NewKid Posted June 30, 2007 Share Posted June 30, 2007 Hi all, Banjo is the first labrador I have ever owned and I cannot believe how destructive he is. His bent is digging, stripping plants and eating inedible objects. We have fenced him off into his own area, removed all of the plants we cared about, and ignore most of what he does in the way of digging/pruning. However, he has started to attack the hanging baskets (after checking to see if anyone is looking!) and managed to burrow his way into the rest of the garden last night. We were met with a trail of destruction this morning that defies description. I don't know what to do to stop the digging. He is walked every day, taken to obedience once a week and the dog park twice a week. I have two young children who play with him and I also play fetch with him. But he sometimes stops in the middle of play to start digging in the lawn! What I want to know is, will he grow out of this, or are we doing something wrong? Any ideas or reassurance would be appreciated ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bloss344 Posted June 30, 2007 Share Posted June 30, 2007 (edited) I've never had a lab but have been told that the puppies are a lot of hard work. Gorgeous dogs though. It sounds like you are giving him quite a bit of stimulation but he needs something a bit more. Do you do any obedience training with him on a daily basis? It stretches the mind and tires them out mentally. It's often said that 15 mins of mental stimulation is equal to 1 hour of exercise. Trick training is great for them too. ;) There are some toys such as kongs that you can stuff to keep him busy. You can scatter his food if he eats kibble, over the lawn and let him seek and find, or put it in a puzzle ball. There is a Home Alone toy that some people have had success with http://www.aussiedog.com.au/catalogue/c1/c8 As far as stopping in the middle of play to dig the lawn, that sounds like boredom. I find that if I play the same game [fetch] day in and day out, my dog gets bored, and will do a bit of digging or start looking for something else to do. Often I will play hide and seek then or do some training just so that what we are doing is not so predictable. ETA: Welcome to DOL Edited June 30, 2007 by bloss344 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlet Posted June 30, 2007 Share Posted June 30, 2007 When he's between 3 - 5 yrs he will be a lovely controllable dog I've had 2 labs and a curly coat and they were very destructive pups. Mine weren't diggers but chewed everything even down to our door frames and window sills. Can you get a clam shell / sand pit and encourage him to dig in that. Even hide treats to encourage him. Don't give him all his toys at once. Change them regularly and he won't get so bored with them. Really big bones can sometimes keep labs busy for a while. Bloss344's idea about training and obedience is good. Labs are intelligent and need mental stimulation. When he is with you watch him like a hawk and praise him when he's good and try to distract him when he is digging. Maybe use squeaky toys for distracting him. Labs are beautiful, dogs but like lots of human company and are slow to mature. I would highly recommend looking into joining an obedience club or similar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poodle wrangler Posted June 30, 2007 Share Posted June 30, 2007 It sounds like he needs more stimulation. Kong toy, raw meaty bones etc. How much exercise and company does he get at the moment? Other options include building a dog run for him. Not cheap, initially, but think of the destruction- $ + inconvenience- that will be avoided. Still have to tackle the behavioural side, also. Best wishes . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Posted June 30, 2007 Share Posted June 30, 2007 I also heard that labs dont mature until about 2.5 to 3 years old Poor thing. I would go the kong filled with food that is hard to get out like peanut butter or similar. He needs something to think about that will tire him out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissMonaro Posted June 30, 2007 Share Posted June 30, 2007 Will he ever be normal ?? He's a lab.....and that is normal Labs love to dig. I always question my prospective puppy buyers about how "garden proud" they are.......cos if they are fanatical gardeners I advise them against getting a young lab puppy. You may have to erect a fence around your plants to protect them, but make sure its secure, as it could be a game for him to get to the plant. A sandpit is a good idea for him to dig in - as has been suggested - as well as a kong. Bones are also a good idea, but dont leave him alone with them esp if smaller. A good cheap toy that I use is an empty milk bottle - 2 litre variety. Just rinse it out and give it to him. When he has chewed it up, throw it away and give him another. My labs love them. They destroy their doggy toys pretty quickly and then tire of them. Especially the squeaky ones. They will rip them apart till the squeakie no longer squeaks and then the toy is no longer interesting. They will shred balls, hence they are picked up after playtime. But as mentioned by others, they do need stimulation as they do quickly become bored. They do "mostly" grow out of the destructive stage....but even in summer my older girls will dig a hole in the garden under the trees to sleep in. (we have soft soil where I am) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blacklabrador Posted June 30, 2007 Share Posted June 30, 2007 I also heard that labs dont mature until about 2.5 to 3 years old Put your hand up if you've met T bone He's four. :D My pups have all mostly grown out of wanting to chew stuff up by the time they were two. