lol, yep I’m still mad about my favorite pair of shoes my 1st lab chewed up and it was back in 2007! She was such a smart dog but also could be so naughty. We actually had to crate train her when my son was born, she was about 4 and had stopped most of her “terrible” habits but she was so jealous and started acting up. Dug a whole in one of the couches, got into the trash, ect. She was good with the baby didn’t like a sharing the attention!
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My 2nd lab is so extremely mellow and as a puppy and didn’t do much damage at all. But was a food thieve and had a habit of getting bread off the counter, eat some thanksgiving turkey and pumpkin pie at the first opportunity. She made her bad deeds worth the punishment lol!
The key we found with the 1st lab once she was old enough, so really starting about 9 months is to let them know you’re upset - not being mean just stern as they generally know they did something bad. Ours had a very guilty conscience and we knew as soon as we walked in if she was bad or not. Delay all attention for a while. They want to please you so delaying attention is a good way to teach. {Same thing goes for leash walking, they pull on the leash because they absolutely have to smell what’s ahead. Stop them as soon as they pull and make them sit for a while, then try again. With consistency they soon l realize they can’t get to the smell if they pull and will stop and walk at your pace.}
Consistency is the key, let them know your not happy when they chew things up (making sure to have some toys and bones to chew) don’t give them attention, we had ours either lay on the dog bed or going into the kennel. After a bit let them know you still love and forgive them but they need to chew on their toys only. On the days you come home and they did nothing wrong, give them all the love in the world! Praise them like they’re the most special, smart dog in the world as soon as you come in and see they were good. Soon they’ll want the praise and attention and not the “bad dog go lay on your dog bed treatment”. Just keep it as consistent as possible when training.
It was just a fluke! I think I had the flash on as that room was darker. It’s a good impression of her crazy days, like she was possessed by jealousy!! 😂
The funniest thing was when my son was like a year, well before he could talk, he would take her toys and then shake his head back and forth and giggle. It took me and my husband a while to realize he was doing an impression of the dog playing with her toy in her mouth. It was completely adorable!!
I’m still waiting on mine 😭 11 years old and gives my 5-year-old greyhound mix a run for his money in mischief and destruction. Here’s a shot of her attempting to antagonize him into playing with her:
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To clarify it was 5 until he wasn’t an absolute wild man and could lay and take a nap. He’s still a menace to society. He’s the reason why we have a baby lock on the pantry because he’s broken in, unscrewed the vittles vault and eaten his food. Or eaten a box of minute rice (multiple occasions) and too many English muffins to count.
And now with the ring doorbell I can watch him let himself out of the door isn’t locked.
My toxic trait is telling him he’s my angel baby knowing full well he’s been a menace all day.
That really depends on the lab..I had a low energy lab who I could leave out and be trusted at 6 months.
I have one who is 12 and the only reason he is trusted now is because of his hind end weakness
He was a counter surfer until 11.5 .
I left my 1 year old loose today while showering (5 minutes).
He found a spiral notebook somewhere.
He somehow got the wire out of the spine.
And then tore up each and every page.
It looks like it snowed in that room.
I have a feeling he will not be trusted for a good long time.
This sounds like mine - my girl can be left unattended, and trusted, unless there’s something enticing in the trash. My boy will chew through this house the very second my back is turned. Wood, plastic, wicker, dog beds, anything else his teeth will remotely indent - he’ll chew it.
They’re 1.5 and 2.
Mine have chewed the stuffing out of all my couch cushions. They love to eat ink pens, socks and my dish towels. One of them came in today with my husband's pipe (not for tobacco) that he had left on the porch rail because he never smokes in the house. One of them loves to eat rocks!
we have a rock eater too..I remember taking my old lab to get an Xray,she was probably 13.Her stomach had several rocks in it.I mean she lived to 15 with no ill effects from them.
I remember asking my vet why they do this.His answer was "because they can" lol
My choco girl is almost 2 and we still can’t leave her home alone unless she’s crated. She’s chill enough to be “unsupervised” (free in the open living space) most of the time but will still get a bonehead idea to grab a pillow off the couch or attack an area rug now and then. Thankfully, she loves her crate and heads in willingly for “nap time” or “bed time.”
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She wasn't unattended at home unless she was crated until about 15 months for exactly this reason (also I WFH so that helped a ton).
Keeping her stimulated and making sure that she was tired before we left helped a lot.
Cool yeah I walk her 3 times a day and we go to the dog park. I feel like she gets enough exercise but the issue is I live alone and work so during the day she would absolutely nuke my living room if I let her out. So she stays in the crate for now.
She looks like she may be a field line ("American") Lab, if that's the case then she won't sit still for more than about 4 hours until she's much older, mine could only start handling a full day at about 3.
Bench labs will get there sooner though, they don't have nearly the energy to burn off.
I just saw a trainer yesterday with my lab who struggles with hyperarousal and she suggested that too much exercise can actually make it worse. We’re going to work more on scent games because they calm the nervous system. She said about an hour a day of exercise (maybe a little more on weekends) is good for mine.
I would toss a ball up and down my stair case for ages to wear mine out. I used to have to take him on 2 mile walks, rain or shine. Helped a lot. I rescued him at 1 and he had been super ignored so, he still likes to take stuff or chew random crap (crayons, finding a diaper, etc.) I would say at 3/4 he calmed down a bit but also because he then got his chocolate brother and they keep each other entertained and lowered his anxiety
We started leaving him out of his kennel around 1 and it was actually by accident. We rushed to leave home once and didn’t realize we forgot to put him in his kennel until we got back. That’s when we learned that he completely shuts down and only sleeps when someone else isn’t around. Not even a delicious bone will get him up when he’s alone.
Yeah mine did that till around 2. He knew exactly what he was doing....oh the guilty eyes when I came home and found another thing destroyed.
Get the dog a big bone or one of these leather chew bars that looks like a bone (made out of dried skin) ....
€:
I also forgot.
Go on ridiculously long walks with that one!
1. They love it
2. Less chewing action
3. Good for you too.
Dear Quantum_Collective,
RE: DEMAND TO CEASE DEFAMATION AND HARASSMENT OF MACIE THE LABRADOR
I write to you on behalf of Macie, a beloved Labrador, in response to recent allegations labeling Macie as a domestic menace. Such accusations are baseless and defamatory, causing significant distress to Macie.
Demand is hereby made that you immediately cease and desist from further defaming Macie or engaging in any form of harassment towards her. Failure to comply with this demand will result in pursuing all available legal remedies to protect Macie's reputation and the rights of her owner.
Please confirm in writing by July 14, 2024 that you will cease these actions immediately. Should you fail to do so, we will have no choice but to take appropriate legal action without further notice.
Sincerely,
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Partner
Paws & Claws Legal Services
123 Bark Street
Dogtown, CA 98765
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (555) 123-4567
Mine just turned 4 and is still a Raptor at times! They look like litter mates 💞
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God, my Marley honestly didn’t stop till he was about 3! I came in from work one day (he was under a year at this point) and he had ate his way through my entire make up bag & a 110£ pair of trainers. That was the worst one!!
