Hunny

Thanks everyone :) Danny's Darling...she certainly is no shrinking violet! :laugh: She does bark a lot, but she does stop also. From what I can gather from the neighbours, she doesn't bark at all really during the day when we are not here..I thinks she spends all day sleeping and conserving her energy for when we are home! She sleeps at night in the laundry. She used to be able to go in and out to the garden as well, but we've stopped that after she'd go out and bark for awhile, then come back in for a bit..go back out and bark a bit more...etc etc....when it was time to get up, our eyes were hanging out of our heads and she's be snoring her head off. She barks mostly in the morning at the walkers, neighbours moving about, everyones cats....and in the evening for the same reason. If we are out in the paddock, and people are walking past, she will stand and shout at them. She can get pretty vocal about it all. If she barks continually, we put her inside the laundry for a short while and she is fine then.

Thank you for your lovely replies. I've not had any complaints from neighbours, I do check with closest ones to make sure they are not getting annoyed. I've never had a dog that has barked so much before and it's the only thing that that bothers me...it's probably just me and the OH that worry about it though. She does have quite strong opinions! :)

Our 3 year old labby loves to bark. She will bark for attention (although is not so bad with that anymore) will bark when she see's people walking past, can see the neighbours, the neighbour's cats, birds, horses being ridden, when it's windy, when the leaves flutter on trees, she will often sit out on her bed on the verandah and throw out a bark here and there at the sky I am sure, she will bark at nothing much in particular. She is a very happy and extremely socialable dog. She loves going to the kennels when we go away, and the kennel owner said she is the first one to bark when he is around. She is a gorgeous dog but she just loves the sound of her own voice. I've been told about vibration dog collars. Are they good? Or a big no-no??? Thank you. :-)

Thank you! I am feeling quite reassured. :-) My last dog was always at 'Grandma and Grandad's when we had to go away but our young lab is just a tad too much of a handful still, and she does like the sound of her own voice as well. She get's to take her own toys to the kennel and in the past they put out extra water for her, on account of her liking to 'swim' in her water bowl too.

We have to go overseas for a couple of weeks soon, and as our labby is a bit too full on for my parents to look after, we are going to leave her out the local kennels. She has been there before but just for a couple of days at a time. I do like the kennels, the people are nice and it's lovely and clean, with grass runs. But I just feel horrible leaving her for so long. Can someone tell me they have done this and survived please!! :-)

That would be a nice thing to do ann21. :) Especially if she might be feeling embarrassed for having asked in the first place, if she is anything like me, it would take a bit of working up to do! :)

I got a 13 year old Staffy out the pound a few years ago, I took one look at her photo and said she was coming home with me. She was so overweight, a bit deaf, a bit blind, had the weirdest bark... but such a sweet soul. The owners had left her and another dog with a friend and just never came back, as she couldn't keep them, they ended up at the pound. The other dog was a young springer spaniel and was snapped up right away..but nobody wanted an old staffy. I thought she wouldn't last more than 6 months, and thought I'm make them happy for her.. but our dear old Rosebud got to 16 years old before eventually being PTS. She loved kids, but used to take on the horses..even though she could hardly see them!

Hi Persephone, I just wasn't sure if it was normal or common, having never come across it before.....so just making sure! :)

Thank you everyone! :) You have all been very helpful, and I feel quite relieved now. I am fairly sure there is no soreness issue (my biggest worry)as she trots when we are out in the paddock or when she is more 'relaxed' on our walks. Last night she only paced when she wanted to stop to go to the toilet, and then again when there was a dog on the side of the road and she got excited about it. The rest of the time she trotted along quite happily. It was a bit warmer than usual too, so perhaps not so energetic either!! :)

Our labby (about 20 months) will pace when I take her out walking. It seems to be more so when she needs to go to the toilet (is always better after she's been), or when she is strong/excited/focused on something else. About half way through our walk when she is more settled, she seems to be okay just trotting again. When she paces, I make her sit and start off again in a trot but it might be only a few strides before she switches back. Also tried various speeds but she can pace slow and fast! Being a labby, I am aware of the joint issues they can have. She does come from parents with excellent hip,elbow scores and we do keep her weight within a good range. So I am really hoping the pacing isn't anything to do with joints. Any ideas about this please? Is it common?? Thanks! :)

Great idea about the paint Teela! We were wondering how to flag the driveway..but this could be the way to go. :)

We are looking to get one for our place, and there are so many types out there that I'd love to hear from people who actually use them. :) We live on 2 acres, in a horse area. We have horses, neighbours have horses, all our horse yards join up along one of our boundary fences, we have a communal driveway with our neighbour, and there is a bridlepath on the other side of it, a busy road in front....it's impossible to totally fence off our property. Tilly,our 12 month labbie, has a big backgarden that she is in when we are not home, but it would be nice to have her out with us when we are pottering about the property, down at the stables etc without having to worry too much about her going off and having fun somewhere else. (At the moment we have her on a long tether when we are there, so she can be with us.)...so any information would be greatly appreciated before I decide which one to get. :)

Hmmmmmm.....70 views and no response, so I'll rephrase my question. :) Any advice on what to do, to discourage an 11 month labbie from barking at everything that moves and things that aren't really there? Or could this perhaps be a phase she is going through? We don't know whether to ignore the behavouir (and it keeps going on), distract (is this a reward for barking) or tell her off somehow.

