New owner of Black Lab/Terrier Mix 4 months old

Hello all. This will be a little long, but I think maybe I need to write it all out as part of my own therapeutic process. The forum won't allow the whole post at once, so I'll divide it up into 3 parts.

Part 1

My son adopted a Black Lab/Terrier Mix at a local rescue shelter in June. At the time the dog was 2 months old. I think he said the shelter told him that the litter was found walking on the side of the road, but I'm not sure if the mom was with them or not (probably so). My son had no idea what he was getting himself into though. He lives in a small apartment, works 11 to 12 hours per day, and had very little time to take the dog out. About 3 weeks ago he was going on a trip so I volunteered to watch the dog at my house while he was gone for the week. I have a big fenced in backyard, and I thought it would be a good environment for the dog vs. being kept in his kennel in an apartment most of the time with my son's roommate.

My daughter was home for college for the summer, and she did most of the work, but I really enjoyed having the dog around. Our routine was that the dog stayed outside during the day, and then slept in his kennel in the garage at night. We have a deck attached to our sliding glass door in the back, and Woody (the dog's name) liked to sit up on the deck. We would go out to pet him and play with him throughout the day.

During this week I learned more about the conditions Woody was living in, and my son's lack of time to really spend with the dog. I could also tell from my son's attitude that he was realizing this was a lot more than he had bargained for, and I also got a vibe that the dog was causing tension between my son and his roommate. My concern was that at the rate things were going, my son would end up having to take the dog back to the shelter within the next 4 to 6 weeks. And given the lack of training and bad habits that were developing, I was concerned the dog was going to hard to adopt. So I offered to take the dog permanently, and my son agreed. My son named the dog Woody, and I kept the name.

This was all very exciting at first. I had not owned a dog in 40 years. The last time I had a dog, I was 10 years old, and we lived out in the country. Back in those days dogs roamed around all day in neighboring woods and yards, and you'd see the dog toward the evening when it was time to take out food scraps for feeding. There was a creek nearby so water was always plentiful. So I had this naïve idea that I could just put Woody out in the backyard, play with him when I had time, put him to bed at night, and that's all there would be to it.

Well when my daughter went back to college about 10 days ago, I took on the full responsibility, and it hit me quickly that I was in for a lot more than I thought. You have to understand that I know absolutely nothing about raising dogs in general or Labs in particular. I assumed that most of the challenging traits such as the biting and jumping were mostly due to the conditions Woody was coming from and would quickly go away on its own. But then the more I began to read, the more I understood how this is all a natural part of being a Lab puppy and how Woody would need a lot of training.

I'm looking for some general advice on where to go from here, but I want to lay out my current routine and let you know where I'm having the most problems. For now I’m working from home, but that could change in the next few months.

 

Part 2

For reference sake, Woody is around 18 weeks old. Woody goes to sleep around 9:15pm, and I get him up around 8am. He goes into his kennel well (located in garage), and he appears to like sleeping there. I have to throw one treat inside to get him to go, but once he's inside he doesn't bark or jump around. It's a spacious kennel so he's not cramped. One thing my daughter started at bedtime (and I've continued) is that as soon as he is inside his kennel he gets to lick some peanut butter off a spoon. Maybe that's part of why he goes to bed so well. As soon as he gets inside and I close the kennel door, he assumes a sitting position, eagerly waiting for his peanut butter. Once he's done licking the spoon, I drape his blanket down, partially covering the kennel, and then turn out the lights and leave. I have a baby monitor set up so that I can hear what's going on in the garage, and in the 3 weeks we've had him, he has only gotten up once during the night barking. On that one occasion he immediately pooped a lot once he was out, so I learned to make sure he has a good bowel movement before putting him to bed, and he's slept through the night without incident ever since.

