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Go to your nearest bookstore today and purchase "How to Train a Dog When No One is Home" by Jerry Climer.  The title is not appropriate as it mostly just about how to train a dog starting at 8 weeks.  The book is excellent, will answer this question and many future ones too.

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Our 10 week old yellow lab loves to play, the problem is that his play almost always involves biting every one in the family.  We try giving him one of his toys to bite on but it only works for a few seconds then he is back to biting us again.  How can we stop this from happening, when we say no he still thinks we are playing, what can we do? Mike

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>Our 10 week old yellow lab loves to play, the problem is that his play almost >always involves biting every one in the family.  We try giving him one of his >toys to bite on but it only works for a few seconds then he is back to biting >us again.  How can we stop this from happening, when we say no he still thinks >we are playing, what can we do? >Mike

I know exactly what you are experiencing.  My black lab is now 13 months old.  He used to bite and bite and bite.  This behavior will pass.  I suggest that you contact a dog  trainer by the name or Moran. His company is called Black Shamrock Productions in West Covina, Ca. Buy his series called (video tapes) Ultra Puppy.  The material is fantastic.  I started traing my lab at 8 weeks of age.  10 minutes a day will do it.  Now, to your problem.  After each bite squeeze his little nose as you say "no bite".  Don’t hurt him but make it a firm squeeze.  It takes time but don’t let him rule you.  See if your pup lllikes Nyla Bones.  My dog did and it saved me a lot of pain.  You must assert yourself as the domminant male or female over your dog. There is a product that you can spray on your hand or anything that he bites.  It is bitter lemon and they don’t like it.  My dog used to bark at the bottle.  You must educate yourself to dog behavior and the pack leader behavior.  Buy the tapes.  They are fun and very imformative.  By 12 weeks of age my dog would come, sit, down sit, sit stay and more.  Be patient and good luck.  Labs are great dogs.

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>Our 10 week old yellow lab loves to play, the problem is that his play almost >always involves biting every one in the family.  We try giving him one of his >toys to bite on but it only works for a few seconds then he is back to biting >us again.  How can we stop this from happening, when we say no he still thinks >we are playing, what can we do? >Mike

Mike, here’s a recent post on another newsgroup that you may find helpful to you. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->Hope someone might be able to offer some words of wisdom on this problem. >Sage is a 12 week old chocolate lab, and is a VERY friendly dog.  Cage >training has gone well, and he is almost completely housebroken.  His >eating habits are great—he eats all his food, three times a day.  He >loves his regular walks, play times, chew toys, and the love we give him. > He is really a joy to have. >Problem:  When we are playing with him in the house, i.e. tug-of-war, >toys, wrestling, etc., he has a strong desire to bite our hands, clothes, >feet, and basically anything he can get in his mouth.  I’m not talking >about gentle mouthing, but snapping his jaws, and sometimes causing us >some nice little scratches & marks on our skin. >Is this normal?  Am I overreacting to a common trait of lab puppies and >puppies in general?  If it is a problem, what might I be able to do to >correct it?  We give him chew toys constantly, but they don’t seem to >satisfy his need to bite us.

I have heard not *one* word here about any "corrections" being made to the dog when he "bites" anybody!  All puppies bite!  And playing tug-of-war  and "wrestling" with an apparently aggressive puppy is not helping the situation either.  You are pouring fuel on the fire.  He is attempting to dominate you and if you allow him to continue, he will, with more serious consequences later on. Here’s what should be done, and done immediately.  Yes, this behavior can be considered normal, even for a Labrador puppy.  But he needs "corrections" for each and every behavior that is not desired, and biting is certainly not desired, eh? Stop the "wrestling" and tug-of-war playing!  Period.  First, you (anybody but the dog) have to become the so-called alpha dog (The Big Kahuna) in his "pack."  If during the ordinary course of normal play with the dog he attempts to bite or nip you next, you must *immediately* correct him.  To do this most effectively, stop the play, use your index finger and bring it down sharply and firmly (snapping it down) on the bridge of the dog’s nose and say in a firm (do not yell) voice, "NO!"  Then stop playing with the dog for *at least* 15 minutes.  Then ignore him. After 15 minutes, you may start to "play" with him again, however, each and every time (yes, there will be more times…heh, heh, heh) that he tries to bite or nip you he must *immediately* be corrected again.  In the same way, slightly *firmer* tap on the nose, and this time wait at least one hour before you "play" with him again.  Then ignore him. The real "punishment" for the dog here is to be ignored by his "pack."  And I mean you should  I-G-N-O-R-E him.  Don’t even look at him. Keep this up, gradually increasing the time-outs, and you will see the biting and nipping diminish and then stop all together as he matures, learns, and stops *teething.*  You must correct the dog each and every time he bites someone!  There can be no exceptions!  Allowing the dog just one bite without a correction *can* set you back to square one.   Additionally, you should *begin* obedience training with this dog. Immediately!  If you don’t know what that means, get a good dog training book and find out.  It should begin now. All Labrador retrievers are what are called "mouthy" dogs.  They are known for their soft and gentle mouthing, but even Labradors need to be taught to be soft and gentle with their mouths.  That’s what "corrections" are for. Joe "Rogue" Finocchiaro "Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats."  H. L. Mencken

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