Posted on 07/14/2005 7:15:45 AM PDT by libstripper
Concur. I've had two Labs and they're simply the best dogs I've ever had. The only problem I had with both was that up until age 2 or so, they would chew everything they could get their teeth on to kindling.
The key to it is to wear them out with activities of one sort or another. It helps if you've got a pool. Most Labs take to water like a duck. Problem is, in the first two years, it's virtually impossible to wear them out.
Great dogs, though.
Just imagine this dog at top speed with the bottom and tail tucked under like this. It looks really strange!
I have two Blue Points and a Lilac Point -
Ah yes, now it's clear. My chocolate has done that when playing with one of the other dogs or with me. It is hilarious. She runs around in circles like that.
Man Labs are weird.
My first was half lab and half Irish Setter mix. He had the same kind of chewing problem and it took a tremendous effort to exhaust him. I had a good friend at work who had two sons, one about 5 and the other 6 or 7. He and I entered into an anti-dog/anti-kid conspiracy. I brought my dog, then about 8 months old, to his house on Super Bowl weekend. He, his wife, and I agreed I'd sick the dog on the kids and they'd sick the kids on the dog, all while the adults watched the game. We agreed in advance that no adult would intervene absent serious physical injury to dog or kids.
It worked perfectly. The dog and the kids created a closed circle of energy dissipating pandemonium and no furniture was damaged. The kids drove the poor dog under a couch where he stayed, exhausted, for the rest of the evening. The kids also got theirs since they were completely exhausted and slept soundly that night. We adults decided we'd come up with a real winner since we'd created a self-exhausting, substantially non-destructive energy dissipation machine.
Why didn't I think of that? -:)
"I wonder what caused her to have the accidents? Possibly a nervous 'release' in anticipation of fighting? I wonder."
My Vet and I both guessed that it was a nervous/adreniline driven condition. Regardless, it was well worth cleaning up the mess and a few extra bonding exercises. I would also test her around that particular window and she still gets alerted upon nearing it......
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