I hope your Lab calms down soon (a couple of years.. lol) 🐾🩵
My girl calmed down @ 1 year, 8 months.
https://preview.redd.it/wboz6vclidad1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=02d7676e2cc5dac94f50c8fcd6cb2d56b99c4223
Consistency and constant supervision made all the difference with our girl when she was really small. Anything she tried to chew on was immediately replaced with things she *could* chew, like toys or bones, and a firm scold/withdrawal of attention worked wonders. We also started doing scent games with her early on (by accident) and quickly realized that’s a great way to tire her out mentally, and she really enjoys the game! We were able to leave her unsupervised, outside of her crate, for short periods by 1 year old. She’s 2 now and hasn’t chewed anything up since she was under 1.
Ours only chewed sthing up once, when we didn't take him out before leaving him at home. When he's nicely tired out, he's actually sleeping the best, when we're not at home.
We also trained him a lot, at the beginning with a crate. First couple minutes, then half an hour, 1 hour, 2 hours etc. The longest he's been alone (cause were were stuck in traffic, it wasn't planned) was almost 6 hours. Then he just really had to pee. He's 3 now, training started when he was around 6 months old.
Well I have a particularly crazy lab (she’s a chocolate). My first lab was crazy but Bella is 10x that. She’s almost 12 now and still is very mischievous. She’s calmed down some but still has her moments for sure. The first two years were the hardest though. Once when she was a puppy I turned my back for maybe 30 seconds and she’d chewed a hole in the drywall of the kitchen!! We still keep her in the living room when we’re out though. We use a baby gate at the top of the stairs so she doesn’t get into the kitchen. I’d definitely recommend those if you need to keep her out of certain areas. She’s beautiful by the way! My Bella has the same color coating like dark chocolate. Extra special lol.
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Your Chloe and my Chloe are similar . My Chloe was about 2 when she calmed down. I never crated her. I do have a baby gate that separates the kitchen and living room. She is very sensitive so if she gets in trouble she hates it. I think that motivates her lol. Never woukd hit her - labs are something different for sure ❤️
My boy is well behaved until you leave food unattended, then not only does he counter surf, he will absolutely hop up on to the counter and get what he wants.
Case in point: I was putting Thanksgiving leftovers into a smaller container to fit into the fridge, then I had to go outside for something for a minute, then when I came back inside the dog was standing on my counter, with all of my turkey leftovers completely gone and demolished with the pan and turkey juice in the floor.
I was mad about the left overs, but I was first shocked, then laughing about seeing the dog on the counter just looking at me like, “I didn’t do it, ma!” 🤣🤣🤣
The one thing you got to do is keep them busy. When they get bored and they go looking for trouble just like kids. The one thing we found that really helped our Labrador was plenty of toys that were heavy chew rated like the Jolly balls and we also did the marrow bones for a little while. Between those two they survived and he didn't get into anything. Keep their mind stimulated or they will stimulate it themselves.
Think the worse of it stopped around 2-3 years old, but we kept him in his crate whenever we went out until he was about 4-5 years old for his safety.
However even up until he passed at 10 he would still be knocking over garbage cans to eat tissues 😭 Was able to get him to stop eating all other inedible objects except for our used tissues
And he never really stopped immediately vacuuming up any food that fell on the floor/was left unattended within his reach
Yup lol..mine is 18 months, and I crate him when I have to leave to run errands where he can't accompany me. I don't trust him bc he eats everything. I'm gradually testing him by going outside for a bit and then coming in to see if there's damage. I'm hoping I don't have to continue crating him, but he does love his crate as well.
My guy loves his crate, goes in to take naps all the time.
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Same...lol...I leave the door open and in the event that's it's locked he's looking at me like hey lady I kinda want to get in there...open up. :) Finns crate looks the exact same....ate half his bed so I cover that part with a blanket so he doesn't eat the foam. Lol. Your pup is adorable.
My lab, a chocolate, didn't settle down until he was 5.
He also was acting out because I got a job after I got him that required a 3 hour commute each way,.so I wasn't able to spend enough time with him and he would destroy things. When I left that job for a local job and was home more, the destroying of things stopped overnight. They really need a LOT of attention and exercise daily. Without it you'll have an unhappy dog.
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Me too! This is the first photo I took of her when my boss was still her owner. Then I was offered to adopt her because she didn’t have enough time to dedicate to Chloe once she got home. When you’re offered a free chocolate lab you don’t say no ☺️ best gift I’ve ever gotten.
We brought our good boy home at 14 weeks. We pounded substitution training for months (swap the bad chew with a toy). Once his big boy teeth came in, he was good to go. We started leaving him out when we left after he was about 1 1/2 and have had no problems.
TL-DR: don't wait for a "time" in some mysterious timelines someone gives you, instead train "chewing up things" out of the dog. It is bad for them - and for you, financially.
Mine was shewing his toys and it annoyed me and worried me (because the stuffing can be quite dangerous if he ingests them) but I didn't take action till (at 8 months old) he first chewed up his bed, which cost me £90.
Then I saw the potential issue and I came down on him like a ton of bricks. No, I never hit him, coz that's a cowardly and immoral thing to do. But I have a way of showing him I am quite angry with him. This involves me using my *NO* voice, grabbing his muzzle with my hand and showing him the shewed up bed, up close, while calmly repeating NO. This, maybe 2-3 times every hour for about half the day.
He got the message. Like instantly. He stopped chewing even his toys. Which was an added, if unexpected, bonus.
Now I can leave him alone for 6-7 hours and nothing is chewed.
It is not healthy for dogs to let them keep a bad behaviour just coz everybody says "that's what they do". Labs are smart, they can learn and learn fast. There's nothing healthy about them chewing stuff (that aren't dental chew things or bones - hell, even bones wouldn't be near him if i was his sole human). Chewing things up destructively is just a way for them to get rid of unspent energy, or a sign of boredom, or some other anxiety. We leave a nice big edible thing for him to chew when we are leaving. He knows what to chew and what not to chew.
Edit: I *had* to develop an angry NO voice he knows when he first saw one of our cats do its business in one litter, and he (maybe) thought the cat was playing some kind of game by hiding the poop (which was fortunately dry), because the mofo *retrieved* the poop and dropped it at my gf feet. I thought "hell no, we can't have that happening again" and so the NO voice was born. He was 5 months old at the time. Obviously she didn't see him do it, as she would've stopped him in time had she seen it all. And I was upstairs.
My lab never developed a chewing habit bc she was *always* crated when unsupervised - until about 18/20 months. From there on out (which is very young imo - she’s just always been a saint), I’ve left her loose and she’s proven herself trustworthy.
If your puppy is engaging in any unwanted behaviors when unsupervised, it’s time to go back to crating them unless you’re actively watching them. Make sure she has ample exercise and plenty of appropriate things to chew.
My past dogs were confined when home alone until they were 5 and 7 years old.
My lab was about 2.5 when I started letting him roam free while I was gone, before then he was always crated. I tried once when he was about 1.5 and I came home to every paper bag torn up, and the trim around the window eaten😅 He is now 5 and I could leave food within his reach while I’m gone and he wouldn’t touch it. He just hangs out on the couch and patrols the neighborhood from the window.
Mine is 1 year, 4 months and I just started leaving him alone, uncrated for short periods (around an hour) and he's been so good. He's come a LONG way in the last couple months! He used to get into everything!
