caspian

Maybe thats the problem? He sees the lead as punishment? What is your body language/you saying when the dog is "naughty in the house"? If its a pup or its not used to it, its quite normal and they soon get used to it and the idea that it usually means going out, and see it as a good thing. I had a lab who got so excited when he saw the lead he would try loop his own head through the collar! My rotty chewed the lead as a pup. I stopped walking when he did it, and he eventually gave up. Although now when I tell him not to pick up stuff off the ground when walking, he gets upset and takes it out on the lead by chewing it for a little while.

Trampoline beds sound like a good idea... except mine ate his last one!

My rotty is 14 months and still runs amok like a loony, however, I can call him and he comes back. 45kg of bounding rotty coming at you is not exactly a calming site if you are walking through the park (local is a common shortcut for commuters)! I was in the same situation as you, and found the techniques described by others with the leash, and the following, worked. When you get to the stage of being off leash, also randomly place the lead back on for a few minutes and reward your dog the entire time (toys, treats, whatever works), then let your dog off again. That way they learn the leash coming back on is not a bad thing and it doesnt just mean end of playtime. Your best friend down the park is a squeaky toy. Play with one with your dog at home in the most excited manner, then put it away out of sight/smell of your dog. Then when your dog gets hyper every time you bring it out, take it to the park. As soon as your dog gets up to mischief, give it a good squeak and recall your dog. Stops mine dead in his tracks and he rushes back to me. The other positive about having the leash is that is warns the other owners. Now when I see a dog on leash in an off leash area, I immediately recall my dog, and either hold him or leash him, just in case (after learning the hard way once). I keep holding my rather excited rotty and let them pass by, or some are training their dogs (just like you) and I leash mine and let them come to my boofhead dog, who by now is soooo excited. They can then be excited boofheads together, but we the owners are in control. If the other owners are sensible (sounds like some are not though from your description of them asking you to let yours join in the fun), they will appreciate your efforts and probably help out in training yours. Just tell people what you are doing, they will understand, as not all dogs are perfect, and maybe some of theirs were loony puppies at one stage as well!

http://www.perfectpaws.com/crt.html Definitely easier to toilet train with a crate. Just look around a good pet shop for brands, snoop around the online ones as well.

Sure shes a REAL labby then? :rolleyes: My previous labby may as well have been named Hoover. He spent our dinner times scouring the floor in the hope we dropped something. There is no real fixed growth rate. Different dogs will have growth spurts at different stages. Mine went through a kinda awkward stage at 4 months. His body was waaay too big for his head! :rolleyes: It has since caught up, and he is a typical rotty fathead. At 11 months, I think he will only fill out now. Maybe yours is a late developer?

Mine has had Optimum, Advance, and Euk. His staple is kibble, and every meal varies with meat, sardines, veges, eggs day to day. Noticed his poo is more consistent and less of it with Advance/Euk. Though its nasty when doing the switch between brands! His coat is better with Euk. The only reason I am sticking to Euk over Advance is because it seems more widely available.

hehe... I know where mine sleeps... follow the snoring! He also does the twitching, followed by a very high pitched (for a rotty) grrrrooooooff! Its hilarious! :rolleyes:

My solution involved building a low brick wall around his water bucket. He can stand over it to drink, but he cant place his paws in it to tip it, and cant bite the edge of the bucket to grab it as the bricks are the same height as the bucket.

My furball is very curious and used to come over with a furrowed brow and wonder what in the world I was doing! He's now used to my bizarre fascination with his poo and ignores me when I pick it up. I think he still respects me. He just thinks "well, whatever gets yer rocks off! But can we play ball afterwards?".

Advantix, Advantage, Frontline, Revolution, etc. control eggs/larvae. No good if there are heaps of adult fleas that attack your dog when outdoors. They are probably coming from another host and breeding in the grass on your property. What sort of area do you live? Suburbs? Farm? As well as vacuuming inside regularly, mow your lawn, especially in the country! What other animals are nearby? Rats & mice? Possums? Cats? Get rid of them from your property if you can. Remove anything from the yard where rodents will hide. If puppy is not too young, a flea rinse will help. After all that, get a pro in to nuke the outdoors!

