Advice on Training Rescue Lab

[Tori]

Hi,

Would love any tips you guys have. This is where I am now.

Juno - 9 months - Female - Unspayed

Knows - sit, down, fetch, off, stay (but only when I am a few metres away), bath, heal BUT only when she sees I have food in my hand else she is suddenly completely deaf.

Main problems I am having that I do not know how to fix with her:

Jumping up
Jumping like a cat incessantly with all four feet off the floor
Chewing me
Nipping me

Any suggestions at all would be welcome.

Thanks

[Halcyon]

9 months is around the stage in which they hit the "teenage stage." This is the time in which words go in one ear and out the other and they listen whenever they feel like it. Manners disappear, "memory loss" occurs and selective hearing occurs.

How long have you had her?

Jumping Up
This is a very common training issue. Does this happen when you come home? If so, try enforcing the "no look, no touch, no eye contact" and turning around when she jumps. Ignore her until she has four paws on the ground.

Chewing/Nipping Me
This should really have been curbed as a puppy but since she's a rescue, her previous owners may not have tackled it. At 9 months, she is capable of doing much more damage. Does she break skin? I'm not sure how helpful I'll be here but try reading through Puppy Biting (Sticky maybe?) and Puppy biting!. I know these were written for a puppy in mind but it might be of help.

It's late here so I'll be signing off soon. More helpful members will be on here shortly. Good luck!

[Doreen Davis]

How long have you had her? Was she fostered or straight out of a shelter? It takes them a bit of time to really 'settle in', and consistency and 'order' are the best thing you can provide with short training sessions several times a day to address the jumping up etc. We say off and turn around with our arms folded and Anthony stops jumping, it takes repetition. The nipping and chewing we worked on saying no and providing a substitute to chew etc. She may not have stayed with her mom long enough and the bite inhibition didn't take.

Also, an obedience class if they are available would help her. Also, I would spay her asap if you can so that there are no accidents.

[Tori]

Thank you!

I have had her now 10 days only. I took her from Cairo where a life on the streets was looming and I think she had very little training as she has either USMI or an ectopic ureter which we trying to fix.

The jumping is all the time really - as soon as she is even slightly excited she jumps. I try spinning around but she really holds on tight and just continues jumping at me. I tried to put her in submission position and calm her but as soon as I release she jumps again.

The chewing does actually hurt but does not break the skin - YET - the nipping is when she is excited but chewing is when she is happy or wants attention or is bored.

On walks she does sometimes jump up, nip and chew.

[Halcyon]

Thank you!

I have had her now 10 days only. I took her from Cairo where a life on the streets was looming and I think she had very little training as she has either USMI or an ectopic ureter which we trying to fix.

The jumping is all the time really - as soon as she is even slightly excited she jumps. I try spinning around but she really holds on tight and just continues jumping at me. I tried to put her in submission position and calm her but as soon as I release she jumps again.

The chewing does actually hurt but does not break the skin - YET - the nipping is when she is excited but chewing is when she is happy or wants attention or is bored.

On walks she does sometimes jump up, nip and chew.

Yep, Labs are notorious for being "landsharks" or "furry piranhas." Try reading through the articles I linked to in my previous post and see if you can apply any of them.

I would be very wary of putting her in a "submissive position." What do you mean by that? Is that when you put them on their backs and hold them down? What do you mean she "holds on tight"? Does she grab onto your legs with hers? Oftentimes, jumping can be a sign of excess energy as well as, excitement.

[BaconsMom]

I would sign up for a training class. They will address a lot of these issues and help you two create a bond. Also, 9 months is a tough age. Bacon, who is now just over a year, was a little brat at that age. He is now a great dog, but during the teenage months, he was a little terror. Be consistent and it will all get better!

[Tori]

Thank you!

Will read all. Submitting pose is probably my own version - where she lays on the side and I hold by gently stroking and calming her - but as soon as I get up she starts again and all the calm has gone out of the window.

Jumping she latches on around my waste and has a tight grip (I am only a small 5ft 3inches and quite petite)

It all sounds awful but it really is just hugely annoying - I know she is not a killer dog lol but what is annoying now am nervous can be really a big issue when older.

She has so much exercise. Walking for an hour on morning and at least one hour walk on an afternoon plus half hour ball playing and half hour training. And so much attention inbetween... Will try swimming perhaps tonight to see if this helps with her calming down at all....

[xracer4844]

Honestly these are pretty easy things to fix. The key to training a dog that you are just getting to know is to keep it positive, keep it fair, and keep it consistent. Positive doesn’t mean EVERYTHING is positive – this is a dog that hasn’t been taught good behaviour or bad behaviour.

