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Thread: Hello All!

  1. #11
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    Thanks guys for your advice!!

  2. #12
    Senior Dog smartrock's Avatar
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    Hi and welcome! Bitter Apple works for some dogs, my younger pup seemed to think it was salad dressing. She also enjoyed eating sticks and mulch doused with sriracha. She's a crazy one. Our older lab nibbled baseboards, the legs of the dining room table, and ate socks any time and every time he could find one. Our younger one did none of those things, just chewed sticks and mulch. Our first 2 dogs were boxers and the damage they did to our kitchen cabinets, some stacked up drywall, and a couple of sofa cushions was impressive and frustrating. In addition to boxers and labs, we've also had a couple of bullmastiffs. Our first lab was by far the mouthiest of them all in terms of nipping and chewing. Our second lab did very little nipping or chewing although she does like to carry things in her mouth, including your hand or the hem of your clothes sometimes. The boxers were bad but we were young and worked full time so they were probably mostly bored and under exercised. You just don't know what you'll end up with. Some of the breeders on here seem to work with puppies before they even go home at 8-9 weeks to teach them what is OK to put their teeth on and what is not, as well as giving them a good foundation for potty training. I have to say that once they get through their shark attack stage and with some training, they are some wonderful dogs. Finding a good breeder is a good place to start.

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    Justice4all (08-07-2017)

  4. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by smartrock View Post
    Hi and welcome! Bitter Apple works for some dogs, my younger pup seemed to think it was salad dressing. She also enjoyed eating sticks and mulch doused with sriracha. She's a crazy one. Our older lab nibbled baseboards, the legs of the dining room table, and ate socks any time and every time he could find one. Our younger one did none of those things, just chewed sticks and mulch. Our first 2 dogs were boxers and the damage they did to our kitchen cabinets, some stacked up drywall, and a couple of sofa cushions was impressive and frustrating. In addition to boxers and labs, we've also had a couple of bullmastiffs. Our first lab was by far the mouthiest of them all in terms of nipping and chewing. Our second lab did very little nipping or chewing although she does like to carry things in her mouth, including your hand or the hem of your clothes sometimes. The boxers were bad but we were young and worked full time so they were probably mostly bored and under exercised. You just don't know what you'll end up with. Some of the breeders on here seem to work with puppies before they even go home at 8-9 weeks to teach them what is OK to put their teeth on and what is not, as well as giving them a good foundation for potty training. I have to say that once they get through their shark attack stage and with some training, they are some wonderful dogs. Finding a good breeder is a good place to start.
    Salad dressing?? lol! As far as breeder, I believe hat I have a good one. Thanks for the much needed advice!

  5. #14
    Senior Dog TuMicks's Avatar
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    Most of the people that have major dog-destructomatics are prone to leaving their dogs loose and not attended. Keep them near you so you can watch them and teach them what is OK and what is not. Find a dog repellent that works (I have my favorite that is fail-proof and will let you know what it is if you PM me.) Between that and keeping your eye on your dog, lots of appropriate toys, etc. you can survive the teething phase.

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    Justice4all (08-07-2017)

  7. #15
    Senior Dog dxboon's Avatar
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    Labradors are retrievers and like most gundogs are very mouth-oriented as part of their overall genetic makeup. Lab puppies are very cute and friendly, but they do need a watchful eye and can be destructive chewers. If you can't keep an eye on the puppy fully, exercise pens and crates are helpful in saving your furniture and drywall and other inappropriate chewing sites. You'll find that puppies don't often differentiate between chew toys that we give them and chew toys they find around the house (like furniture, shoes, drywall, baseboards).

    Finding a quality breeder who raises and socializes the puppies properly and does health testing, etc. is the best first step you can take. Your breeder should be able to provide proof that both parents of the puppy have been tested and pass all the customary health clearances for the breed (hips, elbows, heart, EIC, prcd-PRA, CNM, annual eye exam), your breeder should be competing in one or more venues to prove their dogs are worthy of breeding, and they should be able to talk with you about what types of socialization, and enrichment protocols they do with their litters. Puppies learn bite inhibition from their mothers, but their early interactions with their breeder and other humans in their home helps to set the tone for what types of chewing and behavior are acceptable.

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    Justice4all (08-07-2017)

  9. #16
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    Welcome to the board! There's an old adage that the reason Lab puppies are so cute is so you don't kill 'em when they're little .

    In all seriousness, Lab puppies can be pretty horrible, they chew, they jump, they bite. It's good that you're going into this eye's wide open, folks have given you some good advice and recommendations. My only additional advice is to make sure you find a breeder that you are very comfortable with, as they will be your go to source for help and information, and make sure they do ALL applicable health clearances.

    Good luck with your search and let us know how it goes!

  10. #17
    Senior Dog TuMicks's Avatar
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    So, here's the deal. If you get a Brittany... or German Shepherd... or Blue Tick Coon Hound... or (God forbid) a Jack Russell Terrier, after they've grown past the teething stage and your furniture and wall board and shoes are relatively safe, at the end of all that... you're left with a

    Brittany Spaniel or a German Shepherd or a Blue Tick Coon Hound or a JRT.

    At least at the other end of the tunnel, with a Lab puppy, you end up with a LAB!!!

    I'd put up with the Lab puppy any time.
    Last edited by TuMicks; 08-09-2017 at 12:18 AM.

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    Meeps83 (08-08-2017), SamsonsMom (08-09-2017)

  12. #18
    Senior Dog Tanya's Avatar
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    There is also another option: a slightly older dog (non puppy but not OLD). Breeders sometimes have older pups (6 months and older) they place (either a return or a dog they kept but decided won't work for their lines). Assume the breeder is responsible you can skip some of the worse stages and get a dog with training under way. Or a rescue. Tons of labs in rescue (though this varies based on location)
    Last edited by Tanya; 08-09-2017 at 06:58 AM.

  13. #19
    Senior Dog SamsonsMom's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Justice4all View Post
    I love your baby!
    Thank you! Asher is something else.

 



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