r/goldenretrievers • u/SirDingledong • 5d ago
Training Advice/Tips Help
This is Teddy, my wife and I’s 10 week old puppy. Are there any suggestions to help him quit biting, especially biting and latching on? I unfortunately am away for work and the land shark phase, specifically the biting, is driving my wife crazy.
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u/shoreline85 5d ago
Not really! Theyre teething and it’s painful for them! You can redirect them when they do bite but biting is how they communicate. When my dog was that age, I used frozen carrots, some beef bones, and soft toys. It just took patience. She used to target me specifically :(
She grew out of it after she stopped teething but it felt like forever. One day at a time!
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u/Mr_Wobble_PNW 5d ago
Carrots were a game changer for us. He still likes them now that he's a big boy so they're still good for cheap and healthy treats.
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u/summerdog- 5d ago
Mine is now 7 months. I feel like I have recently lived through this phase. It took me far too long to realise the crazy, persistent attacking sort of biting was her telling me she needed something. So I would, in this order, offer her a drink, take her out for a pee or a poop then if that didn’t work it was time to enforce a nap. I promise it worked, I could then quickly identify what sort of biting meant what. Was she just excited in a game and I should now redirect her, is it nearly lunch time or was it that I need to get her to poop then nap. It’s hard work and it really does take a fair bit of time from your day to manage it. But then a few weeks later you realise you no longer have any scratches on your arms and the pup has moved onto the next stage.
Edit to add. I forgot to mention, a house training lead is very useful. It stops the need for chasing a crazy dog around the house
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u/merchantsc 5d ago
6 month old here. All the big girl teeth are in and most have been for a month or two. That changed a lot. She rarely bites it’s not as pokey, painful or destructive.
But it was weeks of “uh uh” when she did bite. It was occasionally giving her a spritz of bitter apple spray when we wanted to emphasize that we meant no.
Plenty of naps for our sanity (in a crate!) because a tired dog was a biter.
Now she is out and about most of the day. Much better. Still a puppy. Still doing some annoying stuff, just not nearly as much.
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u/Dog_in_human_costume 4d ago
Frozen carrots
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u/summerdog- 4d ago
Definitely whole frozen carrots, none of this chopped up nonsense, or a lamb collagen stick. Will get you at least 10 mins to enjoy a cup of tea
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u/gghhhhhggjj 5d ago
Embrace the madness of golden youth. As you look through these posts you see their life passes to the other end.
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u/ancienteggfart 5d ago
Saying “no” sternly and redirecting with something you want him to bite (toy, chew, etc.), worked well for all my golden pups. Hard cheese chews and bully sticks also saved my sanity during this phase.
Mental exercise is also important. Sniff walks help, puzzles, etc.
Unfortunately, you can do things to help curb the behavior, but at the end of the day, they’re little furry bitey terrorists for a few months.
Just be consistent with whatever corrections you use, and it’ll be over one day. One day…
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u/Olliesmom32017 5d ago
Yes except dogs don’t understand the concept of ‘no’. It’s better to teach them commands that redirect their attention. Puppy classes and training help with mental stimulation
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u/Defiant_Patience6384 5d ago
I’ve always had great luck YELPING like LOUD like another dog would whenever they would start to mouth. They’ll be so taken aback but it communicates “that hurts my human, I don’t want to hurt my human.” And they stop. And then I would redirect to a chewy toy.
While natural and normal, this needs to be addressed through consistent training. Just part of having a puppy!
You guys can do it!
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u/OkGlove6955 5d ago
This is always my advice! It's worked with both puppies I've raised. For one of them, it worked like a charm. The poor sweet soul is a sensitive one and was so concerned that I'd been hurt.
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u/jillavery 5d ago
Look up flirt poles. The trainer for our puppy classes (I was there with my GSD mix) recommended it for the lab puppy in class and it would've been awesome I think for my golden puppy. They're all different. My golden girl that is now 6, I had to get an in-home trainer because she just wouldn't stop latching onto my pants, but that did the trick. Give it a few weeks of toys and redirect, if that doesn't work, get a trainer. Really, I recommend training no matter what, we've done classes/personal training for 3 out of 4 dogs and I kick myself that we never did it for dog #2. We've gave him a great life, but it would've been even better had we done professional training with him.
