Your Labrador’s behavior won’t always be perfect. This is a characteristically friendly, outgoing and loyal breed, but they have their downsides. Tendencies toward chewing, digging and biting as puppies are commonplace. And despite their often extravert natures, they can still be fearful, anxious and suffer from terrible separation anxiety.
Labradors are renowned for their superb temperament. But even the nicest dog can have issues with behavior crop up from time to time. In this guide we are going to look at some common behavioral problems in Labs, and help you to resolve them.
CONTENTS
- Behaviour vs Training
- Analysing Labrador Behaviour
- Fear & Anxiety in Labs
- Problem Labrador?
- Labradors Jumping Up
- Nipping in Young Labs
- Whining Labradors
- Labradors That Steal
- Raiding The Bin
- Labs Chasing Dogs
- Labradors Waking Early
- Dogs Eating Poo
- Chewing in Labradors
- Naughty Dogs
- Labrador Training
- Behavior Article Links
Some of these problems might seem trivial to others. But when it is you that is losing sleep, dealing with complaints from neighbours or repairing destroyed furniture, it is not trivial at all.
In this section we take a look at common Labrador behavior problems. You’ll find articles, tips and advice to help you understand Lab behavior and solve your dog’s problems fast, effectively and kindly.
We will begin by giving you some general behavioural information and taking you through an FAQ of common Labrador behaviour problems and their solutions. We will then give you links to our most popular Labrador Behaviour articles where you will find detailed answers to your behavior questions.
Bad Behaviour or Bad Training?
Sometimes the line between a ‘training problem’ and a ‘behavioral problem’ can be blurred and in fact many behavioral problems, jumping up for example, can be resolved through simple training measures. Others are more complex and require deeper investigation.
Knowing why a dog behaves as it does, and what caused the problem in the first place is not always helpful. Sometimes it is simpler to just treat the symptoms in front of you. For example, some labrador puppies will become quite aggressive around food at an early age. Others will let anyone take their dinner.
Knowing why one puppy is different from another isn’t that helpful, the process required to treat food guarding is always the same. At other times, a good understanding of what causes a behavioural problem, and steps may need to be taken to manage the dog, perhaps avoiding the fear trigger.
Resolving behavioral problems
Treating Labrador behavior issues is normally tackled in one of two ways
- Training
- Management
Problems such as jumping up, running away, night-waking, dragging you along on the leash, and food guarding, are all best resolved by training. Problems such as chewing, counter surfing, bin raiding, boredom barking, eating poop, passer-by barking all need managing by restricting the dog’s options and/or providing him with alternative entertainment
Fearful and anxious Labrador behavior
Fear related problems caused by lack of socialisation and/or abuse, can sometimes be treated by desensitising the dog to the root cause of its fear. At other times a management approach may be more appropriate. For example, a rescue dog that has developed a deep seated fear of children may simply need to be kept away from kids. The trauma to the dog of trying to desensitise it, and the time factor required to do so may be too great. It may be simpler to keep the dog muzzled in public and rehomed away from small children.
If some aspect of your labrador’s behaviour is worrying you, do have a chat with your vet. He will have seen many similar problems before and if necessary will be able to recommend a suitable behaviourist who will advise you on retraining or managing your dog’s problem.
Analysing Labrador behavior
Our understanding of dog psychology has improved greatly in recent years, but perhaps there is sometimes a tendency to take an analysis of individual dog behaviour too far. We are quite quick to put rather human labels like separation anxiety on to dogs where once we would simply have stated ‘my dog doesn’t like being left alone’ and left it at that.
If a problem with Labrador behaviour is disrupting your family life, it needs fixing, no matter what the root cause. Not only for the benefit of the dog, but also, in order that peace and harmony can be restored. Dogs do not fare well in households where everyone is stressed and upset.
Not a problem dog?
Whilst we cannot help loving our dogs, if we can avoid labelling them as having this problem or that problem, and just deal with any behavior that arises in a practical and appropriate way, I suspect their lives might be easier.
No two dogs are the same and there is a wide range of what is ‘normal’ behavior. But ultimately, if your dog’s behaviour is spoiling your pleasure in him then you need to take steps to put this right.
