# lunging at my face!



## KenyiGirl (Nov 12, 2008)

Molly (my 9 week old lab mix puppy) has been lunging at my face lately when playing/wrestling. We're working on the biting, but I don't know what to do about lunging and snapping. Does anyone have any ideas?


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## RawFedDogs (Jun 22, 2008)

KenyiGirl said:


> Molly (my 9 week old lab mix puppy) has been lunging at my face lately when playing/wrestling. We're working on the biting, but I don't know what to do about lunging and snapping. Does anyone have any ideas?


If she is othewise well behaved (for a 9 week old), and only does then when playing, it's not that big of deal. From now on when she does it, don't say anything to her, just get up and walk away. Ignore her for 5 minutes. Don't fuss at her, don't look at her, don't say anything to her. The puppy doesn't exist for 5 minutes. After a few of those, she will learn. In the dog world, puppies biting other puppies snout during play is common and accepted behavior.


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## I_love_my_poopers (Oct 29, 2008)

My 8 month old lab does that sometimes. Last month i was bending over to get something off the floor and she jumped up to try to lick my face and her head hit my jaw mouth area and gave me a fat lip and a sore mouth for several days. If shes playing sometimes she will lunge at you out of the blue...i can usually tell when she is going to do it and i can lean back but geez. Sometimes its annoying.


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## Curbside Prophet (Apr 28, 2006)

KenyiGirl said:


> Molly (my 9 week old lab mix puppy) has been lunging at my face lately when playing/wrestling. We're working on the biting, but I don't know what to do about lunging and snapping. Does anyone have any ideas?


How are you working on biting?


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## KenyiGirl (Nov 12, 2008)

> Ignore her for 5 minutes. Don't fuss at her, don't look at her, don't say anything to her. The puppy doesn't exist for 5 minutes.


Isn't 5 minutes kind of long? I don't think she could stay out trouble for 5 minutes, lol. By that time she will have forgotten I even exhist and will have found a toy to play with.



> How are you working on biting?


When we are playing/wrestling and she bites hard, I yelp, get up and ignore her for about a minute. 
When we're not playing, and I'm just walking around and she attacks my legs or feet and bites me, I stand still and I tell her "no bite" loudly in a deep voice.


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## RawFedDogs (Jun 22, 2008)

KenyiGirl said:


> Isn't 5 minutes kind of long? I don't think she could stay out trouble for 5 minutes, lol. By that time she will have forgotten I even exhist and will have found a toy to play with.


Doesn't matter if he forgets you. As soon as the time is up (2 minutes will work just as well for a pup that young), initiate play again. Start off calm and let the intensity build until she trys it again, the repeat the process. The more times you can get her to repeat, the faster she will learn. BTW: If she attacks your legs and feet during the ignore phase, try your best to ignore that also. It is an attention getting ploy and if it works it lessens the effect of ignoring.

If you find it impossible to ignore her because of her attacking your legs and feet, you will have to use a crate or small puppy proof room to isolate her during the ignore part. You won't say anything to her. Just pick her up and put her in the crate or a bathroom or whatever place you choose.


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