Advice for a first time lab and puppy owner... please be gentle :)

hello one and all ! I am so glad that I found this website and this forum. I am a first time Labrador / puppy owner and alternate between states of extreme despair and pure joy I have never posted in a forum but I guess that what puppy parenthood does! I do have some general questions and would be so thankful for any thoughts that anyone may have!

1. We adopted our chocolate Labrador - Peps - at 6 months. She was given up as the previous owners thought she was a bit too much of a handful (I am starting to understand why!). When she came to us, she was a bit underfed - you could see her individual ribs slightly. At 9 months - you can no longer see her ribs and but can quite easy feel individual ribs when I run my hands down her body. She is 19.7kg at 9.5 months. Is she still too skinny? I have taken her to the vet and the vet didn't seem to concerned. Also, I have been increasing her food portions (I'm feeding orijen puppy large and am feeding half cup more than recommended plus Puppy Peps does get quite a fair bit of treats throughout the day). Her chest is also rather narrow too.

I guess I am just concerned as I read somewhere that by 9 months, most labs should be at their adult height. Her head does seem to be getting bigger but her body doesn't seem to be bulking up...

2. This is more of a trivial question - Peps the terrible ate a dead bird on our walk this evening I tried to snatch it out but she was too fast. Should I be concerned? I think it may have been dead and possibly rotting for a few days Logic tells me she should be fine (she due for her 2nd dose of heartworm tomorrow and I will give her that) but just wanted to see if you thought otherwise. On a related note, what are your thoughts on wearing a rubber cage muzzle during walks? Puppy is always picking up things she shouldn't and I am just not fast enough.

3. She is still biting and jumping. is 9 months too old for this? I think she had very little formal training in her previous home and we are trying to teach her to stop biting, jumping from scratch. We have made quite a bit of improvement, but dear Peps is horrible when she is excited. Whenever my mum (obv her favourite member of the fams) comes home or worst, when someone new comes in the house - it is like watching a jumping rabbit. My mum does try to stand still but I guess the nipping and jumping hurt her a bit and she has to move off. Will it get better as Peps gets older. We are being consistent with the training - telling her no and moving away when she does unwanted behaviour. She just forgets everything when she is excited.

4. Peps has just started doggie daycare at a well reviewed day care. However, should I be worried about her picking up bad habits (I see her mouthing and jumping while playing with other dogs a lot) I do realise this is dog play but how would she know to not do that with her friends of the human variety...

5. when do puppies calm down - and please tell me they do! : )

Gosh that was such a long post.... it seems I had more to get off my chest than I thought! Would really appreciate any advice that anyone has! I will save my queries on food aggression and crazy barking at new people in the house for another post...

Anyone who has made it this far - Thanks all for your time! Dog licks from my puppy to yours!

 

Hello and a very warm welcome to the forum. We'd love to see pictures of Peps if you get a chance

Ah, yes, it's sadly very common for Labs to be given up at this age, and you can understand why. They do turn into terrors sometimes. Let's address your concerns individually.

1. Dogs are all very different, so you can't say what any dog should weigh. The best way is to look at their condition to see whether they're over- or under-weight. You should be able to see a good tuck in at the waist when viewed from above, and a good tuck up when viewed from the side. You should be able to feel the ribs as if they're covered by a blanket - not a sheet, and not a duvet. It's not a terrible thing to be able to see the last two ribs, and certainly you should be able to see the ribs when they eat, twist etc. Most Labs you see are overweight, and so the perception of what is "normal" for a Lab tends to be on the heavy side. For your dog's wellbeing, you should try to keep her slim, because extra weight puts unwanted pressure on a dog's joints and this can lead to serious issues.
My Willow is very narrow in the chest. Her brother, Shadow, is a bit broader (as you would expect from a boy), but still slimline. That's just fine. He's well muscled and very fit and still bulking a bit, at 18 months. I would expect a 9-month old to be rather gangly still. She'll grow into her body in time; don't try to rush it.

2. Don't worry, just keep an eye on her. When the snow melted at the end of last winter, Willow found several manky dead birds. You get used to being disgusted by the things they choose to eat. Unless you think there's any danger of poisoning, I wouldn't bother with the muzzle, just work on getting a strong "leave it" cue and walking past treats with her leaving them, uncued. This will take some time, though.

