I'm sure part of my question falls under the "juvenile delinquent"....I have 2 labs a Chocolate that just turned 8 and a Yellow that is 21 months. They have always played this back and forth type game where one will have say a ball or bone and the other will bring and "exchange" and they will switch. Lately the older lab doesn't even bother he just takes. The younger one, I suppose trying to prove himself and trying to take over the Alpha position is starting to fight back.(He has also had more formal training and a bit easier to control)....anyway this morning the Yellow is happily chewing on a peanut butter filled bone (Chocolate has licked all the peanut butter out of his)....The older one literally bites..bring blood and a long cut down the side of the Yellow's face. The younger one backs off and I remove the chocolate from the room. I'm afraid this is going to happen more often....they do this with EVERYTHING. suggestions?
I'd say feed them separately and ensure they don't get a chance to steal from one another. If you allow this behaviour to continue, it could escalate. When I've had these issues (with puppies not knowing any better), I've given the dogs their own places for eating, and stood between them so the pushy one wasn't able to pester the slower one. I wouldn't punish them for trying, just physically block so it was impossible. In only a short while, they learnt their manners and wouldn't dream of approaching each other while they're eating now.
I'd say feed them separately and ensure they don't get a chance to steal from one another. ...... Feeding isn't an issue as the older one eats in the kitchen and the Yellow eats in the dining room. This is just haphazard during the day. these are the filled bones that they have all the time. They have several throughout the house....They start out in a toy box but get distributed through out the house during the day. Not sure if I'm explaining my situation clearly...anyway thank you for taking the time to help.
I have dealt with two labs....Finn came in our house as a pup when Euan was 8 years old. Euan never accepted Finn but tolerated him. I fed them separately and when giving them a bone or other treats I watched them closely, so that they couldn't steal from each other. Sometimes I gave Euan his treat in his bed while Finn was in the bench and got his treat. But always supervised!!!
Sorry for the long post but this is my first time here and I want to explain everything: I have a now 5 month old lab bitch who is very intelligent, quick to learn and picking up training very well. We travel on the train and bus frequently and have done since she was 9 weeks old – she used to sit on my lap then and was very well behaved. Now she will wait at the station quietly and patiently at my feet, train and bus noises do not bother her at all nor do other people or much else actually. Then we get on the bus or train and she immediately becomes restless and starts biting my hands, sometimes jumping up to get them if I hold them behind my back or ignore her, I cannot apply separation in this situation. She jumps eagerly onto the bus and train and is not afraid of getting on them, this activity starts when we are aboard. She used to settle on the floor of the train but is now jumping up and biting my hands and clothes, sometimes now it also starts on the station, I cannot walk along with her as she is jumping and 'attacking' me. Toy distractions do not work, she ignores those for what she can grab of me. I know pups will nip and it feels sharper with their little teeth, and that labs especially are mouthy and that it will lessen over time, but this does not seem like play biting. She does not draw blood but there is quite a bit of pressure and it seems that she is angry when she does it although there is no growling, just whining and moaning at the frustration if she can’t get my hand. (She used to draw blood with play biting but her bite inhibition is improving). Sometimes we get a 30 minute walk before travelling, sometimes less, sometimes none – it doesn’t make any difference. She knows the ‘leave’ and ‘no’ command but ignores it for this. I do not think she is 'over threshold' as these episodes last only for the 10 minute journey and if I give her a chew, she will settle until she has finished eating it. Also there is no build up of excitement - she just goes from calm to wild instantly. I think now that she expects a chew on the train and acts up until she gets one. I make sure she sits or does something to earn it before giving it so she does not associate the reward with the bad behaviour, but I think she is too smart for that. Food is the only thing that works and when she has finished she starts all over again. This also happens in the car, she is very restless at first then settles down to sleep, but if I am in the back with her she will bite my hands constantly - a 20 minute taxi ride recently was hell! I find this forum very reassuring as sometimes you just feel like you are getting nowhere with training, and everyone is very understanding and helpful, but I don't see anyone with quite the same situation as mine - lots similar though which makes me feel better but does anyone have any suggestions? If this is anxiety, how can I deal with it, I want her to feel safe travelling and it is something I cannot avoid.
