# 5 month old retriever biting lead and jumping up



## swaff (May 26, 2009)

Hi

We've got a 5 month old golden retriever dog and he's never until now been any real problem when walking him. within the last weeks he has started to get selective deafness when he is off the lead, other people, dogs and smells are far more interesting them coming back to me, but I was prepared for that and am now upping his training on coming back to me at all times in and out of the house.

However his latest trick which started this week i wasn't prepared for and am at a loss as to what to do with it. his morning walk is in a park so either on a retractable lead or off the lead but in the evenings he gets a walk round the roads so is on a short lead. sometimes when we leave the house he will try and carry the lead in his mouth but we simply stop and remove it and move on when he isn't paying attention to it - I've put this down to excitement at being out and a little to the bred itself. 3 times this week though at some random point in the walk he suddenly almost gets fed up and decides it's more fun to play tug of war with the lead than to walk and when I stop and remove the lead from his mouth he jumps up at me and tries to grab my arm. I wouldn't say it's aggresive biting it's more like he's trying to carry me if he can't have the lead.

I've stopped playing tug of war with him in the garden and when it happens I'm trying not to get wound up, if he jumps I'm pulling sharply on his collar to get him down and saying no. 

after a couple of minutes he simply stops and decides to keep on with his walk.....

anyone any tips?

thanks
Sarah


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## Guest (Aug 2, 2009)

My boy still does this on the odd occasion, I have always thought and it is born out by the timings of him doing it, that he is showing his frustration at something. It is usually either when we are heading home after a very short walk, when he doesn't want to go the direction we are going or at a point in the walk where he is normally off lead.
If he is really in a paddy, he grabs the lead and rolls onto his back. At these times I am very firm with him.
Not saying that this is the case with yours, but something to ponder


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## swaff (May 26, 2009)

I don't think it's been when we're heading back or when we are at a certain point in the walk, in fact once he did it when we were going on a new route as he can now walk a little further.
luckily I've had a jumper on when he's done it or I've a feeling the remaining baby teeth might have made a mark or two on my arm.


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## EmzieAngel (Apr 22, 2009)

My lab used to do this as soon as we got out of the door and always on the way back down my street to get home and I can say it really hurt when he grabbed my arm.

I don't know why he did it, but I bought a chain lead, with a leather handle, which I've been using for a few months now, which means if he tried to chew the lead he wouldnt be able to break threw it, as I have a few leads which have snapped in two for him chewing it. Now I am able to use my rope leads again and has stopped chewing them. 

As for the jumping up, I kept making him sit and setting off once he was calm, he's now a year old and has grown out of it, but does it if anyone else decides to walk with me, but stops as soon as I tell him down.


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## davehyde (Jul 13, 2009)

a gr is an exuberant breed and very intelligent.

if i do not walk mine enough he still has a lot of pent up energy and sometimes jumps and grabs the lead on the way home.

try to balance out his walks so he has a chance to release this energy.

also mine loves to carry something in his mouth so i give him a stick or something.

making him sit when he does this is a good idea as it can distract him and settle him down a bit, i do the same.

but at his age he is very much still a pup and pushing the limits as much as he can lol.

as i say this mine has just chased the cat all round the room

does yours make a beeline for puddles and wet mud and any other stuff to get dirty in? my little rat does.


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## lea007 (Jun 3, 2009)

Hi our five month old goldie does exactly the same. I have to laugh at her sometimes as it looks like she is taking herself for a walk other times shes grabs it when shes not even attached to it and pulls me along, so it looks like its her taking me for a walk. She also does the tug of war thing with her lead now and then as well. We just put it down to her playfulness. If we think she is getting abit to out of hand we just tell her no in a firm voice and she stops it.


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## swaff (May 26, 2009)

yes mine makes a bee line for every bit of water he can find. his trick this morning after a walk when I managed to keep him dry as I was in a bit of a rush was to lay down in a puddle in the car park when I was unlocking the car!!

hopefully this is something that he'll start to grow out of, the more I pay attention to it, it's something that only kicks off when he is on pavement rather than in a field where he can run, so I'm guessing part of it is fustration at not being able to go where he wants.


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## davehyde (Jul 13, 2009)

i think he still has an energy he wants to get rid off. but the problem is not to overexcercise them at that age.

try a little training after his walk just before you go home, engage his brain and it may distract him. nothing too heavy some sits , downs etc.

also give him something to carry see if keeps his attention on that.


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