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my lab puppy wont stop biting!

20 9:32:01

Question
Hi, I have a black lab puppy is about 3 1/2 months old.  He has a very gentle disposition, though he is such a handful!  The main problems are that he won't stop biting, it's not hard biting but gentle nips.  I've tried giving him a stuffed animal to chew on when he stars, and also bought him soime chew bones (which he loves).  I understand that this is a common thing, though the behaviour isn't changing with age which concerns me.  I don't want a full grown dog who is biting people, even if it's in a playful non aggressive way.  I hate hitting my puppy in order to correct him, so I'm open to any suggestions you may have!
Thank you and have a great day.

Answer
Having let it go so long, it will be even harder to correct.  Don't give up.  Young Labs, which I know best, and other puppies tend to very bad about biting. You see a litter of them, and all the ones that are awake are biting another one or themselves. I am not even sure they realize that when they are alone, if they quit biting, they would quit being bitten. At 3 to 4 months they are getting their adult teeth, and it seems they spend every waking moment biting or chewing. One thing you can do at that stage is to knot and wet a piece of cloth. Then freeze it. The cooling will soothe the gums. Only let the puppy have it when you are there to watch it. I maintain a Lab's favorite chew toy is another Lab. Otherwise they settle for any person they can. They keep hoping to find one that won't yelp, jerk their hand away, and leave.

You just have to keep on correcting them, hundreds of times, not dozens. Provide sturdy, safe toys such as Kongs and Nylabones. Avoid things they can chew pieces off and choke on them. Keep them away from electrical cords. Crates are essential for most young Labs and other dogs.

The pet stores are full of toys that many dogs will quickly chew up into pieces they could choke on or cause intestinal blockages. If you are not there to watch, stick to sturdy stuff such as Nylabones and Kongs. Keep a close eye on chew toys and quickly discard anything that is coming apart in pieces. Rawhide is especially bad because it swells after being swallowed. I don't trust any of the consumable chews. The dogs just gnaw them down to a dangerous size too quickly. These problems are the worst with, but not limited to, large, aggressive chewers such as Labs.