Hi,

I'm new to this so please bear with me!

I've got a Chocolate Labrador and she's 13 months old. She's been spayed and has had all of her injections up to date. She's still tatoally mad! When I get up in the morning's she's constantly jumping up at me and when I cook dinner she jumps up at the side. No matter how much I tell her off or tap her nose she still does it. Yet, my 14 week old Rottie is good as gold and has never shown signs of doing this. Kaci (the Labrador) has been doing this since we got her at 9 weeks old. Any ideas?

thanks

Charli

A friend of mine has a lab, Jed, he lives three doors down from me. As a family pet he's as thick as two short planks, won't listen, steals and scoffs everything belonging to the baby, jumps up at everyone (but me he learned that lesson) and the kitchen units, runs away when off the lead despite obedience training and the list goes on and on.
Take him out into the field, full slip check chain on along with other working dogs he's amazing!!!! Every single command is followed through to perfection. He even recalls!!!!!!!!!
These dogs weren't origionally bred to live in the house and sit pretty all day. They are a working breed and sometimes they need more than the average dog in terms of stimulation and excercise.
Telling off rarely works with labs, Jed is a perfect example of the lab with selective hearing. I would seek advice from a tainer, maby get her to some sort of training class (it may work with her) and seek the advice of a behaviourist to find out what you are doing wrong. Nobody is the perfect dog owner and we all needpointing in the right direction sometimes. I learned a lot from my behaviourist believe me!
I hope you find a solution to these problems,
Caz x

Ok firstly she is only a baby, she is now a teenager, just keep perservering with training it doenst sound like she has a problem, good luck!

Miasmum, that dog is not 'thick' its down to lack of training, you said:
These dogs weren't origionally bred to live in the house and sit pretty all day. They are a working breed and sometimes they need more than the average dog in terms of stimulation and excercise.

Well he obviously needs to be stimulated inside the house then and not just when he goes out with another dog?!

Its a figure of speech!!!!!!! Thick, dopey, daft, batty, loopy. You get the picture!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have told my friend that she is not a suitable lab owner already as she doesn't have the time for such an energetic breed. Babies and bouncy pups do not go together at the best of times, its much worse when the basic training hasn't been done properly. I know that. You know that. Its down to the owner to train the dog in order for it to meet expectations. I suggested training classes. Like you did, just perceverance with training should do the trick!

i found with our lab that she started to calm down by between 18mths to 2yrs, now she is as steady as a rock, i also have a lab/springer cross and he too has just started to calm down and he just had his second birthday, and if anything he was a lot bouncyer than amber was and on a few occiasions i thought we might have to rehome him, but he had steaded down a great deal in the last few months and i'm so glad that we percvered with him

Thank you for your reassuring reply... I REALLY hope Kaci starts to calm down as I really don't have much patience left for her... She's had be in tears and ready to re-home her too... I don't think I can cope with much more but hearing that a year might make ALL the difference is great... I can't afford a trainer and certainly can't afford obedience classes... Let's just hope she's calms down

Believe me when I say that more pups end up in rehoming centres during the adolescent months of their lives than any other :( At least you have asked and been told what part of the problem is :) I think that as long as you have some idea over time scale , you have something to hang on to :D My Malamute has just started to come out of adolscence ..it IS a very trying time ....they turn into proper little demons and can have a grown person in tears quite easily :)

Take heart ....keep up with the training and above all else , persevere ;)

Melody :)

Hi Charli, I`ve got 8 of them so know a bit what your going thru :) but don`t despair, she will calm down you`ll need to be patient with her tho, if you feel like your losing patience with her then put her on her own for a little while either in another room or in her bed. Can you not keep her out of the kitchen when your cooking? Can you afford to buy a book on training, that would be a big help if you could, theres some very good ones that will help show you how. A yr will make a difference but you`ll have to teach her what she can & can`t do but they`re super intelligent & love to make you happy so I don`t think it will be too hard for you to show her.

Christine, Spain.

Ooh yes , we have a kiddy gate up at the kitchen door to keep Hudson out when I am busy in there ..also one at the bottom of the stairs so he can't mooch around wherever he wants ;)

Hi,
she is probably under stimulated so is making her own fun by bouncing around.
Telling her off can actually make the problem worse, as dogs often act puppyish to try and appease you adn demonstrate that they are no threat to you.

If you can't afford to buy a book on training, go to the library and get one out. There are tons of things you can do in the house to get her thinking and using up all that mental energy she has.

Clicker training is a great way of doing that. You can buy clickers from most pet shops for a couple of pounds, and depending on what you feed, you can feed a proportion of her daily food allowance through training.

There's lots of websites about clicker training, if you search you can probably find one that breaks down exercises so they're really easy to follow.

How much physical exercise (walks) does she get? You could try increasing that, or if that's not possible, make her really think while you're on a walk, take a toy with you, and throw it into some long grass so she has to sniff to find it, make it easy to start with then gradually make it more difficult.

If you live near a safe place to swim, try and encourage her to, swimming is far more tiring than running about and walking, and will calm her down quicker.

