You guys have probably figured out that I have a 6 month old black Lab Retriever. I have a love/hate relationship with him. I'm not really a dog person, but I do like animals in general. The problem with having a dog is that he is so big and still growing. We have a small yard with an in ground pool and a playgym for the kids. We also love to entertain friends all through the summer with cookouts and pool parties. So the dog crap in the backyard is pretty shitty. Also, he loves to chew, obviously. We no longer have a canopy swing because Rosco chewed all the cushions. We have tried to kennel train him, but he occasionally still has accidents in his cage. Also, with 3 5 year olds, and a new born in the house, we can't let him run free in the house unless we are watching his every step...and we are only willing to do that for 10 or 15 minutes. Also, we don't trust him for fear that he will have an accident in the house or run over one of the kids. I think it is unfair for him to be caged up for a large majority of the day.

I think it was Holly that said she was a Dog Whisperer, errr, dog trainer. I'd like to at least make an effort to see if we can turn him into a nice pet that we can trust and enjoy, especially for the kids.

So what things can we work on? Thanks in advance.