Our puppy is now four months old and I have got terrible post puppy blues. I wanted to give him back but my children said they would hate me forever if I did. I don’t like him at all. He is no fun to have around. He bites, nips, snarls and growls. He’s ruined my wooden worktops from jumping up and they gave all little scratch marks along, his toilet training has improved but I can’t put any of my rugs back down and I feel my house is upside down! My daughter says I am a terrible person because I am not happy with him and said I didn’t like him. I am feeling so unhappy with this situation. Our other dog died just before Christmas and I loved him so much and I do not remember him being like this when he was a puppy.
Oh @Jillybean my heart goes out to you, most of us on the forum have been where you are at some point. It will honestly get better in so many ways but it's unbelievably tough when you're in the middle of it. I didn't like my pup much either in the early months, I found it relentlessly hard and unrewarding, and it will be especially hard for you when you have the memory of your lab boy. I grew up with labs and neither I nor my parents remember them being crazy crocopups but they must have been at least a few times. His biting and nipping are still very normal at this age and if replacing my arm, clothes etc with a toy didn't stop my pup going bonkers then I put her in the kitchen behind the baby gate for a bit of time out. My house was upside down for awhile and whilst I now have rugs back out and let her go places I once kept her away from, I still lock the bin away and shoes and wood bucket etc coz I don't know if I can trust her yet (she's 13 months). I was quite honest with my 12 year old son about my lack of feelings for our pup when she was tiny and he felt it too at times as she really targeted him in her mad moments. You're not a bad person for not loving him at the moment ( I have to admit I felt similarly about my son when he was a baby! and I was honest with people then too). Have you done any classes? That might start to grow a bond and also tire your boy out a bit. Or do short bits (just a few mins at a time) of training with him indoors and in the garden? Teach him a trick or two? At about 12 weeks old I seriously thought of rehoming my pup so you're not alone. It absolutely gets better if you can hang on in there. There's another thread about 'puppy blues' started by another forum member, @Atemas, have a look for it because you might find it comforting reading.
@Jillybean , I feel for you, I really do, my puppy was a crocopup and I felt I'd given up my freedom and was being bitten morning, noon and night! They can be such hard work. But now at 18 months I couldn't love her more, and it makes me want to cry that I ever thought of giving her up. Shoes now stay where they are left, the tea towels stay on the rail and I'm about to replace the old rugs I threw away when she was small confident that they won't be spoilt! Good advice from Plums Mum about training, there are several things you can do for a few minutes throughout the day which help the bond. Also, yes look at Atemas "puppy blues" thread.
@Jillybean so sorry you are feeling this way. As @Plum's mum and @selina27 have said, there is a very very long thread of mine called Puppy Blues which I started in March this year. I had a whole heap of issues to work through and it really bought me to the edge....but...whilst I wouldn’t want to repeat any of that, I think it sort of made me stronger in some ways. I had some wonderful advice and support from other forum members so you have found the right place here. As I type this my 11 month old puppy Red is sat at my feet and keeps giving me little licks - she is so so different to the croco pup she was. I have an almost 11 year old black Labrador who is gentle, kind and easy going. We got her at 5 months so I never knew her as a croco pup so getting Red was such a shock. The bonding process was slow but it came - between 4 and 5 months we turned a big corner and by 6 months she was a totally different dog.
