I know this pet forum is meant to be a happy place, but I just want to have a little rant and get something off my chest.

We have a 11 month old labrador and we are all sick of him!
He is the naughtiest dog I have ever met. The other day we came home to find the kitchen completely trashed, he had broken into the cupboard under the sink (which was fitted with child locks) and dragged everything out. He had eaten washing powder, a small tub of emulsion paint, a large quantity of dog food and lots of rubbish from the bin. Since then he has had the most horrendous diaorrhea.

He constantly chews my sons toys, ignoring his own squeaky, exciting toys. But having said that, he thinks my elderly cat is a squeeky toy and I often find him with her head/ paw/ tail in his mouth.

He pulls like an engine on the lead, if he see's anything in the distance that looks like it might contain food he pulls me off my feet to get to it. He does the same if he see's another dog, in fact he pulls so badly that I've developed a bad back since we got him.

When we go to the park he has a great time, but I can only let him off lead in the woods, as if he see's someone playing with a ball he is off like a streak of lightening and I have unfortunatly had a few popped balls on my concience (although we're wise to this now and he just doesn't go off lead if there are people with balls about).

Anyway, before you all tell me, I know its all my fault and I need to get him better trained/ have his balls off etc, I have a couple of training books but I don't seem to be doing very well with them so I'm now looking for a training class to attend (LOTTIE could you PM me the contact dtails of the tuesday night class you attend please?), I just wanted to let off a bit of steam to a group of people who might have had the same problems as me and hopefully will tell me that it does get better.

Feel free to have a rant, it sounds like you have a lot of work cut out with your pup! Good luck and I hope the classes help sort him out, :thumbsup:

When we first got our dog we had a few problems, not quite the same as yours. He was a rescue dog and hated being alone. He climbed onto a desk and jumped out of a 3 storey window when we had had him 3 days! We lived above a pub at that time and luckily my partner was downstairs and heard barking in the car park out back! We hardly ever left him alone and even when we did it was only for a very short time (less than 20 mins), and after this even less. Along with other bad habits it seemed like we were never going to get anywhere. Luckily it has and he has calmed right down, and doesn't even seem bothered when we leave him now he knows we are coming back. (He escaped the window jump amazingly with only a tiny scratch on his chin! and we can almost laugh about it now but not at the time!)

So most people go through something or other with a new dog, just keep patient :|

If it's any consolation he will calm down, he's hitting the adolescent stage and sounds like a true teenager, wilful, doesn't listen, destructive, self-centred, BUT get down to those puppy classes, put the effort in, it will be oh so worth it, have a look on www.dogpages.co.uk, there is a section on training and behaviour and you will get loads of good advice, better than i could give you, and a sympathetic ear, and persevere, we have three dogs at the moment and they were all loopy in their own ways, Mollie our collie chewed the kitchen cabinets and pulled the lino off the floor, by two years old she was doing agility, brilliant recall and we even taugt her to dance, so please don't despair.

Oh Scoop!!! You must be at your wits end!!

I bet you still don't think an indoor kennel is a good idea though :(

It's so difficult to say 'No' to somebody with big floppy ears, massive paws, doleful eyes and a big wet nose, but it has to be done - for their own sakes..... It sounds like he had a lucky escape with eating the contents of the sink cupboard! How on earth did it all get so bad that you came to be writing about it here?

I'm not a world expert. Brude has eaten things he shouldn't - notably the garlic bread off the table, and a couple of items of furniture he almost completely demolished coz I was soft enough to let him have a whole room to himself whilst we were out. I suspect we'd have fallen out with him big time if I hadn't returned him to crating habits. He loves his crate though, and can often be found having a quiet snooze in it with the door open, whilst we're not looking :thumbsup:

Turning him into a dog that comes when called was a huge battle as beagles are notorious for being blind to everything but what they are up to - usually following a scent. At least Labs are pre-programmed for obedience ;)
The first time I took Brude to a park, he stole a football - he'd only seen it on TV before :roll:.

I lost him properly once. He'd scarpered on a field near Crystal Peaks, and I was working my way round in ever increasing circles (having got as far as the vets) when my mobile rang (he has my number on his collar). He was trying it on with a bloke's westie :blush: Call me cruel, but that resulted in 'exclusion from the pack' in the form of being left in his cage in the boot, way past dinner time :shocked::( , and reminded on a half hourly basis 'what happened to 'come here'?', 'no dinner for naughty dogs'. We brought him in at bedtime and gave him half rations, and he hasn't done anything as silly since.


I know modern parenting methods dictate that kids find their own feet with the 'rules', but dogs require a much more rigid framework, or they get confused. They aren't kids, you can't explain things to them - they learn by 'procedures', so be kind to your dog, and give him a set of procedures he can feel safe with :)


PS - did he demolish the kitchen on a day you'd been out longer than usual, or a day you'd normallly be at home with him?

and if you really need something to cheer you up.....
http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=131569

Scoop, I'm sorry I shouldn't laugh but he sounds like such a character. I remember my friend's Lab ate part of their back door step - I think they are pretty notorious for this kind of behaviour when they are young.