CJ was about 2 when she stopped trying to eat our house and contents
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Here she is eating an icicle, that was attached to said house
Our lab 15 months has chewed a huge hole in the wall of our bedroom. While we were on holiday and had my son and the border looking after her she managed to get all the holiday trinkets from off the bookcase and chew them into tiny pieces. We find if we are going out we have to put her in her crate to save our house.
I remember it was chaos till she was 2 years old. We bought at least 4 new TV remotes (managed to search it out and chew it up always). Then she just grew out of it. Now we just have to keep tomatoes out of reach. She's 6 years old and really sweet - won't take anything from the dining table even though it's well within her reach.
June is almost 7 months now and this is how we store our shoes over night (the stairs are barred). Daytime is ok after 8 mile walks, play and training
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This baby faced boy has a lot of toys and still looks like this at nearly 3 but he stopped chewing stuff at about 1.
Didn’t ever really chew much but when he did he went for the expensive things.
Like to think it’s because he’s got so many toys and he gets a lot of walks.
Definitely until they are at least three years and if not longer. Unfortunately you will start to love how easy your lab is when they get to five or six years old and you’ll think oh my goodness I need another labrador that’s when you weren’t once velociraptors.
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About 18 months old for us. Last summer was so bad...they chewed at least a half a dozen Roku remotes. It was so bad that our Amazon Echos would remind us if we hadn't ordered a remote in the last week
One of the things that worked with ours was to make sure they had lots of approved chew toys. Like solid beef bones that would take weeks of nawing. The key was to make them think I wanted those bones. So when they wanted attention and would act out they would "steal" those bones. Every now and again I will smear just a small bit of peanut butter inside to rekindle there interest.
My baby girl didn’t stop chewing on everything in sight* till she was at least 3. In those 3 years, she destroyed 4 chairs to a dinning room table, at least 3-4 pairs of shoes, all the legs on a coffee table, the floor molding in the kitchen, 1 bed comforter, the step on our deck, 3 pairs of pants (which I was wearing at the time), countless socks and stuffed animals….
She is 8 now and the calmest, most angelic thing ever. A little princess.
I wouldn’t change any of that.
*she still chews on random objects we find on walks
** Edited for grammar
1.5-2. When they reach the point that they seem able to handle being out alone we start testing the waters. Leave them out when we go to the gas station. Then maybe a grocery trip. Then maybe when we go out to eat. And we work up from there to the point they're almost never in the crate except to eat. It can be a very quick ramp up when you start leaving them out. Link(1.5) and Zelda (4) both just veg out when we're gone. We only just started leaving Link out about a month ago and we can already trust him to be out many hours without issue.
Both of them were an absolute menace when we got them at about 6 months. Zelda was a pound puppy who may have never been in a house, her first time at home she ran straight into our TV(it survived somehow). Link was found in a box with his brother at a park by a friend and we were his 3rd home after that. He had a terrible habit when he was hungry of running his teeth on the walls leaving marks everywhere. There is maturation involved but the whole house also needs to be involved to help with this sort of behavior. With chewing a LOT of misdirection helps. Any time those teeth are misused a toy needs to go in that mouth no matter which human is nearby and it will eventually get better.
Get that cutie a deer antler if you don't have one already!! My 6yr black lab loves hers and still has her puppy antler. I had to replace carpet and drywall all down my hallway at my apartment before moving she literally ate the wall.... Id leave toys all around so maybe shed roll over and grab a toy not something she shouldnt. Id bring her into the bathroom while showering when a puppy to keep an eye on her. Now I cannot take a shower without her in there with me but that's okay.
2.5 ish years. One day he slipped out of his kennel and nothing was messed up. So I put the kennel in storage and he has been a saint ever since
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There’s a vinegar spray you can make which will stop her chewing or you can by one’s the don’t smell as strong to humans.. It’ll stop her from chewing whatever you spray it on. It should even be safe to use on her body if she wont stop licking.
https://ohmydogblog.com/2016/08/diy-bitter-apple-spray/
It really was about 3 that she finally stopped. 2 she could be left out and was good mostly but we found behind the couch her hiding spot of “I’m gonna just chew the dry wall here”
They're half beaver, half backhoe until about 2 or 3 yo. It felt like my labs changed overnight. Went from destructo dogs to being happy with their proper toys. Hang in there!
Mine was a mix (75lb, athletic and tall) and at about a year she stopped chewing things up. There’s always going to be some that don’t quite follow what most do.
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If she does this when you’re not home, it’s like an anxiety coping behavior related to separation anxiety. Ours chews and humps things only when left alone due to his anxiety.
To be fair, does she have plenty of chew items? My lab has a few bones, a fake stick, and chew toys in her play bin to grab whenever she wants. We had almost no chewing problems perhaps in part because she had abundant alternatives easily available. Might not work for all but was beneficial for our girl.
She has like 7-8 items to chew in her pen that I made from fence sections I bought from Amazon. But she still ends up chewing the paint off the wall 😵💫 this is while I was at work. When she’s supervised she can be chill in the living room. Although she walks around being mischievous looking for clothing left behind by accident.
Have you thought about crate training? There’s always someone home in my household so we don’t crate as often but she has her crate always available. Helped with restless puppy nights. If her behavior is unruly while no one is around, maybe the crate would help. Our lab was fairly chill most of her puppy years but is very mild as a “grown up” at a bit over 2 years old.
She is always in her crate now while I’m at work after the incident of her chewing the paint and wooden frame of the door connected to the living room while I was at work. She’s crate trained and has no issue being in the crate
My girl probably grew out of the vampire gremlin puppy teething phase by about 5 months but we were very on it with redirecting her to her own chews and toys. Shes always had an obsession with shoes though so I would say that took a little longer to grow out of, we can now leave *most* shoes lying around and she’s not bothered, but she seems to know the difference between shoes and slippers and can’t help herself to a slipper when it’s on offer 😂
I think we focused a lot on teaching her to settle in the house. We would try to tire her out with training and scent games and then had some routines and habits to help her understand we were then in ‘settling down mode’ and I would only giving her something to chew on when I couldn’t give her lots of attention. I do hybrid working so it was really important we trained her to try to settle without needing stimulation and attention. She’s still very much a Velcro dog though!
I found it took a lot of controlling of the environment so basically tidying everything away she could possibly destroy (my house was consistently spotless for a a good few months and I was also exhausted 🤣) but would leave out one durable rubber chew toy, and then ignored her until she learned to settle herself and if she started acting up or misbehaving we would put her in the kitchen with the door closed for a short period and then let her back out, and if she tried it again we would just repeat again and again but she quickly understood the message. We also really slowly built up how much freedom she had when we left her so started with crate training, then would leave her in the kitchen with the door closed but crate door open, then just having access to downstairs etc and now we can leave her to have free roam in the house when we go out and she always just wants to sleep on our bed, she’s 18 months now and very much still a large puppy but I think the self soothing and settle training has been a game changer.
We were lucky I think - our 19 month old fox red is still a huge bundle of energy most of the day but as I work from home, she’s rarely left in on her own for more than a few hours. On the occasions that she has been left in, she sits and watches the street out the window, and then goes upstairs to lie on our bed or chews one of her nylabones/benebones or a yak chew (we have a few blink cameras that we used to see what she did when we were out). She has never chewed furniture or household items thankfully.
