I have had all sorts of dogs before, including labs. This puppy (approx 14 weeks) is soooo distructive. We live on quite a bit of property, so I have had to keep her mostly outside due to her distructiveness. I know that she is quite smart, as she can get her teeth on anything. She has been very easy to train as far as pottying, walking on a leash and sitting waiting to be fed. She has a one-year-old shepard mix that plays with her quite often. In addition we are outside quite a bit with her thowing balls, doing yard work, and we take both dogs for nightly walks. She is also provided with quite a bit of dog toys...the kong, busy bones, pig ears, etc. What else can I do to get her to stop tearing everything up? (Our deck, sons toys, flowers, pots, dog bowls, small animals, our cat...the list goes on).

labman

Some dogs are just much worse than others. I have had 15 1/2 Labs, and each one has been different, varying from sweethearts to hellions. I also frequently host visitors including the two 7 week old Goldens we got last night on about 2 hours notice. One of them crawled behind the toilet this morning and snagged her collar on the handle to the stop. Much of what I have learned about coping with the more difficult ones is in the sticky at http://www.askmehelpdesk.com/dogs/in...tml#post251802

Here is some more material that will help:

A mousetrap is very effective in making a dog leave something alone. Most
dogs will stay away from anywhere they were surprised by a snap. The best
part is that it is not you that is correcting the dog. It works whether you
are around or not. The mousetrap is very patient and is always on task as
long as you reset it. You can buy Bitter Apple spray or cream that helps sometimes.

Better than mousetraps when you aren't around is the crate. Other dogs may
not be as bad as the young Labs I am plagued with. Still your house and dog
will be much safer with the dog in a crate when you are away. The dog may be
happier in its den than loose in the house. It relaxes, it feels safe in its
den. It rests, the body slows down reducing the need for water and relieving
its self. Dogs that have been crated all along do very well. Many of them
will rest in their crates even when the door is open. I think the plastic
ones give the dog more of a safe, enclosed den feeling. They are harder for
dogs to open too. Metal ones can be put in a corner or covered with
something the dog can't pull in and chew. Select a crate just big enough for the full grown dog to stretch out in.

Leave it some toys. Perhaps a Kong filled with peanut butter. Don't leave
anything in the crate the dog might chew up. It will do fine without even any
bedding. You will come home to a safe dog and a house you can enjoy.

Accidents and damaged possessions are the fault of whoever was watching the puppy. When you are watching it, immediately correct it as soon as it goes for anything except its own toys. In a quiet, but firm voice ''Bad dog, its name drop!''. Gently remove what ever and replace it with one of her toys, or if older, hold eye contact until the puppy drops it.


A dog that has not been crated since it was little, make take some work.
Start out just putting its toys and treats in the crate. Praise it for going
in. If you have been able to trust it with any bedding, put that in the crate.
Feed it in the crate. This is also an easy way to maintain order at feeding
time for more than one dog.

I have to run. We are doing a fundraiser at Wal-Mart today. The 7 week olds are a great traffic stopper. If you post back, I should be able to give individual answers to specific questions tonight or tomorrow.

froggy7

Could you clarify what you meant by "small animals, our cat"? Has this dog killed them, seriously injured them, harrassed them, what? That's what I'd want to get a handle on first, if I were you. There's a huge difference between a puppy that's killing animals and one that's chewing up your sneakers.

lovemydogs73

She has killed moles and chases everything alive...she is very dominant over my one year old male german shepard mix...my cat will hiss and scratch her, but she doesn't mind that at all, it just leads to the "great chase." I really think that she is just a rough player...she is not at all aggressive, just stubborn and dominant. I am just not sure how to break her of this, if this is just her personality, if it gets better with age, etc. I have always done well with training my dogs, but with her, it is a whole other story.

RubyPitbull

love, labman has some very good books that are included in his sticky at the top of the dog forum.http://www.askmehelpdesk.com/dogs/in...man-53153.html
I am sure he will stop in to give you some additional guidance. Unfortunately, I am short on time at the moment. But, it does appear that your dog needs quite a lot more hands on training than most in the Alpha department. Meaning, you need to really work hard on getting her to understand that you are the Alpha. Once that is accomplished, there is more work ahead of you. You are going to have to do some desentivity training with your cat. Killing moles now, at this age, along with chasing the cat around, is a clear signal that you will have major problems down the road if this is not brought under control now. It may seem like play now, but it won't be play later on as she matures. In addition, the fact that at this age, she is showing dominance over a one year old male is very troublesome in my mind.

In addition to whatever advice labman supplies, and whatever books you choose to read from his list, it might serve you well to find out who runs the best puppy training classes in your area. You may need to have some specialized one on one classes with your dog. You just may have found yourself a lab that was improperly bred. The sooner you can get a handle on these issues, the better it will be for everyone.

labman

I should have mentioned dogs like yours need strong leadership. The key to most behavior problems is approaching things using the dog's natural instincts. Dogs see all the people and dogs in the household as a pack with each having their own rank in the pack and a top dog. Life is much easier if the 2 legged pack members outrank the 4 legged ones. You can learn to play the role of top dog by reading some books or going to a good obedience class. A good obedience class or book is about you being top dog, not about rewarding standard commands with a treat. Start at Raising Your Dog with the Monks of New Skete For more on being top dog, see Establishing and Keeping Alpha Position

Even as a strong leader, I wouldn't count on training her to leave the moles and cat alone. Don't leave her and the cat alone together. Make sure the cat has safe refuges. Some of the cat furniture with poles and boxes with small entrances would be good. When she does start for the cat, give her a sharp ''Ut, ut, ut!'' and offer her a safe toy, not a pigs' ear.