Things will get better in a year or 8!

If training and all else fails, I took Meg to Katie Patmore (dog psychologist). I don't know if she is still working as we saw her in 1992, but she was very good.

Wish you all the best with your delinquent dog.

Do you by any chance leave him alone for long periods, I Know Labs can be realy destructive when they are left, My niece used to only work part time, and her lab just about ate her house he had the plaster off the kitchen walls, the cushion floor and the entire contents of the fridge on more than one occasion incl packets of butter and the pork chops for the tea, just to cheer you up he never realy got any better, just calmer as he got older,but e was a realy loving dog and so gentle,and how ever much you feel like it at the time smacking him is not the answer.he obviously needs some training and a firm hand,

Thank you everyone for your kind replies.

I do think crating is a fabulous idea, and I know that most dogs love their crates, unfortunatly our house just isn't big enough to house a crate of the size our dog needs. We did have one briefly while we were house training him We couldn't really get the rest of the furniture into the dining area at the same time), but despite us persevering with it, he mostly barked and cried the whole time he was in there! As for Labs being pre programmed to be obediant, I think someone forgot to tell ours that! He's definitly pre programmed to be a greedy pig, thats for sure.

The Chocador only gets left for short periods, most of the time he goes where I go, on the odd occasion that Mr Scoop and I are working on the same day, he has his boredom busters (kong, giggle ball, food cube etc) and my neighbour very kindly takes him for a couple of walks during the day, so boredom shouldn't really be a problem for him.

I'm thinking of seeing how it goes with training classes and also thinking about getting his balls chopped off too (they're unsightly anyway!).

Oh dear, unfortunately he's is just being his normal puppy self, they will chew anything that is in sight. Definately get him neutered cos before long he will be humping everything in sight if he isnt doing so already, our dog did this and calmed right down afterwards. He will calm down, just be stern with him. Puppy classes are a good idea. Definately get a crate or den, they wont do anything bad in their own den cos its their space. Hopefully you wont be sick of him for long, he will bring you fun and laughter as our dog has, he's nuts.

Do be aware that neutering isn't a cure-all :suspect:
It may have no affect on his behaviour at all.
If you've no intention of ever breeding from him, it's something you should do - purely for the sake of not inducing any unwanted pups from an unsuspecting female ;)

I know it sounds as though I'm nagging, but that tin of emulsion really worried me (as I'm sure it did you ;) ), but.... Cages usually fold up very easily Scoop. Do you not have room for a folded cage that you only open up when you have to leave him alone for any length of time?

As regards training, we began with Brude as soon as we got him. We used the 'here' command every few minutes at home, ensuring he obeyed, retreiving him if he didn't, and reinforcing 'here' with him sat infront of us, and always rewarding him for this - usually a piece of his ration of dried food for the day, else he'd soon wind up overweight ;)

This excercise was repeated in the garden, and we used a retractable lead to introduce the same procedure in the park, avoiding having to resort to using the retractable to pull him back.

We progressed to me and Mr Strix splitting up, and calling Brude between us - which he thought was a great game!!


Start his training at home where there are fewer distractions, and if you're letting him off in the park, tie a washing line to his collar and let the line loose to trail behind him. Call him back before he gets to the full length of the line, and if he ignores you, stamp on the line so he can't 'escape'. Reel him in gently, still calling, and offering him a treat. Fuss him, and let him go again - repeating the excercise.

I know it's difficult to manage a dog and a small child, but if you can decide who is looking after the dog, and who's looking after the child before you set out, it'll make the whole excercise alot easier ;)

Hiya Strix,try not to worry too much, the child locks on the cupboard have been replaced with hasp catches and padlocks!

The trouble with The Chocador is that when at home he responds quite well to all commands, but when we're out he might as well be completely deaf for all the attention he pays to me.

I understand what you're saying about his two veg, I know alot of dog owners think that lopping them off is a cure all, but apart from anything else, I'd be mortified if he got one of his doggy girlfriends into 'trouble'!

Again I'd like to thank you all for your supportive replies and PM's, it's not easy to admit you're suffering from PPD (post puppy depression), and I thought you would all give me a right roasting, but you've all been really great and I appreciate all the advice.

Aw you poor thing scoop!

Apart from what has aleady been suggested, try dogsey (link in my signature) its a forum with massive sections on training & behaviour. You'll find everyone very friendly & informative there.
I dont have much experience with labs (except that I thougt they were all greedy buggers! :rolleyes: ) but as far as your backache from pulling on the lead is concerned, try a 'canny collar' or a 'halti' it will work wonders.

Failing that, have you thought of signing up for 'its me or the dog'?!
http://www.channel4.com/entertainment/tv/microsites/I/itsmeorthedog/takepart.html
just an idea!

my friend took her very naughty boxer pup to a dog training class in Hillsborough on a monday night. Been loads better behaved since!

Wadsley Bridge dog obedience club

Don't forget these supposed 'dog training' clubs are really 'dog owner' training clubs ;)
You have to practice alot at home :)