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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Original poster

Puppies and Nipping

117 replies

SarahJinx · 24/09/2016 21:36

Evening ladies

Our Chocolate Lab Leah is 13 week. We've not had the best start with her, I was hospitalised for a week just after getting her so all of our early plans went out the window. Anyway, she's been a nipper since day one which we expected. The kids have reacted pretty badly though so for now we're keeping her separate from them in order to build their confidence with her and to try to avoid getting her over excited. However, her nipping is constant now, when petting her or if she's following me, or jumping up and nipping at the kids. Its getting worse not better and I am getting to the end of my tether because it bloody hurts and its so stressful. Can anyone offer any advice? We're going to start training in the next few weeks.

OP posts:
stonecircle · 25/09/2016 16:29

Sounds much better. But where will she be when you are at work?

Original poster
SarahJinx · 25/09/2016 16:30

Oh and I learned the hard way about flappy trousers. And we've been showing the kids her mouthing just now, she's super gentle with them in that scenaro.

OP posts:
foodiefil · 25/09/2016 16:43

Oh I didn't realise, why not?

See above for an example of how to communicate without being aggressive.

Mumsnet is full of people who think that because they're speaking from behind a username they can talk to people like shit!

Costacoffeeplease · 25/09/2016 16:55

Dog's noses are extremely sensitive and full of nerve endings

foodiefil · 25/09/2016 17:02

A light tap is the equivalent of touching the nose, they just associate that touch with not doing something. When I said 'tap' I didn't mean 'wallop with as much force as you can muster' but I can see why you were confused Hmm

Costacoffeeplease · 25/09/2016 17:11

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

tabulahrasa · 25/09/2016 17:37

"they just associate that touch with not doing something."

They don't, it's a physical punishment and they learn to avoid it...not the same thing at all, plus it's a less effective training method and can have unpredictable results, even if you're ok with using a physical punishment on a puppy it's not the best way to go about dealing with a mouthing puppy.

OP - the advice about unvaccinated puppies is to do with having them on the ground where other dogs have likely to have been, not taking them outside, they can be and should be carried as many places as you can get them to.

foodiefil · 25/09/2016 18:12

Ok well in my experience - not professional but working with people who know what they're doing in many areas with dogs and over many years - I've honestly never heard not to tap a dog's nose. Totally the opposite in fact. But I'm happy to learn new things.

Another one being that Costa Coffee is one of Mumsnet's sad twats.

RaveclawZia13 · 25/09/2016 18:17

You shouldn't tap a dogs nose. Everytime your kids did something you didn't like you won't tap them on the face. It's also not what they would experience with other dogs/in their litter so it wouldn't resonate with them like yelping or ignoring them.

stonecircle · 25/09/2016 18:20

Foodie - unpleasant comment. Uncalled for.

foodiefil · 25/09/2016 18:22

Stonecircle - sorry you think that but what she said to me was also uncalled for and aggressive. Something I read a lot of on here and find totally unnecessary.

Original poster
SarahJinx · 25/09/2016 18:27

I think she's aggressive too actually, no advice given just scorn and goading.

OP posts:
stonecircle · 25/09/2016 18:40

Sarah - so you don't find Costa's comments helpful? Not even when she mentions the need for -

Training
Socialisation
Interaction
Human contact
No segregation
Getting your children involved
Not leaving her for more than 4 hours a day?

That sounds very helpful to me given the way you have been looking after your puppy.
Probably like me Costa sees too many puppies acquired without sufficient research and planning. Puppies who are meant to fit into a family rather than the family adapt to meet the puppy's needs.

I feel very strongly that young children and working parents do not make for a happy puppy - especially a Labrador. You still haven't said what you plan to do with her when you are back at work.

FATEdestiny · 25/09/2016 18:41

"so fuck off with your patronising attitude and humpty faces, you are also incredibly uninformed about dogs"

This is the most agressive and unnecessary comment I see on the thread. Foodie is not the one being needlessly nasty, you are Stonecircle

OP - sounds like good progress for the day.

FATEdestiny · 25/09/2016 18:46

Just realised it was Costacoffeeplease who made the especially nasty post, not Stonecircle

stonecircle · 25/09/2016 18:47

The thought of a 15 week old puppy left alone all day probably does bring out my nasty side.

phillipp · 25/09/2016 19:24

Actually Costa has offered no advice aside from get the puppy socialised and trained.

Which many people have also suggested with being nasty or swearing. All the advice has been accompanied by fairly aggressive or nasty posting.

The op knows she has made some mistakes and so is asking advice to try and fix it now. Which is better than her waiting to years and trying to fix it then or rehoming.

There is no need to keep berating her or swearing at other people.

Lots of people end up with dogs in less than ideal situations. I wish more of them were like the Op, wanting to fix it early on and actually listening to advice.

Judging her and being shitty just stops people asking advice, which is no good for anyone.

foodiefil · 25/09/2016 19:31

New puppies are hard work and not everyone is a puppy whisperer. I saw 'chocolate lab puppy nipping' and thought I had to tell the OP about my family's experience of a 'chocolate lab puppy nipping'.

He grew out of it (after ripping up our kitchen floor ... ahem) and became a beautiful, playful family pet who we cherished until he passed away. He was loved by all of us. Hope he forgives me for the brutal nose tapping.

Good luck OP, I'm sure your making all your decisions with the best of intentions.

stonecircle · 25/09/2016 19:37

Of course they grow out of it. But what is going to happen to the puppy when it's left alone all day?

Original poster
SarahJinx · 25/09/2016 20:27

I have a couple of weeks to work that out. She will stay indoors if that's what is best. She can probably go to work with dp some days and I guess I'll need day care or for my folks to come on others. I am foodie clearly I made some wrong decisions but we do love our dog, I want SO much for her to be that family pet that is at my heels all day and asleep by the fire, I guess my chocolate box image of my chocolate pup was just really naive and remiss of the actual work it would take getting to that poi t

OP posts:
Keeponrollin · 25/09/2016 20:39

Plenty of toys to chew on. Make them different everyday so she wont get bored. We have bn lucky with our golden lab, six months now. He hasn't chewed anything and as soon as he tires nipping one of us we would let out a yelp but wlso keeping hands out the way. Plenty or treats while training, sit, bed etc. Hope u have a better few months. X

Keeponrollin · 25/09/2016 20:42

P. S once u can start taking her for walks im sure u wil notice a great difference. Five mins for every month of her age. Morning and night. Make sure to feed after walking to avoid bloating x

missyB1 · 25/09/2016 21:06

It's true that going for walks does seem to help with the nipping. We've just started walking out puppy this weekend (she's only just allowed out), and already her behaviour has improved!

RaveclawZia13 · 25/09/2016 21:19

Sorry just to say with the walks and feeding please don't walk for an hour before and after feeding. It will be harder at this stage having more meals but if they get bloat (the stomach twisting) they need surgery to fix it and it is likely to happen again.

Original poster
SarahJinx · 25/09/2016 21:33

Its been hard going tonight. I did expect it but she's been really really aggressive and its been relentless. I've got all her toys and loads of treats but she's attacking me constantly and its not mouthing its biting. Yelping isn't working at all and when I wont let her bite me she is barking and going crazy. What to do? Now its just her and me in the living room and after the barking frenzy I've put her on her lead to calm down and show it isn't acceptable. Is that right. I knew it would be hard and I will stick with it I just don't know what to do now.

OP posts: