Labs, Housetraining, spaying and General Behaviour?

3Beasties

3Beasties

Well-Known Member
Joined
7 September 2008
Messages
15,574
Visit site
OK before we start the dog I refer to in this post is NOT mine so no shooting the messenger please!

The Labrador at work is about 8 months old and her owner is on the brink of getting rid of her as they have had enough of her behaviour
frown.gif


She is still not fully house trained, sometimes she can go for 10 hours without an accident, other times she will only last 3 hours. Is this normal for a dog of her age?

She chews everything she can get hold of, shoes, (sharp!) knives, plugs, chaps, etc, etc. Nothing should be left within her reach (although they are so she manages to eat/chew them) as she will jump up and pull it down.

She also jumps onto the kitchen table and knock bowls, cups and plates onto the floor.

Her basic training is good, she will sit, lie down, give paw etc. She heels very nicely on a lead and her re-call is brilliant.


She has only recently started being walked (and that's only because I pointed out that she isn't going to be a calm dog if she is never exercised) and I think in general she is much calmer in the house, but still keeps having accidents and grabbing food and other things of the side.


I don't think getting rid of her is the right thing to do (especially as they will then get another Lab
crazy.gif
), I have told them that labs are slow to mature and that she just need more time.

I've suggested they get her spayed to see if that calms her down slightly, not sure if spaying would help though as I have never had a bitch?! But it' s also one less thing for them to worry about, they definitely do not want puppies!! Is 8 months old enough to spay? I thought it was but they seem to think that she needs to have had at least one season first
confused.gif


I see this dog about 5 days a weeks so hopefully in some way I may be able to sort her out.

Any ideas/thoughts?
 
She is only eight months old, she is still a puppy! Can her owners go ten hours without a wee? I can't
blush.gif


What alternatives does she have to chewing? What is she fed? How many times a day is she fed?
Could she have a secure area where none of these things are around for her to chew?

I would get her spayed, yes.

As you say, she was probably going nuts not being exercised. They don't need huge amounts before 9-12 months but at six months they need it upped to lots of short walks a day.

I know people will disagree with me, and think that dogs being allowed to roam around a large property is enough exercise and stimulation, but for *some dogs* IMO, it isn't enough - dogs need to see different things, smell different things, be exposed to new situations, it keeps their brains ticking over.

Obviously someone has taken the time to train her basics, so why stop? She obviously would like the occupation.
Does anyone play ball with her? Throw a dummy?

I don't think she has massive behavioural issues, I think she is a smart girlie, and she is bored. Well done for taking an interest.
 
They need to give her a job, lots of exercise and thing to chew.

Abe is a chewer, so we leave nothing that he can get to or crate him.

He has kongs and we go through about 2 a month but i don't care about how much that costs because at least its not my stuff he is chewing.

Getting her spayed is another thing i would do, probably won't calm her down at all but it needs to be done and it can be done now.

I would say crate train her.

Set boundaries, be the dominant one. My dogs wouldn't don't come in the kitchen or the dining room because thats where we eat.
 
She sounds like a perfectly normal, if underexercised, lab puppy. Barney didn't grow up until he was at least 2 and he didn't calm down until he was 5 or 6!

**goes away to fume about people NOT DOING THEIR RESEARCH while in no way shooting the messenger**
a020.gif
 
She will have to have a season before she is speyed. You have hit the nail on the head - what is going to make a difference to her is getting walked - a lot and every day
smile.gif
!! You have Sam and you know how much walking he has - The Moo gets at least an hours walk a day as well as the 1 - 2 hours he has running around as I do the horses. I am surprised at the house training as labs expecially bitches are normally very clean quickly - still it is something else that I am sure would be resolved pretty quickly if she was walked regularly - did they crate train her?
confused.gif


*wonders if Sweep and The Moo would like a sister.....*
wink.gif
grin.gif
 
She has a crate but I wouldn't go as far as saying she was crate trained
smirk.gif


Alternatives to chewing were some of those raggy ropey things, I told them that they needed to get her some actual chew toys that she can really sink her teeth into but so far they haven't materialized. I bought her a toy but it's not really enough or the type she needs
frown.gif



She's only fed once a day and gets a complete dog food (biscuits) and/or leftovers (could be anything from fish pie to Fillet steak!).

She doesn't really get much done with her during the week, not sure what happens at weekends because I'm not there really, probably not a lot though. She is a very quick learner so the basic training was taught within the first few weeks.



She is only allowed in the Kitchen and boot room, they are not allowed through to the rest of the house.


Slinks - I'm sure they would love a little sister!
 
If they don't want stuff chewing, she needs to be in a secure, spacious area with no access/reach to anything chewable except Kongs etc.

So does she spend all week having nothing done with her? I think we would all be bored stupid!!!
 
Now she gets walked most days which is more then she had before but apart from that nothing much else. I'll try and start playing with her in the yard every afternoon, do some basic training, fetch etc but I struggle to fit all my jobs in as it is
frown.gif
 
Well done you, even little ten minute sessions would help, you could incorporate a 'heel' if you are out and about on the yard, or a 'stay' with recall to keep her brain ticking over.
 
