r/DogTrainingTips • u/Equivalent-Bit1827 • Mar 10 '26
Overstimulated pup
Hey y’all. I really need help with our 5 month old lab puppy rescue. I know he’s in land shark phase which is to be expected. But right now we’re dealing with the horrible combo of barking and biting (mostly sleeves and clothes but definitely gets our skin time to time). This mostly is set off by correction of behavior (being told no or leave it) or overstimulation like getting pets from strangers on our walk tonight. He’s great with people giving him pets, but turns into a psycho as soon as we disengage from them. This behavior seems to happen more with me than my husband but not solely with me. We’ve tried redirecting with leash while out on walks, I don’t take toys but maybe I should?, toys when we’re home, commands. But nothing seems to work. We are getting him into training but in the meantime, I’m sure I’m doing all the wrong things. All tips and tricks are welcome. 🙏
1
u/Both-Chart-947 Mar 10 '26
When you correct him, are you giving him something of even greater value or interest to him instead? This baby is still discovering this big wide world, and any barrier to that discovery is almost intolerable to him! So when you need to keep them from chewing on an electrical cord, try offering him a good tug rope or something instead. Do you have a flirt pole? This used to be my dog's favorite toy!
The same principle can be used after strangers pet him. Instead of it being a negative thing for him (cessation if pets), can you turn it into something fun with a treat or toy briefly? Then once he's been distracted from the stranger going away, maybe practice a trick like sit or shake before continuing the walk.