Does anyone else out there feel that they are a tad too disorganised to be a really good lab owner? Or is it just me? Henry was supposed to be the pup I got everything right with – I was going to be patient and persistent with training and would always have all the equipment ready and waiting to be called into play. This is how I self sabotaged: Dog beds - good ones are fiendishly expensive so I bought relatively cheap ones – he has so far destroyed five and has made several not -so -secret attacks on George’s. My rationale for buying ‘cheap’ ones was that: a. he might not eat them (dreaming) b. I would need to get two and the only way I could poke out more than £1000 would be if I knitted a balaclava and turned over a local Building Society (plan mainly rejected as I can’t knit – which speaks volumes about my moral compass). So instead of biting the bullet and buying an expensive but durable one I have shelled out the same amount of cash for the succession of ‘cheap’ ones. Currently H is sleeping in a plastic basket - with edges that he has customised by chewing until they look like frills – and several layers of blankets topped with vet fleece, he remains unimpressed with this ‘Princess and the Pea’ arrangement, so it looks like I must learn to knit. Kongs - Bought several and researched recipes on line so that I would always have one ready when needed. I unravelled this strategy in small, easy stages. At first I made the filling and froze several, but didn’t keep up with filling them with the recipes, so bought Kong filler and froze them with that, but then forgot to freeze them, so had to do last minute squirting and give them unfrozen when they were needed. Finally forgot about them altogether until this morning when I found one in Henry’s basket under his covers, covered in dried spit and what looks like half a million dog hairs – and I suspect that only a small controlled nuclear explosion will get it clean. Clickers, whistles and training mats – Now own at least four clickers and two whistles, these apparently lead a life of their own and periodically remove themselves from my dog walking coat pockets. I then have to resort to my pre clicker/whistle training method of bawling and shouting. Henry is mystified and totally ignores me, dear old George , a veteran of this training technique , saves my bacon and obliges me by coming back and bringing H with him. Have abandoned training mats – had two, one H ate and the other got covered in poo collected on my shoe outside the village hall waiting to go into training class. Leads – the utter shambles of the long training lead and gale force wind scenario (George and self inextricably tied together whilst H running free) I’ve already discussed in another thread. So - muddling along as best I can and am amazed that ,yet again, a pup of mine is becoming a sane and sensible dog without any sane and sensible input from me. Got to love labs!
Sounds terribly familiar!! I now keep a clicker and whistle in my car.......until I need them for emergencies at which point they enter the wild vortex of accoutrements spinning through cupboards and pockets
This did make me laugh I can absolutely associate re the beds , I have done the same with Sam , spent a small mortgage on cheaper ones but finally saw the light and bought a rather swish memory foam one , which, given the price , I hope will last, a long time . Could you maybe define sane and sensible ?
Sadly, sane and sensible are life long alien concepts to me ............ I will get H a memory foam bed as he is now trying to muscle in on poor old George's bed in the middle of the night and I am having to stomp downstairs and grumpily issue the judgement of Solomon on a regular basis.
Lol! Molly's bed is a cheap double duvet folded in four, cover from a charity shop. She sleeps all night and I have to wake her in the morning. You don't have to break the bank - or break into it.
well you've given me a jolly good laugh @lynnew . Beds we're fine with - no chewing. I have a clicker & a whistle in EVERY coat pocket. And a couple of spare kicking around the house.
Love it....the reality of owning 2 labs. I have learnt just to go with the flow, no point trying to do otherwise. Today I stayed utterly calm as Benson rolled in fox poo before running off delighted to see next doors children arrive home in their pristine school uniforms. The thing is...in between " us and them" is brand new farm gates and fencing that he just hopped through. Good job our neighbours are just fantastic and treat our dogs as family members
Ive never thought the expensive dog beds would last longer than the cheap ones. If a pup decided to chew one up, nothing would really deter them. Our dogs have not done that, but we loaned one of our large crates out to a friend with a Sammy, and the dog ate the fitted mattress. We go though lots of soft toys. Both Tilly and Cooper think they are designed to be dismembered. Some hold up pretty well, and some that look really tough (like the ones made of fire hose) can last only a day or so. They also like to play tug with them.
Very funny When we got Obi we had nothing for him (we drove to Sydney to see a 9 month old Labrador and were suddenly driving home with him..). We had our old dog's things and that's all. Obi wore our old boy's harness and was offered his bed. The harness was 3 times too big and Obi refused to go near the bed except for barking at it and humping it like a demon. We were at the pet shop quick smart the next morning.
I just held a dog brush in my hand this morning... Benson just crashed through the kitchen baby gate. He gets all silly when I brush him. Afterwards he ate part of his memory foam bed. I thought that's OK, memory foam bits are much easier to pick up then the soft stuffing you get in some beds, and he can still use the bed with a bit missing. Meanwhile Bramble reclines on her laura ashley cushion with nay a nibble out of it.... Nothing as random as a labrador! Edit...Sorry not laura Ashley...expensive John Lewis...Bramble doesn't "do" cheap clearance sale zooplus...
Not had a problem with Juno chewing beds either, perhaps it's a boy thing What is it about brushing, as soon as Juno sees the brush she comes running, followed by the cats who form a queue for a brushing . Of course it could be the treats on offer.....
* Casper doesn't chew, none of my fosters chewed....Benson will chew anything, even at 2.5 years old doesn't seem to be growing out of it any time soon...
