Here are some of the sections available on the main website for new puppy owners Getting a puppy [li] including choosing a dog, puppy or rescue, work or show, and finding good breeders [/li] Caring for your puppy [li] including general care, feeding, growth, exercising, vaccinations, socialisation and house training [/li] Communicating with your puppy [li] crossing the language barrier between puppies and people [/li] Training your puppy [li] including crate training, potty training, recall, clickers and the 3 r's! [/li] Coping with puppy behaviour [li] help with problems such as biting, growling, crying, jumping up, over excitement and more. [/li] Some topics come up very frequently. Here are some links to articles on two common areas for concern: Your Labrador Puppy: Biting [li]A complete guide to biting [/li] House/Potty Training [li]Quick guide to house training (because sometimes you need information in a hurry)[/li] [li]Crate Training (to help your puppy learn to be clean indoors)[/li] [li]House training without tears (because pups have short memories and small bladders)[/li] [li]What do do when puppy won't wee outdoors (helping them work through the reluctance)[/li] [li]House training a puppy (the keys to successful house training)[/li] Helpful threads on the forum Barking: teaching a 'bark' and 'no bark' cue
Re: Resources for puppy owners Pippa , I have a friend ( I swear its not me !) who has struggled for almost a year now with her terrier pup . I tend to think that they have never dsiciplined him properly, he has had little training and she is now at her wits end . Would you recommend Total Recall for her to read and learn even though her problems are much more comprehensive than just no recall ? She has tried training classes with no success although again I feel that they didnt give it long enough , I have discussed her dogs diet with her too as it isnt great , but feel she needs more help than I can give her so wondered about your book and if it may be a good starting point ?
Re: Resources for puppy owners Dont worry Pippa , I know you are busy, have recommended she buy it anyway
Re: Resources for puppy owners Sorry Kate, it's been a long day! Total Recall has a big section on understanding how dogs learn and how you can modify their behaviour, so yes, I think/hope it would be useful. But a cheaper way to get the same sort of information would be from 'How to Win at Dog Training' Pippa
A link to the main resources landing page on The Labrador Site: Labrador Retriever Puppy Care Resources
hi...I am bringing a 7 week old black male lab home tomorrow...crate is ready and in vehicle...toys....water and water bowl....question is...should I keep him on my lap while traveling or should I put him in a crate right away?
I'm not an expert so would say which ever works best for you. Some pups will settle happily snuggled up with you rather than in the crate. I had Juno snuggled in my arms for our 4hour journey home, sitting in the back seat of the car but had the crate ready next to me.
How long is your trip? I brought Willow home on my lap for a four-hour trip, although after a short while, she settled down into the foot well of the car and slept the rest of the way. We went back a few weeks later and brought home two of the other pups (one for us, one for friends) and they came back in the crate. At such a young age, he may be happier with some human contact, but also keep in mind that it's obviously safer for him to be in a crate in case of accident. Unless it's a very long trip, I'd forgo the water. The breeder probably won't feed him right before travelling, because of the increased chance of travel sickness and discomfort from needing the loo. If you can spend a while with him there rather than bringing him straight home, you can play with him and tire him out so he's more likely to sleep on the journey.
I had Tatze on my lap and was very glad of a chew toy I had taken or she would have chewed my fingers off! Crocapup from day 1! Our puppy walking supervisor transports small pups all the time. She has a small plastic crate for them, tied in with the seat belt - and always puts vet bed, a blanket and two teddies in there for them. Nearly all settle well
HI there, I brought my pup back from the UK to Germany at eight weeks. My OH drove, and I had her in the footwell by my feet. It was about 500 miles, and it was fine. She slept most of the way, we made lots of stops for pees and poops, and it was only at the very end that she got fretful. I think if we'd driven much longer (it took 11 hours, including the channel crossing) it would have become difficult as she really needed to run around and play by that time, and obviously at stop areas she had to be on a lead.
Hi all,I am new to the forum. I had my pup on my lap when I took him home and he nearly bit my hand off! Thankfully I was not driving. A plastic crate sounds like a good idea.I have to get one of those.
Hello. My girlfriend and I are brand new owners of a black lab. We have had her since she was 7 weeks old. She is turning 16 weeks on Sunday. I have read ALL KINDS of articles on puppies biting and most of them say to walk away and ignore the puppy when she bites. Here is my question. When the puppy bites all the time, how do you just walk away (e.g in the middle of a park or on a long walk)? Seems easy enough when in your home, but when she jumps up and tears my girlfriends hand open while I'm not there, how does she "walk away" from that? Please help???
Hi there , welcome to the Forum ,sounds like you are living through the period when a perfect crocopup emerges from the crysalis that was once your gorgeous Labrador puppy! You might be having a particularly bad time because she left her Mum and litter mates earlier than the recommended 8 weeks.Its only the difference if a week but it's such a critical time in their development for learning manners and bite inhibition. However that's the past ,nothing to be done now ,so let's see if I can help you out a bit. If you are in a situation outside the house and you can't physically walk away you can use your body language to 'remove yourself' .A trainer at obedience classes I was attending advised crossing your arms calmly ,putting your hands into your armpit ( less bodily appendages hanging around the better!) and turning your back ...you can still hold a lead doing this ,the dog will probably run round the front of you but just do the same ,keep turning calmly and not looking or interacting with the dog at all....eventually the dog she was demonstrating with just sat down and looked puzzled which gives you the opportunity to reward a behaviour that you want.Do you use a clicker at all? this is a tool that really helps in situations like this when you are under frenzied attack....and might just get a second to reward a great behaviour in a positive way. Just remember ,nothing is a quick fix.....you might feel like you are turning and ignoring for ages but eventually it works.....the next time you try it,your puppy will get it quicker. In his youth ,Dexter would sometimes lose his marbles a bit over something and start jumping and biting at the Lead ...once he was so embarrassing I just hooked his lead over a railing and stood with my back to him until he calmed down. So it is possible to ''remove' yourself when you are outside the home.Also,don't forget if the biting is really out of control and ferocious,your dog is really excited....you are probably not going to get anywhere....so go home!!!:: A missed walk isn't the end if the world and will prevent you and your partner getting stressed out.No one is having a nice time when you are getting mauled about the place.When you get home,do some really simple training exercises in the less stimulating environment and that will tire a young pup out just as well .... You are right,at home you have a much better set up to remove yourself effectively but you can do it with bit of ingenuity when you are out and about Good luck x
I got Molly at 7 weeks and she was an awful biter - drew blood daily - compared with my previous Lab who was 10 weeks old and not nearly such a crocopup. However, the good news is that it will pass - Molly has turned into a gentle adult. I'd suggest always having a toy with you to shove in her mouth and also start teaching her to play tug (use an 24 inch long rope or piece of hose pipe). After a minute drop the end and ignore attempts to engage you (or ask for sit if she knows that) then when she drops the rope, pick it up and restart the game. I'm convinced that puppies bite at least in part to try to get us to do something so it's better if we initiate play.
We do what you suggest and we talked about your other ideas last night. My main job right now is to convince my girlfriend that our little fur puddle doesn't hate her and that it is just a phase that WILL pass. She doesn't get nearly as crazy with me as she does with my girlfriend. I love them both so much and want them to love each other the same as I do ) Thanks for the tips and tricks!!
Perfect suggestions! We have on our person several toys and a bag of treats for good behavior. She needs only look at me and I give her a treat. lol Thanks for the advice and have a great day!