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gottalovealab Posted June 30, 2007 Share Posted June 30, 2007 Ah those naughty labs, who would want one with all this destructive behaviour?? :D He will slowly grow out of his chewing (Kobi grew out of his when he was 6 months ) usually around 2ish- 3. I consider myself lucky, Kobi is not a chewer, but he does dig a bit still (hes 3). My first lab, was exactly like yours, chewing, digging and just being a general naughty boy.Quite normal really Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monah Posted July 1, 2007 Share Posted July 1, 2007 Are you sure he isn't a Spinone masquarading as a lab??!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Sounds like our place. I just leave her crated if I'm out, and that is held together with many zip ties and socks! because she can push her way out if she so desires. Oh, I do love babies!!xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewKid Posted July 1, 2007 Author Share Posted July 1, 2007 I thought I would reply to everyone in one hit - saves reading and scrolling! First, thanks for taking the time to help. I can see that my heading might have been misleading, after all he is a very normal labrador puppy! It's heartening to hear that most labs stop being so high maintenance when they mature. I have already started scattering his food - feels weird but he likes it. I will also do short sessions of obedience training each day & see how he goes. I am already a member of the Obedience Club and will join the Agility Club when he is 1. Scarlet, I have a question about the sandpit - he already has an area that he is allowed to dig up as much as he likes. Naturally he took it one step further and somehow dug out the retaining cement around the garden and started to lift the pavers. Would a sandpit be more interesting to him? I was going to spread sand in his digging area but I could use a shell instead if you think it has a better result. Poodle Wrangler, on exercise & company- he is walked every day and played with - there is only one day of the week when everyone is away. He is given plenty of big shin bones to chew and has numerous toys. I did try a Kong with peanut butter but he had no interest in that toy and it has disappeared (I think he buried it?). Miss Monaro, I have already discovered the fun of plastic milk bottles and found out very early it is best to remove the lid - it's no lie that labs will eat anything! Bloss344, thanks for the website - I'll take a look. I know it sounds like boredom (the stopping to dig in the middle of play) but that day there were about five new people playing with him and kids everywhere and he couldn't seem to stop sniffing and digging at the ground with his nose (not his paws). I know that doesn't sound like much but he can dig out plants in the garden with his nose and usually once the nose starts, the paws follow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleMiss Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 You have to be really careful with what breed you choose. My Husky Tesha was an extremely destructive puppy, even chewed up a $5000 lounge (Luckily we'd had if for 5 years and were already organising to buy a new one - but that one could have gone to St Vinnies etc instead of the dump) But since I researched the breed and had PLENTY of warnings from my bredder and other Husky owners; I was prepared :-) For Tesha, I built a small sand-pit where I encouraged her to dig. I punished her for digging elsewhere but rewarded her for digging in the sandpit. I also buried treats there for her to find. Now that we have moved to a different house, I was planning on building another sandpit; but it seems to have trained her so well that she just doesn't dig anymore. No sandpit - no digging!!! I'm not sure what you can do about the chewing because my Tesha just kinda grew out of that (I assume it was her teething stage) but maybe you could invest in a sandpit idea? