We have a 7 year old bitch who was a pleasure to train and has excellent behaviour and we have bought a puppy to keep her young. He is now 10 months old and although his behaviour is generally good both inside and outside the house he keeps pushing to prove his authority. Sometimes when we tell him to do something he ignores us until we make him do it ie down, bed etc. He has recently started stealing things from kitchen and chewing them up (tea towels, kitchen roll, phone directory - nothing is sacred). It doesn't matter how I chastise him - he just sulks for a couple or hours and then back to normal but as soon as I leave him for 5 mins (even to nip upstairs) he pinches something else. In a house with 2 kids its impossible to put everything away all the time. Somebody suggested that I get a riding crop and use that when he has been naughty but I'm not sure if that is a bit too drastic. Any comments and help welcome.

A technique I advocate which has been particularly succesful with this age group (little darlings that they are ;-)) is the 24 hour ignore. Choose a time when you aren't expecting visitors (or the cleaning lady who adores your dog <G>) and arrange things so your dog doesn't get a chance to say 'Oi! Fed me!' (because you've already done it) or 'Oi! Let me out - Now!! - because you let him out 10 minutes ago, and every hour or so before that....... Presentations of a toy should be ignored (if he persists, and he probably will) take the toy from him and put it out of reach, demands for fuss should be ignored, but don't give him any instructions or attention in any way shape or form - he's seeking attention on *his* terms (like most teenagers ;-)) and you're not going to give it. For most dogs 24 hours is all it takes,some real diehards may take 48 hours - it will be hard work, and he may well indulge in some horrendous activity before the time is up, but he should get the message that future contact is going to be on your terms unless he 'plays ball'.

HTH

Fran

Ive had labs twenty years and I have found that its a constant job to teach them but it pays off at the end violence will not help at all !!! you beat the devil in them or the character out either way you fail.
Remember too that labs are basically working dogs they need stimulation some more than others.
John where are you ???

RIDING CROP !!!! who told you that?? welcome to the world of young labs its in the job description to steal and chew.,how could anyone hit him like that you need to teach him its wrong with firmness and kindness not violence.

There is an old saying, "You knock one devil out and two devils in!" Listen to Mattie! At 10 months old you have a teenager and he is questioning you. This is perfectly normal and all dogs go through it to a greater or lesser extent.

John

Another question would you beat your teenager with a riding crop ??? no so why a dog?

just a note - guest said

"Somebody suggested that I get a riding crop and use that when he has been naughty but I'm not sure if that is a bit too drastic"

They themselves doubt the advice they were given which is why I guess they come here for suggestions OTHER than that

SaraW :)

Hi Guest, Hitting NO way, but he is naturally a retrieving dog, they like to carry things around, he is also a lab - he likes to steal;) I found with my lot the best way to stop stealing is to encourage a retrieve. My little springer is the thief in our house, so I encourage him to bring stuff to me - dont ever chase - this makes for a real fun game. what I do is when he has something I call him really enthusiastically , saying bring it and when he comes over swap it for a treat or one of his own toys that he is allow to have. kind of a swapsies. Granted I end up with any number of things being given to me by the end of the evening all stacked up behind me on the sofa, but he is happy, it channels his natural instinct, and he isnt doing anything wrong. Of course you have to move most things up higher anyway with young dogs, but stuff the kids have left around etc he will now bring me. He looks so pleased with himself when he brings me stuff, and actually he kind of tidies up for me in a way, it has turned out fine as when my back is playing up and I drop stuff out of the washing machine, I can call my little helper to bring it and he does. It is natural for your lab to be doing it, as for the riding crop - bad advice as you probably know:( enjoy your thug, it doesn't last forever - but then hes a lab so maybe..... just kidding you. good luck with him Julie:)

sorry guest wasnt being rude I know that the riding crop was advised to you glad you didnt take the advice

Mattie, its hard not to get angry, when people are advised things like this Julie:)

Mattie - I too understand your horror about the riding crop and you being involved in Lab rescue and seeing the results of people heeding advise like that it's no wonder it upsets you. It would me too :(

SaraW :)

I have a 3 year old lab who will eat kitchen roll given half the chance toilet roll soap you name it.
Im always saying to Danielle pick your toys up otherwise they wil get eaten.
But I would not punish Jodie (lab) with a riding crop.
Your lab may grow out of the stealing mine hasn't yet but one thing for sure at least Danielle keeps her toys tidy..