Behavioral problems in Labradors can normally be successfully resolved. The chances are that your Labrador is not a ‘problem dog’ and that if you seek help, his behavior can be dramatically improved with training, or managed well enough to enable you to live peacefully together. Let’s take a look now at some common Labrador behavior problems and what you can do to resolve them.
How do I stop my dog jumping up?
Jumping up is quite cute in puppies, and of course many of us allow them to do this until they start knocking people over. Curing jumping up is not too difficult, but it requires patience and persistence. If you have a ‘jumper’ take a look at this article, there is a really useful video at the bottom.
Help! My dog is nipping my arms and it hurts!
There is a lot of information on biting in small puppies on this website. But it can be very worrying when this behaviour persists, or reappears in an older dog. This is a common problem in families with a young dog aged between 6 and 18 months. At this age, your dog is still mentally a puppy, but he is now a very big puppy, and the biting really hurts. Most biting in older puppies is associated with over-excitement and inappropriate play (rough housing) with the dog. Check out these two articles for further information as well as the biting information link above.
How can I stop my dog whining?
Dogs often learn to whine when they are crated or left. In fact, we often inadvertently teach them to do this, by rewarding the whining (letting the dog out or going back to him) in order to get some ‘peace’.
It’s all very well knowing how we went wrong, but how do we put it right! Happily, there is quite a straightforward training programme to teach your dog to be quiet in his crate. You can find the instructions here: click for quiet. You’ll also find more information about noisy Labradors in general, in this article: Noisy Labradors- getting to the root of the problem
How do we stop our dog stealing our stuff!
Labradors love to carry things around in their mouths. This is partly because they are natural retrievers, but also partly because they soon learn that picking up your stuff gets them a whole load of attention!
“Mum! He’s got my Teddy” squeals your five year old, and all of a sudden, everyone’s attention is on the dog.
Avoid chasing your dog whilst he is carrying something as dogs love being chased, and this will only encourage him to run faster. The best way to get things out of a dog’s mouth and returned safely to their owner, is to swap for a tasty treat. If you do this on a regular basis, you’ll soon find your dog running up to you, to offer you the things he finds on the floor, rather than running away with them.
Initially you’ll need to use amazing treats like chunks of roast beef. So keep a little pot of yummy left overs in the fridge for this purpose. Once your dog starts to bring you his ‘treasure’ on a regular basis, you’ll be able to ‘fade’ the treats down to the occasional bit of kibble or dog biscuit.
Obviously it helps if you can train your family to put their stuff away, but you can’t nail down everything in the house! You may find your dog is less inclined to pick up your cushions etc, if you give him some soft cuddly toys of his own. Or you may need to pop a baby gate across the sitting room, to keep him away from the sofa and chairs until you are there to supervise.
Help us stop our Labrador raiding the trash can!
Some behaviours are so common as to be normal, and bin raiding is a universal problem for Labrador owners. It is a rare Labrador that does not consider the kitchen ‘bin’ to be a source of wonderful edible delicacies! And of course, he has all day to figure out how to get in there, whilst you do not have all day to figure out how to stop him.
Teaching a dog ‘not’ to raid a bin in your absence is rarely possible. And punishing the dog when you return home and find the contents strewn across the kitchen floor, will only serve to make the dog fearful of you on your return.
This usually results in a dog offering ‘appeasement’ behaviors which we humans tend to interpret as ‘guilt’. Whilst the dog is of course completely oblivious to any concept of ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ when it comes to helping himself to food. The best solution for bin raiding is therefore to place the can where the dog cannot get at it, or purchase a Labrador proof bin.
How can I stop my Labrador running after other dogs?
Most Labradors are very friendly indeed. And one of the biggest problems for many young Labrador owners, is getting them to come back when there are other people around, or other dogs to be played with.
Teaching a dog to recall in the real world, where there are lots of temptations, is a skill. And it is one that you can teach to any dog provided you do so in a structured way. Check out our recall training centre for lots more information on recall in general, and this article: Proofing your recall which will help you teach your labrador to recall away from other people and other dogs. You might also find it helpful to read: How to correct a dog that ignores the recall.