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlet Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 For a sandpit I have always used the kids shell / clam as the dog knows where he is allowed to dig. I don't think its more interesting, just more comfined. You can move it around to find shade etc. Then in the warmer weather you can put water in one half and a lab will love that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Embellish Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 Just to put in my two cents worth!!! I have two seven month old lab pups at the moment and a three year old bitch. I have two very large dog runs that are half inside the shed and half outside but still under cover. When I am not home and during the night, the pups are put in together and the older bitch is put in the other run. So, the pups can still play together when they feel the need and the older bitch can have a rest from her ears being chewed!!! They are full on, but have done minimal damage as they are always supervised when I am home and they have a free run of the place. Before the pups arrived, my other bitch was still quite happy with this arrangement and understood very quickly that when put to "bed", it mean't exactly that and would just sleep (a labs other hobby) or keep entertained with a stuffed kong. This works for me, it keeps the place free from destruction and the dogs safe when they are not supervised. Well worth the investment in my eyes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KOE Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 Why is your yard so interesting you havent by any chance BloodnBoned it or fertilised it with a yummy smelly substance . I havent ever really know a sane Labby puppy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
labsrus Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 Not sure exactly what your yard is like but my Auntie once had a dog that would just dig up holes left right and centre and after speaking with the vet he told her to spray the lawn with insect killer as they often have fun trying to catch the little ground bugs and sure enough when she returned him to the yard 2 weeks later he went for a snif but no digging! Obviously this is not the answer for everyone and it would mean removing the dog from the yard as the pesticides could be harmfull. I don't want to jinx myself but my 2 labs (nearly 5 months old) just love to chew everything but no digging YET..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandgrubber Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 I have four labs under two years of age. It's very convenient to have five acres of what used to be a sandpit and they have a ball digging. One got good at digging under fences, though, and I eventually had to put up electric fence to keep her from digging out. Electric fencing doesn't sound nice, but it does work when everything else fails. The dogs learn fast, and it's rare for them to get shocked more than once. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peibe Posted July 3, 2007 Share Posted July 3, 2007 I fostered an 11 month old Lab bitch She did $3500 thousand worth of damage to my house and yard I do not know how to help you other than what other people have suggested but can say this, Imogen is now a happy, healthy non destructive 3 year old who lives with a family of 7 kids in a caravan park When she first went to live with them she ate some caravan tyres They do grow up but take awhile Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleMiss Posted July 3, 2007 Share Posted July 3, 2007 ugh don't bring up the topic of BloodnBone!!! My neighbour just fertilised the garden right against our fence and she's complaining that her dog( a 1 yr old Akita) is clawing and digging through it when she never has before and my dog is barking at the fence and trying to get through. Silly woman, she didn't even know the real ingredients of the stuff and was really surprised when I told her to go and read the label properly!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuzzy Bum Nelly Posted July 3, 2007 Share Posted July 3, 2007 I agree with Scarlet and setting aside a clam shell or an area in the yard where a sandpit can be made and encouraging the puppy to did in that area. It is hard..... and very frustrating sometimes but trust me...... once they get out of that stage (and they will get out of it ), they bring so much joy and love to your life. You do look back and say to yourself.... "How did I ever cope" but then those big brown eyes look up at you and you automatically know how you coped. Just perservere and try and have an area where he can dig .. ... try hiding toys or a bone in there and show him that he's allowed to dig in that area. Always praise that and frown upon the other digging he may do so he knows the difference. My Nelly is 3 and a half now and is so well behaved. Don't get me wrong, there are those phases she goes through and just has a dig here and there but there's no more pulling clothes off the line, no chewing shoes, no chewing wooden doors and fencing etc. Just be stern and hopefully things will start to look up for you guys. Kimmie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poodle wrangler Posted July 3, 2007 Share Posted July 3, 2007 ....When she first went to live with them she ate some caravan tyres..... :p About sandgrubbers electric fence: Friends had 2 Goldies who were wrecking their garden and causing thousands worth of destruction despite owners best efforts. The electric fence worked a treat. They were only zapped a couple of times, then the fence could be left "off" and it still worked. Bit unsightly, but worked :rolleyes: . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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