My lab puppy has developed an annoying behavior. When I am sitting on the couch and not paying attention to him he will sit in front of me and begin barking. While he is barking he is also using his paw to claw at the cushions and any part of me that he can reach. There are times that he is allowed to lay on the couch providing he has been invited and his blanket is on the couch. My approach to his shrill bark and batting with his oversized paws has been to tell him "no" which is not affective so now I completely ignore him and even go as far as holding a book or pillow up to block his view. He hates this tactic and becomes even more insistent! I would like to sit and reaxon the couch without this reaction from him. He is 4 1/2 months. HELP!

If you place something in front of you he probably thinks your playing, puppy's think everything is playing. Say "NO" very sternly (Like your doing) and then push him down. If he continues to due it you may have to separate him for a "time out". Don't use his crate (He won't want to be in it when he needs to be locked up), maybe a bathroom.

And why is your title about him eating.. but your question has nothing to do with it?

I don't understand the connection between the problem as you posted it and the heading about why he is eating so much.

He is old enough to know what "stop" means. Does he have any obedience training? Does he sit and stay or does he respond to "down"?

It's a war of the wills at this point. I would NEVER allow him on the couch (at least not now).

I found that totally ignoring my dog and slapping away the paw (without hitting him, just a slap on the paw) ended this behavior - my dog likes any attention, good, bad or in between. I also handed her her toy and said, "Go," and she would wander off and play with her toy.

Sounds like he could be bored. These breeds need a LOT of play and exercise. Judy mentions a good point of offering an acceptable behavior such a s a toy or a bone.

Well ladies it would stand to reason that the title was an error, typo,etc. Didn't mean to confuse you and throw you for such a loop. Now lets concentrate on the question at hand. Sawyer knows all the commands that you have listed and more. Knowing the commands and following them are very different and in this particular situation he chooses not to be compliant. I think the suggestion that he not be allowed on the couch is right on target as this problem did not rear it's ugly head until he was allowed to be on the couch. As far as your advice to "slap away his paw or push him down is simply not an option. I am a firm believe that using physical forms of punishment will lead you pet to feel that their handler is not trustworthy. I don't want him to link my hands in a negative sense. I don't want him to link my touch with a negative experience. Thanks for you efforts to help resolve this issue, but I think I will ask a professional trainer who's philosophy is inline with mine. I thought the days of being physical in the name of obedience were largely dispelled and positive reinforcement had taken it's place. Try to get by the title without it throwing you for a loop this time.

I have owned labs all my life and are very familiar with their need for daily exercise. They are a working breed which genetically predisposes them to being a high energy animal. The last thing that Sawyer is is bored. He calls off our exercise sessions before I'm ready to call it a day!

I have owned labs all my life and are very familiar with their need for daily exercise. They are a working breed which genetically predisposes them to being a high energy animal. The last thing that Sawyer is is bored. He calls off our exercise sessions before I'm ready to call it a day!


I don't know why you are asking any questions if you have all the answers and are so quick to dispel any suggestions. A professional trainer is certainly a better choice for you than AMHD.

I've never seen a full sentence "type" before.

I'm not sure where you get off coming here with your holier than thou attitude. Judy is VERY knowledgeable on larger breed dogs. Her suggestion to |slap| away the paw, was in no way expecting you to hit your dog, had you read fully her explanation, you would have realized that.

Glad to hear you have decided to go with a professional trainer, as I can see you already know every ting there is to know, which leads to the question, why come here and ask?

Try proof reading your questions next time, and it will lead to far less confusion. Thanks and have a great day.

I didn't mean to ruffle anyone's feathers and to suggest that I dismissed all of your suggestions proves that YOU didn't read my reply very carefully. I agreed with the suggestion to not allow the puppy on the furniture... it will probably solve this issue in due time. It may seem to be an obvious solution but I was looking for a way to teach him not to act out in the manner described but the outcome using your suggestion would actually prevent the behavior from occurring to begin with. This is a very hostile group who is more interested in bullying the new comer like a group of teenage girls. It would have been nice if you could have made suggestions without being catty and holier than thou. Just because someone has a different approach to discipline (which doesn't include physical punishment) than you may have doesn't mean you have to be verbally aggressive in your further communications. I'm being attacked over the wrong title on my question? Really? I feel like Iv'e been transported back to high school when certain groups of girls would gang up on someone because they voiced their opinion and it didn't coincide with their opinions. Feel free to lay-in-wait for your next victim to wander into your web it won't be me. God help them.

Ok, the thing is, you were the one with the catty attitude, because we asked a simple question in relation towards your title and the actual body of the question.

We are all volunteers here, and a lot of our free time is spent answering peoples questions, we do not need attitude. As Judy has explained, she did not mean "hit your dog", she meant to brush away the dogs paw. Anyway, I could spend all day arguing back and forth with who said what, the fact is, if you read your responses to our answers, it was less then polite.

So in conclusion, we accept your apology for the typo, it happens, we're all human. But please leave the attitude with the next response or question.

I'm not sure where you get off coming here with your holier than thou attitude. Judy is VERY knowledgeable on larger breed dogs. Her suggestion to |slap| away the paw, was in no way expecting you to hit your dog, had you read fully her explanation, you would have realized that.

Glad to hear you have decided to go with a professional trainer, as I can see you already know every ting there is to know, which leads to the question, why come here and ask?

Try proof reading your questions next time, and it will lead to far less confusion. Thanks and have a great day.

How funny is this... from someone who is directing me to" proof read my questions next time" you should take your own advice and do a little proof reading yourself... "as I can see you already know EVERY TING there is to know." I'm thinking that you would do well to take your own advice... how embarrassing this must be for you!

Yes, it's terribly embarrassing. But I am sure you got the point.

Things are finally clear to me! You are volunteers who enjoy the feeling you get when someone asks your opinion. God help those people that may not agree with your answers. No one would pay any of you for you to work with the public or to give the kind of advice you people are pedaling. So carry on, and I hope that no one comes across your path that can recognize that your just one big ego. Most people will realize that this is not a forum for sharing advice or ideas, it's more of a dictatorship in which you will be promptly flogged if they don't agree with you.

Thanks for your opinion, we really appreciate it.

Dogdaze, you came here of your own free will to ask a question. Then, when people responded, you became rude, petty, and belligerent.

We can only offer advice based on your post. That's why we questioned the title. Instead of explaining that you had made a typo, you came back with attitude.

Yes, we do volunteer here, and as volunteers we shouldn't have to sit back and put up with your attitude. People took the time to not only read your post, but to respond. Instead of showing a bit of appreciation for the time they took to do that, you decided to be rude.

I'm closing your thread. If you want further advice, and you agree to act in a respectful manner, you can PM me and I'll re-open it. But it's clear from you posts that you already know the answers to your question, and you didn't come here to seek answers, but to start a fight.

Good call, thought I already closed it.