We have previously had GSD's ..... Layla is our first lab now 17 weeks old. Well where do I start. At first when we were waiting for her to come home we told several people with labs /we're bringing home an 8 week old lab puppy soon'. We couldn't understand the wry smiles that crossed their faces, the winks they would give us and the same words 'Good luck with that'. What can they mean we thought.. we're getting an Andrex puppy. OMG I have never know anything like it. Our kitchen is a cross between a vandalised toy shop and an explosion in an indian restaurant. Every soft toy is ripped and torn.. chew toys are ignored... every surface is 'painted' with hot chilli sauce (the only thing we have found that she won't lick off). Hands are gradually becoming less gnawed just faint scars remain. Dressing gown is ripped and torn.. again not jumping up quite so much now but still will have a go. When will my mad, demonic black lab turn into a calm, gentle loving girl.... Please God don't tell me I have to wait for a year ........LOL Seriously though we love her to bits xoxo
Re: When oh when will she calm down ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D Sorry to laugh... I'm even sorrier to say my boy is nearly 10 months, and although the biting has stopped, he is still a complete stranger to the concept of "being calm". He is a total hooligan, chews the house down given half the chance. My surfaces are clear because he nicks and destroys anything and everything, my clothes are divided into "puppy clothes" and...er...actually, all my clothes are now puppy clothes. I didn't need to mark his height as his grew on the kitchen wall - the level of chew marks on my desk measures how far he can reach...
Re: When oh when will she calm down Hi Jackie, Glad to be able to tell you that, no you won't have to wait a year for her to calm down. It will be at least 3 years! LoL ;D But when you get through that they are lovely gentle affectionate dogs.
Re: When oh when will she calm down David I've just read your reply to my husband ..... who is now nursing a large brandy and sobbing
Re: When oh when will she calm down ;D ;D ;D I`m lucky to have a calm serious boy who has always been the same , but my old girl Tess was a nightmare , thinking baby crocodile ? I reckon she was about 2 or 3 before she became steady ( ish !) sorry , drink your brandy , you`ll feel better then
Re: When oh when will she calm down jasper is almost 12 month and seems to be calming down just fine,.....
Re: When oh when will she calm down Sorry I have to agree with David. 3 is the usual age labs start to calm down. My two are 3 on 2nd of january so I can't wait to get up on the 3rd to two perfectly behaved calm placid labs. ;D That's never going to happen it completely depends on the dog. Some are calm as pups some at 3. My old lab got to 9 before he really calmed down. That's not to say he was as nuts as a pup but he'd still have moments butt tucking around he field, greeting people excitedly like long lost friends etc. She will slowly (sorry) improve. Good luck, have fun. I know it can drive you crazy but they aren't pups for long so try to enjoy it and remember that when she's driving you nuts. ;D
Re: When oh when will she calm down I'd say Riley is in the middle ground, he'll nag for attention if you let him but we worked hard at teaching him to go to bed. He'll pull (especially towards other dogs) but he did learn (and continues to learn) to behave nicely out and about. He's two and a half now Brandy is good though Engaging her mentally and physically is your fastest route to her being as calm as she's able.
Re: When oh when will she calm down hee hee....oh the memories of ripped dressing gowns... my gorgeous girl Cuillin, while being a bit on the nervy edge and and needing a lot of physical and mental stimulation, has always been a gooooood girl in terms of the wild, traditional 'lab puppy' behaviour - didn't do it. I actually wondered what all the fuss was about when she was a puppy, she was always such a good girl.... Then my lovely lad Brodick came along. he was That Lab Puppy. Enormous big goon he was and still is, he used to hang off the bum of of my trousers by his mouth while I walked around the house, when he was wee....he 's still easily exciteable and still gets up to no end of chewing nonsense given the chance, he will be two in March (still crated if I am not around!). However, to make you feel a bit better he really really calmed down in the house after he turned one...likes his snoozing now and is generally a very calm and good boy in the house/out and about in pubs etc....
Re: When oh when will she calm down So... when you said your OH is now nursing a large brandy... would that be the bottle??!! Clare
Re: When oh when will she calm down [quote author=debsie link=topic=3625.msg40633#msg40633 date=1386763813] he used to hang off the bum of of my trousers by his mouth while I walked around the house, when he was wee.... [/quote] Oh Debsie ,you've made me laugh ;D I missed out on all the craziness because we didn't take delivery until 5 months....I feel I've been really lucky though ,Dexter has been calm in the house and not much chewing.....some of the things I read that you go through,I really count my lucky stars.....and I shouldn't complain about the things that have come along to test us. Everything I read from folks that are going through or have gone through similar is that you will survive and come out the other side with most of the house still standing and a dog you love very much ;D x
Re: When oh when will she calm down Love the visual image of your kitchen ;D Are you sure you didn't accidentally adopt a Tasmanian Devil? Take a closer look....
Re: When oh when will she calm down My reprobate; Finley, is nearly two now and is exactly as all the rest above. :'( The only consolation for me is that I didn’t adopt him until he was 20 months old, so I have only had 3 months of manic behaviour : with only 6 months to a year to go. It does ensure you have a good "Off" and "Leave" command though.
Re: When oh when will she calm down Around 9 months here - the madness finally subsided. I remember the final event was marked by the decimation of a £350 coffee table 5 seconds I turned my back, the corner is now gone and no carpentry skills will ever fix it. That pungent lemon water stuff was no deterrent either.
Re: When oh when will she calm down I've clearly got PMDS (Puppy Misbehaviour Denial Syndrome). I can't remember any bad behaviour from Poppy at all! It's a bit like giving birth, I think - you forget it ever hurt . Clearly about time for me to start thinking about Puppy Number 2. ;D
