Raised hackles and play

Question
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Followup To
Question -
Hi, Nancy. I have a seven and a half week-old male yellow lab puppy. He's very friendly with everyone he's met (neighbors & their kids, my nephews, all the staff at the vet, etc) though he's still a bit bitey when he gets really playful. He's also very calm when I'm carrying him around, even into PetsMart with other dogs/cats walking about. The only time he barks is when he's sad (e.g., unhappy about being put in his crate at bedtime or when I have to briefly leave the house), and when he's happy and playful (short, bright yaps).

When I take him into the back yard to play fetch, he often decides to play "keep away" and I end up chasing him around the yard, with his ball in his mouth. Sometimes, though, his hackles raise at this point. He doesn't bark or bare his teeth, however. Of all the web sites I've read that discuss raised hackles, only one or two mention that sometimes a dog will raise its hackles not out of fear or aggression but just because they're really really excited. Do you know if this is true? I'm just wondering if it's something I should be concerned about. Thanks.
Answer -
Darren..i would love to know at what age you got the pup...usually if a pup is kept with the mom until the age of 7-8 weeks, the mouthing or bitiness is not much of an issue..it is something that the mom teaches. You can curve it by taking the pup by the scruff and growling at him and shaking him a bit when he does it like mom would. Do not let him get away with it sometimes..be consistent. Also, the knuckle thing can be agressiveness...i would hire someone for a simple puppy evaluation to help you. Sometimes the owner of a dog means well but ends up causing more problems then they think without meaning to.I am sorry i can not be of better help through email. Thanks
nancy
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Thanks for the response, Nancy. Sorry about the length of this followup; I'm trying to provide as much information as I can. This pup has become a very curious case in the last week, likely in part because I was given some bad advice. For instance, I was told that it was ok for a dog to play tug of war, as long as only one single specific toy is used for it. I recently read, though, that tug of war is just plain bad, as is roughhousing and teasing the dog with things just out of his reach. I only played tug of war three times with him and stopped altogether several days ago. The breeder gave me a towel that had been wiped on the mother as a sort of "safety blanket" for the puppy to make him feel comfortable in his new home. I've removed it, since he tears up the towel and I'm sure he doesn't know the difference between that towel and the clothes I'm wearing.

Nevertheless, in the last few days he has become *very* bitey. Dangerously so, in fact. I can no longer allow children (or anyone else) to enter the area where I keep him, as he will immediately attempt to bite their feet, face, hands, arms and clothing. Several times in the last three days, he has bitten my hand and drawn blood. I can no longer play with him for more than two or three minutes before he starts doing it, even if he's still groggy from sleeping. I'm pretty sure he's still just playing, as his tail is wagging. He doesn't show any sign of aggressiveness, other than his mouth scrunching up just as he bites.

I have tried everything I can think of to get him to stop biting. I've tried (countless times, every day) crying "Yipe!" when he bites, and then attempting to slowly remove my hand from his mouth and turn around to go "statue", but often he will simply not let go of my hand - I have to pry his mouth off with my other hand (the other times, he will whine when I turn my back on him, then bite again when I turn around a couple of minutes later to try once more). I've tried yelling "No bite!" in a growly voice, and staring him in the eye, but he still doesn't let go. Once he has decided to bite hands and feet, he becomes oblivious to all voice commands. I next tried spraying "Bitter End" on my hands and shoelaces but, even though he clearly didn't like the taste, he kept on biting anyway.

I've been trying the "scruff of the neck" idea you suggested but it seems to have absolutely no effect on his behaviour at all.

What is curious is that, when I let him out of his crate and greet him in the morning, he assumes a submissive posture: ears back, and very licky and kissy. He's adorable. Five minutes later, however, he's gone into play mode and biting my hands and feet and tugging and tearing at my pants (and the skin underneath). I can play fetch with him in the kitchen for about three or four throws before he loses interest in all his toys and just goes for feet, hands, arms, and clothes, at which point I have to stop and leave him. He will ignore toys thrown for him to fetch, as well as toys placed right between him and what he's chewing/biting.

His history up to this point: I got him when he was seven and a half weeks old. Up until that time, he was the most laid-back dog in the litter. Other dogs would have to nip at him rather a lot before he would react. He never barked much. However, when I arrived to take him home, the breeder told me that he was the last one in the litter to stop nursing from his mom. They had to remove him from her at some point, I believe. He tends to whine a when left to himself or when he's nervous, but quiets down after a few minutes - when I took him to the vet the day after I got him, she said he was quite the "momma's boy", but otherwise he was just fine). The breeder has two children, both of whom have been playing with him since his eyes opened. He was raised on a concrete patio and slept in a crate with no door (carpet was initially alien to him - he didn't like it). I keep him in the kitchen/dining room, a large area for him (compared to, say, a laundry room). The floor is all hardwood and there is no furniture other than two stools and his crate (where I put him for the night). There are dog gates in the two doorways leading out of the area. I have housetrained him; when he has to go potty, he gives a scratch at the kitchen gate, and I carry him (with no fuss at all) into the dog run, where he does his business.

I'd *love* to take him to puppy obedience classes, but I have to wait until he's had his second set of shots, two weeks from now. The only thing left I can think of to try is to get a can of binaca and give him a spritz in the mouth when he bites. Other than that, I'm completely out of ideas, and I just won't be able to play with him any more for the next two weeks. :(

I should point out that I can pick him up just fine. Aside from the rare snap at my face (depending on how worked up he is), 99% of the time he's just a cute little rag doll in my arms. Also, if I take him into the TV room and sit him on the couch next to me, more often than not he will just quietly lay there beside me. I'm not understanding this at all. I'm still convinced he's just playing, but I'm worried this biting is just going to get worse and that training it out of him may eventually become nigh impossible.

Answer
Darren..you are correct...there is no good in playing tug of war with the dog..it will not help matters. Neither is training with treats...find someone that does not use them or the dog will only respect a treat. Here are a couple of things i am hearing from you...and again, I can not see the dog so I am only going with what I am hearing. You need to put him in and out of the crate with no "big deal". It is just an everytday occurance..dont make the 5 minutes he comes out your "cooey" time because he seems different and more laid back. Maybe when you take him out of the crate make it the time to go out potty or something. The scruff thing should work...may need to use a combination...Here is what I mean. Dogs understand praise more then stern ness. Take him by the scruff..shake him hard but not too hard and say no sternly...if he stops..even for a second to think about what just happpened, at that moment tell him "good puppy..good stop". it will take a couple of weeks of consistency before you see a difference..please give it a try. Thanks
nancy