I would be grateful for any advice. We have had our black Lab for 3 weeks now, Rex is 10 months old. We already have a black Lab who is 3 1/2. For the first few days Rex's behaviour was fine - no problems getting on with our other dog, nothing of note at all, was settling in really well. It seems now that he has got used to us he feels like he can push the boundaries. He has obviously been up (or standing up on his hind legs) to get to the kitchen worktops and getting anything off there that he can find - and ruining it. Obviously we got wise to this after a couple of nights and have made sure the worktops are clear. With nothing of interest on the worktops, the other night he decided to climb up the dresser and ruined a cork lid off a storage jar, climbed on the kitchen table and ruined some table mats. As soon as you enter the kitchen in the morning it is obvious he knows he has done wrong because he looks sheepish and goes to his bed. We have realised that we cannot trust him an inch and so must put everything out of his reach.

This morning though I heard a loud noise about 6.15am and went downstairs to find that he had obviously been up on the worktop again and had knocked his food bowl down and managed to take it to his bed. I told him off, let the dogs out into the garden and then went back upstairs. I then thought it would probably be best now that I knew they were both awake to go and give them their breakfast, so I went back down and did this. As I normally don't get up and give them their breakfast until 7.30, I then went back to bed, only to come down an hour later to find he had chewed and ruined my other dog's wicker bed. We knew he was susceptible to this (because we bought him a wicker bed and had to bin it within a week) and have been using a 'bitter' spray regularly - obviously to no avail.

I think I feel so bad about it because our other Lab, Lawrence, has been such a model dog from day one and we have never had any trouble with him at all - and I think I knew deep down that we could not be so lucky again when we got another dog. I do realise I have to make allowances for Rex because he is only 10 months old and we didn't get Lawrence until he was nearly 2, so for all we know he could have been like that at that age.

Can anyone give me any tips or ideas of how to handle this? I do want to nip it in the bud and not do anything to make it worse. I think part of the problem is my husband has to get up to go to work at 4.00am, and with it being light now at that time that Rex thinks it's time to get up - he has not done anything during the night, it just seems to be between then and when I get up. My husband returns home from work at lunchtime and he has very rarely done anything while we have both been out at work. In all other ways he has settled in really well, loves Lawrence and is very good out and about, off and on the lead, with other dogs etc etc.

Please help!!! Thank you ever so much.

Hi Lisa,
My sympathies - you have a teenage labrador! It may not be any consolation, but what he's doing is entirely typical, especially of a rehomed dog. You have the 'honeymoon' first few days (sometimes weeks), then when they feel more secure they start to push the boundaries.

One of my dalmatians went through a phase of climbing all over the kitchen worktops and the table (it still bears the scars), and we still can't leave anything edible unattended (but then all the dogs I've had over the past 30 years have all stolen food - I consider it normal, if annoying, behaviour!)

You use the phrase "he knows he has done wrong"...no he doesn't!What he does know is that you are going to come in and be cross with him, and he won't know why. He's not looking guilty - he's looking fearful, and is hiding in his bed where he thinks he'll be safe. The important thing is to only tell him off if you actually catch him in the act - even a minute after the event and he won't understand why he's being scolded and will get confused and insecure, which could lead to more destructive behaviour.

The best I can suggest is that you start to crate-train him, so that overnight he is in a secure place where it simply isn't possible for him to get into mischief. And make sure that during the day he has plenty of exercise, both physical and more especially mental, to tire him out.

He does sound like a normal lab, though - they can be a right pain, and this teenage stage will last for several more months. You certainly were lucky with your first one!
Good luck.
:)

I hear what you are saying about only telling him off at the time, but obviously we're not there when he does these things in the early hours of the morning.

Would he not feel isolated and like a prisoner in a crate though, if he could see that Lawrence was free to roam?

He has chewed even more of Lawrence's bed this morning - again, no misdemeanours during the night, but he must have done it after my husband has gone to work at 4.00am and then again after I had gone down to see to them at 7.30, when I went upstairs for a shower and to get ready he obviously chewed it even more.