My Labrador wakes up too early
Early morning waking, or night waking is another annoying problem behaviour that may start in spring or summer as the lighter mornings set in. Sometimes there is a clear trigger for night waking to begin, but the waking carries on after the trigger is removed.
In other cases, the early waking puppy just carries on early waking, with the addition of some increasingly demanding barking to hurry you downstairs. We look at night waking in some detail in this article. Night waking – how to restore the peace
How can I stop my dog eating poo?
This horrible habit is surprisingly common. We have devoted an entire article to what you can do to prevent or cure it. You can check it out here: Why dogs eat poop and what you can do about it. Eating poo is not the only horrible habit that Labradors may indulge in. Take a look at this article: Why do Labradors eat rubbish for more information and help.
My dog is over a year old and still chewing up our home!
We all know that puppies chew stuff. Especially when they are teething. But many people do not realise that Labradors can be particularly destructive towards the end of their first year, long after they are firmly in possession of a full set of adult teeth. This article: How to stop your Labrador chewing things takes a close look at chewing and other destructive behaviours, and what you can do to resolve them.
My dog is so naughty…
We all like a well-behaved dog. Many people write in to us to ask how they can get their dog to ‘listen’ to their commands. The answer to that is with a structured training programme. Behind every well behaved Labrador, lie many hours of training. Getting your dog trained may seem like an effort at times, but training brings huge rewards.
A trained dog responds to your commands or signals without hesitation, not just at home, but when you are out and about, or visiting friends too. Getting to this point takes time, information and some effort. You’ll find the information right here on this website. Check out How to cope with a naughty Labrador before you start. Then skip over to our training section. Don’t worry about whether you will succeed, it isn’t as hard as you might think. Once you make a plan and get going, training is actually a lot of fun. For you and for your dog.
Getting started with Labrador training
The pleasure of a well-trained and obedient dog are immeasurable. Training your dog is quite a journey and you’ll need to help and support along the way.
So do join the forum where you can chat with other labrador owners all at different stages of the training process. It is great to start training whilst your dog is young, but remember that a dog of any age can be trained. It is never too late to begin.
Other Labrador Behavior Problems
If your problem isn’t mentioned here, do use the search box at the top of the right hand sidebar. There are many hundreds of articles on this site about Labrador behavior, why not check out the comprehensive list below for further help:
- Nervous dog
- Resource guarding/growling
- Training your reactive dog
- Aggressive and reactive behaviour
- Stop your Labrador chewing things
- Jumping up
- Barking
- Snatching
- Pestering and attention-seeking
- Overexcitement
- Noisy Labradors
- Play safely with your Labrador
- Teach your labrador to relax
- Eating poop
- How to stop your labrador eating rubbish
- Teach your Labrador to control himself
- Puppy behaviour problems
- How to cope with a naughty Labrador
- My dog won’t obey me without food
- Help, my dog is destroying the garden!
- Labrador proofing your garden
My 2 year old rescue loves walks, but she is super strong and every time she see’s a bunny, raccoon or large bird she darts for it. I’ve hurt my wrist and have had to put the leash around me. She walks next to me obediently until she is distracted by wild animals. Any advice?
Try training her outside with toy animals.
Hi I have a 12 week old chocolate lab female pup who when I am at home is good as can be for a pup and goes to the toilet nicely. However 3 days a week I’ve had to go back to work and she seems to just poo everywhere. To begin with I thought it might have been us being to confident that she had the toilet training down but I’m now starting to get the impression this is being done out of spite now for leaving her. Can anyone suggest how to overcome this please. Many thanks
Puppies never empty themselves out of spite. Which is good news for you, because that would be very hard to fix. Here are the 15 reasons that puppy parents have problems with toilet training. Check out number 4 – you are probably making your puppy wait too long between toilet breaks. So you’ll need to arrange for someone to come and let her out while you are at work. Or teach her to poo and pee on puppy pads. You’ll find instructions for that in our house training guide
Hi I have a a male lab 10 months old suffering from hip displacia. I take him to a vet regularly for check ups. Since its genetic how can I manage it. Are there some kind of shoes available to walk on smooth slipery surfaces.