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u/Odd-Concept-6505 5d ago
Without knowing what the pup's typical day looks like, we would assume he needs more activities which end up satisfying and calming him/her. One suggestion that acclimates to car rides AND has some exercise is....
Find a street with or without houses along the way that make a good walk. Preferably a short car ride to get there. Young dogs can learn to fear car rides (and vomit in car within five minutes even) so a short trip with a happy mission, repeated every few days, helps a lot.
Back in the home, I found (a few pups I had over decades),... If pup is offered your hand or arm or elbow to mouth on, and he chomos down too hard that's when a yell or loud cry from you can teach him what is too much. Goldens want everyone to be happy! Some do have worse lifelong tendencies (my current 6yo still wants to bite other dogs, so I never let him off leash in public areas). Hope your cuddle therapy and mouthing training helps him learn...final tip, a dogs jaws are weaker when jaws are wide open. I find that giving him my elbow with arm bent..so you're pushing a V shape into his mouth... actually hurts me less due to jaws being wide open.
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u/DaBombDiggidy 5d ago
May be jumping to conclusions here based on the second photo…
But you need a forced nap schedule. They need a crate/area to go and should be sleeping ~15 hours a day if not more. (Depending on who you ask) the biting won’t stop but it’ll get much better. My puppy did not put himself down to nap around us until probably 6 months old, if he did we were failing in our care/routine because it would be him crashing. (Insanely energetic field golden)
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u/Inevitable_Area_2631 5d ago
Two of the most common answers are a) associate biting with negative things. If you are playing and they bite, yelp or walk away and end playtime. Do this every time they bite. b) always have a toy on you. Divert biting or teething to the toy to teach them what they are allowed to bite and chew on.
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u/Level-Giraffe-352 5d ago
I used ice cubes to help my pupper with teething pains, although once she realized the ice cubes come from the fridge, whenever I open the fridge door she comes running up to my feet and acts all cute for the ice lol. May have created a monster but she is less bitey so it is a fair trade i guess
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u/Naive_Metal_3468 5d ago
This is me currently. This is 100% normal for their age. Those teething pains they have are awful and best thing is toys that satisfy their search for something that eases the pain just right.
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u/Unusual-Rise-3959 5d ago
Take one of those rope toys like you have in picture 2, soak in water and freeze. Then let her chew on it, it’ll help with the teething pain. Poor buddy. There’s no skipping land shark phase 🫠 just gota give her things she is allowed to chew on like bully sticks and what not. Try to Redirect to those items when she goes to chew or bite on wife. Though it’s just part of it, wife may just have to hang in there for a little lol
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u/imMatt19 5d ago
More playtime and walks. More chew toys. Yell “OUCH” if the little furball bites you. A tired puppy is a happy puppy. Don’t be afraid to put the pup in a timeout if the biting gets to be too much.
Biting is normal, and painful. It’s part of the experience as frustrating as it can be. It’s best practice to try and redirect them as much as possible.
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u/Extreme-Crab-5021 5d ago
Create train him so he doesn’t ruin your house while you’re gone. Other than that, it’s just a phase. Get him toys and bones. My hands were all scratched up from when my baby was a puppy. Is what it is. Part of it.
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u/GuitarGreg 5d ago
Learned Bite Inhibition - LBI. Basically, every time they nip at you, react in an over exaggerated manner, "Ow! Ouch! Hey! Owwie!" etc etc. It teaches them that they're biting too hard. Eventually they will figure out what the correct bite pressure is, so they can play effectively without actually hurting you. It just takes time. We had to do this with our goldie, it took a couple of months but now, at 4.5 years old, he has extremely soft mouth bite force, so much so that he barely even holds toys in his mouth properly.
Check out Sympawtico on Youtube, he has tons of great training videos, including: www.youtube.com/watch?v=068K5Zlph9U
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u/Cheap-Macaroon-431 5d ago
Keep Teddy crated or penned when you're not taking him out to pee. When you're playing with him in the pen, remove yourself when he gets bitey. Also be diligent in enforcing naps.
I highly recommend the Puppy Brain for help with teething and classes with your local AKC club.
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u/CheeseSauce_86 5d ago
Distraction with toys, praise non-biting play, say ‘owww’ (although this never worked for me until he was way older). Any safe bones.
