My new wood cutting buddy

[PapaDave]

I have a year and a half old chocolate male. He is the best companion a guy could ask for Gotta agree with the chew toys being a MUST!!

One question. Has he calmed down yet? :ahhh:

 

[PapaDave]

I was considering another addition to have all the 3 colors ( Chocolate, Black, Golden ).
Their favorite game : snatch a piece of wood out of the stack and have me chase them.

Enjoy the new addition to the family.

Nice lookin' labs.
There's now a silver color too.

 

[Flatbedford]

My 6 year old Black Lab is just starting to calm down. Maybe when he is 10?

 

[Flatbedford]

They say the silver ones are just very light Chocolates. There are also those who say they are crossbred with Weimaraners.

 

[Bobbin]

That tail in motion says it all, Steve. A tennis ball and your time and all's well with the world for them, huh?

 

[Flatbedford]

They sure are easy to keep happy.

 

[PapaDave]

They say the silver ones are just very light Chocolates. There are also those who say they are crossbred with Weimaraners.

Evidence of inbreeding too. N/M about those.

 

[joat717]

I have a year and a half old chocolate male. He is the best companion a guy could ask for Gotta agree with the chew toys being a MUST!!

One question. Has he calmed down yet? :ahhh:

He was never real wild so to speak. He gets plenty of run time outside and he is a house dog Which leads me to the only problem i still have with him. He is jealous and very much enjoys company from me or my girlfriend. he was doing real good at not chewing anything but his toys untill this past holiday season when he was left alone more than he's used to and he reverted back to his old shoe fetish!! Grrrrr! I strongly believe he does this to get back at whoever was the one to leave him home alone. if i was the last to leave it'd be my shoes or even worse work boots drug out and chewed on if it was her vise versa. I have no clue how to break him of this. it's gotten much better we were even to the point where we felt comfortable leaving shoes out not put in the closet but here lately he's been overcome by temptation when he's alone. I've tried everything from yellin at him to rubbin his nose in the shoe while scolding him to smackin him with it to showin it to him and kickin him out for the night and nothin works. you can tell he knows its wrong cause as sooon as i get home he's tail tucked and just acts wierd. he can't hide it. So as long as you remember to put the shoes in the closet and SHUT THE DOOR when you're gone he's a real treat to have around.

 

[Bobbin]

Unhuh, Joat, you've got it wrong. Dogs live in the moment (which is why they can be such fun!), they aren't duplicitous at all and they don't plot "to get back at us". Destructive behaviors are simply reactions to stress and insecurity, nothing more. When our dogs are destructive it's because they feel unsure of their status within the "pack" (our household). Nothing more. When you leave your dog he isn't secure that you will come back; he doesn't understand why he isn't with you and it's stressful for him. And he does what dogs do to burn off energy... he chews, he digs, he looks for food. That he chews the shoes of the last person to leave the house makes complete sense, really... he's going to the items that smell most like the person that has "abandonned" him. The chewing is a way for him to burn off excess energy and be "near you". He is comforting himself by chewing and he's chosen something that smells most like you.

I know I sound like a broken record but I'll bet your dog would benefit tremendously from ON LEASH obedience work with both you and your lady. Dogs like being bossed around, they're hard-wired for strict hierarchical rules. They crave attention and they need to know "their place". Obedience work gives all of those things to them. Dogs like being on a leash because it guarantees that YOU ARE ON THE OTHER END. And when they know where you are, they know where they are in the pecking order. This is why walking on a leash is such a great way to establish a bond with your dog. It's important for a dog to run, too, but your undivided attention is every single bit as important, probably more so.

Rex used to do all sorts of destructive stuff until we knuckled down on the obedience work. Once we began to see "Mr. Leash" as our friend and ally (instead of nuisance required for an untrained dog) and began using it regularly and effectively the naughty behaviors began to disappear. Really! We still confine him when we go to work to "save him from himself" with respect to cat food and particularly attractive trash items, but he hasn't "ruined" anything since his first 6 mos. in our home. That was 5 yrs. ago now.