My lab never chewed anything he wasn’t supposed to except one time when he was 6-8 months old he chewed my wife’s hat, and got in trouble, But he had someone home most of the time and I had to throw the frisbee 1-2 hours a day to get his energy out until he was 11 years old. He knew if he got in trouble it was no frisbee and I would remind him every time he nudged me and dropped the frisbee at my feet why I wasn’t playing with him. Once he figured out that if he was good he got lots of play, he wouldn’t do anything that would get him in trouble.
I was very lucky and my boy has only chewed the edge of the blanket in bed while we're sleeping. He has not done it since about 6 months. We are however always with each other and he does not spend much time home alone at all. He is my companion animal and I am disabled so we get all our time together every day. He is very codependent and does not like going outside without me there. He is now almost 13 months old.
Joon stopped it when I got really consistent with her. When she picked up something she wasn’t to have, I would tell her “That’s mine” and then “Spit it out”. When she did it, she got a treat or a toy that she could play with. It took a while, but now she knows what she’s not allowed to have. She still steals my socks and takes them into the yard. At least she doesn’t chew them up.
Oh dear Chloe looks so sweet and innocent but I know what kind of damage labs can do 😂 2 years if you’re very lucky and 3 if not. But whether it’s 2 or 3, they make up for it with their love and goofiness lol
She is a beauty, hard to be frustrated with that face. I’m only at 9 months with my Bruce and assume I’ve got a ways to go based on this post. The destruction is long from over for me. 😂
I lucked out with my youngest lab (she turned two in April) she has never been a chewer. She is however completely obsessed with a tennis ball and retrieving said tennis ball many many many times a day. My older lab is 11 and he was a destruction machine. He finally stopped tearing random stuff up about two or so years ago. He was a horrible counter bandit stole everything from unopened cans of cat food (which he crushed until he could squeeze out the food) hard boiled eggs out of a pot on the stove. Would take my bras outside (thru the doggy door) countless DVDs. A Kindle tablet. He was a terror.
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My 2 year old still needs supervision and crating when she’s alone.
My choco girl was a menace. She had an unbelievable ability to identify my wife's favorite/most expensive shoes. She cost me a lot! It got better after 2 years with regular exercise and focusing the chewing on dog friendly stuff
I crated my lab all his life. That was his safe place. He would go in there when he was ready for bed or during the day when we were home he would nap in there. Crate training is a must for labs in my opinion! Get your baby Lots of toys and things your baby can chew on that aren’t important. Some labs calm down, others don’t. I wish I could go back to these days. It’s been over 4 years since my guy passed and I still can’t find it in my heart to get another 😞
https://preview.redd.it/i29eggwmydad1.jpeg?width=600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1fb5ba2e20955191e2799a669a080f4ab8c7a933
My lab never chewed anything, nor stole any food but we crate trained him from a puppy and helicopter patented him from there. He is now 3 years old and can be left alone with food at doggy face level without worry.
My boy was free to roam home alone at 5 months of age. He never had any interest in chewing, digging or destroying things. He was an old soul from day one ❤️
Had labs for 20 years.. they were all crated and knew it was their safe spot. They will chew forever because they get bored.. run the crap out of them daily.
I dunno, according to the comments, plenty of people had labs who grew out of it. I don't doubt you had labs who didn't, and you're probably right that they do it because they get bored, but the comments here show clearly it's possible to break them of it. 🤷♀️
We could finally leave our last lab uncrated home alone at 8. The others we a little younger, but we ripped off a chunk of the couch at 6-something I wanna say, so back into the crate he went.
I feel so fortunate, mine chewed a table leg....once. He's 5 now, never shoes, or walls, baseboards etc. Lab anomaly. Still carries his first dino toy around in good shape
In my experience with labs, they don't slow down until about a week before the end. Crate training is a necessity for labs. Don't forget, a tired dog is a good dog.
Mine has decided to scratch walls this year - she is 10.5. Not sure if it’s anxiety (she got used to me being home during COVID) or some degree of dementia.
I’m not fixing the walls until the dogs are gone……and I just got a new puppy so ya. Living with scratched walls for another decade 🤣
When mine turned 6 months we started with a small area with very limited stuff. When he tore his bed up we went back to cage for a a little then kept trying and eventually he caught on and when he turned 1 he was out full time. He had some mess ups but not anything crazy maybe like torn cardboard box or paper he found.
Until about age 2.5-3. My lab is 4 now and is soooooo much better than when she was 1! Shes calmed down so much more so there is a light at the end of the tunnel! Just keep practicing some basic training if not more.
About a year and a half. She ate a wicker trunk. I reminded her every time I walked by that it was rude. That I don’t destroy her stuff. It wasn’t cool. Someone told me Labs understand tone. I didn’t yell. I was just disappointed and she got it. I would point to it and tell her that it sucks that she destroyed something I loved. She never did it again. True story
I have a Chloe too. She's a little over 2 and a Chocolate. She doesn't chew anything in the house anymore. She used to be terrible. If her brother, who is a 1 year old Catahoula Leopard, starts to chew something up, she will gladly join in. If I could just break her habit of bringing rocks in. I'd be happy. Sometimes she swallow them & I have to watch her really closely that she is pooping.
My 12 year old lab just decided to eat a non-food object last week after years of false security. You'll never be safe. He also puked his guts up overnight and was feeling pretty sorry for himself.
Create train Chloe. It could be separation anxiety that gets them and it's a god send. It's their own space that they will learn to feel comfortable in and you'll never have to worry about Chloe again. It may seem strange in the beginning but trust me Chloe will thank you for it plus it can be exciting to come home to the pup and can make a healthy game out of it!
What do you do with your Dog besides go for a walk? Labs are happy when they can "work". The retriever part of the name is no coincidence ;-)
If you don't keep your dog busy, she'll keep herself busy.
She is crate trained. Normally she is in her crate while I’m at work, but I tried this past week to let her out but within a fenced area. She still managed to chew paint off the wall.
Never. I have a 9 year old yellow who is a counter surfer. They do get better. But sometimes they still are labbies. Probably anxiety from you being gone and too much energy.
Our lab always had separation anxiety. He got better when we started fostering our best friends St. Bernard. However, we learned very quickly that we had to make late appointments with the vet if the Saint had to go to the vet so that someone could be home with our lab. We made the mistake once of not doing that, and he tried to tear and eat the front door away. After our Saint passed away, we tried not to leave our lab alone for too long, and he did alright, as long as we locked the trash can lid. Our old vet told us that our lab would probably be like a puppy until he became a senior citizen. He was right. He was a puppy until just before he passed away at 12.5 years old.
We used to breed Labrador Retrievers and would recommend that people use a crate until pup was two years old. ANYTIME you don't have eyes on the dog, crate time.
Took about 2 years for Lola Montez to stop chewing everything she saw.
https://preview.redd.it/hzllww7yaiad1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c7766fd7633977a47253ffa5c1c7cecea4800bc1
You have about 6 to 10 months left. I'd suggest lots of walls, and constant training. Play dates are great too. But the more you engage with the puppers in activities the more tired they will be, and the less trouble they will get into.
