Dog not happy...

zaksmum

I'm looking after my son's dog, a male chocolate labrador built like a tank at 14 months old, for two weeks while they are away.

My dog Lucy is fine about it and just warns him off if he tries to nick her chew bones or food.

But Jack is being bullied unmercifully. Gets his bones taken off him if I'm not quick enough to stop it and even got shoved away from his own breakfast this morning:eek:

He's happy with a quiet life but the other dog wants to play all the time and constantly jumps on his back which hurts Jack as he's half the size.

Poor Jack's hiding under the kitchen table at the moment because his tormentor can't fit under there...it's going to be a long two weeks for him!

krlyr

IMO this needs to be stopped ASAP. You don't just risk physical injury, but lasting behavioural issues like a wariness of other Labs or just other dogs in general , resource guarding of food (could cause problems with Lucy in the future ) and so on. The lab needs to be controlled, if this cannot be achieved with training and commands then you need to physically prevent his behaivour.

I would start by separating them when unattended or when you can't give 100% of your attention, e.g. when you're concentrating on cooking or watching a TV show quite deeply. When you can pay more attention , control the interaction - perhaps use a lightweight house line on the lab so you can restrict his interaction and remove him should he get too OTT. Long-term it will benefit him to learn appropriate interaction anyway, though I would say that's his owners responsibility, but more importantly your own dogs really deserve to feel comfortable in their own home


Babygates are good for physical barriers that still allow the dogs to interact in a way - and often available on Freecycle

morganedge

Help your old mate Jack out then. Take control

zaksmum

Thanks Krlyr and morganedge. Taking control's easier said than done! He's a young dog at 14 months and probably means no harm but poor Jack's losing the will to live!

They are being walked separately anyway as I can't control the other dog - he pulls like a tank, so O/H has to walk him which at least gives my two a bit of peace.

Babygates are not an option as the downstairs is open plan so no doorways. Today I fed them separately with the other dog outside so no scuffles. And the lab sleeps downstairs in a huge crate while my two sleep upstairs in their baskets with us.

When he's been too manic I've put him in the garden for half an hour to let him calm down a bit. Not his fault he's so boisterous but older dogs need a quieter time and I'm just not having him jumping on Jack's back like that any more - he'll do some serious damage.

krlyr

Do you have any heavy bits of furniture you can tether him to? I would use a harness, and only do it undersupervision, but it may allow you to all share the same room yet give you all the peace you need. I would introduce it slowly, e.g. just a minute here and there to start with (and make it positive by dropping treats by him to reward him for being calm), then build up slowly to longer periods. Dogs often need to be taught how to settle, especially young, excitable dogs, but it can really make the world of different.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQ0Rii_5ckE

zaksmum

He just goes crazy if he's tied to anything, leaping up and twisting in mid air and shaking his head from side to side trying to get free, yelping and barking. I'm sure he'll calm down a bit when he's older...hope so anyway!

He's worse than usual because he goes nuts with excitement at being with my dogs. Jack's under the kitchen table again...!

Fosterdog

Is he a typical lab and food motivated?

If he is could you try him with a kong? Fill it with something yummy but hard to get and let him tire himself out trying to get at the food instead of him trying to occupy himself with your dogs.

My brother in law also has a 14 month old lab and we look after him occasionally and he is just as mad as yours, my own two dogs get fed up after ten minutes of playing but he would happily go for hours.

We are lucky that we can shut them in different rooms, although not fair we usually lock ours away and keep him out as ours will happily sleep especially after a play with him but he needs a lot more attention.

Could you maybe put Jack upstairs? I know you wont want him to feel like he's being punished but if lab doesn't go up there he can at least get away if he wants.

If you have time could you also work on some training with him? It will help to calm him and keep him focussed and again help to tire his mind so is less likely to be as bad with jack. A good "no" or "leave it" would help if he is trying to fuss your dogs and they don't want to know.

ETA: I know you said you have an open plan living area but could you put some string on the floor as a barrier? It may sound stupid but in my old house which was open plan we did this and it only took a day to teach the dogs that they are not allowed to cross the "barrier".

Lots of constant taking him back over, distractions, praise when he's in the right part. A short sharp "uh-uh" or "no" is usually enough to stop them crossing.

Ours used to lie with a paw touching the string as if they pushed the barrier to the limits but wouldn't cross it.

zaksmum

Jack and Lucy have escaped upstairs for a couple of hours while the other dog has worn himself out racing round the garden after a very long walk in the park.

So at least they got a bit of peace today.

Some very bad flatulence pongs in here now though and no idea who's responsible so chucked all three of them out in the garden again.

Although it might just be O/H...!

julie2710

Please get on top of it and keep them separated. I say this as my little dog has been going to a dog sitter for the last 18 months. She has 3 labs and my little dog apparently got on fine with them all.

However three weeks ago I went away for work for two nights. I came back to a critically ill dog who spent two weeks in a specialist hospital, had to be resuscitated 12 hours after the dog sitter took him to the vet, had two blood transfusions, a collapsed lung, a puncture lung, a damaged liver, pancreas and gut and thanks to all that now possibly permanent damage to his kidneys! :eek: The reason? He was grabbed, shaken and thrown by one of the labs

Everyone I spoke to has said labs are such placid dogs but if your little dog is being bullied please stop it before it becomes more serious. I wouldn't wish the stress, let alone the vet bill, despite a £5,500 per incident insurance, on anyone.

jumpedtheshark

What commands does the lab know? If he's young and smart, why not make this a training exercise, rather than a battle of wills?

We have two dogs and one takes several tablets in each meal. The other (lab/collie mix) is the dominant dog and the greedy guts of the two. She is allowed to lick the first one's bowl as long as the first one has finished and left the bowl, and I have given her permission - she has been taught to wait for me to inspect the bowl and say 'OK' before she can lick it clean. Could you teach the lab to sit and wait for a treat while the other eats? Or that if he comes to you when he's finished his meal he can have affection? I started with affection for my lab-mix - ie. she learnt that if she came to me after her meal I'd pet her until the other finished eating and then we'd go check the empty bowl together. I feed them in different rooms at the same time with an open door between them.

Be creative, but get on top of it for Jack's sake.

zaksmum

He knows "Sit", "Stay" and gives his paw, rolls over etc. But when he's hyper he totally ignores everything. He weighs about 50kg so you can imagine that hurtling round the room...he's not at all a nasty dog though, just manic.

I've kept him away from Jack today by use of an old dog whistle I found in the kitchen drawer. I can't hear it but the lab stops in his tracks when I blow it when he hassles Jack and sort of creeps over to me looking apologetic. My own dogs aren't bothered by it so that might be a way towards a solution.