That's one of the difficulties is stopping these habits once they start, Lisa. Any misdemeanours committed without you seeing them must be ignored. It's very hard to do, but as far as the dog is concerned, after 5 minutes it's ancient history, and if he's told off when you come in, he'll assume he's being told off for whatever he's doing at that moment - which may be greeting you happily! So what this teaches him is that, if he gets up and comes to say hello, you're going to be cross. And I know that isn't your intention!

Mustard on the worktops will do not good at all, apart from giving you a grubby worktop. I have known people who save all their empty cans, wash them out, and stack them all on the worktop when the kitchenis unattended - again it works on the principle of startling the dog when he knocks them all down! The best, and quickest, way to stop him doing this is to prevent it, and physically stop him being able to reach the worktops in your absence.

Maybe this will involve a crate (with Lawrence's bed alongside), maybe he'll have to be put to bed in the utility room (if you have one) or something similar.

I'm sorry I couldnt help smiling :) wicker bed + young Labrador = total disaster

You need to get one of those firm plastic beds,also I was advised to put tin trays along the worktops with cutlery on and when the dog jumps up it clatters down therefore giving him a shock,it didnt work with william as he had always been naughty but may work with your lab.
Im not a devotee of the cage but it may do well to put him in one at night for a while .
We had a phase of Minnie (Lab) chewing bits of our new caravan so we smeared everything with mustard and it worked,trouble is it stains so not sure wetehr its anygood in the house they say oil of cloves is good to stop chewing and for outside cribbox which is used in stables etc...

Hi Mattie

He came with one of those plastic beds, but he had chewed that and the edges were all rough and I scraped and bruised my leg on it, so it had to go. I suppose we were rather niave, but as I say, our other dog has always been so perfect, we have been spoilt.

I'm not sure about the tin trays and cutlery, because when he has been up to the worktop before (I don't think he actually gets on top of them - just on his hind legs), he has got forks and knives off and I have been worried he might poke himself in the eye or something.

Crate wise, I wonder whether he would feel like a prisoner when he could see that Lawrence is free to roam where he pleases - surely this might make him fret?

Other people have told me to try mustard - perhaps if he put his paws up and got it on them he might associate doing that with it and it might stop him?

It's funny you should mention a caravan, because we have one and are going away in August to Scotland - obviously it will be the first time Rex will have gone away with us, and I am rather concerned about it.

As I have said, it's only specific times that he gets his 'chewing head' on, so as long as we can make sure that the work tops are clear - and I think Lawrence's wicker bed will have to go, because Rex has chewed it even more now - and fingers crossed I hope he won't have anything else to ruin. He hasn't tried chewing the chair legs or anything like that (famous last words - I've probably just given myself the kiss of death)! I'll get some of that oil of cloves - do you get it from Boots do you know?

Many thanks for your ideas.

Just a thought, you don't need to use cutlery, I used my kids tin money boxes with coins in, an old biscuit tin with stones in would work just as well, it is just the rattle and crash that is needed - I couldn't crate my Lab Cross as he was (and still is) a bit claustrophobic and I losta lot of items including a camera and a valuable fireplace surround before using tins etc. It was just enough to startle him and make a connection between the doing the deed and the punishment (the noise).

As Mattie said, some Labs have very thick skins and all Labs take a fair time to mature, try and be patient, he may not have had a good start in life, praise him to the skies (food is a good reward for a Lab!) when he does something right however small and he will get the hang of living with humans in no time.

I am not against crates, and I will be using one for my next puppy (I do like to use a fair sized one), search fro crate and cage training on this board and you will get some very useful info on how to introduce one to your dog.

When we were not sure which dog was doing what and at waht time and for what reason, we used to set up a video camera (very high!!! :D) to see what was going on, that was a great help, as we hadn't realised our older dog has regressed and was helping Dylan with the dining room table!