I cried so much the first couple of weeks and this weekend I've been struggling because everything we've worked on feels like it's gone out of the window so I understand how you feel. I miss my old dog so much. I had never had a puppy before and no matter what I had read before picking him up still had not prepared me for this chaotic monster. I felt like the worst person to own a dog. I check this forum regularly for reassurance that other people are going through the same thing. People here are so kind and helpful to each other. Including telling you to change your attitude like @Boogie i think it was in my own puppy blues post, sorry if it wasn't. I needed that and it worked, snapped me out of it. When I'm having a tough moment I run through a list in my head of all the positive things Hope this makes sense. I'm typing quickly before the Grand Prix starts haha
My puppy Penny is 6 mnths and i have days when i am litterally exhausted. I have never had a lab pup before only a boxer and cant recall him being as hard work. Its a work in progress and thank god for this forum..i suppose labs are hyper pups and the biting and chewing is relentles..i have quite honestly felt a failure with this dog at times and have posted it on this forum. The support is great and it keeps me going. You are not alone and as i write this she is sleeping at my feet. I love her to bits but there have been tears and tantrums ( all mine lol ) and i am still amazed at how even after walking outside ( still pulling a bit ) and zooming around the park she still has boundless energy to zoom around the living room like a whirling dervish. I have had to replace 4 sets of prescription specs..1 remote control..all my socks ..various jumpers and 2 sets of slippers..my garden is no longer recognisable bushes plants chewed to bits ( i am still learning how to train her ). Would i get rid of her ..NEVER. Keep posting on here we are all in it together this is her in the jail lol
It can sometimes take some serious mental fortitude to deal with the issues. If you can just remember a couple of things it might help: They actually WANT to be your friend. They really do want to please you, just not sure what that means though at this age. They do not do things out of spite or to get even. They are counting on you.
Thank you so much for this post!! It gives me a lot of hope, especially with my older dog, who I think hates me right now! Bauer, our new lab puppy is so precious and doing all the things you mentioned, plus some, and this post is just what I needed today!! Thank you!
Welcome to the forum! Just remember to give your older dog lots of individual love and attention as well as the puppy; it takes a bit of time for everyone to adjust to the new situation.
Hey everyone, gosh I'm so happy there's a thread like this. We've had River for a couple of weeks now and as many I more or less expected the chewing and nipping but never imagined it to be a big deal. I don't remember my parents lab, Zita, being a biter/chewer or having so much energy, especially in the first few months. Guess I was wrong. River is well, very energetic and will eat EVERYTHING. I can not buy any fleece for the satee or she'll chew on it for starters. And kitchen cloths. I am more vigorous about that now, since she had real trouble pooing that week. (as you know what goes in must come out) But she's definitely found a liking for both. In the first week, she really tried to chew on our table and chairs, but she quickly stopped doing that. Now she's targeting her own toys .All of her soft toys, have been either been chewed upon or ripped open (The indestructible Kong bear haha, had open back surgery and lost his head, shoulders and arms. I guess I should be glad that she targets her own toys rather than eating our stuff (apart from the fleece). Earlier in the week, we discovered however that she was scratching the door. So we have to be vigurous with her on that. Her nipping has drastically gone down however and that's a relief. We're really been working on making sure she knows she should not bite us. She slips up though, especially when we're playing a game. She seems to go directly for the fingers that hold the toy. That's definitely one we're working on. On another note; Our garden is in a total state as she's digging. The plants are ripped out. Digging out stones and then eat them. Pulling branches from the bushes and bringing them inside to pull them apart. And run away when I'm telling her off. Sigh. I hope it does get better. I love her to bits though and she's giving us so many happy memories already. She doesn't necessarily smile, but she's very loving, always wants to sit with us (despite taking up almost the whole sofa already) and we really couldn't imagine our lives without her.
Hi I am new here. And I badly need help. our 2 month old pup didn't eat this morning & she vomited too. PLS HELP.
Hi Mae, if you are worried about your puppy's health then take her immediately to your vet, or an emergency vet if yours isn't open. No-one can help you from an internet forum. Puppies can go downhill very quickly, so it's important she gets professional care as soon as possible.