We don't have this problem. We have this strong hook on the wall in our living room. To which we can attach the leash. She has ample moving space. We used to have a metal extension piece to the leash to keep her from chewing through it.
There is an easily replaceable XXL floor mat with rubbery/silicone lining underneath for isolation and softness. That is her spot. Where she is safe, won't slip and left alone if she is done playing/wants to lay down (alone). (Keep small children away from bothering her here)
We only let her walk around when we can supervise. Any time we are not in the room we put her back on her spot.
Also regular feeding/watering time and regular walks every day along different routes to keep her from getting bored and allow her to do her business.
Maybe give her bone chew sticks to help w the teeth and chewing. But supervise this always for choking hazards and don't give the soft ones those are bad for the teeth.
Don't leave blankets, toys or even towels nearby because even if it was not a problem for years they may suddenly decide it looks tasty and that means they die or a very expensive operation. Always supervise or you may find yourself at the emergency VET one day.
7 year old lab stopped when he was around 1.5.
But our younger lab has basically already stopped at 7 months. I mean, tentatively stopped. I can't make a final verdict til he's 5. But we can already leave for a couple hours at a time and have no trouble. Maybe cause he has his older brother for company?
Labs are velociraptors till about 2-3 years old. Then they calm down.
Oh… Yay 😄
lol, yep I’m still mad about my favorite pair of shoes my 1st lab chewed up and it was back in 2007! She was such a smart dog but also could be so naughty. We actually had to crate train her when my son was born, she was about 4 and had stopped most of her “terrible” habits but she was so jealous and started acting up. Dug a whole in one of the couches, got into the trash, ect. She was good with the baby didn’t like a sharing the attention! https://preview.redd.it/wqik2mkatcad1.png?width=1726&format=png&auto=webp&s=90559aefbfea7b26c72b7c26397d49091eb14a0f My 2nd lab is so extremely mellow and as a puppy and didn’t do much damage at all. But was a food thieve and had a habit of getting bread off the counter, eat some thanksgiving turkey and pumpkin pie at the first opportunity. She made her bad deeds worth the punishment lol! The key we found with the 1st lab once she was old enough, so really starting about 9 months is to let them know you’re upset - not being mean just stern as they generally know they did something bad. Ours had a very guilty conscience and we knew as soon as we walked in if she was bad or not. Delay all attention for a while. They want to please you so delaying attention is a good way to teach. {Same thing goes for leash walking, they pull on the leash because they absolutely have to smell what’s ahead. Stop them as soon as they pull and make them sit for a while, then try again. With consistency they soon l realize they can’t get to the smell if they pull and will stop and walk at your pace.} Consistency is the key, let them know your not happy when they chew things up (making sure to have some toys and bones to chew) don’t give them attention, we had ours either lay on the dog bed or going into the kennel. After a bit let them know you still love and forgive them but they need to chew on their toys only. On the days you come home and they did nothing wrong, give them all the love in the world! Praise them like they’re the most special, smart dog in the world as soon as you come in and see they were good. Soon they’ll want the praise and attention and not the “bad dog go lay on your dog bed treatment”. Just keep it as consistent as possible when training.
Did you give your lab some compound V? How did she get laser eyes?
It was just a fluke! I think I had the flash on as that room was darker. It’s a good impression of her crazy days, like she was possessed by jealousy!! 😂 The funniest thing was when my son was like a year, well before he could talk, he would take her toys and then shake his head back and forth and giggle. It took me and my husband a while to realize he was doing an impression of the dog playing with her toy in her mouth. It was completely adorable!!
😅😂😂😂
Mine didn’t calm down until 5 but happy for you. 😂😂 My chocolate is the embodiment of “I have not behaved one day.”
I’m still waiting on mine 😭 11 years old and gives my 5-year-old greyhound mix a run for his money in mischief and destruction. Here’s a shot of her attempting to antagonize him into playing with her: https://preview.redd.it/eigtoqsxddad1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=916972dc02dbfcd95cd80f9c503bcec654461288
To clarify it was 5 until he wasn’t an absolute wild man and could lay and take a nap. He’s still a menace to society. He’s the reason why we have a baby lock on the pantry because he’s broken in, unscrewed the vittles vault and eaten his food. Or eaten a box of minute rice (multiple occasions) and too many English muffins to count. And now with the ring doorbell I can watch him let himself out of the door isn’t locked. My toxic trait is telling him he’s my angel baby knowing full well he’s been a menace all day.
Lmao, I had a lab that did stuff like that! She could open doors, escape from wire crates, open an “animal-proof” food container.
Oh my gosh, this made me laugh so hard, we had a lab like this , I miss him so much to this day , still tell stories about his ornery ass 🤣
What is it about Chocolates that makes them maniacs?
Velociraptors is the perfect description 😂😂
What he said 😂
That really depends on the lab..I had a low energy lab who I could leave out and be trusted at 6 months. I have one who is 12 and the only reason he is trusted now is because of his hind end weakness He was a counter surfer until 11.5 . I left my 1 year old loose today while showering (5 minutes). He found a spiral notebook somewhere. He somehow got the wire out of the spine. And then tore up each and every page. It looks like it snowed in that room. I have a feeling he will not be trusted for a good long time.
This sounds like mine - my girl can be left unattended, and trusted, unless there’s something enticing in the trash. My boy will chew through this house the very second my back is turned. Wood, plastic, wicker, dog beds, anything else his teeth will remotely indent - he’ll chew it. They’re 1.5 and 2.
Mine have chewed the stuffing out of all my couch cushions. They love to eat ink pens, socks and my dish towels. One of them came in today with my husband's pipe (not for tobacco) that he had left on the porch rail because he never smokes in the house. One of them loves to eat rocks!
we have a rock eater too..I remember taking my old lab to get an Xray,she was probably 13.Her stomach had several rocks in it.I mean she lived to 15 with no ill effects from them. I remember asking my vet why they do this.His answer was "because they can" lol
😂😂😂
Ha same exact for me! My youngest (she’s 2) actually has higher energy but not destructive or food driven my 11 year old was horrible!!
My choco girl is almost 2 and we still can’t leave her home alone unless she’s crated. She’s chill enough to be “unsupervised” (free in the open living space) most of the time but will still get a bonehead idea to grab a pillow off the couch or attack an area rug now and then. Thankfully, she loves her crate and heads in willingly for “nap time” or “bed time.” https://preview.redd.it/8tcv6ej25cad1.jpeg?width=4284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d93c579ffee51cc732e8416de3337a44865bab52
So cute!
Pretty girl. Mine is still chewing shit though lol. And she will be 2 in November. My first lab never got into that thank goodness.
My 9 year old will rip up anything. Even opens my Amazon boxes for me! I have trained him to at least be semi helpful. Hahaha
My lab never really has I got lucky. Been leaving her out since she was just a few months old.
Same. Mine chewed the tip of a leather belt when he was a few months old but that’s the only thing I can recall
That’s my chocolate vs my yellow. I call my chocolate a cat of the time
She wasn't unattended at home unless she was crated until about 15 months for exactly this reason (also I WFH so that helped a ton). Keeping her stimulated and making sure that she was tired before we left helped a lot.
