So, 2 weeks of being a newbie lab mum and this is what I've learnt:- 1) Jake likes chewing plants, sticks, dirt, stones, moss, old clothes pegs, cane toppers etc in the garden. I'm so glad I had dug up all the plants that were toxic to dogs before we got him. 2) Jake has a manic biting phase several times a day, usually after eating, where he bites hands, sleeves, bottom of skirts, trousers etc. We have tried yelping/squealing but it seems to have no effect. We swap hands and clothes for a toy and praise him if he then stays chewing the toy. 3) he settles really well at night in his crate, and after 2 weeks of shunting night time wee visit later and later, think we will aim to go 11.30pm to 6.30am tonight and see what happens. I'll hear him if he needs to go earlier than that, but he's regularly been managing 6 hours this week. 4) He sits for a treat, will come for a treat and will sit and come most of the time for just a click. Working on leave and drop as well but very early stages. 5) He is much harder work than the rest of the family thought he would be - I did say the other evening "he's lovely when he's asleep!". 6) He's blooming heavy to carry around socialising. What sort of bag do you use to carry a lab puppy? 7) I bought the training/treat bag I saw recommended on another thread. Husband moaned at the price, but we are all carrying the bag outside for toilet visits and training sessions and Jake happily trots after anyone carrying and patting the bag 8) My favourite time of day with him is around 9pm when he zonks out and we let him on an old blanket on the sofa with us while we watch TV. Peace at last. Random, sleep deprived thoughts on the first 2 weeks
Eek, I'm getting my first lab tomorrow. Wondering why I spent so much in the garden centre on new plants now.....
Eek, I'm getting my first lab tomorrow. Wondering why I spent so much in the garden centre on new plants now.....
I had bought lots of new plants last year - but most of the got rehired to my parents! What sort of lab are you getting and what's his/her name?
@PuppyJake This sounds very typical and also sounds like you are all doing very well indeed Pups are hard work, but enjoy it, they grow up so very quickly , too quickly for my liking It wont be long until Jake can go out and about , meeting other dogs, playing and generally tiring himself out mentally and physically , and yes, pups love gardening
Haha, welcome to the world of puppydom!!! It is hard work... but you will look back on it with rose-tinted spectacles and only remember what a little sweetheart he was...
We are getting a golden girl Her name is Molly Sandy as the kids couldn't agree on the name so she has a middle one as well!
That's lovely. Post to say how you get on with her tomorrow. We found night 1 was ok, nights 2 and 3 unsettled and then he's been really good. I slept on a camp bed in the lounge while he was in the crate in the kitchen so he could hear me. Did that for a week (because I'm soft and the bed was quite comfortable )
I haven't posted on here for ages. I puppy walk for Guide Dogs, and my puppy is now nine months. I have had a really steep learning curve, never having had a dog before. But I just want to share a thought. Guide dog puppies are not allowed on furniture. When they finally go to a visually impaired owner, it is that persons choice whether they let the dog on the furniture. I was very disappointed at first that my pup wasn't allowed a cuddle on the sofa, because who doesn't want to cuddle a squidgy pup in the evening? So I used to sit on the floor or a footstool for cuddles. I am so glad now, because Zola is now 28kg and big! She knows she's not allowed on the sofa and now I don't want her there, because of her size, muddy paws and shedding. Just my thoughts, I'm not criticising anyone for doing it, you just need to remember that tiny puppies get bigger! Lorna
ABSOLUTELY! Anything you don't want your 25kg (or 40kg!!) lab to do? Don't let your squishy cuddly bundle of puppy doing! Its a slippery slope as we all know (yep....that no dog on the bed rule? bwaaa ha ha! )
Like having a child yes they are hard work but know that what's a pain today will soon fade away --of course, other issues will follow. BTW if you wait, as some suggest, till all shots completed you'll be carrying around a very heavy package. Vets disagree on this issue. I had mine on the ground and in the park after his second set and vet said fine. No way I was going to carry him everywhere. He was a lug and besides it looks silly toting around a 4 month old pup.
I too have a no lab on the sofa rule - this is how it works, I say - 'Not on the sofa boys' and they hear 'Not on the sofa boys unless I'm not present and then feel free to use the amenities' When I come home I often catch one of them casually stretching with two front feet on the ground and back legs and backside on the sofa. I also have a 'not upstairs 'rule but I police this more strictly as I am a very lazy housekeeper and hate vacuuming more than necessary.
Sounds like you're getting on really well! Just a quickie, though, on this: A click should always be followed by a reward, be that a treat, a toy or something else really good. Otherwise the click will lose its power. Remember that you shouldn't be bribing the dog with the treat. You ask for the behaviour, as he performs it you click to "mark" that he did it, and then give the reward. If the dog can't perform the behaviour without the treat being visible, then you're bribing rather than training. But the take-away is, you never unpair the click and treat - you just end up fading the click in time. But that will be a long way down the line.
Hi @PuppyJake it sounds as if you have a pretty normal puppy. I thought I would mention in your 4) above (sorry can't copy and paste easily on the phone) you mention that sometimes you just click for a sit. If you are training with a clicker you click and treat for a behaviour that you want. The clicker is a 'reward' marker that you puppy/dog has done something good so here comes the reward ) the treat. When you are happy with Jake's sit you would fade the clicker and just treat and then gradually fade the treat with reinforcement to keep the behaviour on good cue.
Yes, when I said sit for a treat, I meant click and treat. We click everything. Sometimes it's just a click and sometimes a click and treat. Garden loo visits are always a click and treat as really trying to enforce that. We are doing short car journeys and are getting him being used to the crate in the car, so the passenger has been clicking for quiet while I drive.
