We have a 9 mo old choc lab,
And he is a joy,
But we have a small problem
But it's knid of funny in away
When he has something in his mouth and we want to see what he has, just so we know that it will not hurt him, he runs around the table so we can't take it from him,
How do we get him to stop and let us look at what he has?

I know dogs are awesome and cute and what-not, I love dogs, I have one of my own. But... unfortunately, though "man's best friend", you have to be the boss of it. It's hard to discipline something so loyal and loving, but you can't let it take control.

Imagine: Your dog runs under the table with a fork, grape, chocolate, or anything else that could possibly kill it. You figure it's just doing its routine hide-and-go-seek game, and let it be. Your dog dies. Then what do you have to say for yourself?

It sounds awful, but you have to drag it out and pry its jaw open, so it's not endangering itself. It's the only way you can feel safe about your dog, and your dog will get over it.

Also, if I might suggest, get it lessons at Petsmart. I took my dog there, an 8 week class, $109 (prices may vary), I LOVED it. My dog will now sit whenever told, lay down, stay at distances up to 100 feet for over 30 seconds, wait in the car so I can get out and collect my things so he's not dashing out the door and making me spill everything, etc. And that's just the beginner's class. I think it's worth it if you want to do that.

But mainly, it's dominance. You have to do it for your loving dog's protection. I'm sure you would feel very bad if it died because you let it take control of you.

Hope that helps.

''It sounds awful, but you have to drag it out and pry its jaw open, so it's not endangering itself. It's the only way you can feel safe about your dog, and your dog will get over it.''

Part of your trouble is that you have made the mistake of doing just exactly that. Instead, rather than train the dog that what it has is of high value, fixate on the dog, not the object. The more fuss you make over the object, the more valuable it becomes to the dog. Dogs' favorite game is chase. Watch a couple of young dogs. One of them will pick up something, shake it in the other dog's face and run off with the other in full pursuit. You will never catch the dog even if it didn't have the table to run around. Not only is the above advice counterproductive, it isn't even possible in many cases. Your best bet is to find a favorite toy, and offer to trade, perhaps shaking it in the dogs face and then running away with it. I find tennis balls and ropes to be great favorites.

I do agree that dominating the dog is important, but more the old fashioned strict, but loving parent, not a drill sergeant. 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 (http://www.dogsbestfriend.com/) For more on being top dog, see Establishing and Keeping Alpha Position, Letting your dog know you are the boss (http://www.dogbreedinfo.com./topdogrules.htm)

Quite often snatching something the dog knows it shouldn't have and running off with it , is a plea for attention. Giving the dog plenty of attention heads off such behavior.

I want to thank you for all your input,
We love our lab so much,
We both are in our 50"s, and have no kids at home,
We have always had labs,
But this one is different and so smart,
We have spoiled him to the macks,
He has a bed of his on in the living room,
One in the dinning room,
And one in our bedroom,
We treat him just like a kid,
I know this is wrong, but we are very protective of him,
But he is also very hard headed,
Our black labs that we have had, were very smart also but listen to what we said,
This one has a mind of his own, again thank you and we will work on this.

Some Labs are that way, and those that never had a dog like that don't understand what works for them, won't work with one.

As labman states, most dogs love to play the "chase" game. Your chocolate lab is no different. Spoiling him outright and giving him a free pass on negative behavior is going to give you a world of problems as he ages. He does need solid leadership. Please review labman's links carefully. You will find a great deal of help there.

There is nothing wrong with loving your dog and spoiling him, but there is a time and a place for it. My dog has beds all over the house and is allowed to go wherever she pleases throughout my home. But, until she was trained properly, I placed limitations on that until I was sure that she wouldn't get into something that could hurt her or cause damage to my possessions.

The fact is that a dog's thought processes are different than ours and they don't respond to human reasoning. Their little doggy minds don't connect with the difference between right and wrong as we do, and they relate to the world on a very basic and ego driven level. It is "me, me, me" all the time. If you have ever dealt with a human 2 year old, the mindset is very much like that throughout a dog's life. I know people assume their dog knows the difference between right and wrong because "he looks guilty when he has done something bad." I hear that all the time. But, all that is happening is that their senses pick up that we are stressed or upset with them. They don't know the reasoning behind it. They are reacting to the moment. When they have torn something up, or had an accident in the house, if we don't actually catch them in the act, the moment has passed, they don't remember what they did, and they are onto something new. Your dog has found a great game to play with you. He finds that when he takes something that is "yours" you will chase him around, giving him the attention he craves. It isn't about the object as much as it is about getting what he wants from you. He wants you to play with him and pay attention to him. This game needs to be done when YOU decide it is time to play, not when he decides.

You need to train him to "fetch" and "drop." Fetching is a game that labs (and other breeds) love and is good exercise. The "drop" aspect of that training will help you with the problem you are currently encountering and will prove invaluable in the years to come. As labman states, offer your dog something that he would rather have. Whether it is a favorite toy or a small dog treat, is something that only you know. Labman has a recommended reading list located within his link at the top of the forum. Over the years, we have learned a lot more about positive reinforcement training techniques that dogs understand and do respond to. Labman lists the best books that are available to us today. I suggest you look through that list. https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/dogs/information-articles-our-dogs-expert-labman-53153.html Go to your local library or a Barnes & Noble (or Bordersbooks) and see if any of the books on his list are there. Then, before checking out, sit down and go through them. Pick one or two books that you feel is/are the most helpful to you and use that as your guide in training.

Post back and let us know how you are doing and if you need further help.

As labman states, most dogs love to play the "chase" game. Your chocolate lab is no different. Spoiling him outright and giving him a free pass on negative behavior is going to give you a world of problems as he ages. He does need solid leadership. Please review labman's links carefully. You will find a great deal of help there.

There is nothing wrong with loving your dog and spoiling him, but there is a time and a place for it. My dog has beds all over the house and is allowed to go wherever she pleases throughout my home. But, until she was trained properly, I placed limitations on that until I was sure that she wouldn't get into something that could hurt her or cause damage to my possessions.

The fact is that a dog's thought processes are different than ours and they don't respond to human reasoning.

Just to emphasize Ruby's point here. Dogs do not think like humans do, and it is up to us as their owners to set limits in order to protect them. Your dog doesn't think that what he chews on could hurt him, or that a car could kill him, or that there are humans that don't like being jumped on. Therefore, you need to tell him what behaviors are OK when, so that he knows that he can run freely (when he's inside the fenced yard) and when he needs to stick close to you (walking down a busy street). The analogy of a two-year-old is very apt. Part of showing them you love them is acknowledging that they are not capable of making good decisions, and making them for them.