Hi everyone, I'm new here... Has anyone ever felt they are completely in over their head with a new puppy? I have a fantastic older black lab (nearly 8yrs) and a 6month old pup, and I literally feel like I can't do a thing with her. Things have come to a head today, because she ran off on her walk when she saw another dog, and somehow managed to scale a fence to get to it (which I then had to clamber over, with much less style!) and then disappeared after another dog and just got further and further away from me. Finally someone caught her and I'm afraid I was so annoyed that I put her on the lead and told her off and walked her to heel all the way home. And I know it was the wrong thing, but I thought I'd lost her. And now I just feel like maybe I'm not the best home for her and she needs to be with someone else who has more experience than me. She also has a very sensitive stomach, so I can't carry exciting treats and have to just try to bribe her with hypoallergenic kibble... And everything in the world is more exciting than me Sorry, just feeling really down...
Don't feel down. Puppies often go through a rebellious phase at 6-9 months. They're a bit like teenagers trying to push the limits. Many owners find their pups a bit trying at that age. Persistence and training will get you through it. In years to come you'll wonder what all the fuss was about as you'll be the owner of two perfect Labradors.
Hello and welcome to the forum ! I`m afraid that what you have posted is very common indeed , mainly because this is the age at which they start to feel their feet and their confidence ! Main thing you must work on is recall , and to this end , can I suggest that you purchase the book Total Recall , written by the owner of this site/forum and available from Amazon . Its a stage that many of us go through , a trying time indeed so please read through some of the pinned articles in the Puppy Section and Training Section , you are not alone in going through this , and it will get better !
This is exactly why there are so many puppies of this age in rescues; people just can't cope with the adolescence. They think the pup "knows" how to behave when in reality, their changing emotional needs mean that the environment becomes so much more of a distraction and they are so less dependent on you that they are more willing to roam. As Kate says, working on recall and going back to basics with everything is the way forward. Can your puppy tolerate chicken? If so, I would use that as training treats. Otherwise, I would do away with giving her any meals from the bowl and feed her entire daily allowance as rewards. By playing lots of games with her, you will become the centre of her world. The Leash Off, Game On DVD is a good starting place for games-based training which is fun for both of you. They say it's free when in reality it's (from memory) about £5 for "shipping", but that still makes it good value: https://game.absolute-dogs.com/leashoffgameonn
One thing I suggest ( read it here or somewhere) and I agree...is start back to the beginning as in make the training at an easier level...All the best ☺️
Hi and welcome to the forum. I think,everyone on this forum can sympathise with you as we have all been through it at some stage in our dogs life. Have you ever used a long lead? It might be worth looking into as it might help whilst you are retraining recall.
Try a tennis ball instead of a treat. Maybe you need some help training. All young dogs run of to see other dogs unless trained not to do so, so don't worry, I am sure you are the perfect owner for your dog, it just is very hard in the beginning, we all struggle. But it does get better I promise. I found the most difficult time was up to six months and then they gradually get easier.
At least he doesn't chase cars!! Max does. It takes time. I felt the same way! We were so close to getting rid of Max, he's been a tough cookie! It seemed as though he had every behavior issue in the books. Patience and perseverance and things will get better in time! Max has come a LONG way, and yours will too!
Thank you everyone I went back to basics this morning and had her on a long line, doing simple recalls. One of my issues is finding somewhere we can focus on training without distractions - I went into the forest today and found a track with no other people/dogs... otherwise the park is a constant parade of other dogs and she doesn't focus. I know she needs to have distractions at some point, but I need to crack this without other dogs about first. Sadly, she can't even eat chicken So it's her HA biscuits or nothing.. I tried with a toy with a bell in it today and did get her to concentrate on that a little, until she smelt something more interesting. I go to training sessions with her once a fortnight, but still feel like we're going backwards! It's a while since my 8yo was a puppy and so I've forgotten a lot of the things we did back then and I remember him being much easier to train.... I work full time (from home) so she has to be crated a fair bit so I can concentrate on work, but she's in the room here with me all day. But it's tricky to play with her constantly.... as much as i'd like to I'll have a look for those books/dvd's you've all mentioned - thank you x
Hi @Speedy, welcome to the Forum, I'm sure many of us have found our way here due to a problem or two, I know I did! So as others have said you are definitely not alone. +R training plus consistency bring such good results over time, keep at it!
I hear ya - I work very long hours from home, too, so I know where you're coming from. But every time I get up to put the kettle on, or to have a pee, or to get lunch, or sometimes just to step away from the computer, I play a 3-minute training game. Or sometimes just chuck them a bit of kibble to reward calmness. As I'm sat here right now, I have a pot of kibble between my keyboard and monitor, ready to reward any good decisions from the dogs
It actually not uncommon for dogs to be intolerant of chicken, beef is another protein that some dogs have difficulty with. Have you thought of making your own tasty treats? I like to use novel proteins, sometimes fish, tuna, sardines or salmon. I also like to use venison or turkey mince. Ever so simple. I whizz them up in a food processor, add teff flour, or rice flour, eggs (our own..) parmesan cheese, sometimes carrots with honey. I also add a teaspoon of fresh (or frozen but not dried..) parsley, drizzle lightly with salmon oil, then pop in the oven for 20mins, cool in freezer (makes them easy to cut..) pop the bite-sized pieces on a baking tray and bake until slightly hard, just enough so they don't crumble in my pocket. Once you get going you can experiment with other ingredients, such as sweet potato, peanut butter...etc. Mine went bonkers when I baked up a batch of game meats..rabbit and pheasant! The BEST recall EVER...and, not just my own dogs....
I'd also suggest hypoallergenic wet food as a high value treat. I sometimes use pouches of wet food for my lot as recall rewards.
Actually she loves carrots (I give her small ones as a treat sometimes - straight from the fridge when her teeth are bothering her). And I have some pheasant breasts in the freezer ;-) Her HA food is fish based, so something fishy may work... Thank you
As you can see in Max's picture here, he likes carrots too! The floor was covered with little carrot pieces after giving him one the other day, when I came back with the vacuum cleaner, they were gone; he had vacuumed them up on his own!
Sounds like a wonderful recipe! What degree to you set the oven at? Speedy, hold on it will get better! You’re a wonderful mother to your dog’s and they all have their bad days, this was one of them, just know this stage will pass and she’ll be as good as your 8 year old