 

[PapaDave]

Unhuh, Joat, you've got it wrong. Dogs live in the moment (which is why they can be such fun!), they aren't duplicitous at all and they don't plot "to get back at us". Destructive behaviors are simply reactions to stress and insecurity, nothing more. When our dogs are destructive it's because they feel unsure of their status within the "pack" (our household). Nothing more. When you leave your dog he isn't secure that you will come back; he doesn't understand why he isn't with you and it's stressful for him. And he does what dogs do to burn off energy... he chews, he digs, he looks for food. That he chews the shoes of the last person to leave the house makes complete sense, really... he's going to the items that smell most like the person that has "abandonned" him. The chewing is a way for him to burn off excess energy and be "near you". He is comforting himself by chewing and he's chosen something that smells most like you.

I know I sound like a broken record but I'll bet your dog would benefit tremendously from ON LEASH obedience work with both you and your lady. Dogs like being bossed around, they're hard-wired for strict hierarchical rules. They crave attention and they need to know "their place". Obedience work gives all of those things to them. Dogs like being on a leash because it guarantees that YOU ARE ON THE OTHER END. And when they know where you are, they know where they are in the pecking order. This is why walking on a leash is such a great way to establish a bond with your dog. It's important for a dog to run, too, but your undivided attention is every single bit as important, probably more so.

Rex used to do all sorts of destructive stuff until we knuckled down on the obedience work. Once we began to see "Mr. Leash" as our friend and ally (instead of nuisance required for an untrained dog) and began using it regularly and effectively the naughty behaviors began to disappear. Really! We still confine him when we go to work to "save him from himself" with respect to cat food and particularly attractive trash items, but he hasn't "ruined" anything since his first 6 mos. in our home. That was 5 yrs. ago now.

Bobbin pretty much nailed this.
The stress and insecurity might be reduced if, like Bobbin has suggested, you will LEASH train this guy. He will then learn his role as NOT pack leader. Sounds like maybe he's a little confused on this point still.
Her point on living in the moment is pretty right on too. After the fact scoldings don't accomplish anything, except to confuse the dog. You'll just end up with a dog that's afraid of you.
YOU and your s/o are pack leaders, or ALPHA. He's an underling. Don't let him forget it. This does not mean beating him or anything, just that when he's commanded, he should respond and follow command. Life is simpler for him that way.
Try some crate training as well. He may not like it at first, but will eventually use it on his own.
Our Cooper comes to get me some times just so I'll put him in the room with the crate. He gets in on his own when he's ready to rest.

 

[joat717]

Unhuh, Joat, you've got it wrong. Dogs live in the moment (which is why they can be such fun!), they aren't duplicitous at all and they don't plot "to get back at us". Destructive behaviors are simply reactions to stress and insecurity, nothing more. When our dogs are destructive it's because they feel unsure of their status within the "pack" (our household). Nothing more. When you leave your dog he isn't secure that you will come back; he doesn't understand why he isn't with you and it's stressful for him. And he does what dogs do to burn off energy... he chews, he digs, he looks for food. That he chews the shoes of the last person to leave the house makes complete sense, really... he's going to the items that smell most like the person that has "abandonned" him. The chewing is a way for him to burn off excess energy and be "near you". He is comforting himself by chewing and he's chosen something that smells most like you.

I know I sound like a broken record but I'll bet your dog would benefit tremendously from ON LEASH obedience work with both you and your lady. Dogs like being bossed around, they're hard-wired for strict hierarchical rules. They crave attention and they need to know "their place". Obedience work gives all of those things to them. Dogs like being on a leash because it guarantees that YOU ARE ON THE OTHER END. And when they know where you are, they know where they are in the pecking order. This is why walking on a leash is such a great way to establish a bond with your dog. It's important for a dog to run, too, but your undivided attention is every single bit as important, probably more so.

Rex used to do all sorts of destructive stuff until we knuckled down on the obedience work. Once we began to see "Mr. Leash" as our friend and ally (instead of nuisance required for an untrained dog) and began using it regularly and effectively the naughty behaviors began to disappear. Really! We still confine him when we go to work to "save him from himself" with respect to cat food and particularly attractive trash items, but he hasn't "ruined" anything since his first 6 mos. in our home. That was 5 yrs. ago now.