Around 8am, I put some fresh food and water on the deck, and then I go into the garage, let Woody out of his kennel, and walk him out of the garage, and through the back fence gate into the backyard and up on the deck. By the time we get to the deck, he's usually peed at least twice in the yard. I will either sit in a chair or on the deck (usually a combination of both) and he likes to curl up in my lap while I pet him. This time lasts around 45 minutes. I spend a little time playing fetch with him, but he mostly just wants to lay around during this time and receive my attention.

Somewhere around 2pm, I'll go back out to freshen up his food and water, and I'll sit on the deck and pet him while he chews his toys and ropes. Then we'll play fetch before coming back on the deck for some more petting. This time usually lasts around 45 minutes. I'll then go out again around 6pm and have a similar time with him as when I went out at 2pm.

What I notice is that as the day goes by he gets more bitey and jumpy. In fact, during the 6pm time I really have to watch how much fetch we play. My back yard is nearly 40 yards in length and it's sloped down-hill. By the time he runs up and down it a few times with something in his mouth, he can get tired quickly. There comes a point where he's done with running up and down that long trek, and if I throw something down there again, he will just start jumping at me and biting toward my hand. That's when I end the play time and try to take him back on the deck to get him calmed down. Sometimes I'm successful and sometimes I just have to go inside.

When it starts getting dark is the only time Woody appears to want to come inside. I don't think he likes the dark all that well. He'll jump at the sliding glass door and bark from time to time. I'll usually bring him inside to the kitchen to play with him on the kitchen floor for a few minutes around 8:30pm, and then we'll go for a walk out front and in the neighborhood (we live in a housing development). He usually pees twice and poops once. I'll then take him into the garage and do his bedtime routine.

The only deviation to this routine right now, is that when my daughter is home from college for the weekend, she spends additional time with Woody during these days.

I posted everything I was doing in a general dog forum, and I felt immediately ganged up on and condemned because I wasn't training this dog to be an inside dog. I've just made the decision to keep him outside most of the time, and unless something significant changes that's what I'm sticking with. We live in South Carolina so winters are mild, and he has a dog house on the deck for shelter from the rain and cold as needed. If it gets too cold I can always bring him inside. I have some plastic gating to block off the room where I am the most, and I have rubber exercise mat flooring over the carpet so he doesn't potty on my floor. Right now I'm by myself except for when my children come home from college.

As I said earlier, I'm brand new to everything. As far as the biting, I'm trying to always have a chew toy or rope to redirect him toward, and this works most of the time except later in the day where he just wants to keep reaching for my hand with his mouth. For the last few days I've tried getting up and walking toward the edge of the deck and ignoring him when he gets really bitey. The jumping and biting is what bothers me the most, and this seems to happen later in the day when he's tired, very hyper, or afraid. Right now he's around 23 pounds, so he's easily manageable, but I'm concerned about when he gets to nearly 60 pounds. If he starts jumping and biting at that size, then I'm going to be in for a world of hurt.

 

Part 3

Overall he's a really sweet dog, and he seems to be very smart. Even when he's hyper and bitey, he'll still grab a chew toy and try to sit in my lap like he does in the mornings, but it's like he can't sit still even though a part of him wants to. No sooner is he in my lap, then he looking to bite at my hand.

One thing that was a culture shock for me, was posting in that other forum where I felt jumped on for how I was handling Woody. 40 years ago, where I come from, if someone treated their dog the way I'm treating Woody, it would be considered spoiling and pampering him, but yet others seem to think I'm borderline cruel because he spends significant time outside alone. I honestly try to get in 3 hours of interaction per day, but since all of this came on me suddenly it's been a dramatic life change.

I guess I'm looking for all the advice I can get without being told I'm a bad dog owner. I'm really not interested in having the best trained lab in the world. I just want him to be able to interact with humans without biting or jumping. If I can accomplish that then I'll be very happy. Anytime he's out of the backyard, he'll be in a harness and a leash.

