I'm very close to rehoming our puppy. :(

MurphytheLabrador

Hi there,

I'm a regular reader of the forums and especially the pet section. I don't really know where else to come for advice, I have spoken to the breeder, but she wasn't very helpful.

We have a 7 and a half month old labrador puppy, Murphy. He is not our first dog, we had a rescue greyhound Sasha previously, she was really perfect as a dog. We knew that a puppy would be harder work, but we looked into everything and a labrador always seemed to be described as a great family pet. We have an 8 year old and a 6 year old.

He has been a total nightmare since we got him. He was terrible with toilet training, despite being very clever (he knows what we say to him but choses to ignore it). It took us about 6 months, but we have got there now. He can be a pain with barking randomly during the night though, but not needing anything, which is maybe to do with the same thing.

His behaviour is terrible though. We can't play with him or let him off the lead, he doesn't come back. If just in the garden, he will have a complete crazy turn, and he will be jumping and nipping at us. No matter what we do, we can't stop this behaviour. It is just getting worse, in the house, if we even just pet him, he starts getting a bit panty and grabbing excitable at his toys, but drops them and starts biting / nipping at us - and it hurts. We have tried making noises, ignoring him, putting him away, etc, nothing is helping at all

I'm honestly at the point I just don't want to keep him, because we can't do anything with him. Play with him, give him attention, you end up with him nipping at you. If the girls are doing anything, he starts jumping and nipping at them, sorry but I just don't think it is acceptable.

Any ideas???
Thank you
Rochelle

ameliarate

Puppies are very, very hardwork. It may be that he needs more exercise. Is there somewhere you can go that you can let him off lead with a ball where he will be safe? A biggish area?

The nipping may be because he is teething as well. Try squealing if he does it, that's what their siblings do if they play a bit rough.

I'm afraid they do need a lot of training. Have you been to puppy classes?

warwicktiger

Dogs are pack animals. Being excluded from the pack is the ultimate punishment. You and your family, however many of you occupy the house are the pack.

Try a cage. You might find a dog training group locally who would lend you one for a while.

Unsatisfactory behaviour leads to a firm "NO", and if repeated being put in the cage.

The penny will drop eventually.

Person_one

You need to get to puppy classes, right now!

He's only young and you made a commitment, you owe it to him to do absolutely everything you can to avoid rehoming.

A lot of this is normal puppy stuff that can be fairly easily overcome or will be grown out of. I understand it must come as a shock after a sedate older greyhound but its not that extreme.

Most importantly, please please remember that he isn't doing any of this on purpose to annoy you, that's not how a dog's mind works! He doesn't speak English, the only way he will learn how to behave properly is if you show him in a way he understands. If you need some help doing that then get the help!

Best of luck, if you need any help finding a training class feel free to post your location and I'm sure someone here will know of one.

MurphytheLabrador

Hiya, thanks for the reply.

He went to puppy classes and was fine there, he did well.

I don't think he gets too little excersise, I walk him on a 20 minute walk morning and night, a shorter walk in the afternoon, and we let him play in the garden everyday. We tried taking him to a smaller field, but he ignored the toys, and just did his own thing. However, he refused to come back and when we went to get him, he turned round and tried to bite my OHs hand

Have tried the squealing and also saying "NO", he doesn't ever seem phased. Just not sure how to get his attention really!

Can they still be teething at this age? I actually didn't know that.

Rochelle

Person_one

Did you keep doing everything you learned in the puppy classes after they'd finished?

If he was fine there he's clearly capable of behaving when hes being shown how in a way he understands, so I'm afraid its the humans that are the problem.

Can you ring the trainer who ran the puppy classes and ask for help?

MurphytheLabrador

Thanks for the replies. We're in Alnwick Would be happy to take him to classes if it would help. I would really hate to rehome him, but he really is a nightmare, it is the fact that nothing seems to get through to him.

We had a crate before we got him so that has been here since day 1, he has been put away without us saying anything, but he just goes to sleep and when we open the door, he'll remain in the crate until he decides to get up,

Rochelle

ameliarate

MurphytheLabrador wrote: »

Hiya, thanks for the reply.

He went to puppy classes and was fine there, he did well.

I don't think he gets too little excersise, I walk him on a 20 minute walk morning and night, a shorter walk in the afternoon, and we let him play in the garden everyday. We tried taking him to a smaller field, but he ignored the toys, and just did his own thing. However, he refused to come back and when we went to get him, he turned round and tried to bite my OHs hand

Have tried the squealing and also saying "NO", he doesn't ever seem phased. Just not sure how to get his attention really!

Can they still be teething at this age? I actually didn't know that.

Rochelle

Have you actually done recall training? lots of treats and a whistle worked for my crazy lurcher. If you use treats for training and do at least 10 minutes a day on basic commands (sit, lie down, come, stay, etc) it will help tire him out a bit as well.

MurphytheLabrador

Person_one wrote: »

Did you keep doing everything you learned in the puppy classes after they'd finished?

If he was fine there he's clearly capable of behaving when hes being shown how in a way he understands, so I'm afraid its the humans that are the problem.

Can you ring the trainer who ran the puppy classes and ask for help?

The puppy classes were at the vets, he went for 6 weeks and then 2 weeks in the "higher" class. We did try to continue doing the things that we learned there after this. How do you think we could be the problem? Sorry if that sounds rude, if it is us then we will try do our best to change whatever we need to. Is it possible to try too many different methods if that makes sense?

MurphytheLabrador

ameliarate wrote: »

Have you actually done recall training? lots of treats and a whistle worked for my crazy lurcher. If you use treats for training and do at least 10 minutes a day on basic commands (sit, lie down, come, stay, etc) it will help tire him out a bit as well.

We have done recall training in the back garden, we did try in the field but it seemed to be too much for him with all of the new and exciting smells. When we've let him off the lead, he actually doesn't bother with the treats, even his favourite (chicken and his favourite kibble). In the garden he is a lot better with the recall training, it just doesn't seem to extend to being off lead anywhere else?

gill5blue

hi
i am a dog trainer, please take him back to the dog classes, this has no reflection on you, except you will be acknowledging you dont speak 'dog'.
Labradors can be hard work because they are clever(they get used for guide dogs for the blind and variuos other work)
It takes about 2 years to train a labrador.
What is happening at the moment for you is he needs a 'leader' and does not see one his family so he is trying to step up to that position, but being a puppy he does not yet quite understand how to behave.
Please dont use treats to train a labrador, they turn it round on you and see it more of a bribe. Use a nice voice and fusses for training.
Hope that helps
Cheers
gill5blue