Hi everyone, This is the first post from myself and Katie so thought i would say hello ) First of all i have been using these forums for a month or two prior to picking up my chocolate Lab called Chester. We picked him up last Wednesday aged 8 weeks and we have had him home for a week now and i thought i would let you know where we are up to with him. Crate training - This is going well, first night was long and loud but this was to be expected, he now already sleeps through the night without making a sound (we let him out about 4am for a wee but he doesn't cry for this) and he normally gets out around 06:30. We put him in there at different times in the day just to keep him used to it. House Training - Cant believe this! Since he has been home he has only gone for a wee in the house twice and this was clearly just a mistake and every other time he goes in the garden and sometimes knocks on the door to go out, amazing! Nipping and biting - For me he is not to bad but for katie its not going to well. Not sure why but he seems to nip at her more than me? Not sure why this is happening but Katie is a bit worried about this so any advice would be really appreciated. Again when it comes to Chester nipping and hanging off clothes he seems to do this more to Katie rather than me? Car journeys - Only had him in the car twice, once to come home when we collected him (he settled down really quick) and the other time was to go for an introduction at the Vets. When we took him to the vets he didnt settle down on the way there or on the way back so that was an ear piercing journey ha. Anyway, looking forward to keeping you updated and hopefully chat to you all soon ) Keith & Katie
Re: New puppy has been home for a week. Hello, welcome from me, Julie, and my choc boy Charlie. Hope you enjoy this lovely forum.
Re: New puppy has been home for a week. Hi Keith Katie and Chester! Welcome from me and black labbie girl Lilly now 3 years old. Sounds like your doing really good! Jac
Re: New puppy has been home for a week. Hi and welcome to the forum!! It sounds like your puppy is going really well. Chester is a great name. Nipping is painful, but it's normal too. You can do something about it though, to gradually teach your puppy to be gentle. Here are a couple of articles from the main site that you might find helpful: Nipping and biting: http://www.thelabradorsite.com/?p=844 Overexcited puppies: http://www.thelabradorsite.com/?p=4169
Re: New puppy has been home for a week. Welcome,welcome from Dexter and I.He's 11 months old and we live in Dubai. Do you live in Chester? Dex was 5 months when we got him so we missed a lot of the puppy nipping stage .....it gets so talked about on here though so its really just a phase and totally normal.from what I read someone always seems to come off worse while it is going on...I don't know what that should be? Enjoy your puppy,lets see him when you get a chance Bye for now Angela
Re: New puppy has been home for a week. Welcome )) Hope you're enjoying your new addition! Love the choccy labs. Any pics? We love a puppy pic.lol. We have Rosie, yellow hairy moulting lab, she's 5 months now - got her at 7 weeks. It's an experience! Enjoy xxx
Re: New puppy has been home for a week. Jennyann, Angela, Oberon, Jac, JulieT, Thanks for replying and for the warm welcome Angela, no we dont live in Chester but we do live in Cheshire, Chester just really suited our chocolate lab and we love the name. Here is a pic as requested, very cute!!!!!. [attachment deleted by admin]
Re: New puppy has been home for a week. Hello and a warm welcome from me, two years old black Lab boy Sam and rescue Millie , your little Chester is soooo pretty , sounds like all is going well too
Re: New puppy has been home for a week. Ah I'm originally from South Liverpool....I can't see your photo...is that just me guys?i used to do relief pub management in my youth......and one manager used to leave me his long haired German shepherd called .....Chester!it was The Golden Fleece in Lymm....on the side of a canal.when I think of it now,the manager was very brave and I must have had the confidence of youth....can't believe someone left their precious,much loved dog in my inexperienced hands
Re: New puppy has been home for a week. Welcome Keith, Katie and Chester, from me Helen, Hattie 6 years and Charlie 2 1/2 years. I really hope you enjoy the forum. Helen x
Re: New puppy has been home for a week. Hi and welcome from me and Poppy (who has a big liver-spotted Dalmatian friend called Chester) . Poppy bit me and my clothes much more than the other half, too. I think it might be something to do with his deeper voice, and his more convincing use of the word 'NO'. 8) He says I talked to her in an excitable, squeaky baby voice, which made her want to play wild games with me, whereas he was much more matter-of-fact with her. Dont know if that's what made the difference - at any rate, she stopped the nipping and biting at around 4-5 months old.
Re: New puppy has been home for a week. Hello and a warm welcome from me and Bess (black lab fifteen months). Interestingly it was the other way around with us. I think I was much better at pretending she'd really hurt me! We had lots of things around the house that she was allowed to bite and as others have said it had stopped by four to five months. It sounds as if she is settling in very well. Alice
Re: New puppy has been home for a week. Thanks again everyone for the warm welcome. Im glad to hear that it is normal nipping and biting and that a few of you have had the same issues. I am not too worried about it now and i know he will grow out of it. On the whole he is a very clever little dog and so far he can already sit and lay down on command, who said chocolate Labs were stupid Such a lovely little boy and i am so glad we decided to be first time Lab owners ( I prefer mum & dads lol ) Keith & Katie
Re: New puppy has been home for a week. Hiya Keith and Katie, and Chester pup. We have Harry a springer, wirehaired pointer cross 1.5yrs. Alfie a Bernese Mountain dog 9 yrs, and Charlie a labrador cocker cross who is 5 months old. Chocolate lab pups are the most scrummy bundles. Look forward to hearing all about Chester (Harry was Chester for an hour or so, but it was rather too regal for him, he's a Harry).
Re: New puppy has been home for a week. [quote author=tartanmouse link=topic=2400.msg23412#msg23412 date=1377857553] Hiya Keith and Katie, and Chester pup. We have Harry a springer, wirehaired pointer cross 1.5yrs. Alfie a Bernese Mountain dog 9 yrs, and Charlie a labrador cocker cross who is 5 months old. Chocolate lab pups are the most scrummy bundles. Look forward to hearing all about Chester (Harry was Chester for an hour or so, but it was rather too regal for him, he's a Harry). [/quote] Chester is already Lord of the manor so its a very fitting name for him
Re: New puppy has been home for a week. Hello Keith, We have had Zoe for nearly 7 weeks now and my wife is having a much harder time with the jumping and biting than I am. I agree with Karen's earlier post about the difference in voices and firmness. My wife believes that she is being forceful in her tone but it does not sound like it to me and that may be where the problem lies. I try telling her to use the same voice she uses on me when I don't take out the trash or pick up after myself. She did not find that amusing but the truth is what she perceived to be a forceful tone for Zoe really was not. It's the old "I am really mad at you but I really love you so I can't really be mad at you". Now I will tell you she is making progress but it has required a great deal of persistence. The main thing that has helped is constantly rewarding and praising the good behaviour while making sure to not allow the bad behaviour. It was becoming easy to ignore the gentle bites and the mild jumping and only try to correct after the hard bites and the jumping that was tearing clothing. She does get frustrated that it appears easier for me and the occasional set backs really get her down but I remind her she has been training me for 13 years and I am not perfect so she can't expect the puppy to be perfect after a couple months. Cheers and good luck to you. Steve
Re: New puppy has been home for a week. [quote author=clean_toothbrush link=topic=2400.msg23484#msg23484 date=1377887116] I try telling her to use the same voice she uses on me when I don't take out the trash or pick up after myself. She did not find that amusing.....................................I remind her she has been training me for 13 years and I am not perfect so she can't expect the puppy to be perfect after a couple months. [/quote] ;D ;D
Re: New puppy has been home for a week. Steve, Thanks for the advice and for the laugh when i was reading you're post ;D ;D ;D