Karen

Having a 12-year old lab who will STILL steal & chew new leather shoes if she has the opportunity - ok she knows she has done wrong & the "hangdog" expression & tail right between her legs plus the fact she is sitting by the utility room door alerts us before we'eve even found the remains - she just cannot seem to help herself!

After this, and after her daughter literally ate her way through my son's house as a pup, I am definitely converted to crates for a couple of hours - I know the others are Aussies, but ours were crate-trained from 8 weeks, and all we have had chewed from them when they are left is a little bit of skirting board!

So my advice - use a crate!

Your lab is a teenager and is at his most irritating but also dont forget that he is, as has been pointed out, a retrieving breed anyway, and will need this fulfilled in some way - my non-Lab bitch would often nick stuff for attention, but i taught her to retrieve and bring stuff to me. That way she does at least give things back and it satisfies her need to be "doing", plus reinforces the fact that picking up objects and bringing them to me is good. (I need this attitude for other training I am doing :) ).

I also ensure that if she is doing it purely for attention and is seeking mischief, she gets ignored for a while. She has definitely improved. When i am out of the room, or house, she gets put in a safe area with her own chews and a Kong :)

Do try a Kong, it may help a lot :) and STUFF IT :d :) ;)

This is not aimed at anyone at all just an observation.
My William who is now sadly gone never stopped stealing all his life, yet my other labs wouldnt dream of stealing at all Minnie went through a slight chewing stage.
When William was a puppy we were very busy we had a business which was demanding twenty four hours a day virtually we lived on the premises but I think as he was more with the dogs than us we didnt have time to point him in the right direction when he was naughty,now I have more time on my hands my young dogs get constant attention so we dont have the same problems,mattie was a kennel dog to 14 months when I bought her she would never put a foot wrong ever and yet she spent a lot of time kennelled so I think we have to accept that each dog is an individual and has their own character but the learning time is now when they are young because bad habits are hard to change :( If you dont make time to teach them how can they learn? almost everyday we receive Labradors into our rescue and when we place them in a home providing we select the right home they are usually fine.
I think also we should ask ourselves have we time for a dog? all the time people say to me we would like a lab we have a big garden ! and I say yes but do you have time to walk him? and they say well at weekends we do! If you cant give a dog the basic things he needs Love,Food and excersise why not wait a while before rushing into having a dog.
Please though consider that violent treatment of a dog would not be a good thing,yesterday we had someone saying they threw scalding coffee at a cat,then the riding crop was mentioned Im worried :(
A riding crop is a steal reinforced whip devised to control or train a horse which can be a massive animal which is only controlled really with superior intellingence.
Sorry this is long.

I agree with getting a riding crop!!! And then give the person who left the things out for the dog to steal a good 'thwack!' <G>

Mars Bar was a thief and used to pinch other dogs balls and toys whenever we went on a visit to other doggie households. We used to end up with lots of stolen goods in our house. We used to have to hide them whenever people came back round to visit us ! Sometimes though had the comments " we used to have a ball/toy excatly like that !" Min was always a good girl and never did anything like that !

Moose's favourite was knickers and socks when she was a rebel ! (Sorry still is a rebel !) She still has her moments and will make a quick dash out the dog flap thinking that she hasn't been seen with some sort of contraband in her jaws !! I am sure she will be giving MB a few lessons in the next few weeks so we will have to nip that one in the bud !!

The use of a crop though? Who ever gave the advice needs a taste of theri own medicine. I agree with Glenys, training should be done through positive reinforcement. It may take a while but the rewards will come ! Teenage Labs ! Who would have them ! :D

Lucy

Georgia one of my labs used to steal and chew anything. If it wasn't nailed down Georgia would steal it. It was hard work and yes at times it drove me mad but with love, attention and training she turned into a manageable dog.
She loved to carry things and so we brought her things we knew she would carry around with her. One of those footballs with the rope on either side, balls on a rope, teddies etc. Everytime she took something it was taken away and replaced with her carrying toys, it worked. Basically Georgia was the type of lab that if she was awake she had something in her mouth, normally her ball on a rope. She is now 3 and a half and still the same.
The pups from her litter are all the same as she is, and love to carry things.

Please don't use the crop. I have a lab X who was beaten as a young dog and he is now 9 and distrusts all human beings.

Labradors need time as Mattie said and if you can do that you will be rewarded with a loyal friend.