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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

How can I stop my Labrador pup biting/mouthing me?

20 replies

Imdoingitnext · 07/04/2022 23:43

My boy is 1 year old tomorrow 🎂 He's a lovely chilled dog and we have hardly any issues with him apart from that he's got this habit of putting his mouth round my wrist and sinking his teeth into me. He doesn't do it to DH, It's not aggressive and he's not nipping or snapping at me or breaking my skin or drawing blood it's more that he's showing affection to me. I usually prise his mouth open and take him off me and say a firm NO and if he persists I push him away and turn myself away from him. Sometimes he looks at me as if to say, I want to but I know I'm not allowed to do this, other times he just tries to have a little bite at my wrist bones and hope no one notices .

Any ideas on how we can stop his biting mouthing my wrist?

When he was much younger 3-4 months he was a little alligator monster and launched biting attacks on me most nights, I turned it around by playing ball games instead with him so he learnt to play and interact with me in another way that wasn't about nightly biting attacks. We still play games of tug and catch - so I wonder if he sees me as his play mate or is it a something else?

OP posts:
RiaOverTheRainbow · 08/04/2022 00:13

Try yelping like he's hurt you, apparently some dogs will stop and 'apologise' (although RainbowDog doesn't give a damn Hmm).

Or keep a chew toy available to distract him with.

PollyRoulllson · 08/04/2022 08:08

Why have dogs toys got squeakers in them? because dogs get excited by the noise so do not yelp, It just excites the dogs.

Labradors instincively want to carry things in their mouths. Give him a soft toy when he greets you and he will parade around you carrying it rather than holding onto you.

JustJam4Tea · 08/04/2022 08:15

It’ll probably stop. Distract with no fuss, and withdraw your attention. Dogs do it to each other to get attention.

ikeepseeingit · 08/04/2022 08:17

If yelping doesn’t work then cross your arms and look away. If that doesn’t work then every single time it happens you walk away and ignore your dog until he’s calmer. When mother dogs get fed up with their puppies they either ‘shout at them’ with a growl or bark or they ignore by walking away. Reward him with affection when he’s calm so that he knows he doesn’t have to fight for your attention, he gets given it freely when he’s calm.

AwkwardPaws27 · 08/04/2022 08:39

Why have dogs toys got squeakers in them? because dogs get excited by the noise so do not yelp, It just excites the dogs.

Totally agree with this.

We have a gundog breed too (cocker spaniel), they are hardwired to want something in their mouths. He's 18 months and occasionally gets mouthy when overexcited. We give him a toy to hold instead.

fairylightsandwaxmelts · 08/04/2022 13:23

Yelping just over-excites them. As Polly says, there's a reason dog toys come with squeakers Grin

Labradors are gun dogs and they're bred to carry things in their mouths - so when you see him, give him a toy to carry around instead as a distraction. If he does mouth you, give him a toy, or ignore him completely. Get up, cross your arms, avert your eyes don't give him any attention until he's calm.

Original poster
Imdoingitnext · 08/04/2022 18:07

Thanks everyone. I'll try the soft toy. He usually bites the ears off his soft toys and pulls out the stuffing from them so he has a lots the empty shells of soft toys - I'll try using them to stop his biting me.

OP posts:
PugWhiskers · 08/04/2022 18:39

Definitely second the recommendations for the soft toys. My dog runs up to me with a soft toy/sock in her mouth every morning now because she knows. We still have the trouble that when she gets over excited when out she sometimes does it with strangers which is a bit more problematic.

AwkwardPaws27 · 08/04/2022 19:49

@Imdoingitnext

Thanks everyone. I'll try the soft toy. He usually bites the ears off his soft toys and pulls out the stuffing from them so he has a lots the empty shells of soft toys - I'll try using them to stop his biting me.
Haha, sounds like my dog! It doesn't have to be a soft toy if he's a stuffing fiend. We have found some decent tougher toys now - Tonka do a range, the three tyres linked together is a big hit here, as is a "Ruffer and Tuffer" bird toy from Pets at Home.
PollyRoulllson · 08/04/2022 20:16

My lab loves carrying around a (new clean) paint roller. Soft on the outside but hard in the middle.

Longcovid21 · 08/04/2022 20:18

Get a raw knuckle bone from the butcher. Has stopped my 12 months old pup chewing everything else.

PuppyMonkey · 08/04/2022 20:28

My golden retriever used to think it was hilarious to do this when I took him out for walks. Never to DP, only me. The thing that worked best was me taking along an old white rag or something and getting that out of my pocket and waving it and that was much more interesting than my boring old arm.Grin

Original poster
Imdoingitnext · 08/04/2022 22:54

Thanks, lots of ideas here.
Don't you just love labs. I watched ours spending ages trying to to work out how to get onto the shed roof to get at a pigeon - he's absolutely no idea of height. He's always doing something daft 😀

OP posts:
Furries · 09/04/2022 03:18

You need a toy that isn’t a “soft” toy that he can chew the ears off. You need something indestructible, or that takes time to destroy.

Have a look at antler bones. They don’t rot and they don’t smell. They last for ages.

Whatever you choose, keep it back as a “reward”. IE they don’t get to have access to it all day every day. More that you get to “reward” them with it so that they’re focussed on that rather than chewing on you!

wandawaves · 09/04/2022 03:26

We've just finished puppy school and the trainer said you have to replace your hand or whatever they're biting with a toy. If that doesn't work then you have to remove them or yourself for just a few seconds to reset. And just repeat that.

AwkwardPaws27 · 09/04/2022 09:54

I wouldn't recommend antlers (former veterinary receptionist, our practice didn't recommend them as they are very hard and can crack teeth). Buffalo horns or ostrich bones are great though.

bingohandjob · 12/04/2022 08:53

Our lab is now 16 months and will occasionally very, very gently mouth at our wrists but does not lower his jaws to leave any impression of teeth - this took us a few months with he was in full biting/nipping phase of consistent reinforcement of a sharp intake of breath/firm NO and removal of hand and then giving him a replacement toy. Soft toys do not work for him (us) at all - we learnt quite quickly that strong chunky rubber best for him (we've picked up some great things from TK Maxx) -he cannot gnaw bits off like he does with some of the nylabone type hard chews. He has ostrich bones, dried venison skin, pigs ears (Lidl sell them) yak chews, buffalo horns, rabbit ears etc as treats which he loves. JR Pet products good for these. We've also trained him with the retriever roll www.thepetgundog.co.uk/Home/RetrievingRoll with high value treats and he's very very gentle with that!

Original poster
Imdoingitnext · 12/04/2022 11:58

Thanks @bingohandjob. I need to hunt down some tougher toys for him aka bitey-boy

OP posts:
justgivein · 13/04/2022 09:22

We had a bull terrier many years ago.Holding his bottom jaw worked for us. Can't remember whose idea it was and we didn't think of a muzzle back then.Probably methods moved on now with toy distraction ,good job really.Grin

Narwhalelife · 17/04/2022 20:52

Our 15 month old lab boy does this (not so much now) but we thought it was a way of saying ‘you are mine’

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