Did this behaviour settle down? My black lab has become more withdrawn over the last 5 months, she is 18 months now.
Hi, recently our 3.5 year old yellow lab Gus Gus has started baring teeth and sometimes quietly growling when we try to move him off of our bed or couch. Is this a sign that he could be too aggressive or dangerous? He used to just get down whenever we requested. Also why on this Labrador site are people calling yellow labs golden labs? There’s no such thing. There’s golden retrievers and then there’s yellow labs.
Hi I have a black lab who is 3 years old I was just wondering if it’s normal he is so sensitive he won’t let me out of his site always behind me waits outside toilet bathroom and lays near my bed and if he’s outside he stands at the door looking in . He sulks a lot if u don’t pay attention to him we have given him so much love after loosing our last lab . I went away for a month and he hasn’t been the same since when me and my hubby go out my kids say he so sad . They reckon there’s something wrong with him this worries me does anyone have the same problem ?
Hi Sharon,
From what I’m hearing it sounds like he loves you and you must be a good owner. My advise to you is to build trust and security with the dog and others in your family so he feels secure whoever he is with. This might make him feel less attached to you so he can be left with other people and still feel secure.
Hope this helps, Lexie.
Hi Pippa, I have a golden Lab (Buddy) who just turned 1. There are a few black spots that appeared on his stomach and chest area .. no wounds at all .. a couple of rough skin patches( about 3-5 mm ) were there which is not there anymore .. however i am concerned about those black spots on his body .. Kindly suggest what needs to be done .. Thanx, Deepak.
i have a two year old yellow lab and i rescued him from a dog shelter and before i got him he was out on a farm. He is a very loveable dog and follows me all around, the thing is that i dont think that he had any one to pay attention to him and he knows commands like sit and lay,and sometimes he likes to run off but usually if i call him he comes by his name.. but he doesnt know what walk is or when he has to go outside he doesnt know how to let us know he has to go out to potty or to bark to let me know any one is around..and sometimes hell chase a ball or a squeeky toy but he dont know how to drop ball at command, I have a fenced in yard n i tied him up once to see how he would react and all he did was go in circles and wrapped his chain around his tie down until he couldnt twist no more,, but my questions are how can i teach him to let us know when he needs to go out to potty, and what can i do so he can let me know if someone knocks on door..n how i can teach him to stop taking food off counters and table n how to get him to take treats out of hand nicely he quickly snags it out of hand and sometimes forgets to watch for the hand feeding him.other then these little tasks he is a very sweet and lovable dog.
We had a Border Coollie mix and then myn husband brought home a golden lab/beagle mix (3-4 years ago) and they did well. The Border Collie ( already about 13 ) has been gone a year. I brought a black lab mix from the Lab rescue and the older dog is not happy. he isn’t aggressive but refuses to have anything with her. The worst part is he refuses to have anything to do with my husband and just walks away whenever he goes near him. What can we do?
My chocolate lab (1 1/2 yrs old) has these “spells/episodes” of uncontrollable energy bursts. She wil suddenly start running around the house slamming herself up on the furniture or against the wall. She’ll run in circles and she has a wild look of fear in her eyes like she can’t stop. I can’t stop her or calm her down. The episodes happen every couple of days and last 30 seconds to maybe a minute or so in length. Once it’s over , she goes back to herself and is fine. Does anyone know what these episodes are?
Hi Devin, a lot of people refer to this as the ‘zoomies’. It is very common in young dogs, and the best thing to do is to pop her outside in the garden until she has got rid of her excess energy.
Wow. Thanks. Glad to know it’s common and has a name.
We have a 2 ½ yr old male Chocolate lab. He has a great temperament but jumps up on visitors. We are correcting him by asking visitors to ignore him and walk past him when they arrive and this seems to be working but the problem is that he gets really excited by teenage girls. I’m sure it is to do with hormones but he jumps up and gets super excited. He has even tried to excuse the term ” hump on them” when they are standing still. Any suggestions ? He was neutered about a year ago.
