How to train my 9-month Lab mix puppy who bites, barks, and runs away?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Usually these behaviors can be corrected but this usually requires in person training by a qualified dog trainer. I recommend you consider hiring a qualified dog trainer to work with you in person. Good luck and have a good day!

Hi there. As far as helping your pup to get comfortable around kids, I would recommend allowing him to observe them at a distance while praising and giving treats. If he seems curious about them and wants to say hello, you can allow him to meet and let the kids offer treats as well. To help avoid mouthing and nipping during greetings, you can teach him to sit for a treat (followed by gentle petting), or have the kids drop treats on the ground for him. This keeps his focus down on the ground while they pet him, which in turn reduces his excitement level and tendency to use his mouth. Puppy nipping and mouthing has nothing whatsoever do to with dominance, and does not need to be "corrected" using any kind of punishment - it's a normal puppy behavior that will resolve on its own with age. Mother dogs are actually extremely tolerant with their pups about mouthing and biting, as they understand that this is normal behavior. Your pup is not trying to be anyone's boss - he's just a normal puppy, doing what comes naturally to him :) Focus on keeping the pup's excitement level down during greetings, give lots of praise and rewards for saying hello calmly. Keep him on-leash leash so that you can move him away from the kids to calm down if he starts to get too wound up - then try greeting again once he's a little more settled. You can also try teaching him to grab a toy when he starts to get excited, or prior to saying hello to a new person - for many dogs, this strategy can be very helpful since it gives them something else to do with their mouth.

This can be very common behavior for young puppies. It is important that you initiate training with your dog now so that his aggressive tendencies do not continue into adulthood. Somethings you can do to discourage his nipping and aggressive behavior are to try and redirect his aggression by giving him a toy to play with and bite on instead of using your hands and fingers. Also, when he missed behaves firmly tell him no, put him down and walk away and ignore him for 2 to 3 minutes. After that time you can start playing with him again and if his bad behavior returns ignore him again. If you continue to do this he will quickly learn that when he misbehaves you will not pay attention to him so he should stop the bad behavior. It would also be beneficial to start training him with basic commands like sit, stay, and come. This will help establish your role as the dominant one in the relationship. Also be sure he is getting plenty of exercise by taking him on 20 to 30 minute fast-paced walks at least 2 to 3 times a day. This will help drain some of his energy and make him be able to focus on training with you better. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. That’s the one.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! These types of behavior can improve though this does require in person training with the help of a qualified dog trainer. I would encourage you to contact a dog trainer that can work with you and Bailey in person to really take care of this behavior. The sooner these behaviors are dealt with, the more likely it is that you can improve and resolve them. Good luck and have a great day!

This type of behavior can be very concerning, especially when there are small children around. The good news is that your puppy is still very young and this is a good time to teach her good and appropriate behaviors. You are already doing a great job by exercising her regularly (a fast-paced 20-30 minute walk 2-3 times a day is best) and by redirecting her aggressive tendencies with chew toys. Another tactic you can use in training is to immediately stop play and ignore her if she starts becoming aggressive. This will teach her that that type of behavior does not get her what she wants (your attention). It is also a good idea to always use positive reinforcement when she is being well behaved. Puppies respond better and learn faster from positive reinforcement (like verbal praise and treats) than negative reinforcement (like yelling or hitting them). It would also be wise to start some initial training of basic commands as well, like sit, stay/wait, come, etc. This will help her focus and energy levels and will help establish your role the dominant one in the relationship. I hope this helps. Remember, persistence early on will help you raise a great puppy. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck!

I would recommend discussing his behavior with a trainer. My concern is if he is already aggressive at 4 months of age it can just get worse. Working with a trainer now is very important. I would bring him to a veterinarian tomorrow to discuss this with them. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

This is really common puppy behavior. Whenever she tries to nibble at your hand, I would replace your hand with a toy. Doing this will eventually help her realize that she is suppose to chew on toys not hands. When she barks, you can tell her no and ignore her. You can also use a water bottle to spray her a little when she barks while simultaneously telling her no. Give her some time. She will improve as she gets older. I will also leave an article below to help. Article On Mouthy Puppies https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/common-dog-behavior-issues/mouthing-nipping-and-biting-puppies