Look into getting something called a Buster Cube. Or something similar to it. You can put her normal dog kibble in it. It will keep her occupied and mentally stimulated for 5-20 minutes or so. I don't recommend it on hard floors if you're in the room though, because it makes a lot of noise.
Labs are inherently energizer bunnies. Born to fetch all day long. They may get tired, but they won't give up.
Be careful with the running until her bones are fully developed. I think that is about age 9 months. Ask your Vet. The long bones and growth plates need to be done, or you can do damage if you take her on runs. I mean human runs. It's one thing to let dogs play at their own pace — if you watch them, they play hard then rest, over and over again. A human “run” is a non-stop event, and the dog doesn't have a chance to rest, or drink water, or cool their body.
It's not hot now, but obviously when it gets hot again, be careful about running on asphalt. It can burn their feet. And as you know, dogs sweat by panting, and that isn't enough on hot days. A dog will never give up and quit on you — so if you ask a dog to run 8 miles, they will. But it may kill them. But a well-conditioned adult dog (of the right breed), with the right training, can run long distance like that.
On the teething thing, you can freeze a wet wash cloth, and let her chew on it (supervised!!) to sooth her teeth and gums. Freeze two, so you always have one to rotate out.
Labs are notorious for chewing and ingesting cloth items. Be very careful with that. Intestinal blockage = expensive and very risky surgery.
And as you've already found out, the best exercise for a puppy or a dog is another play buddy. If you have any friends who can bring their dog to your house during the day so the two dogs can play with each other to their hearts content, that would be ideal. :-)
Keep up the great work!!
Oh, my runs are just like the dogs :)
we are very lucky in Warsaw to have a lot of green areas all over the city and I've got a forest just 20 minutes walk away, so it's great!
for teething, she's not terribly interested in cloth, but she's got some rubber squeaky toys that she adores (and which drives my wife crazy!) and of course if she gets a stick it is gnaw-gnaw-gnaw!
Funny story about cloth items -- I didn't know labs did that -- we have a beautiful big lab that plays here and he loves to eat cloth items that he finds outside -- to the chagrin of his owner!
hmm... inviting a dog over to our house - that's a good idea!
1. she can sometimes bark at a larger, strange dog -- I guess this is fear
2. If there is a stranger dog to the pack then she plays well, but if that stranger, on the first day, tries to take the stick she is gnawing, she fights. She doesn't fight with her friends if they take her stick and she doesn't fight with stranger dogs if they don't
I'm guessing this is normal doggie activity -- is that correct?
Also, what should I do if my dog is fighting with a dog that is more or less the same size? If it is a larger dog, I try to get the owner to do something before mine is hurt and if it is a smaller dog (which hasn't happened, but she can sometimes play too rough with say a yorkie) then I put her on the leash and sometimes put her on her back for the littler dog to smell her and she's ok with that.
But if they're the same size, one "group of thought" says "let them fight until one gives up, then if the other doesn't back off, then intervene" -- and I'm inclined to agree with that -- is that correct?