She will grow out of it, but only if her needs are being met adequately.

good luck,
Jo

Charli, a bit concerned that you say you can't afford training classes, they are usually £1 to £1.5 pre dog per week and if you can't afford that you are going to struggle to keep 2 large dogs. The Rotti should be being trained now as an untrained Rot is going to cause you more trouble than an untrained Lab. As others have said she will settle a little when she grows up but it is the nature of the Lab to be bouncy and they need training and plenty to do. Can't help much except to say perhaps you need to rearrange your life in order to give more time to both dogs and use some of that time for training. Sad to say it is because people do not understand the Lab before they buy that so may finish up in rescue.

Training classes round here (MK) are certainly more than £1.50 a night - that wouldn't cover the cost of hiring the hall for an hour!

Last time I went our training club was £5 for a year's membership, then £1 per class.
:)

There is a class near me for that much, but I wouldn't recommend it for novices because they have to really cram the dogs in to make a profit!

Jo

Well depends how may dogs, but I went to training classes at Leighton Buzzard (8miles for MK) and that was £3 to join the club and 50p per dog, that was 5 years ago, but can't believe it has gone up that much. Also sometimes went to the club at the TA and think that was at that time about a £1.

I go to 2 different classes,

1 is 1 hour long it is 50p per dog per handler

and the other os 1 1/2 hours long and it £1

Pam

Bllomin heck. My friend runs training classes, and it costs £1.50. she is worried at the moment as what with School holidaus, and now the firework Season, numbers are down, and she isn't covering the hall costs (£22 a night). the same Probelem with the GSD training club, sometimes not enough people come to pay the hall.

I think we pay around £8 for the hall.. for an hour on committee but can't remember.

Hope this gives the poster some idea that even if it is a little more where she is it will not be a fortune for sure..

Most just trying to cover costs, or as Brainless has said Not as they case may be.

Good luck

Pam

That is a shame Brainless as there are so few really good clubs. Posters to the rescue.. especially the vets.

Pam

Hi Charlie

My Lab is now 4 months old and is absolutely mad! When we went to pick her she was as dopey and kept wanting to sleep with her mam so we thought she'd be nice and quiet. On the second day we had her she changed completely and was really cheeky, i'm now thinking that she may have been the boss of the others! When i go to get her if she's being naughty she runs away and keeps running around the room barking and grunting, even if i shout it doesn't help she just barks at me. I think she thinks it's a game. She has her dinner when we eat but still jumps up beside us or sits watching. I take her for an hours walk every evening..some people may think this is a lot but if i only take her out for half an hour she runs around the house like a lunatic! It's just not enough. She has lots of toys which is starting to help as all we have to do is throw her dolly whilst we're sitting down into the kitchen and she runs and takes it back to us so we repeat this till it tires her out. She's not as bad as she was and is getting better.

as the barking babes would say "get her a kong" :)

I can give you the exact time that a Labrador will quieten down. Two weeks after they die of old age!

John

Please don't tell me that!!! :) We're still waiting for our 2 year old choc lab to calm down (but not holding our breath). Our trainer said that eventually, our lab will be the kind of dog that likes to sit at your feet, but he'll probably be a geriatric by then!!

As I've posted on here before, I spent six years wishing my old Bethany would grow up and the rest of her life hoping she never would. The last wish came true! Anna is down the same lines and although is a very good worker is also another dog who does not look to be going to steady down too quickly. At going on six years old will be walking at heel in an orderly fashion and suddenly launch herself vertically upwards, touch my cheek with her nose then carry on walking at heel!

Regards, John

Oh that conjures memories, John! Our Bella could do vertical take-off like that! And Ned's previous lab, Kayla - she would bounce to greet you, kissing you on the nose, without touching any other part of you! Great girl!
:)

It just seems to be a "Joy of life" thing! She is a wonderful jumper, seems to float rather than jump.

Best wishes, John

Thats it exactly John, Joy of Life!!!!! :) I`ve got a few jumpers only they`re very smart they do it to my back usually with muddy paws & Laddie was the only one who could get the safety???? gate down thats on the kitchen & he did it just a few days before he left us & ate a whole loaf!! :) You know I never ever saw him do it & still don`t know how he managed it.

Christine, Spain.

Hi Charlie

i had a Lab cross and she was wonderful, i met her when she was about 4 and she was always very young at heart, shall we say :D , but once you get through adolescence, if you have trained them, you will have a manageable and very enjoyable dog and be able to enjoy those moments of "joy of life" that John and others have smiled about :)

Do a little bit of training every day. Maybe get her to Sit every time she gets her lead on, has dinner, goes out, and lots of praise when she is good. I use food rewards for training too :)

I hope things settle a bit and you manage to start enjoying her ;)

Lindsay

When a dog comes into your life whose only young, but whose life has taught her there is no joy in anything, so much so that it takes you nearly two years to discover you have a dog who can behave like a loony, you get to really appreciate those 'mad moments'.......

