Hi, not been on here in absolute aaaaages!! So hi to anyone who remembers me :)

We have recently added a black lab to our family, her name is Willow and shes 5 months old now. Now, i know puppies chew alot but i would like advice from people who have experience on this. Everytime Willow chews i tell her "no" firmly and take from her whatever it was that she is chewing. Is there anything else i can do to stop her? I dont leave things around but somehow she seems to find things, she even gets the kids toys out the toy box. Its as if she cannot help herself, even though she has been told no many times, she continues to chew everything except her toys! The most recent item is the wooden furniture out of my girls' dolls house :( When is it going to end?

You don't want to tell her off for chewing, she absolutely NEEDS to chew, it's how puppies explore their world, and especially at this age when she'll be teething as well. It's up to you to a) keep everything you don't want chewed out of reach (although I know that when they start on the walls and windowsills that is impossible LOL -been there!), and b) provide her with alternatives. Each time she chews something she isn't meant to, swap it for something she is allowed.  Don't rely on just boring rubber toys (although a Kong stuffed with biscuits or minc eor whatever can work great), get some bones. Either raw meaty bones from the butcher, or at least some sterilised filled bones from a pet shop or supermarket, they can be used for weeks and most dogs love them. :)

> she even gets the kids toys out the toy box

She needs a toy box of her own.  Use one of those flexible trug buckets and fill it with appropriate toys that give a different tactile experience.  When you have a persistent chewer though I would always avoid edible chews...  Nylabone are good and gundogs with gentle mouths are often ok with fabric toys, but it's still safer to knot old teatowels rather than giving teddies which can easy be consumed.  If you go your local hardware store there are a number of things which can be used for toys or education.  Short lengths of drainpipe are good for hiding/find exercises and you can buy thick cord for tying toys together which can be hurled about.  My youngest dog liked all his toys joined together and liked his toy bucket best of all - he managed to hook a toy through the handle with a length of fabric and towed it about the house for months, scooping up the unwary, frightening the oldies, and knocking over the kitchen chairs.  Fill the box to bursting with good toys and offer new ones each day - pick up the used ones and try to wait a few days before giving those ones back.  The novelty of withheld and recycled toys should maintain her interest in her own stuff.  Never leave anything around that you don't want her to take.

As someone has already said don't attempt to stop the chewing - it's really important for her development.  You also need to remember that she is a retriever, a gundog, and this is what they do.  She will, for the rest of her life, want to find you things and a gundog greeting without a mouthful of dirty laundry or a toy is unusual!!

May I suggest you have a read of The Puppy Primer by Patricia McConnell - it's an excellent book for experienced owners and novices alike.  Full of common sense advice and ideas for training exercises to get you and your puppy through their youth and adolescence.  I highly recommend it :)

I have a big toy box for my young rescue lab,she is 8 months old and didnt have a good start so she is behaving like a5 month old,its filled with latex toys{labs love these and for some reason they dont chew them,think its because they sqeak,stuffed old socks,soft toys,rope tug toys,she just helps herself,however shes been gardening today and made a good job lol,I introduce a new toy every couple of weeks,well shes flat out now after being on the go since 7am,will take her for a walk when she wakes up and tire her out again.

Sheila

Thanks all :)