All the best, let us know how you get on with him

Hayley

Hi Lisa

What is Rex's history ? If he is 10 months old and you have only had him for three weeks I presume he is a rescue Lab ? What are the reasons to why he had to be rehomed ? Has he had much training do you know ?
He may well be a bit unsettled still as three weeks is still a short time. It maybe his way of telling you he is still feeling a bit insecure.
I must admit I did smile as well as Mattie at the wicker basket as that is like offering a young Lab a licence to chew !! :D
Try and give him as many distractions and see if you can get him to latch onto a toy that can become his favourite chew toy. I have found with all of my Labs they have all had different levels of chewing and we have had to deal with each one differently but along the way having many things chewed :) Part of owning a Lab !:D

Lucy

At least you can be sure your Lab is very normal LOL :D

One quick tip which may help just a bit is to get lots of parcel tape or similar and stick it together so it is "double sided."

Stick it all along the worktop - many dogs really dislike the sticky icky feeling on their paws as they jump up to counter surf.

I kept a very very tidy house when i had a pup/teenager - I could never remember where i had put things :) ;)

Lindsay

You said that it only happens in between your husband getting up and you getting up. Is it possible that you husband could play with the dogs for 10 mins or so as then they are getting some attention, they can then be settled down again. It seems to me that your lab is hearing your husband get up and gets frustrated when no one pops in and says hello

just a thought

Following on from this - he's also learning that by creating a racket he gets attention - so perhaps you could work on this from two fronts - a) discourage him from getting on the worktops in the first place using the sticky tape method (silver foil works for this too) and b) not paying him attention of any kind when he does it....

Hello everyone and thanks for all your tips. Fingers (and everything else) crossed, we seem to have cracked it by making sure that the worktops are clear - I dare say he's still on his back legs having a good old nosy up there to see what he can get, but because there isn't anything, he's scuppered somewhat. We've come to the conclusion that we can't trust him an inch and it is not even fair to trust him an inch. Like a fool I put some eggs in a basket on the dresser and I actually saw him clocking them and then went into the garden only for him to jump up and knock them off. Luckily, my son actually caught him in the act and so he was able to be told off at the time.

I thank my lucky stars that he does not seem interested in chewing chair or table legs or furniture of any sort, so I am hoping against hope that this does not become a problem.

Someone my husband works with has given us a crate, but at the present time I don't think it's necessary. We intend to use it for Rex to sleep in when we go away in our caravan - just to be on the safe side. I don't think there is going to be a problem there because both dogs went in to it (Lawrence under some duress) and Rex wanted to stay in there. Apparently (my husband now tells me!) Rex had one at his old home so he is used to one anyway.

The reason Rex was re-homed, was because the lady who had him also had 2 bitches and she intended to breed him, but it turned out that the new puppy bitch she had just had was far too related to him to breed and because her other, older bitch was just about to come into season, she knew it would be unbearable with him about so she felt it the right time to find him a new home. We were very pleased because it turns out that Rex and Lawrence are third cousins (I think that's how it works out), from the Boothgates line; they have the same Great Great Grandfather, two pairs of the same Great Great Great Grandparents and also Lawrence's Grandmother is Rex's Great Great Grandmother's sister!

Thank you once again for all your tips. I shall store them up in case they are needed in the future!

Hi Lisa,

We have two labs, one 3yrs and the other approaching 1 yr old. I know there arent many people that do this but have you thought about keeping both dogs outside with a nice big kennel with plenty of hay inside?! Both of our dogs are outside all year round (heat pad for the winter ;) ) and obviously i have had no real problems with chewing. The younger one did chew and is just coming out of that phase now ( back gate, kennel, back door etc etc) but as he was outside and i knew it was normal then i didnt really care that much and it was a peacefull teenage phase :d.

I appreciate that you might not like keeping your dogs outside but ours have a nice long run in the garden and in my opinion i would prefer this over a crate any day! They have hay inside the kennel to keep them warm, but recently they have both been sleeping outside lieing on top of each other which is sweet! :p

They are outside when we are away ( working, nights out etc ) but when we are at home they are brought inside with us where we can keep a watchfull eye on the younger one!

I think this may well solve your problem even if it is untill your younger lab passes through this stage.

regards

Mark