Hello there, I’ve been using this site for a while (only just signed up!) for various advice regarding our 4 month pup Dexter. He is our first lab puppy and my goodness hasn’t he turned our world upside (for the better mainly!!) luckily the little landshark is starting to ease off with his biting and nibbling flesh however I’m just after a little bit of advice and whenever I google it I can’t ever find anything specific. (I’m also nervous to post this incase I get told I’m doing everything wrong!) His crate is in the living room and since we got him at 8 weeks he’s always had his naps in there (now you will rarely catch him snoozing anywhere else unless we’ve had a super exciting day!) In the day time when he is awake we tend to hang out in the kitchen - he has a bed in there also and he is super chilled and calm. We have tried countless times to chill in the lounge with him when I want to watch tv but for some reason he just goes bonkers and jumps up on to the sofas then jumping off and that’s when the little landshark comes out again. I don’t actually mind him being on the sofas however if I sit on the sofa and he jumps up he will then nip at me (possibly for me to get off?!) until I move or get off the sofa. At the moment if we want to watch tv but want him to hang out of his crate with us we are using a long line and we will try and get him to lay down on the floor with some of his toys to try and teach him that the lounge also is a place to chill. I guess my question is - am I doing the right thing by having him on a lead in the lounge? (when he is on the lead he isn’t trying to jump on the sofa) Is him biting and nipping at me to get me off the sofa him becoming possessive over the sofa? How can I stop this? I hope this has made sense and I apologise for the novel I’ve just written! Any help would be gratefully received.
Sounds like you are doing a great job! Imagine you had a toddler awake and not paying them attention but watching the tv, what do you think they would do ... anything that gets your attention! Try giving him a frozen kong or chew toy that he enjoys when you sit down to watch tv. This will keep him occupied on something else and help with the urge to chew! When on the sofa you could also try lie a blanket out for him to lie on next to you, this might let him know that its chill time too. If you do this as training with treats and each time he sits/lies/calm without nipping then reward him and he will learn the desired behaviour expected of him.
Thank you so much for the reply! when we are in the kitchen I’m normally on my laptop working or doing other bits so he doesn’t have my full attention there either but he is occupied with his toys so I just found it a bit strange that when we go into the lounge it’s like he sees this as the room to go crazy in even though again he has his toys/chew/kong I did read somewhere that because we used to play with him in the lounge when he was a bit younger he could now associate the lounge as his play room? But not sure how accurate that is! great idea with the blanket - I will try this and try it as a training exercise! really appreciate the reply, thank you so much!
Possibly but he is still very young and able to learn that it isn't a time for craziness. Try having the tv turned down a little more if you can and also maybe a lamp if you have the main light on, this will help him to stay calm and wind down with you. As his personality grows you will start to see his little quirks and what any triggers are for him.
Thank you so much. We always try to have the lounge nice and calm so it’s not a big party in there, I guess he will just learn in time if we keep doing what we are doing! so easy to think you’re doing something wrong though! I definitely second guess myself a lot!
Luna is 13 months this week, she was my first dog and puppy so spend a lot of the time second guessing myself! She was out with the dog walker on Friday to keep socialising her, it was the first time with this person and they commented on how well behaved she was for her age and considering it was her first time with them. Makes you feel good and that you are doing something right! I done a post when we had Luna for 17 weeks, it was good to do and also see how much we have adapted with her. Just in case you were interested x
yes this is me all over! I think about Dexter every minute of every day wondering whether I’m doing things right. Last night after his nap he came and laid on the sofa with me and he was so calm and cuddly it really made me feel much better! Whether it was because he was still sleepy I’m not sure but it was amazing. it’s lovely when someone compliments how they behave - if we are out on a walk we try and get Dexter to sit if another dog wants to get past (there are a few nervous dogs around our village so I try and make the situation as nice for them as possible) and he will just sit on his lead and watch as they walk past wagging his tail - their owners always say thank you and what a good boy he is for waiting (little do they know what he’s like 99% of other times!! ooh as I’m super new can you tell me how I can find your post so I can have a read?
That is lovely that he came to cuddle in with you, even it he was still sleepy he wanted a cuddle while he slept! Haha Luna is too friendly and a really big girl so people shy away a lot as they don't know what to think. Then when they come to say hi they then realise shes a bundle of love. I have found it and copied the link below for you. It is mainly about the adaptions we needed to make to work with her and how she was getting on. https://thelabradorforum.com/threads/17-weeks-with-our-puppy.27869/