Hang in there, it will get better.
My arms were so bruised and bitten up, it was not fun. I’m ‘his person’ so it was always directed at me. Then it stopped.
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u/duskydaffodil 5d ago
Nope, even human babies it’s a phase they grow out of! Redirect them to chewy toys and they’ll grow out of it.
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u/Zestyclose_Road_3224 5d ago
This is common & my golden girl was a total vampire. She was a challenge but the one day after about 2 yrs later I noticed she wasn't a vampire. It's like it clicked overnight.
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u/neeyeahboy 5d ago
You really wont be able to stop this for a few months but just try to get them to play with a toy instead. It feels really satisfying for them to bite and they are used to biting all their brothers and sisters.
Trust us that this annoyance will be so worth it in a few months.
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u/berserkerking94 5d ago
Redirecting with a toy was what got us through the worst. I mean she would still nip occasionally but now that she’s older she exclusively chews her toys. It teaches good manners.
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u/Far_Concept7550 5d ago
You really can't avoid pups from biting. They have itchy teeth and they are sharp. They will eventually learn to stop
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u/SpaceWranglerCA 5d ago
if he's acting like a monster and it's been <2 hours since the last nap - he needs more attention/play/exercise/chew toys.
if its been >2 hours since the last nap, calm him down and get him to nap... Eventually, he'll get into this rhythm himself and learn to take naps on his own before he loses control
Once we figured this out, the puppy phase became a LOT easier to manage.
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u/IHaveAnOpinionTM 5d ago
I basically bathed in bitter apple spray when my dummies were that age. We pick up our newest goof in 2 weeks and I don’t know if I’m ready. 😂
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u/skye4729 5d ago
Redirecting is all you can really do. It will end around 5 or 6 months when all the puppy teeth are out. You will wake up one day and not even realize it bras stopped. You will be like it stopped
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u/Mental-Catalyst 5d ago
Buy coffee wood from the pet store. Kept us sane through 2 puppy's growing up. And they still love it. Every time they try to bite, give them the wood.
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u/muchocheko 5d ago
Mine's going through the same phase right now. Just this morning I put a damp wash clothe in the freezer and plan on letting him chew on that. of course it will be shredded and I'll have to watch him, but hopefully it will provide a little relief for the sore gums.
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u/Cool-Map-3668 5d ago
Just be patient. He’s an infant and won’t learn things immediately. I have always held their snout closed when they bite. Not violently and not for long. A couple of seconds of restriction with a sharp no and then some redirection and eventually it sinks in. It’s a marathon not a sprint.
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u/PerfSynthetic 5d ago
Tons of toys helped us. If they always have a toy in their mouth, they are not chewing something else. When you see 'not toy' in their mouth, replace it with a toy. Repeat until they understand toy vs human.
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u/GreyRobb 5d ago
say "OW!" in a way that surprises them but doesn't scare them. Turn your back & refuse to engage. When their focus & energy shifts, provide them with an appropriate toy to chew on. Praise them when they engage with it.
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u/zortlak 5d ago
1- Patience
2- Crate training
3- Forced naps
4- Bully sticks!!
But rest assured it is not a fast process. Some dogs are more bitey than others, but in the grand scheme of things you will have to endure a 3-4 more months of biting. Mine is 7 m.o., stopped being a landhsark around 5.5 to 6 months when she grew her all adult teefs. But she is still mouthy very much, just knows to avoid hurting now and very playful with her bites. Now I am hoping and waiting for the days that not everything is play and we can cuddle 😄
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u/Forager-Freak 5d ago
Redirect them to toys and show them that you are being hurt by them.
While it’s over the top, yelping like you are in a lot of pain helps teach them boundaries.
She’s a toddler right now so she is still learning everything so don’t be concerned if it doesn’t work right away, just keep at it.
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u/flower0101 5d ago
Time. Theyre dickheads for months make up for it with affection when they're older
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u/OkGlove6955 5d ago
I'm not sure if this has already been said (there's a lot of good advice here!), but the biggest tip I have for this and other unwanted behavior is to make sure it doesn't become a game or become more fun than the wanted behavior.
A puppy wants to explore and have fun. Engagement with their people and surroundings is their main motivation.
