Meeche

Dad has decided to get a behaviouist in to assess things. I offered him the option of taking him back to the RSPCA but he doesn't want that to happen. When he bit my dog it wasn't like he just went for her. She did get in the way of what he was doing. We do want to give this pup every opportunity as he really is a lovely lovely dog. It is just the aggression towards other dogs. We have always had retrievers and labs and my Dad is adament that he will sort it out. Wish us luck - for now...

Do you think even though 5 months has passed I should call them? He was sick when we first got him (we didn't know this).. had kennel cough and was very slow and calm but after 2 weeks he started getting worse and worse with the aggression. I hadn't even thought to call them. If they took him back would he be PTS????????????????

To cut a long story very short. We adopted a beautiful Golden Retriever from the RSPCA in April. He has not got along very well with our Labrador due to agression and he is very highly strung. We believe he was probably poorly treated by the way he cowers at certain things and is SOO obedient and at your feet rolled over at the slightest raied voice. My father agreed to take this gorgeous boy and look after him. When we had him with us we found him extremely difficult to walk as he was just too strong for me and almost too strong for my husband. He was always barking at a dog across the road from us and got out a couple times and ran over to their fence (an open type one) and we thought he was going to rip its head off. He was SO aggressive. He had a go at our lab 3 or 4 times where he bit her and drew blood. My Dad has been trying to train him more and today when they were on the lead there was another dog not on a lead that came up. They both sat and were good so Dad loosened the lead slightly and our dog lunged for the other dog and bit it and it yelped and ran away. My Dad is very distressed as really, he is a 70 year old man who I am worried might be pulled over and can't control this big dog. Just don't know what to do. Would a behaviourist be able to help? If so, would it take long? I mean, I am not going to lie, we do not have oodles of money and I cannot expect my pensioner father to spend too much money on trying to "fix" this boy if it doesn't help in the long run? It is so hard as he is so lovely and such an obedient good boy who just loves to be patted... almost to the point he is practically on top of you! We are on the Central Coast. Any constructive advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

Hi there.. I have a nearly 5 mth old Labrador who has been on Eukanuba Large Breed Puppy since we got her. It has been hit and miss with this and she generally eats her food. She definately doesn't woof it down and doesn't love it. If we put an egg with it she eats it NO problem, or a bit of milk. The last week or so she doesn't seem to like it at all. I have read tonight that I should take her food away if she doesn't eat it so will try that. Do you think I should be giving her anything else with the dry food? She is 20kg and is 5mths old next week. I don't want an overweight dog so don't want to get into the habit of giving her extra food when it isn't necessary. She will sometimes get treats like bones etc or the egg but it isn't every day. The other thing is that she does so many #2's! Minimum 3 a day, sometimes 5!!! Is that normal???? I thought they were meant to do less # 2's when they ate premium food???? So you think I should be changing her food? I thought this was the "best" for the lab?? Thanks....

Thanks for the advise. We never thought to get up during the night to take her out cause the trainer at Puppy school told us that if you get up to a dog at 4am then they will develop the habit of wanting to go at 4am?! We have been doing everything we have been told by the people in the know we have asked so that is why we posted on here as I know you all have your own experience! :-) I do take her out myself regularly, every couple of hours and she goes, gets a reward and lots and lots of praise. It is just night time that is the problem. She is an inside dog when we are home but is free to go outside when she wants if we are home. If we leave the house she goes outside. Will have a look at those suggested websites... In regards to crate training. I thought that was how you taught toilet training? Am I confused? Must be! What other reason would the dog need to be in the crate for? Honest question.. we have never used a crate in my family, the dog has always had a bed inside and been left outside when we leave the house...

Our 13 week old puppy is just not getting the toilet training thing! We initially had her in a pen that had just her bed and water so essentially a crate without a roof. We would just wee in her bed every night. The people at puppy school told us that dogs won't wee or poo in their bedding - well, ours did and didn't care too hoots! SO, she started to jump out of the pen a few weeks ago and just wee and poo in the kitchen (where we had the pen) aswell as her bed. THEN we rearranged things and moved her bed into the laundry (which is a smaller space) and decided that we would rather clean up wee on newspaper than in her bed as she doesn't seem to wee in the bed very often if she has the ability to get out. NOW DH is tired of cleaning it all up as last night she did 3 poos and walked all in it etc etc... gross gross gross. She goes outside when we tell her 95% of the time. Is rewarded with treats and doesn't really get into trouble if she has an accident inside (which happens every couple of days but only if we haven't taken her out - although the door is open). We are at wits end. Thinking of getting a crate and then just having a towel in it and cleaning that up.Thinking of making an effort during the day to leave her in the crate for longer periods each time to try and train her bladder??? Any advice would be appreciated! OH, and she is a labrador pup. Thanks.