3. If she's not been trained not to jump up and bite, then it's not surprising that she is still doing this. So, yes, going back to basics is very important. When she does it, don't say a word, just turn your back and cross your arms. No eye contact. It's very important that all interaction stops immediately, so don't even say "no". "No" doesn't mean anything to dogs, who link a cue with a specific action. "No" is just too vague. If she continues to jump and bite to the point you can't ignore it, leave the room, again without saying a word. Thirty seconds later, try interacting again. If she's calm, give her lots of praise and attention. If she jumps and bites again, remove yourself again immediately. I find it's better to practice this by setting up a scenario when you have time to attend to it, rather than just waiting for it to happen. If you know she always bites when you have a certain toy, use that as a training tool to encourage calm behaviour. Have your mum help you with this, too. Have her "come home", walk through the door. If Peps jumps up, she should turn around and walk out again, without a word. Keep repeating until Peps is able to be calm, for which she gets attention and treats.
Throughout the day, keep rewarding good, calm, behaviour. Keep a stash of treats in your pocket, or on various shelves around the house. Whenever she's settled in her bed, give her a treat.
You can also consider training incompatible behaviours. It's always easier to train a dog to do something than not to do something. So, train "on your bed" rather than run to the door...

4. Dogs and humans interact in very different ways. She doesn't think you're a dog, so wouldn't think to play with you in the same way she plays with dogs.

5. Um.
Seriously, it does vary. My two are chilled out at 18 months, and have been for many months, because they've always been rewarded for calm behaviour and ignored for demanding attention. They still have their mad moments, and are still teenagers in some respects, but day to day, they're a real pleasure.

Please do try to post some pictures

 

Hello, and a warm welcome!

It does get easier. I have a super excitable dog - he's three now. He still forgets himself and embarrasses me terribly time to time, but he is much improved on the whole.

 

Welcome to you

Feeling ribs is good - so long as they don't stand out. They should have a 'blanket' covering, not a sheet or a duvet!

Here is a very useful chart-

 

I'm just going to say ditto to all above but add, are you taking her to training classes? Not only do they teach you how to train your dog, they help to forge a bond between puppy and owner. Peps sounds like she lucked out when you found her, should be a great bond.

 

Hi Fiona! Thanks so much for your time and reply! It brought me real comfort I love the name Willow and I will post some photos of our little rascal as soon as I get the photos off my phone and onto the computer!

1. My other question is about food aggression. She is usually fine but every now and then she does growl when she is eating some high value food (sardine stuff kong!). I have tried some exercises. Throwing higher value food in the food bowl while eating, trading her kibble meals for higher value food - all this went well. But for some reason as soon as we give her a yummy kong, sometimes even if we just walk past, she starts to growl (nothing too aggressive, a low one off growl while she continues eating). I don't really try any exercises once she starts to growl...

Last week I came back from an overseas trip and she came to greet me at the door. She so happened to be in the middle of a meal-kong and as if she suddenly remembered she was mid-meal, she went back grabbed her kong, brought it to me and let out a growl with the kong in her mouth and then ran off to her bed. I didn't try to snatch it or anything. In fact - I didn't even notice she had brought me her kong until I heard her growl...

Seeing as how she was adopted - am just wondering if this behaviour will get better once she is more familiar with us (she has been with our family for 2.5 months). I have to admit I'm a bit scared to try the exercises with food I know she loves....

2. I'm a bit worried about her around young kids. My 5 year old cousin came to visit last month and Peps keep circling around her and barking continuously. She also let out intermitten growls and would try to lunge (playfully I think, I hope). I don't think it was aggression. I think she has probably not been around too many young kids and was a bit confused? She is fine when we go on walks and she spots a young kid. Not too sure how to get her accustomed to young kids as I don't want to risk any young kids around her since I'm not too sure how Peps will react.

Any advice on the above would be much appreciated! Have a great weekend!

 

Hi, and welcome to the forum from Holly and me in Monmouth, Wales. Fiona is spot on with her comments. Labs seem to grow up for the first 9 months and fill out after that. Adult Labs vary in weight. Holly is a fairly petite 27kg, while another forum dog we walk with is a perfectly formed 40kg.

