My last nerve...

[GartenSpinnen]

My lab is turning out to be the most destructive ill tempered dog i have ever had. Today i was playing with my daughter in the living room when i hear SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhSSHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.....i immediately say WTH!!!!! Run to the kitch... low and behold 3 mt dew cans spinning in every direction and mt dew spraying all over my kitchen i JUST cleaned. BTW this was after the morning of giving her a bath after she crapped and rolled in it and tore up a packet of taco seasoning all over the floor to stain it a nice orange color, and after chewing all the old wooden trim in my kitchen... oh not to mention the fact she managed to rip the carpet off the floor and chew on the padding to pieces under it. And last but not least lets just go back to the incident of chewing every cord on every appliance in my house and grabbing an extention cord and flinging our CD player off the shelf breaking it. Can you say... chained outside???

 

[JColt]

lol. my boxers a pain too. He chewed to couch to shreds one time. I guess he was mad I left the house.

 

[halfwaynowhere]

thats what puppies do.
you can try crate training, or confining him to an exercise pen when he can't be closely supervised. Tossing him out is only going to solve the problem on a temporary basis. Sure, he won't destroy the house as long as he's outside, but unless you want him to spend the next 15 years tied up in the yard, you'll have to face the problem eventually.

 

[OldHag]

The VERY reason I dont have a dog.. three kids are enough!

 

[AneesasMuse]

Labs are high energy dogs... take him/her out for a romp and stomp in the park, and a few long walks for elimination purposes, and you will likely have a calmer dog... and an intact house.

The dog really isn't being malicious... it just needs some guidance and a way to let off some of that puppy energy ...uhh, kind of like kids.

 

[RoachGirlRen]

Chained outside in the yard is going to result in a very miserable dog. They are a social species. They need you. Period. If you can not accomodate her behavior, I would suggest rehoming rather than condemning her to a life isolated and bored (though I'm hoping you weren't being serious). This is normal puppy behavior. They are so time consuming because they require extensive, repetative training and are indeed very destructive and messy. I would suggest crate training or confining via gates to a 'puppy proof' room (like a kitchen with a nice linoleum floor) and getting some good chew toys like Kongs (try to avoid rawhide as it is a choking and blockage hazard). It sounds like with the amount of chewing she might be teething; they sell dog toys you can cool in the fridge like you would with a baby's teething ring, which really helps reduce the chewing. Treat dispensers that demand the dog manipulate and roll the toy are also a great distraction. And there's always taking a hollow cow shin and smearing some nice sticky wet food in their for pup to attempt to lick out. Heh.
Is she recieving any formal training? Puppies may have a short attention span but they are smart and eager to please. A combination of dominance, gentle but firm correction, and most of all positive reinforcement tends to work pretty darn well. If she gets yelled at for chewing what she shouldn't but not rewarded for chewing what she should, she isn't going to learn the distinction. If you find her chewing, give a firm "NO!" If she doesn't stop consider scruffing, then give her a toy to chew on instead. If she chews on it, let her know you are pleased. Most pups learn pretty quickly that they can enjoy chewing a whole lot more if they chew the right things.

Also totally agree with the poster above. Labs are smart, active, outdoorsy dogs. Take her out hiking, swimming, walking, etc. and play with her in the yard until she's worn out. Most chewing in pups is teething, but some of it is boredom. They have short attention spans and high stimulation needs; remember, if they were wild dogs, they'd be goofing off with their siblings and practing hunting until they were at least a year old!