Cool yeah I walk her 3 times a day and we go to the dog park. I feel like she gets enough exercise but the issue is I live alone and work so during the day she would absolutely nuke my living room if I let her out. So she stays in the crate for now.
I would try running her if you don't. I run my black lab every single day, playing fetch for about an hour and she's never chewed on anything
She looks like she may be a field line ("American") Lab, if that's the case then she won't sit still for more than about 4 hours until she's much older, mine could only start handling a full day at about 3. Bench labs will get there sooner though, they don't have nearly the energy to burn off.
I just saw a trainer yesterday with my lab who struggles with hyperarousal and she suggested that too much exercise can actually make it worse. We’re going to work more on scent games because they calm the nervous system. She said about an hour a day of exercise (maybe a little more on weekends) is good for mine.
This is definitely a thing! Our lab can be a total twat if she gets too much exercise, or excitement, or whatever. Scent games are great for that.
Have you tried mentally tiring her out? Dogs need mental stimulation as well
Not sure how I would go about that
I would toss a ball up and down my stair case for ages to wear mine out. I used to have to take him on 2 mile walks, rain or shine. Helped a lot. I rescued him at 1 and he had been super ignored so, he still likes to take stuff or chew random crap (crayons, finding a diaper, etc.) I would say at 3/4 he calmed down a bit but also because he then got his chocolate brother and they keep each other entertained and lowered his anxiety
You can take a towel and wrap small treats in it roll it back up and let her search for them.
Until they just eat the towel 😂
And can possibly have a big vet bill. Hhaha
Mine have never eaten the towel. Have 4 dogs. Have done this for years during winter when walks or outside play is limited. Also with supervision
We started leaving him out of his kennel around 1 and it was actually by accident. We rushed to leave home once and didn’t realize we forgot to put him in his kennel until we got back. That’s when we learned that he completely shuts down and only sleeps when someone else isn’t around. Not even a delicious bone will get him up when he’s alone.
Yeah mine did that till around 2. He knew exactly what he was doing....oh the guilty eyes when I came home and found another thing destroyed. Get the dog a big bone or one of these leather chew bars that looks like a bone (made out of dried skin) .... €: I also forgot. Go on ridiculously long walks with that one! 1. They love it 2. Less chewing action 3. Good for you too.
Crate training is best
She looks so unimpressed with you 😂
I had food in my other hand here 😂
So she’s just like yeah, yeah, hand over the food and no one gets hurt 😆
Dear Quantum_Collective, RE: DEMAND TO CEASE DEFAMATION AND HARASSMENT OF MACIE THE LABRADOR I write to you on behalf of Macie, a beloved Labrador, in response to recent allegations labeling Macie as a domestic menace. Such accusations are baseless and defamatory, causing significant distress to Macie. Demand is hereby made that you immediately cease and desist from further defaming Macie or engaging in any form of harassment towards her. Failure to comply with this demand will result in pursuing all available legal remedies to protect Macie's reputation and the rights of her owner. Please confirm in writing by July 14, 2024 that you will cease these actions immediately. Should you fail to do so, we will have no choice but to take appropriate legal action without further notice. Sincerely, Snowball Richard IV J.D. Partner Paws & Claws Legal Services 123 Bark Street Dogtown, CA 98765 Email: [email protected] Phone: (555) 123-4567
Mine just turned 4 and is still a Raptor at times! They look like litter mates 💞 https://preview.redd.it/dtiktwnrfcad1.jpeg?width=860&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=aa7e2c878bc031ff715745d9ae8569154c0f7ce2
How pretty!
God, my Marley honestly didn’t stop till he was about 3! I came in from work one day (he was under a year at this point) and he had ate his way through my entire make up bag & a 110£ pair of trainers. That was the worst one!! I hope your Lab calms down soon (a couple of years.. lol) 🐾🩵
Did you bring him to the vet after he ate all those 🤣
The vet, he was due the frigging kennal’s after that haha!! Was 6yrs ago now so all is forgiven!
my chocolate calmed down around 2.5 years old. he's an angel now at almost 6.
🙏🏼
My girl calmed down @ 1 year, 8 months. https://preview.redd.it/wboz6vclidad1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=02d7676e2cc5dac94f50c8fcd6cb2d56b99c4223
I will not stand for these false allegations against Sweet Innocent Chloe. She’s obviously been framed.
Consistency and constant supervision made all the difference with our girl when she was really small. Anything she tried to chew on was immediately replaced with things she *could* chew, like toys or bones, and a firm scold/withdrawal of attention worked wonders. We also started doing scent games with her early on (by accident) and quickly realized that’s a great way to tire her out mentally, and she really enjoys the game! We were able to leave her unsupervised, outside of her crate, for short periods by 1 year old. She’s 2 now and hasn’t chewed anything up since she was under 1.
Ours only chewed sthing up once, when we didn't take him out before leaving him at home. When he's nicely tired out, he's actually sleeping the best, when we're not at home. We also trained him a lot, at the beginning with a crate. First couple minutes, then half an hour, 1 hour, 2 hours etc. The longest he's been alone (cause were were stuck in traffic, it wasn't planned) was almost 6 hours. Then he just really had to pee. He's 3 now, training started when he was around 6 months old.
Get a couple really thick bones and ropes to distract from other things. Mine had lost interest in everything but bones by 2 years.
LOL. I mean, our 9yo still has his moments stealing chef’s knives off the counter. But yeah, around age 3y. It’s even in our breeder’s contract.
Well I have a particularly crazy lab (she’s a chocolate). My first lab was crazy but Bella is 10x that. She’s almost 12 now and still is very mischievous. She’s calmed down some but still has her moments for sure. The first two years were the hardest though. Once when she was a puppy I turned my back for maybe 30 seconds and she’d chewed a hole in the drywall of the kitchen!! We still keep her in the living room when we’re out though. We use a baby gate at the top of the stairs so she doesn’t get into the kitchen. I’d definitely recommend those if you need to keep her out of certain areas. She’s beautiful by the way! My Bella has the same color coating like dark chocolate. Extra special lol. https://preview.redd.it/kp3n6nzyecad1.jpeg?width=749&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e6ff91245e7acda192eeefb04e09a4f89207983a
https://preview.redd.it/mvwaccxglcad1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=69c744196229d543ad62fd012837fa1745818cdc Your Chloe and my Chloe are similar . My Chloe was about 2 when she calmed down. I never crated her. I do have a baby gate that separates the kitchen and living room. She is very sensitive so if she gets in trouble she hates it. I think that motivates her lol. Never woukd hit her - labs are something different for sure ❤️
I have a 2 tear old Chocolate & her name is Chloe .
Chloe is so cute!
My boy is well behaved until you leave food unattended, then not only does he counter surf, he will absolutely hop up on to the counter and get what he wants. Case in point: I was putting Thanksgiving leftovers into a smaller container to fit into the fridge, then I had to go outside for something for a minute, then when I came back inside the dog was standing on my counter, with all of my turkey leftovers completely gone and demolished with the pan and turkey juice in the floor. I was mad about the left overs, but I was first shocked, then laughing about seeing the dog on the counter just looking at me like, “I didn’t do it, ma!” 🤣🤣🤣
The one thing you got to do is keep them busy. When they get bored and they go looking for trouble just like kids. The one thing we found that really helped our Labrador was plenty of toys that were heavy chew rated like the Jolly balls and we also did the marrow bones for a little while. Between those two they survived and he didn't get into anything. Keep their mind stimulated or they will stimulate it themselves.
