Rue is about to be 8 months (next week), and she is still very good about staying in our unfenced yard (with us always out there with her, of course). She has never really tried to run off or wander, other than going to say hi to a neighbor kid a couple times. Will this change as she gets older and more brave/confident? What have your experiences been? I just expected it to be more of a problem by now, as she can be a mischievous little thing :.
Re: Are lab pups prone to wander after a certain age? All my male dogs, Husky/ Lab mix , Golden/border collie mix, Sheltie/beagle mix, would wander pretty far afield, but they would come back when called - eventually! All my females, Springers and Labs, have all been more homebody-ish. Gender thing or breeds?
Re: Are lab pups prone to wander after a certain age? At about 10/11 months Harley became braver and would wander further than I was comfortable with! I think she will test you at some stage if something exciting comes into view. Has she been spayed yet?
Re: Are lab pups prone to wander after a certain age? Benson - now 15 months, started wandering a bit too far, and on occasion disappeared completely for a few minutes, this started at around 8/9 months or so, he is a late developer so I would think in other male/female labs this would be a little younger? I have never owned a bitch so I can't really comment on the differences, would be interested to hear if there are any though. Our trainer talked to us about what happens in the dogs brain in adolescence. In summary, the happy signals in their brain drop, meaning they need more stimulation to get the same effect/pleasure.. compared with young puppyhood where there are surges of dopamine (happy neurotransmitter ) This can make young dogs a bit more adventurous, and coupled with rises in sexual hormones accounts in part for their ranging, deafness etc..This is why we have found adolescence classes for Benson so useful, as a focus on training, helps the dog understand boundaries, and chooses to stay close to us on walks when off lead.
Re: Are lab pups prone to wander after a certain age? I think it can vary from dog to dog. Our first family dog could be out on the front lawn unsupervised and we knew he wouldn't place one foot out of "his territory". We lived in a quiet cul-de-sac, so there was no danger of passing traffic, which might have made us more nervous, but there were plenty of neighbouring cats that would wander across the lawn and he wouldn't bother chasing them. It was a completely different story when we were out for walks - any cat was fair game The dog my parents currently have can't be outside unsupervised, because if my Mum is out, she'll go running off to try to find her! This had my mid-70s father running down the road a few months ago after her (when she slipped out the door as he opened it for a delivery). She ended up a couple of miles away at the local library. Luckily, a neighbour spotted her and called Dad to tell him. So - yes. I think it depends. I certainly wouldn't trust an entire male dog if there was a bitch in heat anywhere local - and obviously if I had an unspayed bitch, I wouldn't let her be outside unsupervised while in season. [quote author=Beanwood link=topic=9702.msg140322#msg140322 date=1422520941] Our trainer talked to us about what happens in the dogs brain in adolescence. In summary, the happy signals in their brain drop, meaning they need more stimulation to get the same effect/pleasure.. compared with young puppyhood where there are surges of dopamine (happy neurotransmitter ) This can make young dogs a bit more adventurous, and coupled with rises in sexual hormones accounts in part for their ranging, deafness etc..This is why we have found adolescence classes for Benson so useful, as a focus on training, helps the dog understand boundaries, and chooses to stay close to us on walks when off lead. [/quote] Really interesting, thanks for that information, Kate.
Re: Are lab pups prone to wander after a certain age? I guess it also links in with the fear phases....when a puppy instinctively adopts behaviours of hazard avoidance, but an adolescent dog less so, thus having less fear is more likely to explore a bit further I guess?
Re: Are lab pups prone to wander after a certain age? I've only had male labs and could never have left them unattended if not enclosed. Even then they have a habit of getting upto mischief. : My cousin had a crossbreed rescue bitch who could be left in the back yard no problem. Occasionally she would wander but it was rare. I remember reading years ago, I think it was in The Field, that Labradors don't have a territory/boundary like other breeds. It's certainly been my experience but I don't know if it's true.
Re: Are lab pups prone to wander after a certain age? [quote author=Naya link=topic=9702.msg140308#msg140308 date=1422518027] At about 10/11 months Harley became braver and would wander further than I was comfortable with! I think she will test you at some stage if something exciting comes into view. Has she been spayed yet? [/quote] Yup, she was spayed in early December. [quote author=Beanwood link=topic=9702.msg140322#msg140322 date=1422520941] Benson - now 15 months, started wandering a bit too far, and on occasion disappeared completely for a few minutes, this started at around 8/9 months or so, he is a late developer so I would think in other male/female labs this would be a little younger? I have never owned a bitch so I can't really comment on the differences, would be interested to hear if there are any though. Our trainer talked to us about what happens in the dogs brain in adolescence. In summary, the happy signals in their brain drop, meaning they need more stimulation to get the same effect/pleasure.. compared with young puppyhood where there are surges of dopamine (happy neurotransmitter ) This can make young dogs a bit more adventurous, and coupled with rises in sexual hormones accounts in part for their ranging, deafness etc..This is why we have found adolescence classes for Benson so useful, as a focus on training, helps the dog understand boundaries, and chooses to stay close to us on walks when off lead. [/quote] We are currently looking into getting her enrolled into a training class, so thanks for the info! And Rue is a late bloomer too. [quote author=snowbunny link=topic=9702.msg140323#msg140323 date=1422521433] I think it can vary from dog to dog. Our first family dog could be out on the front lawn unsupervised and we knew he wouldn't place one foot out of "his territory". We lived in a quiet cul-de-sac, so there was no danger of passing traffic, which might have made us more nervous, but there were plenty of neighbouring cats that would wander across the lawn and he wouldn't bother chasing them. It was a completely different story when we were out for walks - any cat was fair game The dog my parents currently have can't be outside unsupervised, because if my Mum is out, she'll go running off to try to find her! This had my mid-70s father running down the road a few months ago after her (when she slipped out the door as he opened it for a delivery). She ended up a couple of miles away at the local library. Luckily, a neighbour spotted her and called Dad to tell him. So - yes. I think it depends. I certainly wouldn't trust an entire male dog if there was a bitch in heat anywhere local - and obviously if I had an unspayed bitch, I wouldn't let her be outside unsupervised while in season. [/quote] We too live on a cul-de-sac, so don't have to worry much about traffic. Rue has a super clingy personality, and is stuck to us like glue 24/7, so I think that may have something to do with it.
