General Chat

I have a lovely 2yr old lab who has started to act very odd.
we have had charlie since he was 3months old and i have to say that he was very easy to train,but in the last two months hes become very naughty,
after being used to 4 long walks a day(we all like walking)he is refusing to leave the front garden(my son had to carry him down to the bottom of the lane yesterday(not easy hes a big dog)hes also started pinching tea towels,socks and my cushions,he gets loads of attention from everyone but goes mad if my hubby hugs of kisses me .help.x

Sounds like he's just getting a bit too big for his boots and thinks he's the pack leader maybe?

I had a spaniel who started doing the same and unfortunately I had to ease off the attention I gave him and treat him firmly like a dog..no jumping on furniture...no attention unless I ask for it and not him etc.

They do go through a bit of teenage stage once they're fully trained as well..but it's not good if he feels he's got the authority to object to your husband hugging or kissing you ! I think he may need to be put firmly in his place..which sucks..I hated it lol x

If its just the lane hes refusing to go down then theres something that hes bothered about down there,,,his nicking is a form of attention seeking or frustration over something has he been done??if not it could be his adulthood kicking in......and he dont understand whats its about..... :-D :-D :-D does he mix with other dogs ?

hes like a dog with A.D.H.D and its driving everyone mad,which is a shame because hes a lovely dog.x

Have you changed his food recently?

Agree with Muffy - try giving him a bit LESS attention. Ours is almost 18 months and does the stealing of socks etc. but doesn't chew them. he just wants a chase game and loses interest when we don't 'play'. Folding arms and breaking eye contact is a good way to show him his behaviour is not acceptable. However you must ALL do it, and be consistent (not as easy as it sounds!).

yes he mixes with other dogs,he loves other dogs but sometimes otherdogs dont like him,hes very trusting and will just go over wanting to play(not always a good thing)x

muffy,
no hes not had his food changed,but we dont feed him canned food only chicken and pasta and a few daily treats.x

Try a behaviourist instead of driving yourself daft. Or buy a Kong, stuff it full of biscuits etc. Should keep him quiet for a while unless like ours he learns to go to top of stairs and drop it!!

Pack leader behaviour manifested itself in our last dog when he was about 6/7 months old and in spite of living with dogs all of our lives we did not know what had hit us, he ran 3 adults ragged and drove me to tears.

Well there doesn't seem to be anything in his diet that would turn him hyper...maybe look at the ingredients in his treats...or lay off them for a while and see if that helps...dietary is always the first step to take I have found.

BUT he is displaying signs of trying to be pack leader..and you can't allow it..much as you love him ..dogs are pack animals and he needs to know his place in that pack.

Right up until the day my spaniel died (about 3 yrs ago) I was never able to show him love like I did the girl dogs else he'd puff up his chest and try and challenge me again...OH and the kids were fine..but he saw me as pack leader and i had to be firm with him.

I sympathise so much with you Chris...My old boy drove me to tears a few times as well...x

so are you saying that i have to be pack leader?and i wonder why all this has started now.
and the walking,hes never been out alone,why wont he go for his walks anymore?(we cant think of any time during our walks that he has been frightened by anyone or anything).x

Muffy, we did not know whether we were coming or going. Up to the day he died three years ago exactly (aged nearly 16) if he could not get his own way, he would do something naughty.

I could not list his misdeeds - but cutlery in the pond was one (only found every two years when son cleaned pond out). Opened all doors no matter which way they swung. Had to get locks put on bedroom doors, tell overnight guests to lock themselves in or they could have company! Cost a fortune in tea towels (holes the size of dinner plates ,behaviourist told us to get those snap things from toy shop) - go off with bang when moved so placed a towel on top - that worked. Bought a cage , chucked in when naughty, fall asleep, come out and go back to what he was doing previously. Am worn out thinking about it.

Oh it all sounds SO familiar lol

My boy dug our kitchen floor to the foundations of the house...ate our bottom stair....constantly broke into our bedroom, poo'd on the bed then flicked it over the walls while he tried to bury it under the duvet...ate EVERYTHING...was terrible in spring when the mushrooms were out...I'd have to get up at silly o'clock and study the lawn to check i'd removed them all before I let him out..else he'd be stoned by lunchtime lol.**edit** they weren't magic mushrooms..just wild ones..and I can't be sure if he was stoned or just had a creasing stomach ache but his eyes rolled and he looked out of it lol** Was a total nightmare. I loved him to pieces but after him I'll never get another boy dog...he is my first and last !! I've never had issues like that with my girls !!

Suzanne...I'm not sure the not wanting to walk thing and the not liking hubby showing you affection thing are connected. He may smell something in the lane that's unfamiliar......male.fox scent or something like that?...i'm not sure..but it's not healthy that he feels it right to dictate your behaviour...if he were mine I'd start addressing that...and see where you go from there x

Does he think he is the pack leader? Can you take his food off him whilst he is eating, will he allow you to groom/brush stroke him, is there anew addition to the family?

thank you everyone.after reading your posts about your lovely dogs,maybe i dont have a problem? only joking,will try out all of your suggestions and let you know how i get on.
thank you for your help.xx

Good luck...x

Seriously Suzanne, I would have him checked out by vet first to ensure that he is physically OK, assuming he is ask vet to recommend a behaviourist and at home be firm. One thing we were told - do not let the dog precede you through a door! Good luck.

Chris was it you that lived in Saudi with the mad Afganhound, that threw your boyfriend over the garden wall? :-D

Not me Hayley - it has always been understood in family if it came to saving me or whichever dog we had - OH would save his beloved dog!!!!!!

Mind you have known 3 Afghan hounds in my time (not ours) and not a sane one amongst them - red setters seem to be the same!

lololololol I think that was Maggie Hayley !! x

LOVED that story !!! x