Hi Linda, have a look at this article: https://www.thelabradorsite.com/no-more-jumping-up/
Hi, I have a 3 year old female Labrador and she has become agressive for no reason. We have recently introduced a family members puppy to her which she is fine with but it does pester her. I can’t think of any reason why this behaviour has happened all of a sudden but it is making walks very difficult and worrying
Hi
9 months ago I purchased a black lab at the age of 3 months. When i train him he is full of energy and decides to go off and pay attention to his sarroundings and not me. What can i do?
I have a 5 month yellow lab and will not stop biting my 9 year old boxer’s legs, what do I do?
Hi I have a 4 months old lebra peach colored I have two problems with his behavior he goes to every person feet and start licking on it and the second is that he jumps on everybody specially the outsiders and destroy the cloths
Hi Pippa,
I have a entire male labrador who is just turning one year old. In the last week he seems to have had a rush of hormones and for the first time ever he’s tried to get amorous with other dogs whilst we’ve been out on walks. The other dogs aren’t in season. Is there a way of training to discourage this behaviour. I know the simplest thing would be to get him neutered but I am keen to see if he would have potential as a stud so I’m reluctant to go down that route yet but I will if I have to. Any advice would be gratefully received.
Thank you
Sue
Hi my older brother has a golden lab that get very excited when people go outside and will often push aside the other dogs will getting him neutered work to calm the excited 4 yr old?
Hi Pippa, my 18 month old lab, Poppy, has just started waking up 5 0r 6 times in the night and whining outside my bedroom door. As soon as I open it she wags her tail and goes back off to bed without me telling her to. She obviously just wants to reassurance that I’m there. She is being very needy generally and whining during the day and carrying around soft toys. Could it be a phantom pregnancy? Her last season was in December. Any tips on how to deal with the (hopefully temporary) night waking – she is pretty persistent! Thanks for your advice – the site is fab.
Hi Pippa, I find your website, and your books, very useful training my Labrador puppy, now 6 month old. The only thing that I cannot find any helpful information about is how I can stop my dog from chasing our cat. The problem is that our cat is very gentle and doesn’t scratch or bite our dog. The cat is also very sociable so she wants to settle down with us in the evenings which often ends up in a chase where lampshades, books and ornaments are flying. Or dog is not aggressive in any way, she just want to play and often licks the cat when she gets the chance. I am using the clicker and the cue word ‘leave it’, which sometimes works, with emphasis on ‘sometimes’. But, it doesn’t stop her from chasing when I am not there or when we are outside! What can I do? Please help me, before the cat decide to move out? Your advice would be very helpful.
Best wishes,
Eva
Hi there, I have a 7 month old (female) lab called Bonnie.
She is on one meal a day now, usually around 8am feed her and my other lab.
Both walked twice a day, however the 7 month old Bonnie, is 8/10 still pooing and wetting through the night, plus she will eat her poo!!!!
Is it something I’m doing? How can I stop it? It’s becoming frustrating.
I have a 6 month old Male yellow lab. He was fixed a few weeks ago. We have been dealing with some serious obedience and dominance issues, mainly being peeing in the house. He goes out all the time, if not by us regularly letting him out, but also sitting at the door until one of us lets him out. He knows that he needs to go outside to pee. He will walk through the house and pee a trail through the room. He has been seen by a vet who clarified that he didnt have a bladder infection or UTI, or that it was a leakage issue. He does this frequently. We also deal with a lot of other issues beyond normal puppy things, as we have both raised and trained other dogs from puppy age in the past and have never dealt with these issues. If anyone knows of any tips or tricks to help with dominance and behavioral issues with labs, please let me know. We are also getting to the point where we are thinking of possibly needing a trainer to observe him and help us figure out the best plan of action to really get him well rounded, listening and behaving. We are in Canton, Ohio if anyone knows of any reputable trainers in that area, please let me know. Thank you!
