u/Curly_Willoww

Our 16-week-old Labrador, Ru, has episodes where he seems to completely lose control and jumps at us, chasing and biting our ankles, legs and hands. I’m not talking about normal puppy nipping – he actively comes after us and sometimes bites hard enough to break the skin.

We’ve had him since he was 8 weeks old, and he hasn’t had any negative or traumatic experiences. He’s otherwise a friendly, bright and happy puppy.

We have a positive-reinforcement trainer and follow her recommendations quite closely. We play with him, do short training sessions and other mental work, and use sniffing activities to help him wind down. We try to make sure his needs are met without overstimulating him.

Despite all this, many times a day he just completely loses it and starts jumping at us and biting. It seems particularly likely to happen when we want to stop interacting and relax – for example, when we sit on the couch at home or on a sun lounger while we’re on holiday. Ignoring him isn’t possible because he follows and bites us, redirecting to toys doesn’t work, and physically pushing him away only escalates things.
The only thing that reliably stops these episodes is putting him in his crate, where he usually calms down quickly.

Unfortunately, we’ve had to use the crate for this so often that he’s now started actively resisting going into it, which I really don’t want.

Our trainer’s approach is kind and positive, which I really appreciate, but the usual advice of ignoring and redirecting simply doesn’t work once he’s in this state.

Has anyone dealt with this level of overarousal/arousal biting, especially with a Labrador? What actually worked when your puppy was already in full-on biting mode? And does this eventually pass as they get older and learn to regulate themselves better?

I’m looking for advice from people with experience raising Labradors or other large-breed puppies in hot climates.

My chocolate Labrador puppy will be about 15 weeks old. We have a two-week seaside vacation planned, but I’m becoming increasingly anxious about the heat.
The forecast currently suggests daily highs around 33–35°C (91–95°F), with a possibility that one or two days could reach 36–37°C (97–99°F).

This isn’t a hotel or apartment vacation—it’s more of a simple, rustic outdoor getaway.

The conditions would be:
-A small one-room stone cottage with no air conditioning, which usually stays relatively cool if we keep it closed during the day.
-A shaded stone terrace.
-A large private waterfront property with a dense pine grove, providing natural shade for most of the day.
-The sea is only about 10 meters away, and there is usually a light sea breeze.
-We’ll have a refrigerator, plenty of cold water, ice cubes, and a fan.
-We’d avoid walks during the hottest part of the day and instead spend that time resting in the shade, only being active early in the morning and in the evening.

The nearest veterinarian is about an hour away (although there is a grocery store only about 10 minutes away).

One thing I’m also wondering about is that he has never swum before, so if he needs cooling in the sea, it would be his first experience with swimming.

Despite all that, I’m still worried because he’s so young. I’ve read so much about heatstroke in puppies that I’m questioning whether we should go at all.

For those with real experience:
Would you consider this environment reasonably safe?
Are there any precautions you would take beyond shade, water, and avoiding midday activity?

I’d really appreciate hearing from people who have actually raised Labrador puppies in similar conditions.

Hi everyone,

Today, we’re saying goodbye to our best friend, who’s been with us for over 14 years. Over time, he’s been slowing down. He has polyneuropathy, laryngeal paralysis, is deaf, and almost blind. He’s not suffering and he’s not completely immobile, but with all these issues, we’ve decided that euthanasia is the kindest choice.

Despite everything, he is still happy. He wags his tail when we’re near and still enjoys his food. We’ve spent these last days focused entirely on him—sitting outside together and making peaceful memories.

Tonight, we planned a home euthanasia. But now it’s pouring rain, and he can’t even enjoy his favorite spot in the garden.

I know I need to be calm for him and let him go peacefully—but my heart is tearing apart, and I don’t know how to do it. How did the rest of you get through something like this?