Dog Training

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Knownfactor

From someone who has been training one of the most stubborn breeds for the past 10 months i can tell you a few things.

1) if your dog is peeing in its crate, the crate is to big or your not letting it outside enough. the crate should be the size of the dog laying down and that is all, nothing bigger. any larger and it will pee and poop. The reason you get a crate the size of the dog is because 99.9% of the time it will not defecate where it sleeps. Also at 6 months old this dog should be going to the bathroom every 2-4 hours like clockwork. if you don't keep track and manage its bathroom time, that's when you get your puppy peeing in the house.

2) your dog is a puppy! its a small child just like your children. you can't keep it locked up for the majority of the day its cruel. you have to let it run, play, and tire himself out. Take him to the dog park and let him socialize with other dogs and run and play. i guarantee you if you take him to the park and bring him back home he will sleep for 2+ hours and not be all crazy excited. Labs don't mature until the age of two so you have to keep him busy...teach him how to swim, Labs love to swim.

3) go to petsmart and put him in puppy kindergarten. its like $120 for 8 weeks and it will not only teach the very basics of dog behavior but it will socialize the dog also and teach you along the way.

4) Tivo Dog Whisperer and Its me or the Dog. Both are great shows for dog behavior issues.

5) If you have a problem with your dog pooping in the back yard, take it on a walk instead and bring a poop bag. its not tough i do it every day with my dog and your yard won't be a mess but from the sounds of it you all don't want to walk him and aren't really keeping track on how many times hes pooping which should be at this age 2-3 times a day.

6) If you don't have the time or your wife doesn't have the time or your kids don't want to interact with the dog, Maybe you shouldn't own a dog. from 2months-1 year is the most critical time to train your dog. its like you teaching your kid everything he/she needs to know from age 2-15 in the matter of 10 months. you have to be disciplined you have to show it attention and play, and teach it tricks and let it be a dog. Labs are amazing with kids and are extremely social animals you just have to be its guide.

good luck! and if i think of anything else ill post it up. or if you decide to get rid of it. i would strongly consider taking him off your hands! we would just have to sort out shipping =)

---

1. He has been much better with this. Although, twice recently he has peed in his cage without barking or letting me know. He is very good to bark now when he needs out. Both times was about 2 or 3 am while I was up in the next room playing on Full Tilt. Kind of strange.

2. I would love to take him to the park but I am afraid that he will run off. If he does, I will be in no mood to chase him. I would also be afraid of him running someone's kid over.

Overall, and much to do with the weather, he is a better dog. I would love to have him as a house dog that we can let wander freely in our house. But, 1. we dont trust him, and 2. right now he is too hyper. Hopefully, with age he will become that dog.

Oh and another thing, why do dogs always stink? 5 minutes after a bath they still smell like dog. A cat can go a lifetime without a bath and still smell like fabric softener.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dyehard

1. He has been much better with this. Although, twice recently he has peed in his cage without barking or letting me know. He is very good to bark now when he needs out. Both times was about 2 or 3 am while I was up in the next room playing on Full Tilt. Kind of strange.

2. I would love to take him to the park but I am afraid that he will run off. If he does, I will be in no mood to chase him. I would also be afraid of him running someone's kid over.

Overall, and much to do with the weather, he is a better dog. I would love to have him as a house dog that we can let wander freely in our house. But, 1. we dont trust him, and 2. right now he is too hyper. Hopefully, with age he will become that dog.

Oh and another thing, why do dogs always stink? 5 minutes after a bath they still smell like dog. A cat can go a lifetime without a bath and still smell like fabric softener.

---

how big is the dogs crate?

What i meant by park was a Off-leash fenced in Dog Park...or a school with a fenced in area (baseball field/football field/track) not just a random field that's not fenced in.

i think your missing the point about the hyperness, that goes hand and hand with playing with him and letting him burn energy. if you let him burn energy he wont be hyper. Mental stimulation also. its not with age its with giving him attention...and letting him burn energy

Get him one of these
Tug-a-Jug Product Description - Premier Pet or Kibble Nibble Product Description - Premier Pet or Petstages Occupi Treat Dispensing Chew Toy - Toys - Dog - PetSmart

basically it makes the dog work for food and treats = mental stimulation = tired dog.

