Friday, May 21, 2010

Having major problems with dog :(?

Hi, Ive written on here a few times about my pup. I love him to bits, but he doesnt seem very affectionate to any of us. He is a year old and a labrador, pure breed. We've had him since he was 8weeks old. We have given him all the love we possibly can. We've taken him to training classes, we walk him twice a day for half hour each, or sometimes more if he doesnt go to the toilet. He is on the best food advised (expensive!) and he gets all the love and attention. Since we got him 8 months ago, he has never shown us any affection. Very rarely he will come towards us and keep his head on our lap, but that will only be for a few minutes. Sometimes if we sit on the floor he will collapse on top of us, which is cute but thats all. He still doesnt listen to us properly and prefers to run after other people and dogs. Yesterday when my dad took him for a walk (usually its always me, but on Sundays I work) and he was off the leash in a big field. For the first time ever he decided to run away
Answers:
Poor old you - he is giving you a hard time. I don't think his training classes are the full anwer. He sounds as if he needs very firm and consistent handling. He doesn't seem to understand that he has to do as people tell him - after all, animals aren't born knowing this; it has to be instilled.

What does the trainer at the classes suggest? Have you told him/her about your problems? My feeling is that you are not firm enough - you don't need to get angry, but the dog must understand what you want and then that you will be dispeased if you don;t get it.

Ignoring him is definitely an option if he misbehaves, but the punishment must be immediate or the dog will not understand what he is being ignored for. Needless to say, it's no good unless everyone ignores him together - 5 to 10 minutes shut away from the action is usually long enough. Don't worry about losing his love - dogs usually attach themselves to their trainer. A badly behaved dog is ofen a confused, unhappy dog.

Start with some simple exercises that the dog understands - something like 'come' or 'sit'. Have the dog somewhere where he can't do a runner, eg a secure garden. Always give the same word of command in a firm tone, and reward him with praise and occasionally a non fattening non- sweet treat. Mine gets a piece of carrot as a reward. Get the dog in the habit of obeying you. If he disobeys, carry on till he gets it right. Most dogs want to please. In between training sessions, which need only be 10-15 minutes, no sweets or treats, and not too much fuss. By all means play ball or whatever, but don't be all over him. Don't over feed him - he must want the treat to see it as a reward.

If you are still getting nowhere, I would definitely advise getting a qualified dog behaviourist in to guide you - seems expensive, but well worth it - hope this helps and good luck
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maybe it is jst your dogs personality, as for the man yelling stay! was he a buff man, that is usually threatening for dogs, you are seen as the loving ovner threfore is no reason to listen to you.
maybe he is deaf or something, take him to a vet to have a good check up.
I think the advice you have been given is correct, show him who's boss! It may also pay you to get him checked over with your vet.
I'm afraid I don't have a straight answer but I did once have a dog with behavioural problems, arguably worse than this as she was a German Shepherd who used to nip at all my friends! I called in a dog psychologist who spent a few hours at our house, observing her and her behaviour and writing up a report. At the end of it he told us how to alter OUR behaviour in order to change hers - and it worked! Look in your telephone directory on on line to find one local to you and good luck! Labradors are lovely animals, I hope you work it out!
Ok, I read through most of your problem, and I will tell you right off the bat, your problem is a dominance issue. You see, you spoil your dog, yet go to him to give him effection, so he will decide if he wants it or not. Want I would recommend is bigging up a book called "The Dog Listener" by Jan Fennell. It is very good book and will help you with these issue. What I would suggest doing in the mean time, ignore the dog. IF he has a food bowl down, big it up. Do not acknowledge him in any way for the next 2 days. You can feed him twice a day, about 3 cups each time, but only leave it down for about 10 minutes each time. He must learn that all good things, love, food, everything, comes from you, not from him. Good Luck
Your dog will have his own personality and his own way of communicating. He is also very young and still a puppy. He won't really grow up till about 2 or 3 years old.

It is hard to figure if he has a problem or just being a puppy. Labs are usually very loyal and friendly. Your dog may not know his place in the pack (your family) and may feel uneasy.

Did you have him neutered? That may also affect the way he acts. Do you give him treats during the day? Do you give him a chance to play and explore?

There are allot of things that can affect his actions. Just remember that mainly he is young.
It sounds to me like your dog has a hearing deficiency. See if you can get him tested. If he is partially deaf then that would explain his introspection! and him ignoring your commands. Its not uncommon.
It is true if you ignore a dog it will get more affectionate, but don't ignore him too much or he will feel unloved. When he dose something good, like stop when you tell him to, praise him, give him a treat, and pet him. A dog that gets to much attention is spoiled and wont listen to his owners.
Hi! I understand your concern I used to have a lab when I was younger and had the same questions. I even nicknamed my dog the escape artist because she was amazing at the different ways she could figure out how to escape.

What you have to realize is that she is a larger breed dog. They tend to not be as affectionate as smaller breed dogs because it is not in their nature and they are trained not to be (i.e. no jumping on furniture or on people or etc.)
Also labrador retrievers are natural water and field dogs it is what they were originally bred for. They have a natural instinct to be out in the world exploring and getting lots of exercise so it is very normal for your pet to be acting this way if he is normally confined to a home or to a small backyard.
It pretty much comes down to your dog is bored. He needs more outdoor time or another dog to keep him company to keep his attention so that it doesnt wander to the outside world.

Your dog is affectionate if he puts his head on your lap so dont worry that he doesnt care about you or your family. But please know that him doing that is a sign that he could be unhappy or lonely.
you have to treat a dog like a dog!! what i mean is they are pack animals, who follow a leader etc (like wolves for example). for a dog to be obedient and possibly more affectionate it needs to feel a part of the pack. By the whole family giving their full attention to your dog he probably feels like the leader. But this should not be the case. As harsh as it sounds to pup must be placed at the end of the 'pack hierarchy'. One way to show your pup this is to not feed it until you and your family have finished eating, it reinforces the hierarchy. Unfortunately the dog must be at the bottom of the hierarchy, although this does seem harsh its better for you and your dog.
When you are training/walking your dog dont be afraid to tell it off. The best way to do this is to growl at him rather than shout, as dogs in a pack would growl at each other. You might feel a little stupid growling commands at your dog in public but its a good way to help it learn. Theres no good in treating a dog like a person because, basically, they are not!
Also remember to reward good behaviour with some form of treat. This is very important!

There are a load of really cool books available that help people understand dogs and dog psychology, so its probably worth checking out amazon or waterstones or somewhere for some good information!!

Hope this helps!!
Wow, sounds like you adopted a lab!!!These dogs have been overbred so much that htey have developed quite an array of problems, beginning with behavior.I would talk to a trainer that can come to your house and train him with you in his own environment. They can work wonders in cases like these and can show you what to do instead of tell you!they also have doggie boot camp that you can send them to for training and they usually come back doing great things...Good luck!!
heya i have a puppy aswellol he is a german shepherd. I think all dogs go through that fase when they just wanna be alone be a little naughty. I think that they are just trying to be the alfa dog and to try to be the boss.
you said you had taken him to trainning lessons so thats good.

well all that i can think of at the moment is that he is going throught a fase because he is getting older and trying to be the boss of things

i hope that you find out wht is bothering him and good luck.x
I'm not surprised your dog wants to run away.
It's probably the way most of your family feels.
I would want to get as far away as possible from you too.
Take the hint.

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