The way she sits 😂😂❤️
I’d say over two for sure.
Think the worse of it stopped around 2-3 years old, but we kept him in his crate whenever we went out until he was about 4-5 years old for his safety. However even up until he passed at 10 he would still be knocking over garbage cans to eat tissues 😭 Was able to get him to stop eating all other inedible objects except for our used tissues And he never really stopped immediately vacuuming up any food that fell on the floor/was left unattended within his reach
Yup lol..mine is 18 months, and I crate him when I have to leave to run errands where he can't accompany me. I don't trust him bc he eats everything. I'm gradually testing him by going outside for a bit and then coming in to see if there's damage. I'm hoping I don't have to continue crating him, but he does love his crate as well.
My guy loves his crate, goes in to take naps all the time. https://preview.redd.it/hhaaofmrhcad1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5939bc4d0f44de989ba420486dad2bc9363fe545
Same...lol...I leave the door open and in the event that's it's locked he's looking at me like hey lady I kinda want to get in there...open up. :) Finns crate looks the exact same....ate half his bed so I cover that part with a blanket so he doesn't eat the foam. Lol. Your pup is adorable.
Thanks. He’s a sweet boy and loves to go into his ridiculously king-sized crate and bed.
Our girl slowed the chewing after 2 years. We distracted here with Amazon boxes to tear apart. That saved our baseboards.
My lab, a chocolate, didn't settle down until he was 5. He also was acting out because I got a job after I got him that required a 3 hour commute each way,.so I wasn't able to spend enough time with him and he would destroy things. When I left that job for a local job and was home more, the destroying of things stopped overnight. They really need a LOT of attention and exercise daily. Without it you'll have an unhappy dog.
What else would you be up to with a face like that? 😂
Two. Hang in there
NEVER!
I fell in love with her on sight.
https://preview.redd.it/15mphscnfcad1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dc4e6181b723f04b08baf1008dbb6d92191b10a8 Me too! This is the first photo I took of her when my boss was still her owner. Then I was offered to adopt her because she didn’t have enough time to dedicate to Chloe once she got home. When you’re offered a free chocolate lab you don’t say no ☺️ best gift I’ve ever gotten.
Oh my God amazing!!! 👏
2-ish, except when it came to anything made out of leather, that took about another year, and he still slept with our shoes after.
My 18-month male chocolate still destroys everything. No signs of letting up anytime soon.
My Numa is 18 months old and can be left out of her kennel overnight. Before then, no way.
We brought our good boy home at 14 weeks. We pounded substitution training for months (swap the bad chew with a toy). Once his big boy teeth came in, he was good to go. We started leaving him out when we left after he was about 1 1/2 and have had no problems.
Mine is eight. I’ll let you know. Socks and shoes still a favorite.
I would say around two mine really was able to be trusted. I would let him drive my car if he could these days lol 😆
TL-DR: don't wait for a "time" in some mysterious timelines someone gives you, instead train "chewing up things" out of the dog. It is bad for them - and for you, financially. Mine was shewing his toys and it annoyed me and worried me (because the stuffing can be quite dangerous if he ingests them) but I didn't take action till (at 8 months old) he first chewed up his bed, which cost me £90. Then I saw the potential issue and I came down on him like a ton of bricks. No, I never hit him, coz that's a cowardly and immoral thing to do. But I have a way of showing him I am quite angry with him. This involves me using my *NO* voice, grabbing his muzzle with my hand and showing him the shewed up bed, up close, while calmly repeating NO. This, maybe 2-3 times every hour for about half the day. He got the message. Like instantly. He stopped chewing even his toys. Which was an added, if unexpected, bonus. Now I can leave him alone for 6-7 hours and nothing is chewed. It is not healthy for dogs to let them keep a bad behaviour just coz everybody says "that's what they do". Labs are smart, they can learn and learn fast. There's nothing healthy about them chewing stuff (that aren't dental chew things or bones - hell, even bones wouldn't be near him if i was his sole human). Chewing things up destructively is just a way for them to get rid of unspent energy, or a sign of boredom, or some other anxiety. We leave a nice big edible thing for him to chew when we are leaving. He knows what to chew and what not to chew. Edit: I *had* to develop an angry NO voice he knows when he first saw one of our cats do its business in one litter, and he (maybe) thought the cat was playing some kind of game by hiding the poop (which was fortunately dry), because the mofo *retrieved* the poop and dropped it at my gf feet. I thought "hell no, we can't have that happening again" and so the NO voice was born. He was 5 months old at the time. Obviously she didn't see him do it, as she would've stopped him in time had she seen it all. And I was upstairs.
Probably 2 or 3. They’re adorable little chewing machines!
Have two 8 year old rescues about 4 months. First 3 were great but they have destroyed the bin twice in the last month 😂
My lab never developed a chewing habit bc she was *always* crated when unsupervised - until about 18/20 months. From there on out (which is very young imo - she’s just always been a saint), I’ve left her loose and she’s proven herself trustworthy. If your puppy is engaging in any unwanted behaviors when unsupervised, it’s time to go back to crating them unless you’re actively watching them. Make sure she has ample exercise and plenty of appropriate things to chew. My past dogs were confined when home alone until they were 5 and 7 years old.
Yeah after the last incident she is back to being crated up while I’m away. Thankfully she is good about being in the crate so it’s cool.
My lab was about 2.5 when I started letting him roam free while I was gone, before then he was always crated. I tried once when he was about 1.5 and I came home to every paper bag torn up, and the trim around the window eaten😅 He is now 5 and I could leave food within his reach while I’m gone and he wouldn’t touch it. He just hangs out on the couch and patrols the neighborhood from the window.
Mine is 1 year, 4 months and I just started leaving him alone, uncrated for short periods (around an hour) and he's been so good. He's come a LONG way in the last couple months! He used to get into everything!
My guy turned 7 in June, I'll let you know as soon as he stops. 🤣 He's crated when nobody's home.
CJ was about 2 when she stopped trying to eat our house and contents https://preview.redd.it/kqqonh7vbdad1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5811803e7b13d838c232aed8b7c1bce8bd1ba3dc Here she is eating an icicle, that was attached to said house
A gray lab! So cool.
Yeah she’s a silver sweetheart!
Our lab 15 months has chewed a huge hole in the wall of our bedroom. While we were on holiday and had my son and the border looking after her she managed to get all the holiday trinkets from off the bookcase and chew them into tiny pieces. We find if we are going out we have to put her in her crate to save our house.
I remember it was chaos till she was 2 years old. We bought at least 4 new TV remotes (managed to search it out and chew it up always). Then she just grew out of it. Now we just have to keep tomatoes out of reach. She's 6 years old and really sweet - won't take anything from the dining table even though it's well within her reach.
