Hello I have just registered on the site I the hope that someone out there can help. We have a chocolate lab she came to us about 2 months ago being a rescue dog. She was rescued from a puppy farm being one of the breeding dogs. In every way she is a lab, loving, intelligent and willing to learn except in two things. She will not ask to go out to relieve herself, as long as the back door is open everything is OK but she d does not bark or ask and the other thing is she is very food led to the point of stealing from the kitchen. Please can anyone give me some advice.
Hi and welcome to the forum from me and Juno, my 18 month old chocolate girl. What a wonderful thing you are doing rehoming your girl whose been raised in a puppy farm solely to breed.What's her name? We would love to see some photos of her. I have no experience of rehoming but it sounds to me as if your girl ahs no experience of living within a home and has had free access to an outside space for toileting. If this is the case you need to train he in the same way as you would a puppy, taking her out regularly for pee and poop with lots of praise (and a few treats) when she performs. she will learn very quickly and you will also start to identify her behaviour when she needs to go. Many dogs don't "ask" to go out, Juno included, it's a case of learning their signals. A Labrador which doesn't like food wold be an unusual Labrador . The only way I know to stop her stealing food in the kitchen is to ensure that all work surfaces are clear of food. If there is no food out she can't steal it and therefore reward herself for getting the food. I'm sure other members with experience of dealing with the problems experienced when rehoming a dog will be along soon and be able to offer lots of advice.
Hello and welcome from Fred and me. Fred is a 20 mths old black Lab. Good advice given to you by MaccieD. Your dog will soon learn to go outside to toilet.Take her out each time she has eaten, had a sleep or every couple of hours. She will soon get the hang of it. What is the name of your dog?
Hello and welcome from 2 year old Molly and me. I think the clue to your dogs behaviour is in the term "Puppy Farm". She was just a farm animal like a cow or sheep so was not required to be toilet trained. Hopefully, she will soon realise what is required of her. I don't think it is appropriate to talk of her "stealing" food, she just doesn't have the concept of stealing food and probably never will have. The only answer is to make sure NOTHING edible is left in reach. Had a near miss this evening. Building a Gingerbread House with Grandchild. He left it to set rather too close to the edge of the worktop. Molly's paws came off the floor and impressed myself with the turn of speed I could find to cross the kitchen floor.
Hello and welcome to the forum from me and my two Labs, Willow and Shadow. You've been given the perfect advice above. I've had (family) rescue dogs in the past and they all grew out of their need to take food from kitchen counters, once they learnt that they would get frequent meals, so I didn't envisage an issue with these dogs. But, they're Labradors and they're great opportunists, ruled by their tummies! So, as the others have said, I've had to learn to keep my kitchen clean and tidy, with nothing on the work surfaces. It's not such a bad thing Every now and then I still slip up. Which is reinforcing for the dogs, and means the behaviour is more likely to repeat. So I give myself a whack around the head and resolve to do better next time!
Hello there and a very warm welcome to the forum My dog - who isn't a rescue - doesn't ask to go out, and will nick stuff from the kitchen counters given the chance so your girl sounds pretty normal to me. My dog doesn't ask to go out because he gets enough trips to the garden and walks so he rarely ever needs to 'ask' - he just hops up and down looking a bit uncomfortable and hopes I notice if he needs to go in between walks. I just have to notice. You perhaps need to treat her as though she is a puppy, which means having the back door closed (otherwise she will just have a pee by the door when she finds it closed) - you need to train her to hang on until she is outside. Good luck with it!
My dog is similar to Julie's - he'd nick stuff in a flash (we just can't leave food unattended), and also is fairly subtle about needing to go out. And when we want him to go out, he usually won't...so he pees in his own mysterious time I'm sure she will be so happy, living with you - her life must be a total turnaround from what she has been used to.
Hi And Welcome Well done for rescuing Our Poppy is a rescue it took us 3 months to sort it out, we treated her like a puppy, frequent trips out and lots of praise. Also we Crated her that really helped. Good Luck
