Anyone want a labrador?

[poiuytrewq]

I'm trying and failing to work atm! He's suddenly into everything.
I work in a room adjoining the kitchen, usually he plays in here, we go for walks/ a play in the field etc and he sleeps whilst i work....until now!

There is no door between the two rooms (its a big gap not a stairgate size door way) and he has apparently discovered he can stand up at the kitchen work tops. I NEVER leave anything out but he just likes to look. I can hear him up there constantly- Can never catch him in the act but shout him down form my computer, Two seconds later he's at it again. A friend said to line up clattery things on the edge so when he jumps they will fall and scare him from doing it again, I'm not so sure it would really and would take a lot of clattery things as its a fairly big area. Any tips on this? He seems to be obsessed but as above there is nothing there for him.

Where has all this energy appeared from I'm exhausted

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Our brown one (rehomed aged 22 weeks) is now just a couple of months short of 2 yrs old, she still likes to stand up on her back legs to investigate everything in the kitchen. She has never been allowed to do it but her greed is such a motivator!

 

[poiuytrewq]

Our brown one (rehomed aged 22 weeks) is now just a couple of months short of 2 yrs old, she still likes to stand up on her back legs to investigate everything in the kitchen. She has never been allowed to do it but her greed is such a motivator!

I suppose they are known for their healthy appetite!
Any Idea how to stop it? Other than sit in the kitchen all day! He has never even tried if we are in there so he does know!

 

[Above the snowline]

How old is he?

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I suppose they are known for their healthy appetite!
Any Idea how to stop it? Other than sit in the kitchen all day! He has never even tried if we are in there so he does know!

No but ours will try her luck even if there is someone there. I genuinely think her 'appetite' stems from her poor start as a pup.

 

[poiuytrewq]

How old is he?

Born mid June- A rebellious little teenager who's beginning to find his own feet and confidence!

No but ours will try her luck even if there is someone there. I genuinely think her 'appetite' stems from her poor start as a pup.

Would make sense, if she was hungry and had to get her share when ever she could.

 

[Above the snowline]

Mine was angelic until 6 months old. Then she went crazy for c. 3 months. I was told this is a normal part of growing up. It was exhausting, the garden was destroyed and many things shredded. Now I know why there are so many 7 month old labradors looking for a new home. Keep calm and carry on - there will be light at the end of the tunnel! I resorted to making a safe area in an outbuilding with suitable items for her to destroy and chew so I could have a small amount of peace. Teething and hormones can be very disruptive.

 

[poiuytrewq]

Mine was angelic until 6 months old. Then she went crazy for c. 3 months. I was told this is a normal part of growing up. It was exhausting, the garden was destroyed and many things shredded. Now I know why there are so many 7 month old labradors looking for a new home. Keep calm and carry on - there will be light at the end of the tunnel! I resorted to making a safe area in an outbuilding with suitable items for her to destroy and chew so I could have a small amount of peace. Teething and hormones can be very disruptive.

He is number 4 so I remember it well on the plus this has been the only one that has never chewed anything bad, he loves a letter or a card board box and tbh I sometimes give him one as he has a great time and I have peace!! * touch wood though are furniture/ house and flooring are still intact! ( I absolutely didn’t say that though )
I met someone yesterday with a tiny yellow puppy. I almost wished her luck when they said what a good girl she was

 

[JJS]

Mine was angelic until 6 months old. Then she went crazy for c. 3 months. I was told this is a normal part of growing up. It was exhausting, the garden was destroyed and many things shredded. Now I know why there are so many 7 month old labradors looking for a new home. Keep calm and carry on - there will be light at the end of the tunnel! I resorted to making a safe area in an outbuilding with suitable items for her to destroy and chew so I could have a small amount of peace. Teething and hormones can be very disruptive.

Yep, our Lab x hit six months and has been a terror ever since (he’ll be 11 months tomorrow). The yellow girl is only four and a half months older than him but has been an angel since day one without a single blip along the way. The only downside is the thousands of pounds she’s racked up in vet bills so far

 

[Bellaboo18]

We've got a 7 month old pup and she's suddenly found out she can reach things she couldn't a month ago so we've got to quickly get in to the habit of putting things even further away. OHs glasses have just done a lap of our downstairs

To a certain extent I just move everything she shouldn't have out of reach (the glasses were a blip) and let them explore. Works for us but we're a casual household! They do get bored of 'oh look where I can get' if there's never a reward.

 

[Bellaboo18]

He is number 4 so I remember it well on the plus this has been the only one that has never chewed anything bad, he loves a letter or a card board box and tbh I sometimes give him one as he has a great time and I have peace!! * touch wood though are furniture/ house and flooring are still intact! ( I absolutely didn’t say that though )
I met someone yesterday with a tiny yellow puppy. I almost wished her luck when they said what a good girl she was

Ours loves cardboard boxes, we hide things in them for her

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Born mid June- A rebellious little teenager who's beginning to find his own feet and confidence!

Would make sense, if she was hungry and had to get her share when ever she could.

She lived with another Lab, 11month old dog, and I guess that they were fed together, without her bowl being protected. The food doesn't seem to have been good quality either. Her coat was rough to the touch and quite thin, with bald patches on her ears. We gave her a good quality feed with a fairly high oil content and she has a good coat now with ears like silk.

 

[suebou]

Take him, on a lead, into kitchen, show him worktop, in several places, maybe pat it whilst saying NO! Firmly. Do it several time, using No in a stern voice. Take him in off the lead, every time he looks at it, repeat No, like you mean it.
You should be able to use the command from another room if you spend a few hours ( weekend?) instilling that it is not his place and he needs to stay away from it.

