We have a 12 week old Lab that has been with us 2 weeks now. He's a serious biter, and it's a real problem for us (we have small children in the home). I've been researching all the different biting solutions – Sympawtico, Zak George, etc… but I have yet to see them work with one as aggressive as ours is.
When he bites, he does NOT let go. I have tried screaming "ouch!" and my wife and kids have genuinely cried… He stays firmly attached. I will offer him chews/bully sticks, but he will drop them and go right back for our skin. I want to reward him for letting go with encouragement and treats, but he just will not do it on his own – I have to pry his mouth off of my kid's legs and arms. When I try to disengage and walk away, he pursues and bites harder. When I try to look away to discourage the behavior, he gets aggressive and snaps at my face. I'm worried he's going to bite one of my kids in the face (he's already bitten them pretty much everywhere else – hair, legs, rear ends).
How do you disengage with a puppy that doesn't take no/ouch for an answer? It usually just tends to escalate into him throwing a tantrum of biting and snapping, so I'm forced to put him in his bed for time out… which he usually accepts, but I really want him to understand that he is crossing a boundary and that he will get so much more love and attention by not biting. My kids are already terrified of him, and he's going to get much much bigger.
Any advice?
submitted by /u/Texas_Ex_09
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