Yep, I'll do little things like that, I taught her to heel on a lead and she picked it up in one walk so it should be quite easy to do. She just needs occupying I think!

The house training is the thing that is really getting to them though, any ideas on how to improve that?
 
My dogs are outside, the best thing is to keep her to a routine, watch her like a hawk for a few days and when she starts to circle, out, when she goes, lots of praise.
But there are better people than I to advise on that.

Like I say, it is a bit of a tall order to expect anyone not to wee for ten hours
blush.gif
 
The ten hours was just an example. Sometime she will last over night (which I guess must be near to 10 hours) but then another time she will have an accident after only a couple of hours.

Could her diet affect her? I'm sure I read somewhere that dry food can make them pee more
confused.gif
Or am I imagining that
blush.gif
 
I've no idea, but it will also relate to her water intake, if she has unlimited access to water overnight, she will of course wee in between times.
If she has a routine where she is fed and watered at set times, that should minimise accidents.
 
As CC says the more of a routine she in the better her house training will be - again the more excercise she gets the better as well as she will be in the habit of going while she is out. I assume they let her out just before bedtime - if she is 'empty' before bed and tired from running around as well as let out first thing - not after everyone else is up and about for a bit - I'm sure she will be fine. TBH they have to make more effort with her - poor girly.
frown.gif
 
The dog sounds normal, it's her routine that is not normal
crazy.gif
she is displaying the typical behaviour f a bored labrador puppy, they are notorious for causing destruction even when not exercise and left stimulating treats, so they have no chance if they are not putting the exercise into her, and allowing her to stimulate her brain.
She needs a good set routine, early morning walks, lunch time walks, tea time walks, with play and ball throwing and frizby chasing, she needs to be let out regurlarly to toilet and praised and she needs to be confined to a smaller area of the house to tackle the destruction issues or back to crate, but with plenty of energy burning inbetween.

On the up side if they do decide to rehome....I know a couple on our waiting list that will offer a fantastic home and they have had labs all their lives so know exactly what to expect with training
smirk.gif
 
I have a 2yr old choc lab bitch, show type lab (or fatlab as some of you would say
grin.gif
)
She was dry overnight by the 3rd night at 7 weeks of age, and house trained by 6 months old. Although I spent a massive amount of time and effort getting the basics right as a pup.
She's was an angel by 8 months, although re-lapsed a little at a year with certain things (juvenile delinquent).
As per previous posts, your friends dog sounds bright and bored.
I can leave my dog with the run of the house, and she snoozes (on my bed the monkey) when I'm out - I know this because she snoozes in the same manner when I work from home. When I got her though I had a realistic expectation of Labradors and was resigned to having a lunatic till the age of two - I know and appreciate I have been very lucky with Molly's temperament. However I deliberately did not want a working strain lab (which she sounds)
Your friends dog sounds like she needs to be doing a lot more, and if they're too busy to put the time in they shouldn't have her really - thank goodness you're trying to help.
I actually think she may be better off in a home with a more experience owner who has more time if they can't start to make headway in improving her behaviour - or more help and a dog walker. Hope it works out, she's obviously trainable and should learn quickly
 
I have a 7 year old choc lab bitch - by 12 weeks old she was completely house trained - hasn't had an accident in the house since but, apart from overnight, I don't leave her cooped up for hours & hours at a time as I wouldn't like to not be able to get to the toilet so don't feel it's fair to do the same to her. Plus she would make herself ill rather than do anything in the house.
We house trained her using newspaper all over the floor to begin with then gradually taking pieces away & eventually having just 1 piece near the door & then moving it outside etc & then taking it away completely - it does work but you have to stick with it & remind them to use the paper!!!!!!
The chewing is normal lab behaviour, they are renowned for it & Daisy didn't stop until she was over 2 years old, she had more toys than she knew what to do with but would still steal something that wasn't hers for the fun game of chase that followed and even the 1/2 hour spent sat outside with the blinds down in all weathers didn't put her off, they are chewing machines!!!!! They need LOTS of exercise and it's catch 22 cos the fitter they get the more they need! But unfortunately I think the exercise is necessary to stop the disruptive behaviour.
Dogs chew becausse they like it - to stop it they need to be taken away from the situation so I would be tempted to pop her in her crate with a toy when she's left alone - obv can't leave her for hours & hours but after a while she may be able to be trusted!!!!!!!
I think limiting her water after a certain time is a good idea in principle but personally even if they don't have access to food I don't like to leave them without access to water...
 
Dry food has less water obviously so yes she might pee more as she'll drink more.
Wet food is usually lower in calories than dry due to the increased water content tho I do find dry food preferable if at all possible.
 
Really wouldn't give her leftovers - some human food can send them doolally! At least that's what we found with ours!
Also pigs ears send her crazy!!!!!
She started calming down about age 5 but TBH she still has regular mad half hours!!!!
wink.gif
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top