Oh, I forgot to mention that he had his first Vet appointment two weeks ago and had all his shots. The vet remarked that he was a well behaved dog. One week ago I took him to Petsmart to get his nails trimmed, and the ones doing the trimming remarked that he did better than a lot of dogs who were much older. So I don't want to give the impression that he's aggressive or bad in any way. It's just that at certain times he's really challenging, and I'm concerned about those particular times being a lot worse once he's bigger.

Well if you've read through all of this just know that more than anything I needed to sit down and write it all out. My life dramatically changed 3 weeks ago. I wasn't looking to be a dog owner, and I was so looking forward to having the house and my time all to myself once my youngest moved out to go to college. Then Woody arrived and my life and schedule got turned upside down.

 

Hey Walter, hello and welcome to the forum! Gosh, you really have had a bit of culture shock! Good on you for taking on little Woody, and on the whole it sounds as though you are doing well. Yes, there are those who will say that three hours interaction is not enough for a day, but many dogs whose owners are at work don't get any more than that. I think that as your bond with Woody grows, you may find you want to spend more time with him anyway. Just remember he's still a puppy and totally reliant on you for everything - food, water, warmth, companionship, training, and fun. Give him lots of hugs and cuddles, and take him out into the world so he gets properly socialized. Looking forward to hearing more about your journey together!

Also, I have a 5 month old Labrador puppy, and yes it is definitely the evenings when he wants to play the most - often quite wildly. I think you just have to ride this wave for a while. Maybe he likes to use his nose, in which case you can play 'search' games out in your yard with him, starting simply and making it more complicated with time. Or if he likes to play other games, such as tug games with a toy, you could interact with him in that way.

 

Hi there Walter, a very warm welcome to you and Woody!
It sounds to me like you are doing a very good job, and I am sure Woody is much happier with you than with your son - not wanting to be over-critical - I think you made a good call taking him on.

On this forum we do try to appreciate that in other parts of the world dogs are kept in different ways, and just because ours spends 95% of her time inside and sleeps on our bed (when she can get away with it) that isn't the case everywhere.
You have a good plan.
And excellent good intentions.

Not sure how much his terrier genes will influence behaviour, but its common for overtired puppies to become more bitey/zoomie/wall-of-death like and of course, often that is in the evening.
I would highly recommend investing in Pippa Mattinson's Happy Puppy Handbook for a bit of a refresh on what to do - a really easy to read and helpful book. It is available on kindle too
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Happy-Pupp...9913&sr=8-1&keywords=the+happy+puppy+handbook

Sounds like your bond is developing nicely - you are going to make a good team

 

Hi and welcome to you and Woody!

I think others will have better advice than I do on the puppy exuberance (the jumping and crocopup stuff) as I've not had a puppy in a long while and never a Lab (yet). What you're describing shows up a lot here on the Forum - you are definitely not alone and Woody sounds like a totally normal pup.

I totally understand that you've felt jumped on about keeping Woody outside. I'd just like you to consider that times and attitudes have changed since you've last had a dog. Heck, training attitudes have changed since I last had a pup 13 years ago and I've had to re-adjust and re-think my ideas too. This Forum has been a real eye opener in that respect and a great place for me to learn.

About the indoor/outdoor thing, in many cultures it's still common practice to keep a dog outside, but the UK (where a majority of Forum members are located) and to a slightly lesser extent, the US, are not one of those cultures. Could you perhaps consider trying out the idea of an indoor dog to see if it might work for you? What are your biggest concerns about letting Woody in the house?

It sounds like you are either retired or work from home (I get the idea you are home all day but I may have misunderstood), which is really ideal for Woody. You will have so much of an easier time training him and he will develop fewer bad habits from the get-go if he is indoors with you, plus he will be happier as dogs are social creatures and don't like to be alone. I'd venture to say that if you give it a try, you'll actually like it better, too. You know..'cause humans are social creatures too.

I hope you'll also take @Karen up on her suggestion of socialising Woody outside in the big world as it will make a huge difference to how he develops. It's also a lot of fun for you to get out with a puppy. Everybody loves a puppy and you'll get some serious positive attention from the general public.

