Cindy asked for advice regarding her Lab puppy:
“Hi, We have a 8 mos yellow lab. Sweet as can be when you are with her. SHe is outside alone 4 days a week. She has managed a couple of time to get inside the house while we are gone and wreaks havoc this time is was all the xmas decorations ..shredded. Other than the obvious of making sure she can’t get in, do you have any suggestions? My husband and I are thinking she is bored and may need a playmate. What are your thoughts?”
Labradors are a popular breed, but there are a couple of things to consider before getting one:
- Labs are “People Pooches” – they really need to spend lots of time with the family, otherwise they can become stressed and destructive (your dog is breaking in to the house because she thinks you are there and wants to be with you, then she is chewing on things because you are not there!)
- Although they come from a working type, they are not necessarily an outdoor dog
As you have already brought a Lab into your family, there are a couple of things you can do to ease the time she is left on her own and alleviate some of the other problems you are having as a result. Here are a few suggestions:
- Find her a place in the house where she can be left and put a bed there for her. If you are worried about her wandering, get a large puppy pen – this type of confinement is not cruel, she will feel more secure and you will not be as worried about any damage she may cause. You may need to help her get used to it at first, so be patient. Also, encourage her to spend time there when you are home, which will help her become a little more independant.
- If she is left all day, firstly make sure someone is able to spend some time with her half way through to let her toilet and play a little and secondly, make sure you pay plenty of attention to her the rest of the time.
- Give her something to focus the chewing on – a stuffed kong or just one of those kong extreme rubber bones will do the trick. Teach her what she is allowed to chew and she will be less likely to make her own choices. Do bear in mind though, a dog will not be able to distinguish between a ball and a baubel on the xmas tree!
- Make sure she is well exercised – take the advice of your vet or the breeder she came from as to how much and how intensive given that her bones are still developing, but definitely try to have her burn off both mental and physical energy before she is left alone. You will be surprised how effective this is. Just as an example, I recently had to take time off with a bad back, and wasn’t able to give my Lab the amount of exercise he is used to (though my wife did try in my place). He was like a different dog, really hyper until normal service resumed a week or so later!