Definitely take him to obedience training. It will train both of you, and both of you will be happier together for it. It also helps out with socialisation for you dog. How old is he? My rotty used to hate the lead when he was very young and bite and tug it, until he worked out it takes him to lots of wonderful places! Just remember to use the treats as a reward for good behaviour. Obedience school can help with identifying how to reward. Is he just biting at it, or dragging you places? If he drags you around (or tries to), remember if he is a puppy he will only get stronger! My rotty can now drag me around when I sit on cardboard, just like a sleigh ride! Point is, a Halti, or Gentle Leader can help with this, and it doesnt harm your precious pooch!

Thanks for all the ideas. And thanks (not!) for laughing at us! Cardboard? Hmmm... that would last, maybe, 5 seconds! When I need to throw cardboard into the recycle bin, young Azlan is the one who brings it down to size! So that would be a no! He knows cardboard is fair game. I believe they grow up too, just that my previous labby took 8 - 9 years to do so! And a nearby neighbour rotty (who is 13 and still looking young) apparently "matured" when he was also 8 - 9 according to his parents! *Sigh* Today he ate one of the timber railings to the back stairs. At least its not his bed!

ermm... we had a lab called Brandi who was, well, Gold! No other way to describe his colour. OK, may one other way - Brandy coloured! Many people, including labby breeders commented on how unique his colour was! So there! Definitely do NOT give in to whining. Dog crates are a magical thing! We got one after a few weeks, but should have from day one! Keeps them calm (its a cave!), toilet trains, keeps them close (without losing any more rugs!), helps them sleep in foreign places (its a piece of home on holidays, and prevented ours from eating our B&B hosts pet ducks!). We had neighbours who gave in to their pup, and for the entire year they lived next door, their dog would howl and whine when left alone! Enough to drive us insane! Well, they moved before we went postal! As much as we adored their little guy, sometimes we wanted peace! Good advice from flycow on attention seeking behaviour. We have a rotty, and they are experts at demanding attention! Just need to be strong and do not look at them! Earlier tonight he shoved his ball in my lap, I let it drop and didnt look at him at all. He got the message, grabbed the ball and played by himself until I was ready to play catch with him. Now if only I could stop him chewing his bedding...

All the advice mentioned works, it may not seem like it at first, but just be patient and persist. Cherish the puppy time because you will never get it back! Yelping and having a chew alternative toy handy worked for us. Definitely take him to a good puppy pre-school when ready. At beginners/puppy obedience, we could very quickly see which pups went to pre-school, and which ones didnt! Its such a good learning experience for the owner! As for the food thing, make sure you give it to him and do not tease him, otherwise he will learn to snap at the food. Our 10 month old rotty can delicately take a crumb from your fingers without you feeling his teeth! My previous lab was very boisterious and thought he was a pup for about 8 years! One day, he grew up!

Love the photos, just like some I have seen on the *ahem* breed forum. I wonder what goes on in his little head? Must be something like this: "*Yawn*, another morning... hmmm... bored... too tired to get up and play... whats this? feels spongy... tastes funny... but reachable right now... ooooh look... it comes apart... and again... and again! hey, this is fun!" Unfortunately, no pics of the evidence! Too upset to take a photo! Who, me? I dont destroy beds! Look, I am a good puppy! Leave me alone! I am trying to sleep!

OK, he is a 10 month old rotty. He is over the teething (thank God!), he knows not to chew anything other than toys inside, things we leave outside are his to chew. Does not chew the mat in the crate inside, sleeps like a baby. OK, so far so good. Now... Every type of bedding and/or mat left outside is shredded to a bizillion pieces! Vinyl, hessian, fabric, even the trampoline beds! He slept inside during winter and was OK, and when we first got him, I used teething as an excuse for the stuff he destroyed. But now, he still kills all bedding! Oh, and he loves eating things with "stop chew" type sprays, he just washes them down with water! He is currently sleeping on, and slowly eating a trampoline bed. When does it end? How do I teach him when I am not there? (he only does it when he is alone, usually when he wakes up at the crack of dawn and we are still in bed!)