Sorry John, have to disagree with you, you've got the breed wrong, that's when Beardies quieten down:-D
Anne

But would you have it any other way Anne? ;)

Best wishes, John

Err umm well yes but only sometimes :-D :-D
Anne

i'm amazed you haven't been reprimanded for walking your 4 month old puppy for 1 hour! - as i got a LOT of opinions about walking my pup for 25 minutes when she was coming up to 12 weeks old. the 'rule' quoted at me was 5 minutes for each month, which would limit your walk to 20 minutes.

personally i haven't got a problem with an hour, but apparently many on here do. play sessions in the garden with children or with another young dog would give about the same amount of excercise anyway. [and my pup isn't with children or other dogs]

As with the last thread Bluebird, If my advice is asked then I give it. If it is not then I take it that it is not wanted. If you have problems with that then I do not know where that might be?

Sorry for jumping in Bluebird, but wasn't the thread specifically about the length of times for walking? How can you complain if people gave you advice you didn't want?

I think the fact that the original poster is on the verge of rehoming the dog is what everyone is most concerned with.

Had they asked opinions on how long the dog should be walked for, I'm sure they would have been given. As they were when you asked.

.

It's nice being able to see a post before it's edited! :p

I never see them before J, so come on & send it to me :D

Christine, Spain.

Hi B/Bird, what did you bother asking for opinions for if you didn`t what to hear them?
I wouldn`t ask if I didn`t want to know!!!! Personally speaking from experience I`ve had with my pups they`d be extemely distressed & unhappy being taken for an half hour long walk at coming up to 12wks of age, but hey thats only my pups & my experience so take it or leave it :) Tell you what tho they could play for hours in the garden cos thats their home & what they know, with or without their litter/playmates but with me or other members of family. You see it`s not strange & they feel secure but what the heck am I telling you this for? You have your own experiences of this & don`t need other folks opinions or knowledge.....do you?

Christine, Spain.

Well I would have to say that either I have a unique lab or something cos, my lab is so well behaved!!! no chewing, no jumping only when I want him to after completing something good in training, comes to call, doesn't pinch things!! He is a little angel really bless him! Sure he gets things wrong but only because it's the first time he has ever done something. Labs are so loving and affectionate and love to please so be patient and persevere with her..praise good behaviour and ignore bad I say!

Your Labrador is not unique Emmah but I'd say in my experience possibly in the minority. I've had Labs from the "Grown Up" at 8 weeks old, so steady and so calm to the "Juvenile Delinquent" at 14 years old and all points in between!

Regards, John

John, just wanted to say hello, as I've not bumped into you on the board recently!
Must add that Flatcoats; well mine seems to fall into the 'Juvenile Delinquent group. Even the vet grimaces when he sees her, as she licks his glasses, and kisses his face and ear, while trying to give him every paw......at one time :D

liberty

Hi Liberty :)
Thats a Flattie for you. They are one of the lickkyist of dogs! Almost as bad as an OES!!!

Best wishes, John

:D :D @ John :)

regards liberty :)

Hi Charli and others!,

I have 2 labs, 5 1/2 years and 5 1/2 months and I have found that my adult bitch still hasn't 'calmed' down, but she has channelled her endless energy into other things rather than just bouncing. Back in the days when she was a pup, I took her to puppy classes run at the local hall, and she did ok, but as soon as I took her outside she went bonkers!. 6 months later, I had a completely different dog - I changed training classes(I now instruct at the club!), Made up 'house rules', read loads about my breed and different ways of training and most importantly, sorted her food out. Its amazing how her behaviour changed when she changed food. She was on dog meat and biscuit and was changed to a complete food. By trial and error she has now settled on Wafcol 21-no gluten or additives- no meat combining, no 'meat derivatives'. I'm not saying that your dogs behaviour will change overnight, but it is worth looking into what she eats-alot of dog food is the equivalent of E numbers to children. The other main change was that she now trains outside-she has learnt to ignore the 'outside' smells and concentrate on her training.
She has now changed into a sort of lovable Jekyll and Hyde labrador. When she's at home, she's friendly, but not boisterous, when she visits our local Hospice (she's a PAT dog) she's very passive. But she also has competed at Working Trials and Tracking and anyone who's done this can confirm that your dog needs real drive to do it!. I'm only hoping that my new pup will turn out the same.
Labs are brilliant, brilliant dogs that can turn their hand (or rather paws!) to most things, but on the whole, they do take a bit of time to mature-keep going, it just takes some time for them to realise that there's more rewarding things to do in the world than jumping up and generally being mad.
Keep us all posted on how you go-Good luck
Ali:):)

i'm glad someone else has a quiet well behaved lab i was begining to wonder if my 2 1/2 yrs old was perhaps feeling poorly as she been like that now eversince she hit 18 months old, once she did go off her food so she was down the vets double quick, if a labs not eating then its probably dead was one of the jibes i'd often heard, the vet run full blood tests etc but all came back fine. So perhaps she one of the fwew labsthat are just a laid back softy lump.

My goodness, i didn't realise how cheap most training classes are and how expensive mine is! I pay £5 for my first dog and £2.50 for the second dog per class/per week. The group actually own the club house so i guess that is why. It certainly is value for money though and i don't mind paying it. Come to think of it a 6 week course of agility training with a different trainer costs £40, so it must be an expensive area.