As for eating strange things.... We're on our third Lab and they have all showed a tendency for eating disgusting non-food items. If Peps get the runs then feed white rice and chicken in place of normal food and his tummy should settle.

 

Thanks so much Boogie - your profile photo brought a real smile to my face. Those Labrador faces!

Peps' body is somewhere in between underweight and ideal... I guess i'm just concern that she seems to be slightly underweight for her age based on what I have read online. But I will monitor! Thanks so much!

 

Thanks Hollysdad - glad to know that Peps is not alone! Peps seems to eat just about anything and everything! Holly looks like such a sweetie!

thanks everyone for all your comments! much appreciated!

 

Hi and welcome It sounds like you're doing a great job, even though at times I'm sure you feel that new problems arise or there are a few steps backwards (which is normal..). Things will definitely improve over time.

I'd say that she is just not used to kids and doesn't know what they are. Sounds like she wants to say hi but isn't sure it'd be safe! So some training will be needed to help her learn that kids are harmless but should be approached calmly. Do this the same way you'd get her used to any strange new thing. Get some co-operative kids and have them stand still and quietly but not looking at Peps. Start at a distance and give Peps a food treat if she's calm and quiet. Then move a little closer with more food treats. If she's not calm and quiet then start further away and try again. If it's going well the kid(s) can also toss treats to her. They shouldn't stare at her though. Once you get really close just let her sniff, don't let the kids touch initially. Once you think she's ok with it they can hold out a hand, and then give a scratch on the chest. Avoid hands over or on her head. Keep her on lead the whole time. Try to repeat this kind of thing with as many tame kids as you can.

We got our boy Obi at 9 months and he was a bit of a whirling dervish so I know how you're feeling! But patience and training paid off. He's much, much calmer now.

 

When it comes to food, just leave her be. Give her plenty of space with it until she's comfortable with you. Never try to take it off her, it's just not necessary. In time, you can add bits of tasty food if you want, but don't rush it if she's still uncomfortable with this. This page might help you: http://www.thelabradorsite.com/how-to-stop-your-dog-growling-over-food/

As for the kids thing, I feel your pain. My two are scared of kids and this manifests as barking. I'm working on it when I can, but it really is slowly-slowly. Just have her observe children from a distance to start with, feeding her treats for being calm. Gradually decrease the distance between you and the kids, but if she starts to bark at them, move away again. When she can get close to the kid (and this may take weeks or longer) I would then have the kid start dropping treats on the floor for her to eat. Eventually, see if she is happy to be stroked. Don't let the child approach her head - she should be stroked along her back in big strokes. No head patting - most dogs dislike this, especially from new people.

If you can practice this with a slightly older child who can be trusted to start with, you'll probably have a bit more success and then transfer the skills to smaller children in time.

 

Welcome from me and my great big yellow boy Pongo! (He is the 40kg monster that Hollysdad mentioned.) Yes, Pongo's frame grew for his first year; then he stopped growing taller and longer, and just filled in all the bits in-between. He is over two now, and has stopped growing as such, although I think he is still putting on muscle - certainly he seems to get stronger and stronger (unless I am just getting wimpier and wimpier... quite possible....)

Pongo has definitely calmed down.... a bit..... as he has grown up - but he still has crazydog moments most days. I don't think they ever really stop being puppies.

 

Hi and welcome from me and 2.5 year old girl, Harley . We live in Bristol, UK. Where about a are you?
I have had a few foster dogs who have arrived with different issues. The first few weeks we usually only see a few issues as the dogs are in a new place, aren't sure what's going on etc. After about 4-6 weeks you see new behaviours appear as they become more comfortable and can seem more challenging. This is a really good stage to reinforce positive behaviours.
As for the kong, I would leave her alone to eat it. A lot of dogs don't like food taken off them .........just the same as us humans really - I wouldn't be happy if someone took my chocolate off me!!
Harley still jumps up when certain people come to our house She won't jump on my mum when she visits, but will jump on my step dad. The problem is some people don't listen when you ask them to ignore your dog until they sit / calm down. I found Harley learned quickly who she could and couldn't jump on (even though I'm still trying to stop it completely!).
Look forward to seeing some photos of Pep.