Hello and a warm welcome to the forum! It sounds like perfectly normal behaviour to me, and that your young pup is just bored, frustrated and not capable of sitting still for long periods yet. This will get better in time. For now, how about using your journeys to work on a bit of clicker training - things you can do in place, like a hand target, eye contact, no mugging etc. Try to initiate the games before she starts acting out, as this is just her way of communicating with you that she can't cope with what you're asking her to do. Sitting still and quiet for any length of time is hard for a puppy. Interspersed with the clicker training, you could reward her being settled in a sit or a down, however you like her to be. So, rather than having to deal with the problem behaviours, you're trying to reward the things you like. You should be able to build up the duration that she can stay settled for over time, so you don't need to do as much interactive stuff to keep her from getting bored. Just like with humans, adults have a much higher threshold for boredom than kids
Thanks snowbunny, boredom could be an issue as Maisy does take an interest in people and children on the train and is good whilst watching them if they are noisy or animated. Otherwise she just starts jumping and biting as soon as we get on, yet she will sit patiently with me while we are waiting on the station - usually! What I do now (an idea from this forum) is stand on her lead so that she cannot jump up, get her to 'sit' then 'down', then reward her with a dentistix chew which lasts half the journey (I wish they made them bigger). Sometimes she settles after this but usually just starts whining. Also (an idea from my work colleague) I have a biscuit and pretend to eat it while she sits patiently gazing up hoping for some. I can make this last half the journey too but it is all bit of a kerfuffle and I don't want to keep feeding her like this, but it does hold her interest - as you suggest, this is all normal for puppies and will eventually subside, what a relief to hear other peoples experiences similar to my own.
You might like to try a bully stick (also called pizzles). These last far longer than the Dentastix. They are just dehydrated bull - erm - well, you may not want to know! - so fewer questionable ingredients than Dentastix, too. I wouldn't worry about using food as a coping mechanism at this point. Far better to make the journey a positive experience for her and, yes, in time, she'll learn to settle for longer periods.
Thanks, I have wondered about those bully sticks, but do they smell and do they look like what they are? (I have to take the other passengers into consideration). I have just ordered a selection of different chew type things which I am going to time her with. I found she likes beef hide chews but these are very messy and I wanted to stay away from rawhide as I have heard they have some strange ingredients and can break off into small pieces too easily.
I don't think the bully sticks smell, really; no more than other types of chew, anyhow. They just look a bit like sticks... here's a picture and a link: http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/dogs/...evWcOiXi8Q8Bn0OWtol_Ryz5TLCFZC_EaAoHTEALw_wcB
Good luck! Let us know how you get on. I'm sure in a couple of months, you'll be looking back and thinking how far she's come
Tatze was just like this. Even on the day we picked her up at ten weeks old. I was so glad I'd been reading on here about crocapups (she was my first Lab) as I took a chew with me when we went for her. She didn't stop trying to chew me, the seats, the seat belts and everything nearby all the way home! I had to keep putting the chew in her mouth until we got home to save my hand from being shredded! Two of her littermates were with her for ten weeks, so it wasn't lack of littermates company in the early days that caused it. Labs are mouthy when pups! .
I can't honestly remember, but she soon went into a crate to travel so I'm not sure how much she would have chewed up without the crate! We don't take her by train or bus. I take the pups on trains, trams and buses a lot - but we start small, just one stop and build up from there. We use treats for good behaviour. All mouthing usually stops once they get their adult teeth. Mollie was a real crocapup and now isn't mouthy at all, I'm glad to say (she's nine months old).
Thanks, I look forward to travelling without a supply of food on me, if only it were winter and I could wear gloves!
Hi, just thought I'd let you know that the bull pizzles are working really well, they are small enough to carry in my pocket and whip out when needed, they last at least two journeys and don't smell too bad - a bit, but I've become a bit nose blind to things like that now. The only worry is that when Maisy gets to the last inch or so, she swallows it. I assume it will be digested and won't cause a blockage, seems ok so far. Good recommendation - thanks.
Glad I am not the only one nipped and bruised! Lost our faithfully lad of 12 years and now have a 13 week old furry croc! I don't remember this much nipping from 12 years ago, and had a mini meltdown myself yesterday! Our little one is able to sit, give paw, wait at doors, and recall from anywhere in house and garden but boy, does he hurt first thing in a morning. Snaps onto clothing and we try to distract and redirect silently but if he gets skin its soooo hard not to yell out. Have started time out manoeuvre but it's not easy when he has you liteally by the crotch of a pair of leggings and you are traversing the house fearing for body parts to get him in the zone. Amazingly, after morning nap all this stops. Assume this is cos he missed us overnight but in the crate he is staying lol
