Food - He is very good and will sit and wait for me to give him a signal to go and eat. No probs there
Leash - He pulls a fair bit at first but few sharp jerks he settles down. He often tries again but gets quickly under control
Around people - too excited, he jumps up on them and nips a lot. If I am around I can control him with assertive words and by hold him in a sitting position but he cannot control himself.
Calling him - if he is by himself he comes at once. If I take him to the dog park and he is playing he doesn't come at all.
Kids - from time to time he tries to nip at them but after I tell him no he usually takes a toy instead and runs with them , however I have to correct his behavior often. He also tries to snatch toys from them (never does it with me) and the only wait to make him release it is to get the broom and tap the ground. he will then sit immediately and drop the toy. He doesn't listen if I tell him to drop it.
The really major problem for me is the jumping up and the nipping and snatching toys from my kids.
Is this behavior consistent with his age or by now he should be over this stage ?
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If you don't have the time to train him, he's NEVER going to stop the behaviours that you don't want.
This is why responsible breeders DO NOT usually sell dogs to people with young children. So because you bought from a bad breeder, now you also have the hurdle of an unstable temperament to deal with since temperament is genetic.
It does sound like some of this behaviour is just puppy behaviour, but it also sounds like you need to step up and train the damn dog. If you can't, then he needs to go to lab rescue so he can get adopted out NOW, rather than when he's out of control and 3 years old, and utterly unadoptable. http://www.thelabradorclub.com
Dog Training Schools - Who is Being Trained, You Or the Dog
- totally consistent. just keep doing what you are doing. he will get it. you just have to be on the ball all the time with him and make sure he does as you ask.
- He's still just a puppy, and just hasn't been trained enough.
You don't say how old your kids are, -but it's not enough that YOU train the dog.
EVERY member of the house - including the kids - must help train the dog, so the dog learns to obey EVERYONE.
To stop his jumping up & nipping, just give a sharp "NO" command and give him a quick firm hard poke/nudge in the neck or ribs (enough to get his immediate attention and make him stop and look at you with a "Huh?" look). Then stand over him until he is calm for 5-10 seconds, then give him a reward.
Repeat as necessary. Do it EVERY time, and he will soon learn that "jumping-biting = a painful poke" and "sitting calmly & relaxed = a reward".
To stop the snatching toys from the kids. The dog is not seeing the kids as "pack leaders". The kids should hold the toy and tell the dog to SIT or lay-DOWN. If the dog tries to snatch the toy, give the "NO" and poke in the ribs. If the dog obeys the SIT / DOWN and/or just waits... drop the toy on the floor and put their foot on it. IF the dog tries to get it, do the "NO"-poke correction.
Wait until the dog is backed away & laying down, and then remove your foot. IF the dog tries to get it, do the "NO"-poke correction. Wait until the dog waits calmly. and THEN give the toy to him as a reward. - He's probably still has some "puppy in him, and should grow out of it, but he could just be in need of more exercise..haaha but I watch animal planet a lot and you need to watch the show "it's me or the dog" because it teaches tricks on how to train your dog..try,when you take him on a walk, the moment he lunges forward either because he sees another dog or whatever, immediately turn the other way or stop and say no..eventually he will learn that if he lunges forward his walk gets delayed or his focus on the object is broken. Hope this helps!! But for nipping, just correct him with a newspaper, it doesn't hurt because it's just paper, but the noise it makes when it makes contact with him will scare him..and say no, newspaper when you do correct him and soon when he does it again just say newspaper he will know what it means and stop what he's doing..
- Some of it is age, some of it is lack of enough exercise and mental stimulation. Some of it just needs more proofing with the commands. Stick him on lead and go back to day one of obedience training. Teach him all the basic, sit, stay, come, drop it etc until he has that down pat without distractions and then with distractions like the kids.
You didn't mention how old the kids are but they should be able to give him commands also.
Labs can be wild if not given allot of exercise and that is not just a little walk during the day. It means running him and playing until he is tired - Pretty consistant with the age and the breed. Labradors take a long time to mature.
They are also very high energy dog- and this is pretty normal behaviour for an active, intelligent boisterous dog.
It is clear that you are doing well at training him by yourself- but kids can complicate training. No doubt your dog loves playing with them- he probably gets very excited if your children make noises in protest of him pinching their toys- it is probably all a big game for your puppy.
Recalls take plenty of time and patience. It took my 5 years to get my Lab mix to a stage where her recall was flawless. 5 years. I could call her back if she was in stock chasing drive- and that takes some work.
Of course he is not going to come back to you when he is playing at the dog park. You are not nearly as exciting as all the other dogs he is playing with.
You need to find a special treat or toy that you only use in situations like obedience training or the dog park- something extra special- cooked chicken, cheese, kabana, etc, or a special toy. Start by taking him to these places when there arent many distractions (no other dogs is ideal) and work with him on leash before you begin training him off leash under heavy distraction and you will have much more success.
Enroll in obedience- great for exercise, mental stimulation, soclisation, and for giving you advice on how to train your pup and work on these behaviour problems.
Your pup clearly does not understand the "drop it" command. Why not change how you are training him? Instead of punishing him by taking the toy away, reward him for relenquishing the toy by giving him a more desirable toy or treat? Teach your kids how to train your dog as well and he should be much more respectful with them.
Good luck! - Try being a little less harsh with the pup. Instead of jerking when he pulls, just stop or turn around. Instead of correcting excited behavior, ignore it and only pet him when he is calm. When he jumps up just look away and stand still until he stops, then pet him when all 4 feet are on the ground.
It's normal for dogs to have a hard time hearing their owners when they are out in public. Training has to be "proofed" for different locations. A good positive only trainer can help you with this.
If he doesn't return a toy - offer a trade.
I've posted some links below on jumping, getting a dog's attention to come, ignoring bad behavior and rewarding good behavior, trading, loose leash walking, etc..
Also, it can take labs a long time to grow up. If he isn't taught calm behaviors (through positive, non aversive, non harsh methods) you can expect this for years to come.
If you dont' want to take him to a postive only training class, a good book to read is Family Friendly Dog Training by Patricia McConnell. Another good book is It's Me or The Dog by Victoria Stillwell.
there is absolutely no need to poke, stand over, jab, etc..
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