Tips on Dog Training.

[Dave]

Well, we got this little fella on the 1st May. [By the 3rd of May I'd bought a crate!]

So far he's chewing everything in sight, and nibbling fingers, and 'depositing' everywhere. Were keeping a close eye on him, and when he starts sniffing around, straight into the garden. But he hasnt got the hang of it yet.

He is happy enough, and settling in well.
Bit placid, as he fell asleep on the vets table when he went for his first jab. He's got a really good temperament. But I think his confidence is picking up, as he's mouthing everything.
At the moment he's a handful! We nudge him away, and give him one his toys instead, but it hasnt sunk in yet.
Here he is. 8 weeks old.

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[Niels]

He's a cute one! Especially in that first picture! Congratulations, and I hope you'll get along well.

 

[Macaroon]

Well done mate, he looks a good'un!.....................Patience is a virtue, and never more so than with a young Lab................Make the most of every moment 'cause one day you turn around and they're grown mature, and you think "where did that puppy go?". For me, it's one of the most valuable and precious journeys a human can ever make, and if done properly the rewards are enormous - the best of luck to you all, mac

 

[Dave]

Thanks Niels.

You're right about the patience Mac! He's done a bit of damage when our backs were turned. But within two days, we had perfected, Sit, Heel, and Leave, by feeding his kibbles in handfuls, as training aids. He's a drakeshead, FTW lineage, not that he'll be getting trained as a gun dog.
Never had a retriever before, but I've read labs are born half trained and spaniels die half trained.

 

[Niels]

A home without a dog is just a house

 

[Macaroon]

That's a good saying about the Labs & Spaniels - never heard that one, but there's truth in it!.........................atb mac

 

[Dave]

I take back what I said......hes a little terror. What an exhausting 1st week.
Ripped clothes, destroyed furniture, shoes, bloodied hands, backs and arms........

If he was a kid, he'd be off to bootcamp!

 

[ex-member BareThrills]

Hang in there mate it gets easier. My mate had a chocolate lab and it ate the entire house. £3k leather sofas got mullered when his back was turned. once you get the nibbling stage sorted you can look forward to the eating his own poo stage which i hear is common in labs

Hes a good looking lad and im sure he will bend to your way of thinking soon

 

[Dave]

Yeh, cheers Paul. I've heard that off other people as well, but the face lunging, hard biting, biting through clothes, drawing blood was surprising.
I definitely wouldnt have one of these around young kids. Hope the phase passes soon.

Apparently its perfectly normal, and theres not much you can do about it. Its the top sticky on the labrador forums page. Raised other large dogs and been able to handle them no probs

http://www.labradorforums.co.uk/ftopic-42797-days0-orderasc-0.html

Im gonna take him to a puppy class, where they just throw them all in a pen, and it sounds like they are killing each other.
Hopefully he will learn some bite inhibition.

im sure he'll be wirth it in the end........[I hope]

 

[Niels]

I take back what I said......hes a little terror. What an exhausting 1st week.
Ripped clothes, destroyed furniture, shoes, bloodied hands, backs and arms........

If he was a kid, he'd be off to bootcamp!

It 'll be fine. If he plays too rough, end the fun for him and stop. If he touches your furniture, make some noise (that doesn't appear to be coming from you), to scare him.

And put your good shoes on the stairs for a while, and give him toys.
And let him off lead, or let him chase a ball. Make him more tired.

Just love him. Be patient.
Good luck!

 

[Dave]

Yeh, weve tried all that Niels and more. It just seems to be a different kettle of fish with labs. And tbh It caught me unawares. Have a read through the 20 pages of comments on the link I provided. Nothing works. Everyone ends up with teeth holes in their arms....Lol.

He's a little bar steward....

 

[Goatboy]

Bite him back, it's how his mum or puppy mates would do it.

 

[Dave]

Tried that. Nipped his ears, tried replacing arms and feet with toys, tried holding him down on his side, as his mother would do, barking, growl, bared teeth, long stare, etc.
Positive reinforcement, and discipline. The works.
He picked up, sit, leave, heel, fetch, within the first 48 hours, but he wont stop biting you.
One minute theyre fine, the next, theyre lunging at your calf, clean through your trousers, and sinking tiny fangs in leg, drawing blood. Or worse, yer face!
Its not nastiness, or fear, he's just gotta bite ya.....And as I say, the more Ive looked through the labrador forums, the more Ive realised its pretty normal.
It was news to me but thats my fault, as I should have researched the breed more. We'll stick with him though.
Apparently its a phase the breed go through, some more than others. And there's not much to be done about it.