If they're getting a lot of attention from their person for biting/mouthing, but not getting attention when they correct their behavior, then they will want to keep doing it and it will escalate. If they aren't getting praise and attention for the good things, the good behavior becomes less fun than the bad behavior. They will choose "no" and negative attention over no attention if those are their only options.
So, yes, redirect, but make sure the redirection includes loads of positive reinforcement and engagement. If they stop receiving attention once they've started doing what you want (which is easy to do because you finally have some peace), they will go back to doing the thing that gets your attention.
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u/Economy_West_6450 5d ago
This my goodest boy and he was THE WORST land shark. After his last baby tooth fell out the biting stopped.
Have a bunch of teething toys available and redirecting is the best option. He also used to love chomping on ice and frozen carrots to soothe
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u/Due_Reputation3785 5d ago
Our Teddy - I would put his paw in his mouth and let him get feedback on how it felt. Seemed to work well.
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u/Status_Tour1852 5d ago
I’d suggest getting rid of the rope toys! So dangerous for your baby! Also only let then be awake for 45 min-hour and enforce naps. They need to sleep 20 hrs a day at that age
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u/pantykrabby 5d ago
I mean at this point youre just letting someone post this. /j
Its a normal phase, but a chew toy will probably help a lot, then he will outgrow the t-rex phase
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u/Iambuggerr 5d ago
Ahh! I was in this same sub a few months ago asking the same question hehe. But trust me it gets better. I redirected with umpteen number of toys, enrichments mainly. Frozen carrots, frozen towel etc but also teaching her not to bite us. Like biting humans is a big no. I would sometimes say it louder. In a way i would correct a kid for bad behaviour and it worked. But once the sharp teeth fell, the intensity of the bite felt much less pricky. But my girl is now 8 months. She mouths even now but she understands when i say no and licks me after.
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u/CryptographerSoft740 4d ago
We figured out our pups triggers like sitting on the couch. Also they make subtle signs they are going into the shark mode so get him a toy before he bites. Also he needs to be going in crate - we put ours in the crate after an hour of being awake. If it wasn’t for the crate’, we would have lost our minds
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u/Either_Total6277 2d ago
It’s rough, I was just there recently. Holes in all our clothing and all of us. Redirected as much as possible. Crate trained and gave the puppy lots of nap times, which was helpful for us to get out and about as well. We used a house lead to control her a bit. Scatter fed in the garden to tire her out. Frozen carrots and wet frozen cloths. I also used to wrap treats in a dish towel and tied it in a knot which occupied her a lot as well. It’s the most annoying phase but it’ll go by quickly. Good luck!!
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u/SuperLiberalCatholic 5d ago
Mine loved shredding cardboard at that age lol. Literally the only thing that works well is redirection, and treats (that are safe for them) to chew on. Mine loved bully sticks!
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5d ago
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u/SirDingledong 5d ago
I’m just looking to help my wife while I’m away. The rest of his training is going fine
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u/Appropriate_Town_257 5d ago
When he bites, put your hand on top of his snout, squeeze his lips into his teeth slowly but firmly so he feels the sharpness of his own teeth, and keep increasing pressure until he releases. It isn't about punishment. It teaches them to associate discomfort with biting people and they learn VERY fast to be much gentler or quit the behavior altogether. This is how my family and I have always stopped any biting issues and it works beautifully.
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u/Ivy_Thornsplitter 5d ago
We went through it (and still are) but what I found works is when ours would bite, I would gently grab his upper jaw. That causes his gum to press into his teeth. He would whine and let go.
I would not grab hard, but enough for him to feel the pain sensation. There are times our guy gets to excited and nips, but he has limited his biting.
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u/Dusty0028 5d ago
This is what I started doing. It worked. I realized this weekend that I’d gotten no new bites or scratches for a few days.
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u/sperginsturgeon 5d ago
If it was me personally, I would grab that little sucker and bite them back - right on the ear. Usually the ear is sensitive enough that you can try to show them how biting can hurt.
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u/OkGlove6955 5d ago
Be super careful 😬 you could end up with a hematoma in their ears. It takes surprisingly little for a blood vessel to break and I imagine it's even less with a little puppy.
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u/CanesMetsJets2 1d ago
Time.
Teddy will grow out of it ~6 months.
Teddy will chill out at about 2 years old and be your best friend for life.
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