 

Ohh please help forum friends I'm sorry to have gone quiet (life got a bit busy) only to resurface now after the most dreadful of nights.

Peps chewed off part of her rope toy and swallowed it - its about the width of a finger and maybe 5 inches long. Oh I am beside myself and on the verge of tears. After calling my Vet - I rushed down to try to induce vomiting but oh my lord, it turns out that the night clinic is at another branch and not my normal branch (!!!!) and it would have taken us far too long to get to the other clinic so we decided that we would have to head home. We are now just hoping any praying that the rope passes.

Any advice would be so deeply appreciated at this moment - does any one have any similar experiences? how long would it take for something like that to pass through (if it does)? I read somewhere that it can even take a few weeks, some sites say 2 days. Should I bring her for an endoscopy? I'm hoping against hope that I am being a frantic first time pup mum and most of the time something like this will just pass through.

Pep's history with swallowing undesirable - 1. one morning about 2 months ago, we noticed that she had thrown up a rock!!! Oh gosh, we know we really got lucky on that one! she must have dug it out from the garden! 2. Just the other week - we noticed an ankle sock in her poo. We didn't even notice that she had swallowed that! Again, we know we got lucky on that. I know this all sounds bad - but we are trying to be more watchful. This time round, I didn't think too much about her chewing on her rope toy (I mean it is a chew toy for goodness sake) and then just as I notice she had almost bitten through, there was a piece in her mouth, and as I rushed to grab a treat she swallowed it! Oh I know I'm at fault, but am so desperate for advice.

The vet is suggesting that I take her in for an endoscopy tomorrow (did I get it right) but should I just wait it out and if so, how long? Should I be proactive even if she doesn't start exhibiting signs of blockage

oh PLEASE HELP!

 

First of all, please don't beat yourself up over this , Lab pups are notorious for eating anything they can get their little mouths around , its hard to be vigilant every second of the day but something we have to aim for I`m afraid . I would be inclined to go with your Vets recommendation re the endoscopy , always best to err to caution , good luck

 

Yes - I have extensive experience of Tatze eating things which are not food. She (thankfully) has brought them up or out the other end every time.

The main things she likes to eat are dog walking equipment - collars (2) harnesses (2) leads (2) but she's also partial to leather gloves (3) and rope toys (2). She ate my new leather glove on Monday (will I ever learn!) it came out yesterday.

Before she throws them up she holds onto them for days - and eats, drinks, plays and poos normally in between times.

Yes - I am very vigilant too, but they are very sneaky and, by the time you've heard that 'special' kind of quiet it's gone!

She swallowed a lead whole once! TEN (ten!) days later she threw it up at my friend's house.

The signs of problems to look for are lethargy and watery poos.

Hope it comes up/out quickly!

.

 

Ah, Captain, I feel your pain! We've been lucky with Pongo, he is not a bad swallower (I really hope that isn't famous last words). But Boogie's post ought to give you some comfort....we have all followed Tatze's dietary adventures with amazement and awe. As she says, watch for lethargy and watery poos, and follow your vet's advice...

They do put us through nightmares, don't they? Bless 'em. Here's hoping it all come out one end or the other very soon. Please keep us posted, we will be on poo-watch with you!

 

*snort* - sorry, she just the forum queen of eating things though!

 

Oh puppies! Why?... She was never too keen on that chew toy and out of the blue she decided to eat part of it...

Thanks Rosie and Boogie - I do hope she passes it... haha Tatze's stories indeed put a smile on face. You must have nerves of steel Boogie. I am a bit of a nervous wreck over a piece of rope! Here's hoping Peps can channel Tatze's purging abilities! I guess as long as there are no symptoms - it's just a wait and see game? She acted completely normal the days prior to the passing of the sock. Looks like it may be 2 or 3 days before it passes? Should I be concerned if she continues to act normal but no sign of rope after say a week?

Thanks Kate - I agree and am tempted but I am also concern about the procedure ... for now I guess I will hope she pass it out soon.

 

I think it's difficult to ask anyone what you should do in this situation - if I were a vet, I think I'd offer you whatever treatment was the safest thing. How could you not? If it turned out not to be ok, that would be dreadful. And of course there is a risk it won't be ok. Lots of Labs eat all sorts of things and are fine though....

Best of luck with it.