Labrador puppies DO bite a lot and hard too.......is the top sticky on the lab puppy forum page.

They are not all bad trainers. Its not an isolated incident.Its just the way lab puppies are.

 

[bearbait]

A dog trainer once told me that a dog's teeth should never ever come in contact with a human (attack dogs excluded, of course). That behaviour has to stop: it could become very dangerous. Try variously turning away, walking off, shouting NO, holding him down on the ground until he submits, and any other ways you can show your extreme displeasure to the wee beasty, perhaps even growling and showing your teeth. You are top dog and he isn't. He'd get his bottom wooped in a pack at his age with behaviour like that. Maybe he's showing alpha male tendencies - but you're the alpha-ist male! Try ignoring bad behaviour and rewarding good, with play or a treat or a cuddle. Repetition and Reward seems to be a mantra in animal training.

Some people have success with a collar that fires a small spray of air under the dog's chin via remote control; this distracts it from the unwanted behaviour. They're not cheap but you may be able to beg or borrow one. Of course, he might learn that he's got the naughty collar on and be a little angel...until you take the naughty collar off!

Good luck, and I hope you get the fella sorted soon...

 

[bearbait]

It just occurred to me whether wearing a muzzle might help him to eventually forget the "attack & bite" behaviour?

 

[Niels]

The dog doesn't think you're a dog too. Because you don't have dog body language. (No human really does.) Right now, when he bites you, you shout at him, or push him down (touching) which is interaction.
Therefore, his biting is rewarded. You need to be very consequent, every time his teeth touch you, when you play, but also when you give him a cookie, to stop all fun for him, and walk away.

You could use a choke chain, but I would consider this unnatural. A mother dog nips her pups in the neck skin, not strangle them with a chain. Also, since a dog knows were humans, he won't realise you mean it as a correction. He'll just think you're being agressive.

This channel is great for dog training IMHO:

http://www.youtube.com/user/zakgeorge21

Sorry for all the long text.

 

[Dave]

It just occurred to me whether wearing a muzzle might help him to eventually forget the "attack & bite" behaviour?

A muzzle would be a last resort for me. I'll get him down to the vets and figure out something.

[He deffo knows Im the alpha male....I would have thought the same, that there is some training olution. Until you've lived with him for a bit, and seen him doing it.]

**He is also a dead cute puppy a lot of the time as well though.

 

[Macaroon]

Hi Dave - sounds like he's really making you have a lump! Neils makes a very important point in his post above - if he thinks he's getting a reaction from you when he bites (good OR bad) he'll keep doing it, so the only sanction you have is to end the fun and ignore him as soon as he uses his teeth, no pack animal can tolerate being ignored for long and will modify whatever behaviour causes it as soon as they make the connection.
Have you got a cage for him? I've found it useful in the past to shut 'em in the cage and ignore 'em, but while they're still in the same space as the family..............worth a try if you haven't already! The single most effective thing in my view is the puppy socialisation sessions; there's bound to be one of the others that'll put him in his place and that'll be the lesson that sticks - if that doesn't work, get him together with an older bitch on a regular basis and she'll put him right in a way he really won't be able to ignore.............

Another thing I've found very useful; instead of toys and people stuff, get a couple of rabbit skins and lash 'em to a good wrist-sized stick with rawhide strips and let him have that as his own............again, worth a try and not much effort................hope things steady up soon for you, mate,.....................atb mac

 

[Bluebs4]

I had a chocolate lab n boy was he bouncy . All sound advice , if he's a typical lab n has a food drive then your on your way with reward training and as said gently bring him n his confidence on good luck buddy.

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[Dave]

Thanks Bearbait, Goatboy, Niels, Mac & Bluebs4.

All good advice. And will be taken on board. [Introduced him to a couple of older bitches, one from a neighbour, and one from a family member, who put him in his place when he started nipping. Im sure he'll be a great dog.]

This is some advice weve been steered toward as well. Easier said than done though!! [They make it sound so easy!]

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