Help!! Puppy Play growling, nipping, jumping!

Hi
I asked for help a few months ago reguarding the same issue with my now 8 month old chocolate Labrador male, however my husband and myself would really be greatful of anymore tips, words of wisdom please.
Archie has an issue, well were to start. I'll just list what seems to set him off.
Towels, he bites them we take them off him.
Archie nudging us for a attention, if we don't respond.
When we end playtime and traning games.
They seem to be the main triggers, it's starts by him backing away with a little bark, at this point we make him sit and stay for a few moments, however if we don't cacth the symtoms in time it devolps into a Archie jumping, standing on his back legs, growling, barking, and Nipping us we did try to ingnore him, but it has gotten to the point were if we turn our backs on him he will pull at our clothers, nip the back of our legs our bottoms
He is brillaint at everything else, very respect full with food and treats, great at call back, walks lovely on his lead. He has two good walks a day and we practice traning with him daily, he has never chewed anything when left alone.
So i know were lucky with most things, this is a real problem we find our selves going to bed early to get out of his way.
Please help

As your Archie is only 8 months old, I think I can reassure you that this is an annoying periode of his/your life that will be history in a few months time.

Just continue the work you are already doing by ignoring & divercing this attitude. Make him sit or lay down, make him heel out of the room, anything really that makes him listen to you & stop this unwanted behaviour. And don't forget the praise when he does what you want.

He is in the teenage stage. Our boy was like this if overexcited or tired. Have you tried keeping a lead on him in the house so you can stop him doing it easier. We used to grab the lead and put him out in the kitchen for a minute or two. We had to do it many times but it did work in the end. It does look like they are being nasty but it is just a tantrum.

Hi Shell my D/I/Law was only saying yesterday thank goodness her puppy has gone through this stage and come out a well behaved dog.
I have just got three family puppies through the same stage, you have to be firm and consistent.

When Archie jumps up fold your arms across your chest/turn your back /no eye contact/no word no matter how long it takes, eventually your puppy will stop the behaviour because he is not getting attention and be prepared for the behaviour to get worse for a couple of times to begin with (you know what it is like when you think someone hasn't heard you, you speak louder to get their attention and this is the same situation) .
As soon as Archie is calm and his feet are on the ground ask him to sit/reward with calm praise so he doesn't become excited again.
If you and everyone in the house stick with this method it will work.

Biting towels =don't turn it into a game by tugging, offer the dog another toy and 'do a swap' for the towel .
Nudging for attention = get up and walk away/no word no eye contact, again be consistent and the behaviour will eventually become extinct because it isn't being rewarded.

All the behaviours you list are normal puppy behaviours, take a little time and effort to deal with them now and you will soon get through this stage and have a puppy you can enjoy.

I can only help you with the towel thing, coz my 20 week old does all this jumping up with my husband when he comes home, she turns into a complete nightmare with the leaping up at him She can also be laying on the floor of an evening and suddenly launches herself again at my husband sitting in his recliner She turns into the devil dog sometimes, but I'm sure as somebody else has said it's all to do with the age, and hopefully your dog will just grow out of it, although of course, you have to keep on top of it. The folding of the arms and turning worked with my last puppy when she started all this jumping up at me, she looked quite surprised the first time and it soon stopped her, so keep at that too!

Anyways, the towel thing, get yourself a nice treat in one hand with your hand closed and let her know that it's there, then start drying her off with the towel with the other hand, if she's good and doesn't grab the towel, then she gets the treat. Repeat a few times! It works!

This is what I call the 'Kevin' stage, they do grow out of it....eventually
Elaine x

Thank you so much for this thread!

Our 7 month old Springer is exactly the same at the moment and it is sooo hard not to worry that perhaps you've done something wrong and he has a problem. We also have the added problem of having a hyper Springer ;o)

We just make sure we stay calm and assertive with him so he knows that what he is doing is not acceptable. I have also had to time him out a few times recently which I haven't done since he was really little, 4 months or so. It works a treat because he just "red mists" and the more you try and control him out of it sometimes the worse he gets (combination of frustration and excitement). Timing out (in kitchen with door shut) for a few minutes if that snaps him out of it and he then becomes very sleepy (as usually being over tired has put him in this state in first place) and feel guilty. He then skulks out, licks us to say sorry and lies down for a nap!

Good luck, to us all. I just keep repeating what folks on here have said "it doesn't last forever....".

Repeat after me........."it doesn't last forever......." ;o)

It doesn't last forever...... it doesn't last forever........ one can live in hope!!!! I'm worried mine will hurt herself the state she gets in, let alone poor Dave with all his scratches from head to foot! She would never do it to me though so that's strange????!!! Trouble here for me is, I notice most of these puppies are now 8 months old, whereas mine is only 5 months However, I'm the eternal optimistic and.....it doesn't last forever (even though another 3 months will seem like forever!)

Ah thank you so much for all your advice
Today we put the lead on archie while he pottering around the house, There was a massive inprovement stright away as he couldn't chew on us
We are so thankful for advice, and so pleased that one day soon we can wacth a film the whole way through lol xxxx