Thank you Everyone!! I feel so much better hearing your stories, you have given me hope! :laugh: I like the idea of keeping her on a leash with new people around. It will be interesting as we've got friends coming to stay today with two boys, 14 and 12. They are busting to play with her and we're hoping they will all wear each other out. She really is such a good natured dog, but I must also stop comparing her to my old dog who really was so easy. Dog school starts soon (I keep her 'pass' in beginners on the fridge just to prove to everyone that she really has been!) so am looking forward to that. I use a choker collar on her, which I know some people don't agree with, but it seems to be the best way for us. I have tried the halti, with much embarrassement....she just kept laying down and expecting treats to get back up again.

I think the hardest thing I have found is that with my old dog, she was MY dog. My ex-husband didn't have much to do with her at all when it came to training, exercise, feeding etc. This time around my new hubby, well..he is a big softie. His family had working labs in England when he was growing up so it's a bit of a return to his childhood I think, having another one and he is the one that takes her out every day. He is perhaps not so strict or consistent with her though. We use treats to get her to return "stolen items" which she is happy to do, once she's finished running about having a fine old time. We say "Ta" and she will drop it for us and we reward her..... but time to be more consistent and stricted about her training. Nothing worse than doggy with no manners! :)

Thanks you! Yes...I think she think she knows how to beat the rules. When she has something she shouldn't, she just runs around and around and you can't get near her, it's all a big game. Was most embarrassing when the item in question was a friend's favourite straw hat! I suppose I feel like I am always 'on her case' so to speak, always talking sternly to her or I'm always at her to behave....and she is always laughing, thinking it's all good fun. It is worse when people say "oh but she's only a puppy'...sure, but she's a very big puppy too. I have heard of the NILIF, so will check that out alot more. One thing I won't do is pay her any attention until she is sitting and she is starting to learn that. And she certainly loves to retrieve! :)

My last dog (a crossbred) was so easy to train and very well behaved. We got to Advanced in dog school in no time at all, she was good at agility and we also did a few school fete displays etc. I felt like I was quite strict with her but she was great with it, she was very tuned in to me.. Our new lab puppy is now 11 months old........and she drives me crazy! We've been going to dog school, we use treats, she is exercised every day. But she always jumps up at people that come near, she always pulls on the lead (okay,not all the time but quite it's very embarrassing when you 'burst' into the vets, who by the way is her best friend ever!) she will sit and drop but seems to have to think about it for a bit first, recall is on her terms, alot of what happens depends on if there is a treat or not. We have her inside at night with us and she won't stay on her mat, she runs off with the tea towels and whatever else she can get in her mouth. (OH won't use a crate.) Don't get me wrong, I love her to bits!! I do love that she is so different from our old doggy, but I am just wondering how much of it is "puppy behaviour" (as I am often told) or how much is not being well trained on our behalf!

Hi Lisey, we've just had Matilda, our 11 month labby done too, she had her stitches out last week. Wasn't she the happiest dog to have her paddling pool back again!! :laugh: The vet went through a list of how quiet she would be, might not want to eat, limited/no exercise etc etc.....well, she bounded out of the vets like nobody's business! However once in the car she slept all the way home and that night as well. She was given a long lasting pain relief injection for that night. But we didn't have anti-inflam tablets. We had no problems with her chewing or licking stitches and she ate well. The hardest thing was keeping her quiet as all she wanted to do was run and play. She did develop a swelling under the stitches from being too active and she was confined in the laundry for 3 days after that, but it's all okay now. Hopefully you have no problems like we did. :)

Thanks for the info, I will definately follow up on the shampoo and supplements..I will try anything. Dancinbcs...the shedding!!!! I had no idea how bad it would be!! She sleeps in the laundry at night (with a doggy door to go outside) and the amount of hair on the tiles every day is just amazing. My OH grew up with Labs in England, they were used as proper gun dogs and he just loves them. He is realising why his Mum was so insistant about the dogs staying outside all the time....and why she was always cleaning.

Our 10 month lab is groomed regularly, not overweight, fed RC Lab junior biscuits with either chicken wings, sardines or eggs thrown in, and her coat is shiny.....but she pongs!! She is outdoors most of the time and only comes in at night for a couple of hours and it's not nice because she smells, and the house is getting whiffy too. I think it's because she loves to lay in the pond at times (which we clean regularly) or her paddling pool. So any ideas on how to reduce the smell? What is the best shampoo etc for washing her in, and how often? My last dog was hardly ever washed and she didn't smell so bad at all.

We paid $1000 for our girl, on a Limited Register not long ago. The stock she comes from is top quality, elbow/hip scores are near on perfect, tested for PRA and EIC. The breeder she comes from only breeds for family/pet dogs. She could have gone onto the Main Register if I had wanted, but in the end, she is still the same dog which ever way she is registered.

My old girl (staffy/kelpie) usually always paced when I took her walking. I think it was as some others here have said, it was the gait most suited, most comfortable to her for longer distances..and we didn't slouch along either. She always trotted when she was running about by herself though.

My Daisy went in Feb this year, and I never wanted another dog...but two months later Matilda came to be with us. I found that 'researching' what kind of breed we would like did help with the grieving, and Tilly is totally different to Daisy in personality, breed, everything. I have to say though, I still have a cry that my Daisy isn't here anymore. Funny thing though, Daisy had her spot in the house where she slept all the time, but Tilly won't sleep or even lay there. I think Daisy is still with us.

Totally agree Nekhbet. Put bickies down for breakfast, she had a bit of a sniff and wandered off. 10 minutes later I put them away. Hubby tried to give them back to her for 'lunch', she wasn't interested and I told him lucky we don't have kids or there'd be some serious disagreements going on! Tonight she ate them, so we'll keep going this way. Any bones can be given after the biscuits are eaten I think.

Thanks Persephone We 'sort of' did this when she was younger and I think she went one and half days without eating anything before eating her biscuits. Hubby is a soft touch though and thought I was being terrible. Anyway, time to give it another go I think!