Minstrel , is generally really good, can take her off the lead and play with her .  she can come up and lie with me on the sofa but sometimes , and especially when otehr people apart from ema re present will..

1, bite (not hard but mouthing) even though her proper teeth are through
2, bound around and jumping up at people, a no! doesnt do anything.
3, barking, when left alone for any period of time
4, she always follows me around, which is noce but would liek to see her exploring more when I am there

she used to be quite obediant but lately she resembles a teenager...

I expected her to be different at this stage, My vet has advised spaying after her first season, any idea if she is about to come into season??

Thanks in advance

This sounds prefectly normal to me.my choccy lab amber whos 8.5 months old has been harder work lately, and it's just like the others were at the same age.Amber is possibly coming into season though, they've been having a mass humping sesh this morning, and they're all bitches...aren't they worth it though, cos the naughty stage wont last forever....HONEST!!! 

Thats good to know..

I thought as much but its such a change

Answer to question (these are things that i have done with my now 8month GSD)

1, when she bites if no does not work fold you arms indisgust and ignore = no talking no eye contact nothing
2,when we have vistiors espically little ones which i always get lol we give her a rawhide shoe this takes the excitment away then once she has finsed she will have a sniff of them with out knocking them to the ground and bathing them with slober :-)
3, have not had to deal with this as she has a 6yr old freind, only thing i can say is to make the time you are not the interesting for her i.e toys especially kongs i myself have not tried these but lots of people say they are greeaattt, radio on or tv.
4, following lol forget it that does not stop she will follow you to the loo bath get under your feet when you wash up and prepare food and when your settling down in the eveniung she will eather lie your lap (ouch mine does this not comfy as she is around 35kg) or lie at your feet. lol
She is at the teenage disobedient stage just needs a lot of time and back to basic training, you will often see me in the fiel on my knees recalling my pup back after all if you are cross they will not respond so be happy lol

First season will be from anytime to 12months, my pup has not had hers yet but that will come soon.
All the best and have a lovely christmas
Cordelia

I have a 1 year old and a 2 year old even after a walk are tearing around the dining room and conservatory !! Saying that my Minstrel who is 13 is lying down with her legs in the air playing with them as well !!

Labs will be Labs and it is one of their traits !!

She will go through a Kevin the Teenager stage but it should start to get better after the first season which can be around 6 months onwards. Yes it is always better to let them have one season and then leave at least a few months before spaying.

You have to be very tough with them and make sure you don't let them get away with things as give an inch and a Lab teenager will take a mile :D :D 

HTH

Lucy

My lot are still following me round & the youngest will be 3yrs old in April!! :D :D
She sounds perfectly normal Lab to me :)

Christine, Spain.

Thanks guys....

She is a lovely thing and now that I knwo it is the norm i can relax...

merry xmas everyone and thanks again

Hi I am having a terrible time with Star too (6 months old lab).The holidays have been a nightmare as I have had lots of visitors,and she has dominated the whole visit. She is very persistent in jumping up on people,especially when they are sitting on the settee. When they have continually put her down,she starts biting. I have put her out,put a lead on her( she rolls about and chews it).She just won,t take a telling,and goes totally hyper,racing round the room so I can't catch her.I have put her out,and let her in,and she immediately goes back to the settee and starts the jumping,biting carryon again,so out she goes again.Ignoring her doesn't work,shouting doesn't work,putting her out doesn't work,praising her and making her sit works for 2 seconds,then she is off again.To have any kind of conversation etc. I have to shut her in the kitchen where she proceeds to howl the place down.This doesn't cure it,as she comes racing in and starts all over again when she is allowed out of the kitchen.She jumps up and bites my husband and I as well,when we are sitting on the settee watching telly,him more so than me,and he always resorts to shutting her out.What are we doing wrong? Or is it just a "phase".She is a clever dog,but she just doesn't seem to be getting the message that this constant harrassment is getting her nowhere.

hi

my boxer is the same re, jumping up and getting totally over excited with visitors so what i do now is put her out before they come or she'll keep barking to come in if she knows their there, then i let her in 10 mins before they are leaving so that she can say hello and meet them but when she gets too much they are about to leave anyway so it works well, i agree nothing works when they get that excited they conveniently go totally deaf, when its just us at home and she starts we do the 3 strikes and your out routine this has worked, if we say to her "your go out" she now lays down and plays with her toys but it has taken a while to get her to this stage for quite a while i was up and down putting her out, letting her back in,back out again it wore me out but unfortunately it does'nt work when visitors call!!

regards
jojo

Welcome to the wonderful mad world of Labradors and Boxers too, very similar in personality :)
One of my girls is still a nut case and she is 6.

Our black lab puppy Hector is 3 months and sounds just like Star. He bites quite a lot and it can be painful, or scary for children, but he only seems to do it just after he wakes up or just before he's ready for a sleep. Nothing seems to be working to reduce it and the only thing that keeps us going sometimes is all the other people on these boards who have the same problems, and everyone else saying it WILL get better!! Good luck and if you find a magic answer, let me know...

My girl got excited with visitors too  - heres how i tackled it.

First i got her used to a visible treat pot. I taught her for a few weeks to "settle" (ie a relaxed down) and after a few moments she would have a treat.

The treats HAVE to be very tasty and high value, so no boring biccies. Use liver, cheese, sausage etc ;)

When she knew what was wanted, i started to use this training in "real life". First when visitors came she was ignored in her crate or put happily behind a child gate - no greeting from visitors at all.

After 20 minutes or so, she came out on a lead adn i took her to a corner of the room and sat with her with the treat pot in clear view to her. She soon learnt to do what i wanted to get her rewards. Gradually she got much calmer over the months and now will Settle if i ask her to when we have visitors. I still do praise and food reward her but not as much as before.

Another tip i discovered was to make the visitors boring and tell them to ignore the dog most of the time except for a quick pat when the dog was not jumping at them and only after they had been in the house for ages.

Hth a bit - my Terv was very exciteable and she did respond to this, but dont expect miracles for a while :D

Lindsay

Hi,
Your Lab is very normal.  You'll have to get use to it.  I have a 9 years old Lab who is very well behaved.
She didn't settle down till she was about 3 or 4.    When she bite's or chews take a raw hide bone and put it in her mouth. Not a shoe, she will think that all shoes are welcome territory.  She will get to know that this is approiate.  Always have one on hand to give her if she starts to chew on anything.  Tap her lightly on the nose and give her the bone.
As far as jumping, bring your knee up into her chest and tell her NO!  If this doesn't work step lightly with some pressure on her rear feet.  She will get so she doesn't like it.  I always leave the radio on for my lab
when I'm gone it gives her the feeling that she is not alone.  I have also heard that putting an old sweatshirt in her bed will help.  It will have your scent on it.
My lab still likes to be in the room that I am in and follows me every where.  They are a very loyal breed.
She will want to please you so teach her well.

Hope this helps
Cocoa41

Rawhide bones are not necessarily very healthy for a dog.

Bringing your knee up into a dog's chest can be interpreted as an invitation to play by a lot of dogs as they like body contact.  Much better to turn away than do this or tread on her toes IMHO.