Hi Pippa,
I had a 3 yr old black female labra whom i had taken from vet when she was 2 months old.Recently , I had given her,for some unavoidable reasons to a family who wanted a companion for their male labra 5yrs old.I am missing her a lot and keeps on regretting my decision.Family to whom we have given seems very good and keep us updating about her.DO you think she will adjust to new people.They live in the same kind of apartment set up as we used to live in.
Hi there.
We have an 8 year old chocolate lab who has always been a great family pet.in the last 6 months she has become aggressive to small dogs only. If we’re out walking without a lead, she will run towards a small dog as if on attack & when we call her to stop, she ignores us. She raises the hair on her back & today a man had to jump on top of her to stop her attacking his small dog. In the last year, we moved from the country to live in the suburbs & as we work, she has spent more time on her own in the back section. Could the boredom account for her change in behaviour?
Hi. I have a 16 month old female lab. She has been to training and was excellent. For the month of November, she went to live at my dads because of the yard, but had to come back home because she was not getting proper attention. In the past few weeks, she has been misbehaving and we cannot figure out why. She peed on one rug three weeks ago and another last night. We take her out to go potty a lot and are very watchful, but it only takes a second. Three days ago, she chewed up the leg of a chair. She was sitting right next to my mom as she worked and her bone was right next to her. We send her to doggy day care 2-3 times a week. We play and love on her too. I’ve read this behavior is typical for her age. What is your experience? How long does this normally last? What can be done to put an end to this? My mother is at her wits end over this so we need a solution soon. Thanks
I have a 9 month black lab boy he got neutered last week but hes still very energetic and when I take him out for a walk he sometimes wants to bite me I get afraid of him sometimes he is ok with my husband its just me he says im too soft with him its getting to the stage I don’t want to go out with him because it is quite frustrating for me
i have a choc lab who is now 6 years old, he has started the last few months not being content being outsidde and barks straight away to be inside, he has also started weeing in the kitchen through the night where he sleeps. i think its because he isnt taking the time outside before bed to do his business and barks to come straight back in, any suggestions for help pls.
Hi Pippa
Can you please advise us on the best dry food for our Labrador, we have been giving her “pedigree Junior”
and wish to know if this is the best particularly when she moves on to Adult dry food, as we want to give her the best balanced diet so that she gets all the nutriments she needs
We have a 5 month old golden Labrador, for the first time she has been sick and what seems to be her last meal, can you help with a possible reason for this
Thanks
Hey there,
I have a 6 year old black lab and I want to breed her with a 6 year old yellow lab.. But every time I take my black lab over to breed, she snaps an bites at the yellow labs face an some times makes him bleed. I was just wondering why my lab does this? If someone could help me out I’d really appreciate it.
Thanks
Hello i have a 10 months old lav and he is wonderful very lovley dog he is very hyper and we decided to get him done since then he won’t come back on recall if he see his lead and it is in possible to get him back on he is also running at people just to say hi he is so friendly he is wagging his butt so much u can tell but we don’t want this any ideas welcomed thanks x
Why would an 8 year old chocolate lab suddenly start barking VERY early in the morning? She has never been a barker but for the last week or so she has barked until one of us gets up. This morning my husband got up at 3:30 and let her go outside. An hour later she was barking us awake again. Ugh! Any ideas?
Please help! I have a 5 yr old Yellow and he used to be allowed on the furniture but about a year ago we started training him to stay off. He is a smart dog and everything was going great until about two months ago when all of a sudden he started tearing a hole in both corners of the couch cushions at night out when we weren’t home. He doesn’t go on the furniture at all when we are home which tells me that he knows he’s not allowed. It’s almost like he is mss about the new rule change and destroying the couch as retaliation. Is their as better explosion as to why her it’s doing this and what we can do other than crating him?
How safe it is to buy a one month Labrador ??? Its possible to get it ?? What concerns ???
It is not safe Ivan. Check this article out
My 10 month old lab tinkles sometimes when I first let him and and say hello. I guess this is over excitement from me talking in a high voice and getting him to strung up? I looked in random areas but did not find a specific location that relates to this. Thank you.
“hi, my 8 month old lab is throwing up everytime he is eating something, otherwise there is no change in behaviour or voice. he is pooping normally but the colour of the urine is yellow. the puke is full of mucous. what should i be doing?”
