Hi, I have a 10 week old red fox Labrador puppy called Sam. Due to him going to become a gundog I am keen for him to start learning but keep it fun and make it a game. He is so chilled and relaxed, doesn't seem to get excited much and is just happy chilling on the floor or on the sofa watching me or sleeping. Is that normal? Iv had two over labs in the pass and they were both so excited to play. He also isn't a fan of playing fetch, even if offer treats as a reward. He will get the ball a couple of times and after two or three goes he will just lay down and look at the ball in the distance. I make a fuss of him every time he fetches it back but he just doesn't seem bothered. Any tips?
Every puppy is different, but if you've only just got him (you don't say how long you've had him for), he might still be settling in. When a new pup joins a household, absolutely everything in the house is new - the smells, the people, the objects - everything. All that novelty is very tiring for a pup to process, and pups can be very sleepy at first. Usually once they've settled in, they become much more energetic - and you will need to take trips out with the pup to continue to provide that novelty throughout the socialisation period. With fetch, I wouldn't worry much about this yet. I'm not a fan of using tennis balls, because they tend to encourage mouthing and rolling of the ball in the puppy's mouth and also because they move about and can be difficult for young pups to pick up. Instead, try a rolled up pair of socks or a tiny puppy dummy. Tease him with the item first and move it around on the floor like a mouse or a tug toy - then just toss it a few metres away.
My Gwenni took a few weeks to get into gear after coming to us. Everything was new to her. She then found how much fun her new world could be in many ways! As for fetch with a ball I didn’t bother trying to teach this as I didn’t want her to hurt her little joints. She does play fetch with ball now since 7.5 months and really only on the beach in the sea or when we want to distract her from other dogs sometimes.
