any ideas why?

Sometiems she doesnt do it, otehr times she will, and you cannot always be there when she does it?

She is also turning out to be a bit uncontrollable at times, ie if she has something she will tease me with it, and when I go to get it from her she will run away like a mad woman!

Sit command works when she is placid, but not when she is excited...

She is a lab and 6 months old...

any ideas?

She is still a baby and will often see things as a game when you are trying to train her. Have patience as this will go on for a few months yet !!

If you are trying to train let her have a run a round first to get her first wind out of her and she is more likely to listen when you are training if she isn't wound up. Also training has got to be fun as well as they can get bored if it doesn't keep their attention. Use treats as well as praisel to focus her on the task in hand and gradually as she gets the idea withdrawl the treats and just use praise.

Poo eating is a problem with some dogs. I have had two that have done it one for medical reason as she wasn't absorbing all the nutrients due to Colitis and one because she thinks it is a game and retrieves the poo to show us. They only way I have found to resolve the problem is to pick up the poo on a regular basis. You can try Deter from your vets or pineapple or corgettes in their food is another thing to try.

I have solved my poo eating (well the girls poo eating :D) more or less by changing the ones diet to Nature diet which has more or less resolved the Colitis and to ignore when the other one retrieves the poo so she doesn't think I like her doing it which she would if I made a fuss !

HTH

Lucy

Hi
Most importantly when she's got something don't go after her to get it back...she'll learn that its a fun way of creating a game.  I know its hard, but when she's got something you should try to ignore her, even walk away from her, so that she learns that her way of getting you to play will not work.  I've found that when I've walked away, my dog has either run after me thinking I must be doing something more interesting, or has got bored and dropped whatever she was holding.

About the poo thing...its in all dog's nature to be coprophagic.  It's not particularly pleasant, but if its just in small quantities it won't harm her.  Some dogs will make a habit out of it though, so if you can discourage her then its probably for the best.  You should try to remove the temptation for her by picking up as frequently as possible to try to get her out of the habit.  You didn't mention if it was her own or other dog's?  If its her own...I think there is an additive you can add to her feed that will make the poo 'taste horrible', but I'm afraid I don't know what its called.  Also if it is her own and it does persist, it could be that she's not properly digested her food "1st time round".  If this is the case a change in diet may help, but I wouldn't try that until you've tried everything else, especially if she's doing well on her food otherwise.

Hope this helps

Hi minstrel we had this problem with our lab puppy with her picking up frogs/newts/slugs in the garden and obviously we were trying to get them off her, and as Briar said this turned into a massive game for her. 

What we do now at the moment is let her in the garden in a long lead so we have some control over her and we are teaching the command "out" and everytime she picks anything up in the garden we are saying "out" and immediately giving her something like a piece of liver cake, this seems to be working at the moment but it does take time.

Hilary

Please remember that slugs and snails are carriers of lungworm and toads have a toxic chemical that they spray when distrubed which will "burn" your dogs face etc

Hi Minstrel and Suzy. Every problem you have with your pups,I have too, We all have labs of roughly the same age(6months).She eats her poo,runs away with anything she can find,especially the grandkids toys.They yell and shriek when she has grabbed their toy car or whatever,and of course she is delighted,as this is what she wants.When ignoring and offering a "better" treat doesnt work,I am afraid I have to "threaten" her by yelling and waving a newspaper or something else at her.,especially if whatever she has is dangerous for her,or looks like being destroyed in a couple of chews.The biggest problem I have at the moment is when visitors come in. She is a nightmare,and resorts to turning nasty and trying to bite when she is being told off for jumping up . We have tried absolutely everything. Last night I gave her a bone to chew,and she lay there not bothering with anyone,but as soon as she got bored with the bone,she launched herself at the visitors,and turned really nasty with my husband when he sat holding her collar,and trying to calm her down. She jumped up at my son and ripped the sleeve of his jacket before he even had time to take it off,and has ripped his and his wife's denims before now. I always supervise carefully when the kids are here,becuase if she bites them,then I think that would be the last straw

Hi Jean, I`m really sorry to hear you are still having bad problems with Star, we had Skye assessed by a behaviourist before christmas and are following her programme and she is like a totally different puppy. We hardly ever get any of the nasty biting now, maybe the odd 10 mins every 4 days thats all. She is just like a very mischivious (sp)normal naughty lab puppy I`m so pleased to say. (apart from this picking up frogs business) but we keep her on a lead in the garden when its been raining. We are rewarding her for every bit of good behaviour and it seems so strange but since she has stopped this biting she is so much happier in herself, her tail never stops wagging and we`re getting eye contact which we hardly ever got before.
I know we have still got a long way to go and we must be careful not to let this programme slip at the moment because she seems a lot better, there are still a few things worrying me about her.
Anyway its early days but i`m really hopeful that for once and for all we`ve got this biting sorted.
Have you thought about having Star assessed by someone?  Just an idea?

Hilary

Hi Hilary. She is going in on Monday to be spayed,so I will have a word with the vet then. I am finding it difficult to control her on the lead,as she is so strong,and headstrong,and tries to jump up at everyone and everything she sees outside.I am not as strong as I used to be when my GSD's were pups,so I find it a bit of a struggle taking her for walks.She seems to get these mad half hours,especially when anyone comes in,and leaps about,4 paws off the ground,trying to bite anyone who tries to stop her. Yesterday she was fine when my daughter came in,she ignores her, and Star is too busy greeting my 2 year old grandson. She is Ok with the kids,loves them in fact,but I just have to watch for this "mad" behaviour in case any of them get bitten.Teling her off for biting hands,feet ,legs etc.results in a more determined attack and this hyper behaviour.Putting her out doesn't work,nor does praise.She seems to have gotten into the habit of biting visitors,and that's what is worrying me

Hi minstrel. No she hasn't had her first season yet. Our vets do them before the first one,providing everything else is Ok and she is mature enough. She is in today,and i am just about to go and collect her. All went well with her op,so some tlc tonight for her Poor love.As you and Suzy could be writing about her in your posts,I think it must be just lab behaviour,she is exactly the same as yours with the toys etc.As Delboy says "This time next year" We won't be millionaires,but hopefully we will all have lovely,well behaved  labradors. A long way to go yet methinks.If she would just calm down a bit,and stop all the hyper behaviour,she would be a lovely intelligent dog.Hubby is coming home from work early to come with me and collect her.He drives a hackney cab,and it will be easier to get her in and out of that rather than lifting her into the car.No doubt we will be reading more posts from the 3 of us.
PS An elderly couple have the same lab pup 2 weeks older than Star,and she was in today being spayed. They are having similar probs too,and want me to phone them to compare notes. Might just do that  Jean

Good luck with Star, be very interested to see how she is after the spaying...

Minstrels fav trick now is to hide under the coffee table and bark and growl at us, she will show her teeth and look really scary but wagging her tail...

she doesnt bite only gently ..

very weird....