 

[Rochelle]

Chained outside in the yard is going to result in a very miserable dog. They are a social species. They need you. Period. If you can not accomodate her behavior, I would suggest rehoming rather than condemning her to a life isolated and bored (though I'm hoping you weren't being serious). This is normal puppy behavior. They are so time consuming because they require extensive, repetative training and are indeed very destructive and messy. I would suggest crate training or confining via gates to a 'puppy proof' room (like a kitchen with a nice linoleum floor) and getting some good chew toys like Kongs (try to avoid rawhide as it is a choking and blockage hazard). It sounds like with the amount of chewing she might be teething; they sell dog toys you can cool in the fridge like you would with a baby's teething ring, which really helps reduce the chewing. Treat dispensers that demand the dog manipulate and roll the toy are also a great distraction. And there's always taking a hollow cow shin and smearing some nice sticky wet food in their for pup to attempt to lick out. Heh.
Is she recieving any formal training? Puppies may have a short attention span but they are smart and eager to please. A combination of dominance, gentle but firm correction, and most of all positive reinforcement tends to work pretty darn well. If she gets yelled at for chewing what she shouldn't but not rewarded for chewing what she should, she isn't going to learn the distinction. If you find her chewing, give a firm "NO!" If she doesn't stop consider scruffing, then give her a toy to chew on instead. If she chews on it, let her know you are pleased. Most pups learn pretty quickly that they can enjoy chewing a whole lot more if they chew the right things.

Also totally agree with the poster above. Labs are smart, active, outdoorsy dogs. Take her out hiking, swimming, walking, etc. and play with her in the yard until she's worn out. Most chewing in pups is teething, but some of it is boredom. They have short attention spans and high stimulation needs; remember, if they were wild dogs, they'd be goofing off with their siblings and practing hunting until they were at least a year old!

You go girl!
Absolutely agreed. A chained/kenneled yard dog is only a miserable yard ornament. There is no purpose to it's life whatsoever. Not to mention that Labs are notorious barkers....
Crate training is definitely called for. Otherwise, please, please consider re-homing the dog. Any Humane Society in your area or even a breed rescue will take the pup off your hands. Animal control/the pound will only destroy it.
Having a pup (especially Labs ) is alot like having a special needs two year old human child to care for; and they pretty much stay goofy all their lives.
Good luck and I really am sympathetic to the destruction......+bonus points for not clobbering the dumb***.

 

[arrowhd]

All I can say is exercise, exercise, exercise. My lab is 4 now and he has calmed down considerably. However the first 1-2 years he was almost a monster. Your dog is telling you he needs something to do. A bored puppy = trouble. Try taking him for walks. Not around the block, I mean at least a couple of miles. Every morning take him on a nice long brisk walk to get rid of some of that energy. Repeat at night. If you don't have time to provide this type of exercise you WILL have more problems and I would consider finding him a more suitable home.

Remember he's not doing this to you because he is the devil. I know it seems that way sometimes though.

 

[fishwithoutabik]

labs are extremely energetic. i think the crate training and vigorous play suggestions are your best bet. I had a similar experience with a puppy and it ended up being waaaay more than i could handle. i felt very bad because i did quite a bit of research, and the puppy on top of my 3 kids was just more than i could do. (everybody ended up getting subpar care for a while and i was verging on a breakdown:wall: :wall: ).

I finally ended up finding a new home for our little dog with a couple who had 2 of the same already. Lesson learned here, tarantulas are the worlds most perfect pet! that being said, if you can get your lab under control and not pull out all of your hair, they are very rewarding and generally do calm down a bit, however it is generally a few years down the road. Good luck!

 

[BishopiMaster]

a lab isnt that bad compared to my basenji! this dog uproots my plants, sits on pots. knocks over the trashcan and raids it of any trash at all. scratches on my head late in the night, and he steals wine bottles to get the corks from them and the wine spills everywhere, no i dont let him eat the corks. he steals clothes and hides them and rips holes in my bed. he knocked over and broke a 1000 dollar lamp. and he has the nerve to go right by me and steal trash out of the trashcan beside me. im lucky that he hasnt gotten the leather couch yet!
hes still a puppy so time will tell if he gets better.

 

[arachnophoria]

I challenge you to attempt a day with a Jack Russle Terrier.BIG fun there