You need to take your dog to the vet Bidisha. I hope he is ok
Hi 🙂 I have a golden pure breed lab she is 6yrs. I am worried about her because she always looks so sad but we give her a lot of attention. I mean this in a loving way but she acts like she may be mentally challenged 🙁 And when I take her on walks she poops every where!! and she just seems very mopey! And her ears always smell bad! I just love her to death but I just want to now what is wrong with her 🙁 Please Help!!
<3
I have an 8 year old chocolate lab about three weeks ago she had allergic reaction to something and get gave her a shot. Every since then she is been very antsy, barks at every noise she hears, and she needs to go out and potty every ten minutes. Someone told me it was a sign that her kidneys are failing and she won’t live much longer I’m very concerned and don’t have a lot of money to spend in vet bills but don’t want my honey to suffer.
Hi
My labrador puppy is 6 month old and we have noticed she has become clingy! If you stand up to go into the kitchen, she follows. And if you go upstairs and leave her downstairs with a family member, she cries until I come down.
Do you have any helpful tips?
Thanks 🙂
I’m new at having a lab and I have two blac labsk (which are brothers) and they both fight with me about getting a bath. Can anyone give me some advise on what I can do to have them not fight me over it.
Thanks
We have a black lab, her name is Dallas. We’ve had her almost 2 years now, she was a drop off or run away.. someone posted her online to find her home or to find her a good home or to the pound she went.. so we went and got her. I’d say she’s any where from 3-5 years old and we’re almost 100% sure she is full blooded lab. She was still in the chewing stage when we got her, already fixed, and already house broke.. The chewing was fixed with toys, bones, crate training, etc. It’s been well over a year since she has chewed on anything at all. And we started leaving her and our other dog out, so they could be comfy and relaxed and it made them more happy! She rarely was getting crated anymore.. If we go out of town for the night we have someone who our animals know and are comfortable with to come stay until we return the next day.. my husband and I are on different shifts, so they’re not alone more than 3-4 hours, at most. About a week ago we found a sock chewed up.. wasn’t completely sure it was Dallas or if an old, chewed up sock showed up randomly from her previous chewing/puppy stage. A few days later it was a pair of my shoes, which we knew was recent and it was her, because our pomeranian couldn’t have done that damage even in 24 hours time. Then yesterday, she was laying in her chair with her blanket draped over the side, with me on the couch pretty much in front of her across the living room.. and I hear this ripping sound.. she was chewing on her blanket.. now she’s doing it in front of me. We tried crating her again..chew toys..scolding..everything i feel like. and she knows it’s wrong, all I have to say is “what are you doing” and her reactions tell me she either knows better or she thinks it’s okay.. she knew she was doing something she shouldn’t have been. We play with her, all kinds of things, we don’t walk because she’s too much of a princess to get hot or be outside for more than 5 minutes unless it’s to play fetch, and she’s only good with fetch for about 10 minutes. We take her swimming and stuff she actually enjoys. I don’t know what to do nor do I know what’s causing this behavior from her.. any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!
Hi there, this is the article you need: How to stop your Labrador chewing things – you might also find it helpful to join the forum and chat to other labrador owners there. 🙂
I just got a 8 month old black lab. Hes name is Milo the sweetest thing ever. Such a sweetheart. Ever since I got him he hardly eats and he drolls alot. . Is it normal? And he will not stop following me around . My husband really loves him but he will sleep with him but just me . Its not just him , Milo is scared of everyone but is only comfortable with me . . Is that normal for labs?
Hello I own a 3 year old male lab he’s has been neutered. He is the best family dog ever! No food aggression what so ever but as I got him to help cure my fear of dogs (I’m not scared of him at all!) he has decided to start guarding me when I take him out on walks I also own a female dog but she shows no sighs of aggression he has never bit anybody, he will stand in front do me and bark very deeply and stare at the person! I got him as a 8 week old puppy he was very well socialised we made him experience a wide rang of different places! He also pulls on his lead but once you correct him he dose stop! I live in a large family and he has no problems with any of them but spends most of his time with me but he is submissive to me but not fearful! Sorry there is so much to read but I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong any help I would be very grateful!