 

[Dasher66]

Back in the seventies we put pepper along the edge of the worktop to discourage the labrahoover.

 

[ArklePig]

Is yours generally an attention seeker? Mine didn't know how to get attention when she first arrived, and it took me longer than it should have to work out that telling her 'off' was encouraging her. The only way I fixed it was leaving the room and closing the door, coming back in and giving her some praise if I came in to find her 4 paws on the floor.

Mines not a labrador though so perhaps yours has different motivations. Mines part spaniel part pointer so she's equal parts people pleasing and wilful. Delightful combination

 

[FestiveG]

Back in the seventies we put pepper along the edge of the worktop to discourage the labrahoover.

On a similar note, my late father covered stones in mustard, to deter the lab pup they got, from eating stones, the dog thought that he'd got a real treat and looked for mustard on all stones

 

[poiuytrewq]

Ours loves cardboard boxes, we hide things in them for her

Oh that’s a good idea! I just let him have the box at the moment but that would make it much more fun. Thanks

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Is yours generally an attention seeker? Mine didn't know how to get attention when she first arrived, and it took me longer than it should have to work out that telling her 'off' was encouraging her. The only way I fixed it was leaving the room and closing the door, coming back in and giving her some praise if I came in to find her 4 paws on the floor.

Mines not a labrador though so perhaps yours has different motivations. Mines part spaniel part pointer so she's equal parts people pleasing and wilful. Delightful combination

And we still suspect that ours could be part pointer!

 

[poiuytrewq]

Is yours generally an attention seeker? Mine didn't know how to get attention when she first arrived, and it took me longer than it should have to work out that telling her 'off' was encouraging her. The only way I fixed it was leaving the room and closing the door, coming back in and giving her some praise if I came in to find her 4 paws on the floor.

Mines not a labrador though so perhaps yours has different motivations. Mines part spaniel part pointer so she's equal parts people pleasing and wilful. Delightful combination

I’d say it’s not for attention because he leaves the room to do it when no one can see!
I can hear him though! I shout no and he gets down instantly, then two seconds later I can hear him back up!

He does actually understand “paws on the floor”
Try as I might I’m never fast enough to see him up there!

 

[Annette4]

Not a labrador but Fizz was a nightmare for countersurfing as an adolescent, she even learnt to move the bin silently so she could climb up onto the oven to get to cooling food.

It took us catching her and a spray from a spray bottle a few times and she soon got the message. She will still try her look with putting her feet up on the side but only on very rare occasions.

 

[Goldenstar]

Labs can be sooo naughty .
Killi was a wicked girl when young she once got on the work top and then climbed onto the top of the fridge freezer ( as you do) where she proceeded to chew the Wi-Fi router ( as you also do).
She then got her self stuck and had to rescued when I got home .
She also lived for eating washing up bowls which had to be kept full of water to stop her stealing them
She ate numerous tv remotes and then grew out of it all and became the perfect dog .

 

[poiuytrewq]

Labs can be sooo naughty .
Killi was a wicked girl when young she once got on the work top and then climbed onto the top of the fridge freezer ( as you do) where she proceeded to chew the Wi-Fi router ( as you also do).
She then got her self stuck and had to rescued when I got home .
She also lived for eating washing up bowls which had to be kept full of water to stop her stealing them
She ate numerous tv remotes and then grew out of it all and became the perfect dog .

Oh good god!
That reminds me of a photo my friend put on fb of a completely trashed kitchen, even wall cupboards emptied. Smashed china and dried pasta/rice every where. It was carnage. I honestly thought she had been burgled but turns out her dog escaped its crate when she was out. I've never seen anything like it.

 

[poiuytrewq]

He's so waggy with his naughtiness, that's my favourite part. His tail wags so much that his head counteracts and wags as well

 

[Irish-Only]

As a teenager (70's)I had a yellow lab who was an absolute thief for any food left on a worktop. We left sandwiches bulging with english mustard and he ate them - we don't think it touched the sides. He went on to enjoy many a good Sri Lankan curry cooked by my aunt

 

[FinnishLapphund]

If you own something like a Kong toy, could you stuff it with e.g. carrot puree, freeze it, and give him so he gets something else to keep him occupied?

Even though the opening is too big for a normal stairgate, maybe you could get some type of compost net, and just put up across the opening?

Not sure how easy they are to actually use in daily life, but I've seen that there are retractable mesh gates available in various lengths, some covers openings up to 140 cm, but e.g. this one can cover an opening up to 180 cm wide

https://www.amazon.co.uk/HollyHOME-Retractable-Operation-Safety-Outdoor/dp/B09SP8X9RX/ref=mp_s_a_1_2_sspa

Or this really extra wide one for spaces up to 300 cm https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BXX6L...d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9kZXRhaWwp13NParams

 

[poiuytrewq]

I love the carrot purée idea!
They all have kongs and are very much loved. I worry a bit about giving them too often as cec and spud need a little weight control
However they all love carrots so that could be an amazing option. Thanks

 

[poiuytrewq]

As a teenager (70's)I had a yellow lab who was an absolute thief for any food left on a worktop. We left sandwiches bulging with english mustard and he ate them - we don't think it touched the sides. He went on to enjoy many a good Sri Lankan curry cooked by my aunt

Amazing
Reminds me of a time I was told curry powder paste would stop a horrific wind sucker I had wreaking my fence. He loved it spent hours licking it off before commencing wind sucking