Bobbin pretty much nailed this.
The stress and insecurity might be reduced if, like Bobbin has suggested, you will LEASH train this guy. He will then learn his role as NOT pack leader. Sounds like maybe he's a little confused on this point still.
Her point on living in the moment is pretty right on too. After the fact scoldings don't accomplish anything, except to confuse the dog. You'll just end up with a dog that's afraid of you.
YOU and your s/o are pack leaders, or ALPHA. He's an underling. Don't let him forget it. This does not mean beating him or anything, just that when he's commanded, he should respond and follow command. Life is simpler for him that way.
Try some crate training as well. He may not like it at first, but will eventually use it on his own.
Our Cooper comes to get me some times just so I'll put him in the room with the crate. He gets in on his own when he's ready to rest.

This all makes sense to me because durring the period of time when i thought he had given up his bad chewing habits he was on the leash a lot more with it being summer time and nicer weather more we were on the go more so he was on the leash more at places such as camp grounds parks in town at my moms house but now with winter and all we don't get out as much and i just really never seen the point to put him on a leash at my house as i live on a gravel road with the nearest neighbor over a half mile and probably not more than a dozen cars passing by in a days time.

also just messin with tryin to figure out the posting pictures thing so here's try number two of my pup the first one aint so great.

 

[Bobbin]

Great looking dog, Joat. I love the shot of him swimming through the duckweed and with it all over his face. No doubt about it, they're made for the water.

Have a friend who used to complain all the time about her Lab. going in the the water and then being all "smelly". (shaking her head in disbelief, why have one if it can't go in the water??)

 

[Flatbedford]

I think my Lab is part Otter or Seal maybe. I have heard of the occasional Lab who does not like water. Weird huh?

 

[joat717]

mine has always loved the water but wouldn't swim on his own till about ten months. Now if there's water around he's in it if it's iced over he's trying to dig through and get wet.

 

[Flatbedford]

they don't seem to mind the cold water at all.

 

[Bobbin]

Never bothered the Springer Spaniel we inherited either. She'd go off the rocks into the ocean in January... and she was some pretty in the water, definitely designed to swim! (and stink afterwards, lol)

 

[WES999]

Great looking pup, I used to have a black lab/GSD mix. Before Bella( in my avatar).
Some very good training advise from Bobin. Start early with puppy class. I did not do enough early socialization and now my dog is somewhat dog aggressive.

Another thing look into NILF - Nothing in life is free - dog training -
(broken link removed to http://www.pets.ca/articles/article-dog_nilf.htm)
Here is a link to one article. I am sure you can find many more.

Basically anything the dog wants he has to earn.
Example, Dog want to go out, he must sit until you say OK.

Good luck.

 

[mbcijim]

Ebay. Tennis Balls. You can buy worn out tennis balls (GREAT for labs) in quantities of 50-250 whatever you want. You can generally pay $.25 a piece for them on Ebay. My lab just turned 9, and I am on my 3rd box. I only figured it out 3-4 years ago.

Yard Sale stuffed animals also make great toys. I usually offer $5 for a big cardboard box full.

 

[nojo]

Great dogs everyone!

We lost our 3 year old lap/dane/ridgback cross a few weeks ago.

We are still super sad and miss him a LOT. He was the coolest dog ever.

Let me know if the pics dont show up.

(broken image removed)

(broken image removed)

One of my best friends painted us pictures of him so we could remember how happy he was

(broken image removed)

love that dog.

 

[edison38]

Beautiful puppy. In November I adopted an English pointer from rescue. She is 5 months old now and has been in puppy socialization class and obedience since she was about 12 weeks old. I agree that crate training and socialization with obedience are essential to the dog's development.

 

[savageactor7]

Yeah nojo he looks like a pretty cool dog...that's a great shot of him watching the road with the both of you.

 

[nojo]

Thanks Savage, he was great.

 

[firefighterjake]

Loving those eyes Edison . . . loving those eyes.