Hi All, We bought our puppy 3-4 months back when we was just 39 days old...and you know that at this age they are very cuteeee.. As he started to grow we had issues since neither of us in family knew how to handle a lab. At this stage the biggest problem that we face (& all of you) is that biting. Similarly we tried to teach him about potty but its of no use & now my house smells like hell. From all the above discussion it appears that they will overcome the habit of biting etc as they grow. My question is during that period are we supposed to do something which will help them to curb their natural instinct ? We bought teething toys etc but apart from that we uses all other things slippers etc..what about his potty habit..how can we train him to use bathroom ? Need your advise & suggestion
This is FAR too young to separate a pup from its Mum and littermates. The recommendation is 7 weeks at the very earliest, but much better to leave pup with mum and siblings until 8 weeks at least. Leaving a pup with its littermates until 8 weeks or so is by far the best way to help teach them "bite inhibition". When they are little, just like human babies, the way they explore is with their mouths, and they need to learn to do this gently. Their mum and littermates will soon tell them if they are being too rough. Labrador puppies are just like little crocodiles, but get better as they get a bit older with kind and consistent training. Again, with a very young puppy, this is going to be impossible, once they are a bit older and bigger, their bladder size increases to allow them to hold on a little longer. I am worried that if your home smells of pee, that your dog may struggle. We recommend cleaning any inside pee or poo accidents with a non ammonia based cleaner (like Simple Solution) as often dogs will pee in the same area as they have before and they have excellent sense of smell. Have you read any of the articles on the main site about toilet training? Rather than me repeating what it says there, take a little look first. https://www.thelabradorsite.com/house-training-your-labrador-puppy/ jac
Thank you for this post, I’m a week in with 2 gorgeous girls, both now 8 weeks old, I’ve experienced the nipping & eating their own poo but so far their toys are still intact! People say I’m made to have 2 but they interact so wonderfully together just like sisters should. I’m so excited about watching them grow, love them both dearly
Hi, we are new to labradors as we have always had 2 or 3 shelties running around ( which were a doddle to have around). We have always liked labs hence the change. Eddy is now 6 months old and he joined our family when he was 9 weeks old. He is such a little superstar. We have had no destructive behaviour , he has been clean day and night since 3 months old. He was really good at recall until about a fortnight ago when he turned into a bit of a ' Kev'. (don't want to so I'm not going to). I bought a long lead and tethered him for a few walks so he had no option he had to come back. He is now back to off lead walks and coming back first time. He appears to get it now. I take him training every week to outside class.He has off lead time socialising with the other dogs as well as training on lead. We keep him busy , mentally as well as physically. Hiding treats in big cardboard tubes or under plastic cups is a favourite game. He treats everyone like his long lost best friend and loves other dogs, he is always up for a game. He is very loving and gentle to us. He did have a few undesirable habits, eating his own or any other poo, not fussed really. Also rolling in badger/fox poo again either will do. I now take a tennis ball and throw it, he loves retrieving it ( he comes from a long line of working gundogs). and he always gets 'paid' for bringing it back. he also used to accidentally nip us when playing , this has improved. He started to pull on the lead, so we bought a halti harness and its working really well. My question is about neuturing. What is a good age? do I have him done at all ? I don't want him going through an unnecessary operation. He is not showing any signs of aggression towards other dogs or 'humping' at the moment. There are so many different opinions out there so not sure what to do . I have had 6 male shelties and never found the need to have any of them neutured. We have an an escape proof garden, so he would be unable to escape and wander.
Welcome to the forum @pawsey58 . It sounds as if things are going really well with Eddy. My last dog was a male Lab and I didn’t have him neutered and if you’ve had entire male Shelties then you’ll know it’s not essential. I’d at least wait till he’s over a year and finished growing. I walk a Lab a few times a week who wears a halti because he would pull his very elderly owner over otherwise, so I know there are situations where they are unavoidable. However can I suggest that you train your pup to walk on a loose lead without it as I think it is at best uncomfortable for the dog. I taught Molly by putting her on lead for a very short time (say 30 seconds) and rewarding with food every step to start with, then letting her off to run and play for a few minutes and repeating this throughout the time we were out. I drove to off lead areas until she had got the hang of loose lead walking so that she didn’t have to concentrate for too long or get to practise pulling. Love your avatar photo of Eddy!
Thank you Joy. I will certainly give it a go with your suggestion for practising loose lead walking. When I say halti , I mean the harness that goes round the body, not the one that goes on the muzzle of the dog. It is such a laborious thing to put on and off . I take it off when his running free as I don't want him to get caught up, as he is now starting to explore ditches, hedges etc. I then have to put it back on at the end of a walk. he is a really good boy, he is very patient and stands really still for me . I take a slip lead with me as well, just in case a scenario crops up where I need him on a lead. He loved the snow today. He was having a lovely time chasing and retrieving snowballs and being a real cracker dog as well.
