# 9 week old Labradoodle



## Kyle071785 (Nov 28, 2013)

Hey everyone. I picked up my male Labradoodle exactly 1 week ago today. Things are going great and he is learning rather quickly.

Here is a quick pic:










He has already become accustomed to his crate and can usually sleep the whole night with only 1 or 2 brief bathroom trips (sometimes sleeping straight for as long as 5.5 hours).
He knows how to "sit" fairly reliably and I have to laugh as everytime he does it he back up about 2-3 steps first instead of just sitting.
He is working on his "lie down" but at this moment its less of a "lie" and more of a "pounce" down.
He is also quite good at the "wait" command for his treats.
He also knows that his dog bed (in the family room) is the only place to go if he wants to chew on his bone (bully stick, antler, etc.). All I have to do is pick it up and he runs over to the bed ready to go 
He has taken fairly well to housetraining too although I'm watching him 24/7 when he is not in the crate or pen.

but like every dog owner, I am running into a few problems that require some assistance...

1) The crate is upstairs in the bedroom and he is fine to sleep in it. The problem arises during the night (if he isn't fast asleep) and he sees either my wife or I going to the bathroom. He will start whining/howling despite the fact that he can a) see us go to the bathroom and b) see the light from where we are. How can I stop the middle of the night crying especially when we are usually back in 30 seconds and he will settle right down

2) We have an exercise pen (about 3 feet by 4 feet) in our kitchen. From the pen he can see us in the family room or when we sit for meals. The problem happens when we go to the cooking area (which is divided from the eating area by a counter) that he will start jumping on the sides of the pen and crying out. We pop our heads out beyond the counter and tell him we're still here but it does little to quiet him

3) His biting/mouthing is horrible so far. None of the techniques in books/on the internet have worked with him so far. 
We've tried: saying "ah ah", making a "yelp" noise, puppy time out, ending the game, redirecting his biting to a toy, etc...nothing has worked with him so far and all it seems to do is push him further to bite.
Some people we've talked to suggest clamping his muzzle until he settles down followed by a time-out but I'm trying to figure out another way.
I know he is a puppy, but he has to learn this quicker than most as I visit my parents quite often and I have a severely disabled sister in a wheelchair and I can't be worried about whether he'll try and bite that day. What is the quickest way for him to learn that human skin is off limits as he's already drawn blood a few times on my hands when he latches on?? I know it'll take time, but his "go to" move at the moment right now for everything is to bite whether its warranted or not.


Thanks all for the help :wave:


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## kcomstoc (Mar 9, 2013)

Ok for the biting just stick with redirecting with a toy and if he continues to bite then he goes to his pen for a short time and then when he calms down again then he can come back in...repetition is the key and labs are notoriously mouthy until about 1-2 years old. Please don't hold his muzzle shut that will only make him want to bite more because he's going to think it's a game. Just be firm and say "no" and then redirect him to a toy and if that doesn't work then in the pen he goes. It will take a lot of time especially because he's a lab mix so just be patient...I don't know a quick way to do this sorry.

As for the potty in the house set him up for success and keep where he is allowed to go limited, he's just a baby after all and you wouldn't give them much space and NEVER let him out of your sight because then he's going to pee. I wouldn't call it marking yet he doesn't have control of his bladder until 6 months so sometimes he might not even know he has to go and just does. I would leash him to you (considering he wants to be with you anyway) and then where ever you go you can watch him. Also maybe set alarms every hour or so to take him out, don't make going outside a fun activity (unless it's a walk), make it a quick potty trip and if he doesn't go in about 5 minutes then back inside and wait another 20 minutes and take him back out again  it sounds like you're doing very well so far and I would love to see pictures of your puppy


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## Kyle071785 (Nov 28, 2013)

kcomstoc said:


> Ok for the biting just stick with redirecting with a toy and if he continues to bite then he goes to his pen for a short time and then when he calms down again then he can come back in...repetition is the key and labs are notoriously mouthy until about 1-2 years old. Please don't hold his muzzle shut that will only make him want to bite more because he's going to think it's a game. Just be firm and say "no" and then redirect him to a toy and if that doesn't work then in the pen he goes. It will take a lot of time especially because he's a lab mix so just be patient...I don't know a quick way to do this sorry.
> 
> As for the potty in the house set him up for success and keep where he is allowed to go limited, he's just a baby after all and you wouldn't give them much space and NEVER let him out of your sight because then he's going to pee. I wouldn't call it marking yet he doesn't have control of his bladder until 6 months so sometimes he might not even know he has to go and just does. I would leash him to you (considering he wants to be with you anyway) and then where ever you go you can watch him. Also maybe set alarms every hour or so to take him out, don't make going outside a fun activity (unless it's a walk), make it a quick potty trip and if he doesn't go in about 5 minutes then back inside and wait another 20 minutes and take him back out again  it sounds like you're doing very well so far and I would love to see pictures of your puppy


thanks for the tips there. I added a pic up top for you to see the little guy

I appreciate the potty tips as well (although I deleted it from my original post as I'm skimming through other topics on it)


