Hello,I have a three year old Choc. Lab called Latte. He weighs in at 35kg and I am cutting his intake where possible to get his weight down some. Just lately he has started to ingest all sorts from the Forest and I think a muzzle is in order to combat this.But,I need a good one. Something efficient,sturdy,yet comfortable. Any suggestions would be great. Thanks.
Hey Ron, sorry I don't have any experience of muzzles, but I've heard that dogs will still force their noses into whatever they find, even with a basket muzzle on. So, not only do you end up with a dog that's ingested the disgusting things, you also have the joy of having to clean it off the muzzle! You'd probably do better working on keeping him in sight and a strong "leave" cue.
Thanks "snowbunny".Latte has only recently gone off lead but his recall is not that great.I have to send my other Lab. Mocha after him to bring him back. Today for example they were in the New Forest and went "missing " for 15 minutes but they DID come back. I cannot keep them within viewing distance sadly but when Latte does come back he is licking his lips after I guess eating some gross stuff. Thanks for your input.
In that case, I think you need to work on that first. Reward, reward, reward for him staying close. The best walks are ones where you don't need to use a recall - your dog should be choosing to stay close to you. If you're boring, he'll go find his own entertainment, so you need to make yourself the most interesting thing around. Play games, do training etc. I very, very rarely "go on a walk" with my lot - every excursion is jam-packed with activities that keep them thinking, what fun things are we going to do next?! They don't stray far because they don't want to miss out. If you can't do that, I'd recommend using a long line in the short term. Having your dog go out of sight is really dangerous - who knows whether he's caught on some barbed wire (plenty of that around the New Forest), eating something dangerous, caught up around some unfriendly ponies, being attacked by another dog...? Not to mention, it's your responsibility to have your dog under control at all times, and if you can't see him, you clearly don't. So, I'd suggest your issue isn't what he's eating but the fact he's roaming. You can call me Fiona
Hi Ron, I would agree with Fiona - both about the muzzle downsides, and about the missing recall. Recall is such an important part of being able to safely walk your dog off lead. Is there a reason he has only recently been allowed off lead? I'm guessing that he hasn't really been taught recall if this is the case - or you have tried, failed and given up. Apologies if that's not the case. Have you looked at recall tips on the main site and/or read Pippa's Total Recall? If not, I would urge you to do so. And invest in a harness/long lead to practice. I used really lightweight polypropylene type rope from a DIY store, the "lead style" ones were too heavy and mud clung to it, Lilly behaved differently when she had it on. Its not at all easy - I have found recall the hardest thing - but safety of your dog is paramount. Goodness only knows what he may be eating
Hello,I don"t know your name, thanks for your reply,and comments.Latte has been to training school since he was 9 weeks old,including 1 to 1.After two years we switched to another professional dog trainer who was in fact a trainer to police dog handlers,so really experienced in his field. As you can guess it has cost an awful lot of money so far.Sadly he left the area so we are persevering on our own,but there is some success on the beach. He is always in sight as he can either run in the sea,or run up the cliffs,and he doesn"t fancy any of that,but he will chase after other dogs.Once he reaches the other dog(s) he has a little play with them and calms down while we catch up.Weird! We do have several long leads and I guess we just keep going until the penny drops......or I do!! Thanks for input,very grateful. Have a great evening. Ron