stink? they smell like dogs, i bet your kids diapers smell worse =P

Too many posts for me to read all of them. But, I saw a cpl good ones.
The post about the crate being to large is accurate. I can offer some other tips also.
I have raised 2 diff pitbulls from 6/7 weeks to adulthood. You wanna talk about a dog that has energy,needs attention, and loves to chew stuff. HAHA

Anyways, getting rid of it is the worst advice. I assume the one guys link was to some kind of dog eating. It's a good thing this is on the web, cuz I would spit in ur face before I broke it. Sicko. Sorry, I'm a dog lover. I can't tell u what I would do to Michael Vick's punk azz. :icon_twisted:

The advice about puppy training/kindergarten/obedience school is great, but you may not have the time. I took my dog to puppy kindergarten and learned a TON. Brag: I actually had my female trained to ring a bell with her nose when she had to go potty.:D (I can teach u how to do that also)
I guess the only thing I can add that I haven't seen already is:
Keep the food and especially water bowls up and away from the dog. You need to regulate (or observe somewhat) how much water the dog had had. Then u will have a better idea of how much it has in them to release. It is much easier. It's like not letting ur kids drink a bunch before they go to bed, so they don't pee the bed. if u know he drank "so much" at this time, u know roughly when/how much they have to release. As far as pooping, if they are not going when u want...get the kids to run with him/her around the yard a bit. The running and jumping will usually stimulate the bowels and they'll go. Crate training is very effective and very humane. As long as the dog is not left in the kennel for way too long.
They should have enough room to stand up and turn around. That's it! It caused me to buy diff size kennels to accommodate the growing. As far as chewing...they will get over it. He is still growing new teeth etc.
Remember being a kid and getting a new pocketknife? You carved your name/initials into everything u could... It's the same for a dog w/ a new tooth. They just want to try out their new toy. Get him some ropes and chew toys. Ropes are great for their teeth and gums also. Labs are EXCELLENT family dogs. Maybe the best. Don't give up! There are already WAY too many abandoned pets. I will be more than happy to share everything I learned in obedience school with u. PM me if u have any specific questions or problems. Seriously, I'm kinda like a mini dog whisperer. I am very,very good with dogs. Training,disciplining,etc.
With a little work, that Lab will bring your family lots of love and memories.
Best of luck to you!

Also, decide early on if u are going to breed him or not. If not, get him neutered. I know it sounds cruel, but It WILL calm him down and may save his life from testicular cancer. Dogs,especially big dogs that do not breed are much more likely to get testicular cancer. The bonus is that it does mellow the dog out. Prob no need to do this until he's a yr or two though.
And if u want to "wear him out" teach him to fetch. (prob already knows how) Take him to a beach and toss a tennis ball in the ocean or a lake. I guarantee after 2+hrs of swimming and running he is a little more mellow at home. Also, a lot of the hyperness comes from energy that you and your kids transfer to the dog. You really should watch the dog whisperer. Learn the "don't look, don't touch" right away policy. I can elaborate if you'd like, but the general idea is: on entry of the house, to somewhat ignore the dog until they become more calm and submissive. Most people greet the dog instantly, with loud voices, high exciting tones, and WAY too much excitement. The result is that the dog thinks everyone who comes over is there to see them. And they get extremely excited and over active when guests or family members come home/ greet them.
One other thing that sounds silly, but DOES help. Do not let the dog enter the house before you. When returning to the house with the dog. Make him/her sit on your step/porch and YOU enter first. This can all be done w/ the leash on obv. Once the dog shows calm/submissiveness then you invite them to enter. It is YOUR home. This establishes to the dog YOU are the boss. I suggest teaching your kids the same. After a walk, make the dog sit/be calm, you enter, wait a min., then invite them to enter calmly. You would be surprised how much this little thing enforces in the dogs mind that YOU are the boss.
I REALLY,REALLY love dogs and am rather sad I can't have one at this point of my life. Any help I can offer is all yours.
TC

Really great advice from all.

Right now I would like to focus on getting my dog to "stay".

Also, how do I get my dog to calm down before I let him into the house?

"Do not let the dog enter the house before you. When returning to the house with the dog. Make him/her sit on your step/porch and YOU enter first. This can all be done w/ the leash on obv. Once the dog shows calm/submissiveness then you invite them to enter. It is YOUR home."

