Golden retriever puppy biting

[Booksandflowers]

Any tips?

weve tried yelping and growling like his mum
would have. We try and walk away and not give attention but it bloody hurts! He just keeps coming back for more and looks so aggressive when doin it. I understand they bite as they are teething and learning but it’s the constant biting and jumping up to bite more and more. Even though I know it’s normal there’s a part of me wondering if he is going to be aggressive.

many tips or stories of lovely dogs once the biting stage is over?

It’s not teething - it’s just how puppies play and look for attention.

i find making noise at them just makes it worse tbh, it makes most puppies go yay, even more exciting.

retrievers are mouthy breeds anyway so IMO you’re going to be more successful trying to work with it rather than just stop it,

I redirect on to toys they can bite on and after 3 attempts if they carry on trying to bite me I either remove myself or them from the room for 30 seconds or so - other people will have slightly different methods.

But it’s really normal and they do eventually grow out of it.

It's a totally normal puppy teething stage. I used to stand up with my arms crossed and ignore. Hard when the raptor gnashers are out admittedly.

Pulling hands / feet whatever away turns it into a game.

You can redirect to a chew toy.

Nothing about it means they'll be aggressive.

My puppy went through this stage, it's normal and he's not aggressive now. I found redirecting to a chew toy worked better than yelping, or just ignoring and walking away- they're doing it to play or get attention so walking away is the opposite of what they want

My golden puppy was a nightmare for this for months. I used to get "long" toys (eg a snake" and attach it to the end of an old dressing gown belt and play with that as it kept his teeth away. I think GRs are bitey for longer.

I also used to pop him in the kitchen if it got too much and give him a time out which really worked.

Once you are through it though they are the best dogs. It takes a while but be patient and consistent

I say 'ah' so they know it's wrong and offer a toy and then 'good boy/girl' when they accept it. I find if they start leaping around, biting and seeming hyper and aggressive it often means they're over tired and need an enforced nap. Have a range of toys from really hard to soft, chances are he'll accept one of them. Honestly puppies are shits!

Thanks all. You said what I know - it’s normal, but needed to hear others say it.

I just wish he would be redirected to his chew toys etc but seems like he wants human skin.

Any ideas to relieve puppy boredom? Can’t go out for walks for another 7 days.

With a puppy that age… training, loads and loads of it 🤣

Also things like kongs and lickimats, frozen once they’ve got the hang of it.

Someone else raised a good point - make sure he’s not overtired, they’re like toddlers get all hyper and annoying if they get too tired

Goldens are a nightmare for mouthing. I've had dogs my entire life (Flat Coats, GSDs, Spaniels) and the Golden was the biggest mouther I have ever met in my entire life. And mine looked like a vicious little bastard when he did it - used to get a 'devil face' on and genuinely looked quite aggressive. But it is just how they play with their littermates and how they think you want to play...

I would warn you it does not necessarily get better until the puppies are 6-7 months old (with any breed) because obviously you can't just exercise them into exhaustion and they have teeny-tiny baby brains for ages (bigger dogs mature more slowly).

That being said, I think of all the dogs I've owned, the Golden is the most loyal companion. It takes time, but I don't think I would get another breed now tbh.

In terms of tiring him out. Start training him on all the key commands; sit, down, stay etc. Get him used to being held and groomed, bathed and handled in general (balls held, ears inspected etc) - really important with big dogs they're used it to because trying to groom or have a vet check over a big dog that is nervous is a nightmare. If you have access to a garden, you can start doing recall and teaching him to walk to heel. Get him used to the lead.

Even though you can't put him down, you can take him outside. Take him for car journeys, and let him sit on your lap and watch people go by etc. You can hold him in your arms (carefully) or straight him to your chest and sit outside a coffee shop etc. Again, really easy and totally exhausts them.

He’s a retriever puppy - all very normal, they’re a mouthy breed but I do agree that is exhausting after a while.. Try and redirect him with a cuddly toy or chew. Ours loved frozen carrots at that age and they kept her busy for a while. Time out in crate when pup gets extra bitey and overstimulated. Lots of naps too, approx every 2 hrs - the more tired he is the worse it will be.

Take him out on walks in your arms to get him used to the sights and smells of being in public. Snuffle mats are also very good to get their brain working.

I feel your pain, I nearly had a breakdown.

She's now 2 and has been amazing since about 7 months old.

I had a couple of old rags that worked really well for mine as a distraction thing - he liked to run off with it and shake it aggressively as though he were killing something.

It does get slightly worse before it gets better OP - the adolescent stage is a challenge to say the least. Mine liked to bite and play attack - and he was big. But the rag thing really helped, I’d take a couple on walks and he’d run off with them and get it all out of his system - the big numpty.

Is yours a golden retriever? I’m looking forward to when the biting finishes. I know it will be a while though.

I don’t like the sound of it getting worse as I don’t think I can. I think he’d have bitten my face earlier if I hadn’t been quick enough. I do love him but the biting is stressing me out and I think scaring the 13 year old.

I had bite marks on my hands and holes in my trousers and cardigans from my mouthy pup (retriever) !!
Look up ‘bite inhibition’ training. It worked for us - and was surprisingly quick

I’m currently raising a GR cross Labrador, he is 4 months old now & very bitey. I often manage to distract him with his toys, blanket etc.

But when I can’t and I’ve really had enough I make him go in the garden for a bit to calm down. He cries to come in, barks sometimes then normally potters off to attack one of his toys discarded on the lawn.

When he remembers to come back to the door again he’s nice & calm so I let him back in & we’re friends again. Some people would put a puppy in a crate in that situation but we’re not using one. It may work for you & your puppy, however.

It’s a horrible stage. I had a few clothes that suffered from bite marks.

Retrievers also like to ‘mouth’. My two year lab still likes to ‘suckle’ your hand when tired. It seems to comfort him.

Oh bless ♥️

I just want to say it will pass. My golden is 6 months now and is nearly stopped altogether. He only does it now if play becomes too over the top.

I echo what others have said. We redirected with toys, frozen carrots, old towel. I found if we made too much of a fuss about it he
thought it was part of the game.

Also sleep is so important. They needs lots. If he’s really hyper he could be overtired. Tried to get him down for a nap.