Whatever you decide, I hope you stick around as this is a great place for dog people - especially ones who find themselves unexpectedly with a new puppy and making the best of it. Looking forward to hearing more from you and Woody!

 

Welcome to you from Mags, Tatze, Mollie and Keir from Manchester UK

Tatze is my pet dog, a black Lab and she's four years old. Tatze means 'paw' in German.

Mollie is my fourth Guide Dog puppy, a black Lab who is eleven months old. Keir is my fifth Guide Dog puppy, a yellow Golden Retriever/Flatcoat cross and he's twelve weeks old.

Try some filled Kongs to occupy his mouth later in the day (food from his allowance soaked then frozen in Kongs)



.

 

A warm welcome Walter and Woody (I love that name ) from Hattie 10 years and our rescue boy Charlie 6 years. @Emily_BabbelHund has said it all so well and I too wonder if having Woody inside with you would not only benefit him but you also, your bond will strengthen as you do more training with him. Does Woody like to retrieve a ball? As he is part terrier he will probably like a good game of tug. Do you have any friends, family or neighbours that have dogs? You could go out on walks with them and give Woody lots of great experiences with dogs and the outside world. Woody could become a great best friend to you and you him. I wish you lots of luck and keep us posted. xx

 

Thanks for the welcome! It seems like I have very little free time so I'm late in responding. I'll try to address a few of the questions and come back in the morning and answer some more.

Right now I work from home, but that could change in a few months.

I tried to work in more time with Woody today by bringing him inside for a little bit. Normally I'd go out to play with him around 6:30pm for about 45 minutes, and then leave him outside until it's time for his walk just before bedtime. But as I've wrote above, once it gets dark he gets really hyper and starts jumping at the sliding glass door trying to get my attention. So what I did tonight was as soon as our playtime ended, I brought him inside to my office where it's gated off from the rest of the house and the carpet is covered by an exercise mat. He did good for about 45 minutes, and then he started to get more rambunctious. At one point I think he hit a threshold because he was jumping and biting and seemed out of control. I got him calmed back down, and then I took him out for a walk 15 minutes later. He did good on his walk, and as always he did great at bedtime.

The problem seemed to be that he was getting tired before I was ready to walk him. The easy solution would seem to be to walk him sooner, but then I'd have to put him to bed sooner, and that would put him in his kennel for too long at night. I'm thinking maybe I could take him on two mini-walks to break up the time, and/or get a small crate for my office to use for timeouts when he gets too out of it.

We had a great time of fetch, but I may have pushed him to his limit because he was really tired.

I have a kong, but I'm wondering what to put inside of it. The treats they sell specifically for kongs seems quite expensive. Have you guys found some good inexpensive ways to stuff a kong so that it will last a little bit as well?

Thanks for all the feedback, and I'll post more tomorrow. This is definitely an adventure.

 

Sounds like you're doing a great job, Walter

A cheap and easy Kong filling would be cooked mashed vegetables, like pumpkin or sweet potato or white potato. You can mix a bit of kibble into it for added interest. Once your dog has got the hang of it you can freeze the Kong and its filling to increase the challenge and chew time

We also use things like honey, peanut butter, leftover risotto...

 

I use the food my dogs have in their kongs. So for my older dog it's soaked kibble. For my younger one it's kibble and wet food combined. I freeze a whole load so had an initial outlay on buying kongs. They get one three times a day and I know it's part of their daily allowance of food. They both really look forward to them and it keeps them occupied for 20 - 30 minutes.

 

Welcome from me, Wispa (5) and Tuppence (3). You're obviously making a huge effort with Woody and have been given lots of good advice so far.

Yes, a crate in your office (but not too small, so he can stretch out) would be a good idea. Frozen Kongs are great and there's no need to buy special treats to go inside. My two like carrots and/or banana, with a bit of peanut butter to seal the hole at the top.