If the dog jumps up, one strong correction downwards towards the floor and a loud DOWN is all you need. Realistically, the dog learns immediately that jumping up is not allowed and you shouldn’t need to do this more than a couple times. You need to teach the dog boundaries. If this is a dog that wasn’t cared for and not trained – they just need some direction. Be fair. I don’t allow dogs to jump up ever unless I call them up. If a dog jumps I will correct them and give a stern down. I don’t allow jumping up ever. As a dog gets more confident, before you know it they are jumping up on tables and strangers. Its just a really bad habit that I don’t allow.

Nipping or biting is also a behaviour I don’t allow. Regardless of the type of biting. I don’t care if it’s play, or excitement – teeth on skin is not acceptable. The dog won’t differentiate that biting you is allowed and biting strangers is not allowed. For stranger’s safety and more importantly the dog’s safety – this is something I would get rid of immediately. If a dog tries to nip or bite me I jowl pinch. Pinch the dogs jowls so you have control, pull the dog up off their front paws and say AH-AH NO BITING. Once they calm down, put them down. Praise the dog for being calm. Again – you shouldn’t need to do this more than a couple of times.

If you are consistent with these methods you are demonstrating that you are a fair, consistent, leader. You dog will respect you, and a strong bond will form. Work on lots of praise with other obedience commands like sit, down and stay. You shouldn’t need food for these. If the dog won’t listen to you because you don’t have food then I would use a correction to get them focused on you.

I compete in obedience so I am a little biased as to how I train. I always try to be fair, and most importantly consistent. A consistent and fair trainer will always have a good trust and bond relationship with their dog.

If these issues don’t stop – I would start looking for obedience classes or some type of training. I don’t know what would be available in Egypt.

[Snowshoe]

I wonder if your "submitting" pose is backfiring and what you are actually doing is rewarding her with attention when she gets worked up? Obviously it isn't working, though I realize it's early days yet.

I was taught a "forced down" in a couple of training classes. It's not really well named as there is little force and it's nothing like that old alpha roll stuff that used to be taught. It might be a good thing for Juno to learn as it teaches them the self control they need to just chill out and not need constant attention from you when you are with them.

So, to start, puppy on leash, put her down on the ground, keep her there for 30 seconds, 10 if you have to go shorter at first as it should be at her pace. Key feature of this: NO other interaction between the two of you. No talking, touching, reassuring, try to not even look at her. It's going to be harder for you since she's so big now. Quiet praise when you let her up. This is not a formal obedience DOWN so don't use that word and she is allowed to wiggle a bit as long as her body stays in contact with the floor.

Work up to longer times down. You can stand on the leash, kneel on it, it's good to eventually get your face as far away from her as you can so you can avoid looking at her. 30 seconds, a minute, 2, 5, 10, 15, 20 till yay, 30 minutes, a whole TV show and you can sit and watch while she chills out at your feet. Go at her speed. Do the shorter times several times a day and maybe 3 x running. Do the 30 minutes once a week, once you get to that time. Or more often if you have more than one favourite half hour TV show.

The second trainer who used this in her classes wants her pupils to work on this till the pup is a year old. She wants them to do this before she will consider moving them up into competitive obedience classes. And she can tell if your dog needs this, boy, we can all tell.


ARe your walks with her off leash? On leash walks do little to dispel Lab energy. Is there somewhere safe she can run off leash? I followed the 5 minute rule of exercise for puppies loosely and at 9 months mine was off leash nearly an hour in the morning and again in the evening, plus obedience classes and daily training for them.

Good luck to you and Juno.

[xracer4844]

Yep, Labs are notorious for being "landsharks" or "furry piranhas." Try reading through the articles I linked to in my previous post and see if you can apply any of them.

I would be very wary of putting her in a "submissive position." What do you mean by that? Is that when you put them on their backs and hold them down? What do you mean she "holds on tight"? Does she grab onto your legs with hers? Oftentimes, jumping can be a sign of excess energy as well as, excitement.

I consider a submissive position to be LAYING DOWN. I use different commands for "submissive" positions. If a dog is laying down(SUBMISSIVE POSITION) and I wan't them on their feet my command will be "LETS GO ON YOUR FEET" and he will jump up. I use positive commands like "lets go on your feet". If a dog is on their feet and I want them to lay down I can say AH-AH down.

I don't alpha roll or use any kind of really old school methodology. To the OP I hope you are not either, because to a dog like this that you are just getting introduced to and getting to know - this is the last thing you wan't to do. Its going to be damaging to your trust relationship.