Most times he will bark and claw at the screen door, thus destroying it in time. If he has been out for a long time (hours), he is ready to come in and goes straight to his cage. But when I let him in after a potty break, he will dash all over the house like a Tazmanian Devil unless I grab his collar the minute he steps in the house.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dyehard

I would love to have him as a house dog that we can let wander freely in our house. But, 1. we dont trust him, and 2. right now he is too hyper. Hopefully, with age he will become that dog.

---

We have an excellent Labrador Retriever book that helped us a lot with our latest puppy. You're welcome to stop by and borrow it if you would like. :)

The best way to get them to calm down is to be calm yourself. It's a transfer of energy. You have to be calm, but authoritative, not frustrated or angry.
The easiest treat to train to sit/stay with is actually string cheese. A biscuit or treat that takes them anything longer than a second to consume will only distract from your training. try the cheese or small pieces of cooked chicken.
They will consume it in one bite/slurp and be at attention to you, to receive another instruction=treat. Whenever your dog goes potty in the yard reward them. I would start by taking him/her on a leash directly from the kennel to the SAME SPOT(important) in the yard to go potty. Do not play, show much affection, or reward the dog before this is done. Once they go potty in the yard, make a big deal about it. Praise them, reward w/ treats...then allow off the leash to run and play for a cpl mins. Very small pieces of cheese are an instant "I did good," and your dog will instantly be looking for another way to please u= to receive more:)
The same spot thing only sucks if u have a female dog. Because female dogs have ammonia in their urine (males don't) it will burn a brown spot in ur yard. But, their is nothing you can do about it, if that's the case. I guess one brown spot is better than a yard full of them. It will also make finding the poop easier obviously.
BTW, how about a pic of the little guy/girl?

Didn't see the screen door thing...
Start by leaving a short leash on even when in the house. It is much easier to step on the leash to catch them than chase them all over the house. As far as discipline on the porch or anywhere for that matter. (no scratching, etc.) You should only need to give the leash a quick jerk and a firm voice to stop that. Different collars can be very effective in this practice as well. "Choke chains" are VERY inhumane because once they "sinch" they do not release. I suggest what is called a "pinch collar." It looks almost medieval, but it is VERY safe and humane. It more or less pinches the fur around the neck, and squeezes/gathers it at the top of the neck. It somewhat mimics the way a mother would grab her pup by the scruff of the neck. It does not choke or gauge the throat whatsoever even though it looks like it would. I'll post a link in next post. Pull slightly upward with this on, gently push on the dog's rear end...they will sit. Also, always hold the cheese/treat above the dogs head. This way they are forced to look up to receive the treat= head goes up, butt goes down= sit. Obviously if the treat is offered below the head or at chest level, they will look down. that is counterproductive to a sitting posture.
Hope that helps. Be patient and go buy a bag of string cheeses:biglaugh:

Pinch Collars: J and J Dog Supplies

Here's a link to some pinch collars. You can just google pinch collar and all sorts of links will come up. There are some pretty good articles on it also.
Take my word for it. I am a HUGE dog lover! I would only use the best and most efficient things for my dogs. I don't have kids yet, so they were my babies. I studied "everything dog" when I had them. This is by far the best way to train a large breed dog like a Lab. Another benefit is that the pronged links can be added or removed as the dog grows, so no need for $20 bucks every cpl months for a new one while he/she is growing. The fitting of these is important, so read up or lemme know if u get one. It should fit correctly to be as effective as possible.
TTYL

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Knownfactor

What i meant by park was a Off-leash fenced in Dog Park...or a school with a fenced in area (baseball field/football field/track) not just a random field that's not fenced in.

i think your missing the point about the hyperness, that goes hand and hand with playing with him and letting him burn energy. if you let him burn energy he wont be hyper. Mental stimulation also. its not with age its with giving him attention...and letting him burn energy

Get him one of these
Tug-a-Jug Product Description - Premier Pet or Kibble Nibble Product Description - Premier Pet or Petstages Occupi Treat Dispensing Chew Toy - Toys - Dog - PetSmart

basically it makes the dog work for food and treats = mental stimulation = tired dog.

stink? they smell like dogs, i bet your kids diapers smell worse =P

---

+1

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dyehard

2. I would love to take him to the park but I am afraid that he will run off. If he does, I will be in no mood to chase him.

---

This really bums me out.