Enjoy the adventure!

 

Hi and welcome to you both. I think it's fantastic that you took on Woody to give him a chance. A crate in your office would probably be useful for times he needs to settle but wants to be close to you. Could you split his walks? Maybe do one when it starts to get dark as that seems to be when he is more hyper. It might help calm him down a bit.
I stuff kongs with natural yoghurt and tuna, or blueberries or some kind of fish and freeze it as it takes longer for them to get through it and occupies their minds for longer.
Look forward to hearing how things go.

 

Welcome to the Forum! Can't wait to hear more about yours & Woody's adventure.

My kong recipes are..

His usual biscuits with some gravy on them.

His biscuits with some hot water mixed with peanut butter, cream cheese or tuna.

And if I'm feeling particularly nice.. peanut butter, yogurt and banana.

OH has been known to put ice cream in them, I turn a blind eye

 

Mashed banana, natural yoghurt and a drizzle of honey......healthy ice cream

 

Thanks for the recipes. I'm going to the grocery store today so I'll pick up some of these items.

I'm looking for ideas for things he can do in the backyard when I'm not with him. I'd really be interested in a big ball that is lightweight so he can easily push it around, but at the same time he can't bite through and destroy.

When I play with him in the backyard he's not on a leash or restraint of any sort. I like the idea that he can roam free (within the fenced in area of course), but the only downside of this is when he starts to lose it and becomes really jumpy and bitey. It's like he's lost control. Right now I can get control of him pretty quickly since he's only 21 pounds. I just get him turned around, and then I pick him up and carry him back up to the deck and do something to redirect him once we're there. But I'm concerned that when he gets bigger it's going to be much harder to get him back under control if he starts to lose it. What do you guys do who have bigger dogs in situations like this? I'm guessing Woody will be around 25 pounds at 5 months, so that should put him at around 50 pounds full grown. I think the Terrier mix will keep him from being as big as most Labs, but still 50 pounds is not something I can easily pick up and carry around.

 

As I've said earlier, taking over the care of Woody has been a substantial life changer, but as a Christian I believe all things happen for a reason. That first week was really hard though, and one night as I was walking him, I looked up into the stars and said, "Lord, whatever it is you want to teach me by bringing Woody into my life....I'm sure there had to be a much easier way."

 

Hi @Walter Cantrell
I'm being a bit lazy not editing and embedding these links properly,. hope you can see them, but this is my dog eating from 2 types of kong chews today, filled with raw beef and kibble.
He's fast now, so they only last 10 minutes


https://goo.gl/photos/hXV8ML6aoQ8yT3s48

https://goo.gl/photos/9fKR8BTTDhwR8nRD6

 

I'd look at some of the kong toys which double as treat dispensers. You might find that if it's not food related, and you're not playing with him, he's not that interested in many toys.

 

I've got an idea to rig up a toy for Woody to play with by himself, but not sure how it will work out. I've seen a product that is essentially a bungee cord with a rope at the end that is meant to hang from a tree. I don't have a good tree in my backyard, but I do have a basketball goal. But then I got to thinking that I really didn't want to pay $27 for this product, and maybe I could create my own bungee device. But then I started thinking about whether or not I wanted Woody to tug on something and potentially get it lodged in his teeth.

So then I thought about just throwing a rope around the basketball goal and tying it to a jolly ball that would hang so that he would have to jump up to make eye contact, and he wouldn't be able to grasp it with his teeth since it would be too big. It would definitely be safe, but not sure how long he would play with it. I already have a 6 inch jolly ball, and I recently ordered a 4.5 inch. So I'm thinking about using the 4.5 inch for my new contraption.

I've also got one of those big ball that you will see in a gym where people do situps on them. I thought about blowing that up for Woody, but I've got a feeling that even though it is really big, he will still find a way to sink his teeth into it, and it wouldn't last an hour.