Hi Robyn, it would be a good idea to have your dog assessed by a behaviourist, ask your vet to refer you. The behaviourist will need to visit you and assess your dog before offering advice.
Hey pippa !
I have a golden lab 4months we just got him a few weeks back from a dog centre its a male names max.
The problem is that he is very hyper and keeps on barking whenever you put him in the dog house as if he feels very lonely there it’s like he never wants to be alone he throws away the water and when you open him up he comes out very hyper and jumps ln you and bites the main problem is when visitors come max starts bitting off there clothes and jumps. Need a bit of help.
Thanks
Hi recently our well tempered lab has started being snappy to other dogs and I can’t understand it at all I’m very worried that it could escalate she has never snapped at any o f the cares entering the home or at other dogs that come in the house please can you help me .
Hi, your Puppy handbook came through yesterday thanks and thanks for your videos on youtube – they are brilliant. I have had my 3 month old Labrador for 2 weeks now and all is great, better than can be expected except for his penis becoming quite erect when I am training him. He’s not excited with or by it it just happens. So in the middle of training he has to lick it back into his foreskin at which point all concentration even on his favorite reward of cheese. If I then start training again he becomes submissive and shows me his belly. Any advice? Where am I going wrong? Jason
Hi i have a 1 year old labrador who is normally very energetic, she is down in the dumps and always wants to sleep, ive also noticed she doesnt straighten her tail just points down to the ground, took her to vets but they didnt notice anything wrong and i just know this isnt my dog at all and know somethings is up, thi has just happend over night basically, any advice or anyone else had this with their lab?
Hi I’m taking care of an 11 year old f lab and she has an ear infection and suffers from seizure disorders, lately she started barking a lot. I’m at a lose to what to do for her, anything you can help me with, would help. Family went away for five weeks. I was thinking maybe she is missing her family. I give her walks at 5:30am and again at night when it is cool out. Well I sure could use your help.
I have a 13 month old male Dudley Lab AMOS MOSES . He is, far the most part well behaved. He spends most of his time out doors but is allowed in at night. The problem is he has a foot fetish. HE ALLWAYS WANTS TO PUT HIS MOUTH ON YOU FEET OR SHOES. He does not bite, but no correction method I have tried has worked. I play fetch with him every afternoon but this behavior is dangerous going up or down stairs.
Dear Pippa,
My 5+ yr old Choc Lab, starting having siezures 2 yrs ago and has been on pheonbarbitol. For the last 6 months, he has become very aggresive. He is growling and seriously threatening some household members. He growls at me if I have to correct him for anything, He has never been mistreated since I have him. He came to me a 9 mo.s old from an abuse background. He was a frightened puppy but grew out of that. He never seemed to be happy or behave like choc. lab. Now I am afraid he may bite someone. Any advise?
Myself and even my neighbor have had our Labs do the “take off” thing when they decide to do so. We live on acreages. His came back riddled like a pin-cushion with porcupine quills, it was fatal. Mine did it when he thought we were going for a walk and then just took off like Speedy Gonzales. I live on a highway and had to track him down with my car. I was lucky. Since that time I have kept him on a leash (a 40 foot horse one to give him roaming room) when we’re out. I let him go (off leash) in safe areas and he comes back, but still all it takes is once. He’s 2.25 years old. I bought a electronic training collar for him and will try that to restrain his urges.
I’ve had mostly GSDs/Rotties before and am new to Labs. He’s one hell of a hunter and his nose is like a heat-seeking missile. It completely takes over so I can understand he goes where it goes. He’s also (its quite humorous too) a piss-sniff-tracking machine and simply amazing in his scouting abilities. The only problem I’m having is to have him listen to me when he’s in this mode so if we encounter a porcupine or car he doesn’t end up being the loser (if you know what i mean).
I’m hoping you can help or will he grow out of this OCD behavior as he gets older? Its really the porcupines I’m concerned about and his health in that regard.
Thanks.