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## Hambonez (Mar 17, 2012)

1. If you're getting up to pee anyway, why not take the puppy out to go at the same time? It'll prevent being woken up later (hopefully), and prevent the getting upset because you're up and he's not.

2. Try giving him something mentally challenging to do while you make dinner? A kong with his dinner frozen inside or a treat ball or something so he has something to do other than stare at you.

3. My dog was a vampire piranha land shark for months when he was a puppy. Any noise that distracts him is functional. You could try a deep voice or a whistle or whatever works for you. "Eh eh" worked for my dog. Yelping excited him more. We were consistent about removing attention, replacing us with a toy, and distracting him but I think the things that helped the most were bringing him to puppy socialization groups so he could learn from the other dogs, and time. You've got a mouthy mix of dog, so I'd expect a long road ahead of you.


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## HollowHeaven (Feb 5, 2012)

Kyle071785 said:


> 3) His biting/mouthing is horrible so far. None of the techniques in books/on the internet have worked with him so far.
> We've tried: saying "ah ah", making a "yelp" noise, puppy time out, ending the game, redirecting his biting to a toy, etc...nothing has worked with him so far and all it seems to do is push him further to bite.
> *Some people we've talked to suggest clamping his muzzle until he settles down followed by a time-out but *I'm trying to figure out another way.


Keep doing what you're doing. It will take a long time for him to get it but he will get it.
Definitely don't do that that thing in bold. Will not help at all.


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## ireth0 (Feb 11, 2013)

HollowHeaven said:


> Keep doing what you're doing. It will take a long time for him to get it but he will get it.
> Definitely don't do that that thing in bold. Will not help at all.


I agree with this. 

It will just take time, but being consistent will help get the message across more clearly. If EVERY time he is mouthy the play stops, that's much more clear to him than if sometimes play stops, sometimes you make funny noises, etc, etc. Pick a method and stick to it.

Consistency and time and patience. Unfortunately there is no quick fix.


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## kcomstoc (Mar 9, 2013)

AWES  cutie


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## asuna (Sep 26, 2013)

i have no real words of wisdom except OMG LOOK AT THAT FACE! soooooooooo cute


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## chipinmom (Feb 13, 2012)

Kyle071785 said:


> 1) The crate is upstairs in the bedroom and he is fine to sleep in it. The problem arises during the night (if he isn't fast asleep) and he sees either my wife or I going to the bathroom. He will start whining/howling despite the fact that he can a) see us go to the bathroom and b) see the light from where we are. How can I stop the middle of the night crying especially when we are usually back in 30 seconds and he will settle right down


Everyone has given good advice so far so I won't reply to everything. But if you don't feel like taking him out everytime you guys get up to use the washroom, try getting a crate cover (or a sheet will work too). It _could_ help a lot if he can't SEE when you get up and might keep him quiet and sleeping.


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## Kyle071785 (Nov 28, 2013)

Hambonez said:


> 1. If you're getting up to pee anyway, why not take the puppy out to go at the same time? It'll prevent being woken up later (hopefully), and prevent the getting upset because you're up and he's not.
> 
> 2. Try giving him something mentally challenging to do while you make dinner? A kong with his dinner frozen inside or a treat ball or something so he has something to do other than stare at you.
> 
> 3. My dog was a vampire piranha land shark for months when he was a puppy. Any noise that distracts him is functional. You could try a deep voice or a whistle or whatever works for you. "Eh eh" worked for my dog. Yelping excited him more. We were consistent about removing attention, replacing us with a toy, and distracting him but I think the things that helped the most were bringing him to puppy socialization groups so he could learn from the other dogs, and time. You've got a mouthy mix of dog, so I'd expect a long road ahead of you.


