I am struggling with finding something for Ripple to do on the days I take him to training classes. His normal day consists of a walk in the morning, then a nap then training and play from 11.30 till 1pm; he has a walk in the afternoon and then after another nap he has his dinner and some play time and goes to his bed with a Kong and his Nylabones about 7pm. Unfortunately school starts at 7pm which means Ripple can be really tired if I follow his normal routine, I found if I take him on any sort of walk in the afternoon he really plays up at school. However, he really needs something to do in the afternoon, I don't want to do much in the way of training as I feel he does enough of this at school but I do need to keep him occupied without tiring him out too much. He was okay before Christmas (well ok in a Labrador in a room full of puppies sense) but since reaching his adolescent stage he has been a bit of a nightmare at school - biting me and pulling hard on the lead and jumping and throwing himself about. Does anyone have any suggestions for afternoons before school? There's no different times I can take him so I'm stuck with the 7pm class.
Can you just do a bit of a play session with him in the garden or house instead of a walk on the days when you have training in the evening?
I'm still trying to find the right balance between play and getting wound up or into mischief Karen, these adolescent days are a real pain, sometimes the slightest thing is sending him into a biting frenzy or loony charge about.
That is true. He will calm down in time though, this is just a phase! (Remember the mantra: It's a phase, it will pass; it's a phase, it will pass...)
Are you sure that walking him before class is the problem? It is easy to see two things (walking and then him being silly) and connect the two, when they aren't connected at all. He might just be being silly sometimes. He is at the age to be silly, regardless, really. I wouldn't have thought a walk would lead to a dog misbehaving later in class - I'd expect the opposite. I'd think an extra walk would mean a dog would be better behaved in class. Ripple is 6 or 7 months now? To be honest, unless the walks he is doing are really long and energetic (which they shouldn't be at his age), I'd be really surprised if he gets genuinely physically tired at all by them - most teenage Labradors are absolute bundles of energy.....
Yes Ripple is 8 months and a bundle of energy, I think its his brain that's getting tired as most of our walks involve lots of 'stop' 'start' for lead pulling, corrections for leaping at people and dogs, 'leave its' for eating various disgusting things etc - eventually ending with him in a frenzy of biting. Today i took him into the garden for a game chasing a tennis ball (and where is that cat hiding from me?), then back indoors for tuggy and other games so I shall see what tonight brings, but you are quite right Julie it is difficult to identify whether anything in particular is the culprit or whether he is just silly regardless. Thank you Karen - I think I've been repeating that mantra ever since i got Ripple .
Keep the faith Its a difficult age for some, too young for long walks but still boundless energy, games in the garden on dry days is a good idea , learning can be fun and games and doesn't have to be formal, plus it helps to build a nice bond x
Ah, yes. A Labrador at 8 months. I forget where you are based, sorry. Are you in a leash law area so your walks are all on lead? If so, that's tough with a young Lab. Anyway to do something different time to time, dunno, beach, dog park, to give you both a break?
Well we just about survived school. Ripple was ok right until the end when he went into biting mode - I now have two vampire like punctures on the back of my wrist and I'm not liking him very much . I'm in Fife in Scotland and he does get off lead walks, but I really have to watch him as he eats anything disgusting he can find (I spend hours working on leave its and then it all goes to pot when we're out). We go to the beach at least once a week, local parks and also the woods - that way I can spread out the mayhem he causes.
