty smart and learn really quickly. As for your 18 month old, I would never let the puppy and baby be alone on their own. Also toddlers tend to try to hit the dog or push them away when they do something naughty and the puppy would only see this as playing and possibly get more excited and could unintentionally hurt your bub.

Some people grab the pups mouth and hold the mouth closed and reprimand, however I have found with labs that they tend to love any hands on and only see it is fun, so try the verbal reprimand and reward good behaviour and see how you go.

[Puppy Wuppy]

Hi, thanks so much for the reply. With our daughter, we never leave her and our pooch alone together and never will. I have strong views on dogs and children and this is something both my husband and I felt strongly about before we got our Lab

With the mouthing, I am pretty much doing everything you have suggested and last night I spent ages with her and I have to say, the mouthing behaviour dwindled as the night went on, woohoo! I also tried grabbing her mouth, but she thought it was the funnest game in the world and got even more excited and mouthy, so we won't be doing that one LOL I think one thing that's contributed to her mouthing is that fact that under vets order, she has spent the last 2 months in confinement recovering from major hip and pelvis surgery, so we have had limited oppertunities to 'teach' her manners. I just hope that with time and consistency she settles with her mouthing. Thanks again for the reply :D

[badboyz]

I have found a useful method, picked up at obedience. I hold food in my fist in front of puppy. She will mouth and sniff and bother at my hand. The moment she pulls away I give a "yes" to mark the good behaviour and then reward with the food. Repeat this until she has got the idea that if she waits she gets the food, if she bothers the hand she gets nothing. My pup very quickly worked out that in order to get what she wants she must sit and wait. Now if she, or any of my adult dogs, are jumping at me, which they tend to do as a group to get my attention, I just lift my head away and they will immediately sit in front of me. Then I will say "yes" and bend down to pat them. This also transfers to getting their dinner. I will just wait until they are sitting before giving them the food.

Edited October 30, 2007 by badboyz

[alanglen]

Some great advice here! The mouthing would almost definately be contributed by the lack of brain usage whilst she has needed to be confined. Lots more training and games when she is physically able and it will sette. I also find putting a toy into her mouth if she tries for mine also helps. My labs have never been "mouthers' but do frequently bring me toys!

[Joan of Arc]

Mouthing is easily curbed by repetitive correction. OUr Labs are never allowed to mouth, we start teaching them by using the very same method as Badboyz. Put a treat inside a closed fist and present the fist to her, every time she gets over excited and begins to mouth, or lick or jump, give the short reprimand of UH! UH! and pull your hand away. As soon as she calms down, repeat the process until eventually she will come to the hand and sniffs and waits - THEN you say YES GOOD GIRL and reward her immediately.

We also use the sit command at a very early age so if she can already sit that is even better, begin with her in the sit position. When you can present her with a closed fist without her going ballistic, then you can begin to use the 'wait' command.

Labs are very smart and extremely food driven and get the message really early. so it should really only take a couple of goes each day for her to learn it within a week or earlier. Her success is really dependant on your consistency and everybody at home having the same approach.

Good luck, Labs are such a loveable breed and you will have a lifelong devoted companion.

[Roquen]

Our lab started doing that at a young age, we were taught to quickly, but firm and not painfully, close your hand over her mouth , and the words we said were "no biting". It didn't take long to learn that if she started it, she'd get her mouth shut pretty quick :-)