Anyone else? Or just me? I own a lovely black lab who's 7months old but more active than most puppies. I'm starting to wonder if it's the food he's fed on? He's few twice a day on orijen large puppy food and seams to love it. Coat and skin look beautiful but it's his behaviour that's the concern to me. Could food be the issue or is he just a busy hyper pup. We've had labs in the past and always so mellow and laid back but he's is a new kind of lab lol. On a good note he's very good and easy to train, it's just the meeting people and getting over excited if that makes sense. Any advice?
Hello there, and a very warm welcome to the forum. Do pop over to introductions, if you get a chance, and tell us more about your lovely pup. Young and puppy Labradors tend (but not always) to be towards the top end of the activity/bouncy/enthusiastic scale compared to puppies of other breeds. They are often boisterous and excitable when young, particularly when meeting new people and other dogs. I shouldn't think it's anything to do with his food, it's probably just because he is a young, bouncy Lab. Training is the thing, and hanging in there while he grows up a bit helps a lot too. Best of luck with it.
Hi and welcome to the forum. Your dig sound pretty normal to me, bright, bouncy and excitable. As JulieT says training can help with the excitability and bounciness when meeting dogs and people
Seven months is a very hyperactive age for Labs - it does decrease, Twiglet is nine months and just beginning to become steadier .
Do you think perhaps you've forgotten how long it took for your previous labs to become mellow and laid-back? My last Lab lived to 14 1/2 years and then I had a dogless year, so Molly came as an awful shock! I'd forgotten how much attention and time pups need. Now she's as laid-back as my other dogs were. Do you go to a training class? I think it tires a puppy to have to concentrate on you while there are other dogs around.
WElcome to the board. Could you give us some examples of the behaviour you think is hyper? It may well be that you were blessed with mellow Labs in the past but your own new pup is perfectly normal and perhaps even more representative of the breed. I know my first was born trained and let's just say Oban wasn't. He was way more work. Double ditto the training classes, they really help.
Hiya and ty My main problems are if anyone comes near him or in the house he'll start mouthing tham which ends up trying to bite them not in an agressive way, which is a no no. Also started snapping when told no, again can't remember this but our last lab past at 14. Also if females enter he's almost tries to hump them. (Oh the embrassement) He is crate trained but don't want to keep him in there when company about. But always resorts to this as he won't ignore ppl even thou they try to ignore him.
My girl was very much like this at home (and still is with certain people, except the mouthing). My mum never liked dogs and was scared of them. When she started coming to our house Harley was 7/8 months old. I put her harness on and a lead and would reward any tiny bit of calm behaviour. I wouldn't let her near my mum until she calmed down enough to sit whilst my mum approached her. It did take lots of visits for Harley to calm down when my mum comes over. She is now 2.5 years old and will no longer jump up towards my mum or get too hyper when she's here. Her default behaviour is to go and pick a ball up and drop it at my mums feet then back off and wait for my mum to throw it. We followed the same training when we visited my mums, and again she is really good when we go there now (except with my step dad who play fights with her!). It does take time and consistency, but by reinforcing behaviours you want it will get better. Harley has learned which friends and family she can and can't jump up at now and is generally much much better
@Max777 those sound like common problems and not what I would call signs of hyperactivity at all. I call those bad manners. A class in obedience, or maybe tricks, would help teach you how to gain his focus and keep it. We took an Attention Please class. Then in either situation you describe impending bad manners (it's important you catch them before they start, you know what they are and what prompts them so that's easy) would have me start a drill of tricks which earn rewards. It is a bit awkward at first as you do have to ignore your guests to do it. It's not an overnight cure by any means. Humping females, you mean human females? The ideas above, from @Naya and me, should help. I have never had that problem but what I did for humping was actually encourage it on an approved object. Poppa Bear is washable and can be hidden when company comes. Oban was only 9 weeks old though, not sure how it would work with an older pup.
