growling and barking

Question
Hi,
I have a 4 month old male Labrador,and I just wanted to know if it is normal for him to be growling and barking while playing with his toys. He doesn't do it all the time. Also he barks and growls at his tail and tries to get it and since he can't he growls and barks at it.He also barks at me and my husband when we tell him "no" when he is chewing something other than his toys. I don't know how else to explain the following, but he would also throw bites at the air and walk backward after we tell him "no". Yesterday he started acting different he would whine and bark but I think that this is due to teething, how long does teething lasts and will have pain all the time or does it comes and go? Thank You

Answer
The barking and growling at the toys is harmless.  You need to deal with the barking and growling at you now before it gets worse.  The key to most behavior problems is approaching things using the dog's natural instincts. Dogs see all the people and dogs in the household as a pack with each having their own rank in the pack and a top dog. Life is much easier if the 2 legged pack members outrank the 4 legged ones. You can learn to play the role of top dog by reading some books or going to a good obedience class. A good obedience class or book is about you being top dog, not about rewarding standard commands with a treat. Start at http://www.dogsbestfriend.com/ For more on being top dog, see http://www.dogbreedinfo.com./topdogrules.htm

The teething will go of for another month or 2.  the barking and growling will only get worse even when it is done unless you act.