Help!! Zeke is a 16month old Labrador also affectionately known as the horrendous hound. How currently is walked for 45mins twice a day. I have managed to correct his poor lead work and I though we had cracked it and we were finally going to have a nice calm doggy. However it would seem Zeke has other ideas. He has started to steal things that aren't his be it toys from the children or counter surfing for food. (He pinched scissors yesterday) I really do fear for his safety. I have a safety gate between the kitchen and the lounge so that the children can play. But he can jump the gate if he really wants in. I am considering introducing a crate as I feel it would be the only way to stop him hurting himself and stealing food from the counter or the table 3 times this week I have put plates down, turned round to get the rest and he has eaten at least one plate of food. Help!!!
Oh dear , it does seem like a crate may be in order for some time out ! And yes, this would be for his safety as well as your sanity , good luck !
I would consider a combination of ensuring there is nothing he can get to and training an incompatible behaviour. For example, my dogs aren't allowed in the kitchen when I'm preparing food. They sit on the threshold, waiting for treats for being good. That way, they can't take anything from the surfaces, because they're not close enough to do so. But, because I do give them treats, it's rewarding for them to stay there. You could train a "go to bed" cue or something similar, so that when there is food around, he can't get to it. Then, when you've finished, ensure there is nothing on the table and counters, so he can't take it. As for "stealing" toys, it's not really stealing as a human would understand it. He has found that if he picks up certain stuff (his own toys) he gets no reaction. If he picks up other stuff (the kids' toys), then he gets attention and maybe a good game of tug or chase. So, it's rewarding for him. Again, ensuring there is nothing he can't get that he shouldn't have is important, and teach a polite swap for a treat or a toy that he can have. Ensure he gets enough attention at home for the good things he does, otherwise he'll be finding other ways of getting your attention - and those tend to be things you don't want him to do, because that's what works!
Hi there, it sounds to me like Zeke could perhaps do with a bit more exercise and/or training, to tire him out... Do you do retrieving exercises with him when you walk him? If he is just on a lead, then I don't think that 45 minutes twice a day are really enough to mentally and physically stretch him, so he is entertaining himself at home as Snowbunny says. You might find that if you do more training/playing with him while you are out with him, that he is calmer at home.
Hiya Zeke has at least 45mins off lead play/run twice a day. I am trying to give him a Kong that is stuffed and frozen to deter him from the worksurfaces and things he shouldn't have but he just walks round with it in his mouth! Even though when we have visitors if you give him a. Kong you don't hear a peep for at least 45mins. Feeling lost.
Do you interact with him during his walks? Ask him to do things? Training? Mental stimulation is far more tiring for a dog than physical stimulation. If you can combine the two - retrieving, for example - then great! Get him to work that brain of his to earn the throw of a ball or similar. Like I said, training a conflicting behaviour would keep him away from the work surfaces when you have to have stuff on them. The rest of the time, just clear them.
