Wont answer at times

[christina]

Its my firts time posting on here so be gentle with me :lol: lol.

Right here goes I have a gorgeous black lab called Rufus hes my baby at times when he answers, hes 17 months old. He now knows how to jump the wall in our garden it took him a year to just learn this after another dog showed him [evil].

He is a good dog and really good natured but lately he is taking the pi** when I take him a walk. Normally up the River when I let him of the lead he just takes off does his on thing and there is me trying to catch him with me pushing the Pram. He never used to do this until baby came along and he knows I wont leave him. Its got to the point he has gone on a road luckily no cars were going past at the time.

He used to go to puppy training and loved it. Any tips that might help Im going to try him on a whistle to see if it helps. Until then he will only get off lead once we are up the river.

[cuddlepop]

Hello there,welcome to the Pet Forum.
A nicer and more friendlier bunch of Orgers over here.;)

Back to Rufus.
Well he's playing you like a good violin just now because he's a smart cookie that knows your tied to the buggy.
If you can try to spend sometime alone together,all this behaviour is just for attention.
Could be a bitch in season and that's trying his concentration too.:(

[christina]

[quote=cuddlepop;559996]Hello there,welcome to the Pet Forum.
A nicer and more friendlier bunch of Orgers over here.;)

Back to Rufus.
Well he's playing you like a good violin just now because he's a smart cookie that knows your tied to the buggy.
If you can try to spend sometime alone together,all this behaviour is just for attention.
Could be a bitch in season and that's trying his concentration too.:(

Thanks cuddlepop will try taking him a walk a few times a week just the two of us. Hes had the snip when he was 6 months old as he was humping all the teddies lol. That started at 10 weeks :lol:.

[Dadie]

How about a bit of recall training with doggie treats .... labs are ruled by their tummies..(well mine is) until he answers to you again!

[christina]

Yip that worked for about a year now he knows sometimes if hes lucky he will find food when hes running about.:confused

Im sure thats whats in his head as he allways goes straight to the places he has found scraps before. He is sooo greedy one day my mother in law was watching him at her house and he was eating her dogs food out of the food bag most of the day. So came home massive and started to beg when I was eating a cake. So I gave it to him knowing he was to full to eat:lol: he just sat there crying and looking at it as he wanted to eat it but couldnt that said it all.

[balto]

at the end of the day they are just like kids and feel a bit out of place whe a new baby comes along, spoil him at times if you can just the 2 of you and make a fuss of him, so he knows he is still loved.

[christina]

Thanks for the advice :). Went to the beach with him tonight just the two of us and he answered really well to the whistle and me trying to run along the beach, must get fit lol.

New trick for Rufus is now jumping the garden wall at the back, I looked like a right nutter running after him this morning at 6am in my dressing gown:lol: not a pretty sight lol.

Gonna have to put a fence up I think to stop the monster running away :roll:.

[Aaldtimer]

One of the most important commands you can teach a dog is "STAY"!
Once your dog can obey that command you can usually be fairly confident in any situation.
I used to have an Old English Sheepdog who was as scatty as anything, but that was his one saving grace...one word and he just sat down and waited for me.
It's worth practising!:)

[Kevin Milkins]

One of the most important commands you can teach a dog is "STAY"!
Once your dog can obey that command you can usually be fairly confident in any situation.
I used to have an Old English Sheepdog who was as scatty as anything, but that was his one saving grace...one word and he just sat down and waited for me.
It's worth practising!:)

Thats sound advice from Aaldtimer.

If you can brainwash a dog stop and stay at a whistle it is much easier for him to except the come to me command. Good luck.

[ClachanHope]

Have you tried using a long rope on Rufus to stop him jumping the garden wall. I don't mean tie him up, but everytime you let him out put the long rope on his collar and let him sniff about the garden and if he shows signs of jumping the wall, just pull him back, and give a stern command like NO or STAY. But always use the same command, and after a while he will not be interested in jumping the wall.

Labs need unbelievable exercise. Remember these are a working breed and can be out on the hill working 5 days a week from 8am to 6pm in the season. He has to stay occupied, boredom comes easily to them.

[crustyroll]

Labs need unbelievable exercise. Remember these are a working breed and can be out on the hill working 5 days a week from 8am to 6pm in the season. He has to stay occupied, boredom comes easily to them.

I agree with your comment that boredom comes easily to Labs and that's when they get destructive and unruly but at 17 months old he is only now able to handle all available exercise, too much before then and you run the risk of arthritis problems later in life.

Although he has been neutered this does not guarantee that he's still not interested in an in season bitch. You also have to remember their sense of smell is incredible so this bitch could be streets away and he knows she's there. As he's nears 2 he will certainly start to push his boundaries just like kids do and you have to go back a little and retrain to settle them down. Some labs aren't motivated by food when they are out, food is fine in the house but not outside. Try a ball or any other toy and only use it when you're out together, if it's something he enjoys he will focus on you and not on running away. Another big tip, no matter how angry and upset you are, don't tell him off when he comes back. Would you go back if all you were going to get is a telling off? It's one of the hardest things to do and you could wring their necks but again pays off in the end.

[christina]

Rufus and I went out to the dog trainer in Mey, he gave me a few tips and ideas which is working.

Just things like getting him to heal and answer on the lead. Allways feed yourselves first then the dog at meal times. Not allowed on the couch anymore. Rufus is busy looking at me :roll: thinking I have gone mad [lol]. He must be thinking my god whats going on here Im normally to soft on him hence him doing as he wanted.

[Kevin Milkins]

Rufus and I went out to the dog trainer in Mey, he gave me a few tips and ideas which is working.

Just things like getting him to heal and answer on the lead. Allways feed yourselves first then the dog at meal times. Not allowed on the couch anymore. Rufus is busy looking at me :roll: thinking I have gone mad [lol]. He must be thinking my god whats going on here Im normally to soft on him hence him doing as he wanted.

Sounds like Rufus is coming on a treat, (no pune intended)lol.

There was never a more true statement than "you have to let them know who's the boss", because a dog will try it on and they are not very good at being leaders.:confused

[Birdie Wife]

Bear in mind to that he is going through his adolescent phase, which means he can magically 'unlearn' all the training and effort you put in when he was younger [evil] if you can excercise him somewhere different it could make a difference - I've found that to keep my pup's mind on me when we're out walking, it helps enormously not to have a set route, but vary it every time. When I go to walk in a different direction I call out "this way!" and she comes back running. In a dog's language, it means that you are leading the 'hunt' rather than them. I never chase after her - if she's running away, run in the opposite direction - they have a need to run with the pack. It also helps to have some extra special treats in your pocket, and walk them before meal times so they have an incentive to come back to you. Labs are ruled by their stomachs!

Hope some of this helps.