1) He does the whining when we come back in from a potty break. I put him back in the crate to go back to sleep then usually make a trip to the bathroom myself if I have to

2) So far, he has no real interest in the Kong aside from chewing on an empty one for a few seconds. I've tried placing a few items in it (including peanut butter) but he doesn't care for it. The only thing he really loves are Bully Sticks but I try to limit his time on them each day to 20-30 minutes or until he moves away from it for some water



chipinmom said:


> Everyone has given good advice so far so I won't reply to everything. But if you don't feel like taking him out everytime you guys get up to use the washroom, try getting a crate cover (or a sheet will work too). It _could_ help a lot if he can't SEE when you get up and might keep him quiet and sleeping.


Ya I've tried the blanket too...all he does is stick his tiny teeth through the bars and pull the blanket into the crate with him :doh:



asuna said:


> i have no real words of wisdom except OMG LOOK AT THAT FACE! soooooooooo cute


ya he's the worst type of dog. A cutie who's also a menace :bounce:


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## Kyle071785 (Nov 28, 2013)

ireth0 said:


> I agree with this.
> 
> It will just take time, but being consistent will help get the message across more clearly. If EVERY time he is mouthy the play stops, that's much more clear to him than if sometimes play stops, sometimes you make funny noises, etc, etc. Pick a method and stick to it.
> 
> Consistency and time and patience. Unfortunately there is no quick fix.


Thanks, I'll stick to one for a period of time and hope for the best. Today during a play session in the snow he kept getting annoyed whenever I'd stop the game due to his biting, so maybe that one will eventually be the key to solving this one


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## Kyle071785 (Nov 28, 2013)

This was his pic at 5 weeks...even cuter than the 9 week one. Everyone said he looked like a toy


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## Kyle071785 (Nov 28, 2013)

everytime I ask him if he wants his bully stick, he runs out of the crate and nails a perfect "sit" on his dog bed in the family room


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## hanksimon (Mar 18, 2009)

For Nipping: http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/13_6/features/Bite-Inhibition_16232-1.html

Also, I wrote the following for someone else. Note the time and the apology:

Bite Inhibition takes about 3 days to kick in, even then you only get a reduction of bloodletting, slowly resulting in bloodfree nipping, leading to mouthing, etc. Depending on the reaction of the pup, you don't have to use a Yelp!, you can say Ouch!!!, or Oops, where you want a marking word, to indicate when you are withdrawing attention.

Perhaps you need to try a little longer. Read this tweak and note the 3 days and the apology....maybe, he ignored the Yelp!, because you ignored the apology. Instead of the Yelp, you can say Ouch! or Oops! Also, it seems to be more effective if you can leave him alone in a timeout ("abandoning him"), rather than putting him into a timeout in the crate. It seems to make the act of withdrawing attention more blatant.

Some Tweaks to Bite Inhibition (to get him to stop biting when he wants to play or otherwise):
1. When the pup bites, then yelp. It should sound about like what the pup does when you step on its paw... don't step on his paw for a sample . When you yelp, the pup should startle briefly and stop nipping. (Look for the startle) Praise and pet. He'll bite.
2. When he bites the second time, Yelp. When he stops, praise and pet. He'll nip again, although it may be a little gentler. ...
3. When he bites a third time, Yelp (see a pattern?). But this time, turn your back for 15 - 30 secs. If he comes around and play bows or barks, then that is an apology. This is important. Accept it, praise and pet... and cringe in expectation of the next nip...
4. When he bites the 4th time, Yelp, then leave the area, placing him in a 2 min. time-out. It is better if you can leave, rather than moving him. Then, return and interact. (He's still hungry...)
5. When he nips the fifth time, yelp, and leave the area, stopping interaction for now.

You can modify the number of steps, but not what you do... for example, you can leave in a huff , after the second nip or even the first, but you always have to provide a vocal marker, to give him something to react to. I still use a light yelp with my 11 yo when he lets teeth touch skin as I give him a treat. No pressure or harm, but I want him to appear very safe to everyone.

Pups need to sleep over night in order to learn their lessons. So, keep doing this for 3 days. By the third day, you should notice signficant Bite Inhibition. He may still nip, but it will be softer and he won't draw blood. And, he should be less aggressive, especially, if you notice the apology. Keep up the training and make sure that everyone yelps.... Very powerful method.


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## Kyle071785 (Nov 28, 2013)

thanks everyone for the advice 

he's been learning quick these past few days


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## Abbylynn (Jul 7, 2011)

What a gorgeous puppy!


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