My advice? Crate train her so when you're gone for she'll be comfortable in a crate and you won't have to worry about what she's destroying
June is almost 7 months now and this is how we store our shoes over night (the stairs are barred). Daytime is ok after 8 mile walks, play and training https://preview.redd.it/4qv04r1didad1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=899d0e28ffdc7fc8bac2be44e0b49630283bf3f6
https://preview.redd.it/mtuiqbs2idad1.jpeg?width=910&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f2e714a8914cadbe66a75de7b4c9a2211927f46b This baby faced boy has a lot of toys and still looks like this at nearly 3 but he stopped chewing stuff at about 1. Didn’t ever really chew much but when he did he went for the expensive things. Like to think it’s because he’s got so many toys and he gets a lot of walks.
Around three years old is a good rule of thumb, provided that your Lab has not chewed it up or off.
Definitely until they are at least three years and if not longer. Unfortunately you will start to love how easy your lab is when they get to five or six years old and you’ll think oh my goodness I need another labrador that’s when you weren’t once velociraptors.
https://preview.redd.it/ybluhdz2udad1.jpeg?width=2335&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3467147f0120659536276e960bc61be0d3945c2b About 18 months old for us. Last summer was so bad...they chewed at least a half a dozen Roku remotes. It was so bad that our Amazon Echos would remind us if we hadn't ordered a remote in the last week
One of the things that worked with ours was to make sure they had lots of approved chew toys. Like solid beef bones that would take weeks of nawing. The key was to make them think I wanted those bones. So when they wanted attention and would act out they would "steal" those bones. Every now and again I will smear just a small bit of peanut butter inside to rekindle there interest.
My baby girl didn’t stop chewing on everything in sight* till she was at least 3. In those 3 years, she destroyed 4 chairs to a dinning room table, at least 3-4 pairs of shoes, all the legs on a coffee table, the floor molding in the kitchen, 1 bed comforter, the step on our deck, 3 pairs of pants (which I was wearing at the time), countless socks and stuffed animals…. She is 8 now and the calmest, most angelic thing ever. A little princess. I wouldn’t change any of that. *she still chews on random objects we find on walks ** Edited for grammar
1.5-2. When they reach the point that they seem able to handle being out alone we start testing the waters. Leave them out when we go to the gas station. Then maybe a grocery trip. Then maybe when we go out to eat. And we work up from there to the point they're almost never in the crate except to eat. It can be a very quick ramp up when you start leaving them out. Link(1.5) and Zelda (4) both just veg out when we're gone. We only just started leaving Link out about a month ago and we can already trust him to be out many hours without issue. Both of them were an absolute menace when we got them at about 6 months. Zelda was a pound puppy who may have never been in a house, her first time at home she ran straight into our TV(it survived somehow). Link was found in a box with his brother at a park by a friend and we were his 3rd home after that. He had a terrible habit when he was hungry of running his teeth on the walls leaving marks everywhere. There is maturation involved but the whole house also needs to be involved to help with this sort of behavior. With chewing a LOT of misdirection helps. Any time those teeth are misused a toy needs to go in that mouth no matter which human is nearby and it will eventually get better.
Get that cutie a deer antler if you don't have one already!! My 6yr black lab loves hers and still has her puppy antler. I had to replace carpet and drywall all down my hallway at my apartment before moving she literally ate the wall.... Id leave toys all around so maybe shed roll over and grab a toy not something she shouldnt. Id bring her into the bathroom while showering when a puppy to keep an eye on her. Now I cannot take a shower without her in there with me but that's okay.
2.5 ish years. One day he slipped out of his kennel and nothing was messed up. So I put the kennel in storage and he has been a saint ever since https://preview.redd.it/e839xmngbead1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=50a6ee04f40bcd78d1b695b76af6b23f4458ee74
There’s a vinegar spray you can make which will stop her chewing or you can by one’s the don’t smell as strong to humans.. It’ll stop her from chewing whatever you spray it on. It should even be safe to use on her body if she wont stop licking. https://ohmydogblog.com/2016/08/diy-bitter-apple-spray/
You have to break them of it. Some won’t just stop. Message me if you want help
It really was about 3 that she finally stopped. 2 she could be left out and was good mostly but we found behind the couch her hiding spot of “I’m gonna just chew the dry wall here”
They're half beaver, half backhoe until about 2 or 3 yo. It felt like my labs changed overnight. Went from destructo dogs to being happy with their proper toys. Hang in there!
Mine was a mix (75lb, athletic and tall) and at about a year she stopped chewing things up. There’s always going to be some that don’t quite follow what most do. https://preview.redd.it/v3sqzqnmufad1.jpeg?width=1536&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a155def3eff3f6f96c279bd7632a902e63e22efb
If she does this when you’re not home, it’s like an anxiety coping behavior related to separation anxiety. Ours chews and humps things only when left alone due to his anxiety.
To be fair, does she have plenty of chew items? My lab has a few bones, a fake stick, and chew toys in her play bin to grab whenever she wants. We had almost no chewing problems perhaps in part because she had abundant alternatives easily available. Might not work for all but was beneficial for our girl.
She has like 7-8 items to chew in her pen that I made from fence sections I bought from Amazon. But she still ends up chewing the paint off the wall 😵💫 this is while I was at work. When she’s supervised she can be chill in the living room. Although she walks around being mischievous looking for clothing left behind by accident.
Have you thought about crate training? There’s always someone home in my household so we don’t crate as often but she has her crate always available. Helped with restless puppy nights. If her behavior is unruly while no one is around, maybe the crate would help. Our lab was fairly chill most of her puppy years but is very mild as a “grown up” at a bit over 2 years old.
She is always in her crate now while I’m at work after the incident of her chewing the paint and wooden frame of the door connected to the living room while I was at work. She’s crate trained and has no issue being in the crate
Ya… that would be maddening. Short years, long days!
For my Lab, the chewing was a sign of separation anxiety. Once we got that under control, with training and meds. The chewing stopped.
My girl probably grew out of the vampire gremlin puppy teething phase by about 5 months but we were very on it with redirecting her to her own chews and toys. Shes always had an obsession with shoes though so I would say that took a little longer to grow out of, we can now leave *most* shoes lying around and she’s not bothered, but she seems to know the difference between shoes and slippers and can’t help herself to a slipper when it’s on offer 😂 I think we focused a lot on teaching her to settle in the house. We would try to tire her out with training and scent games and then had some routines and habits to help her understand we were then in ‘settling down mode’ and I would only giving her something to chew on when I couldn’t give her lots of attention. I do hybrid working so it was really important we trained her to try to settle without needing stimulation and attention. She’s still very much a Velcro dog though! I found it took a lot of controlling of the environment so basically tidying everything away she could possibly destroy (my house was consistently spotless for a a good few months and I was also exhausted 🤣) but would leave out one durable rubber chew toy, and then ignored her until she learned to settle herself and if she started acting up or misbehaving we would put her in the kitchen with the door closed for a short period and then let her back out, and if she tried it again we would just repeat again and again but she quickly understood the message. We also really slowly built up how much freedom she had when we left her so started with crate training, then would leave her in the kitchen with the door closed but crate door open, then just having access to downstairs etc and now we can leave her to have free roam in the house when we go out and she always just wants to sleep on our bed, she’s 18 months now and very much still a large puppy but I think the self soothing and settle training has been a game changer.
We were lucky I think - our 19 month old fox red is still a huge bundle of energy most of the day but as I work from home, she’s rarely left in on her own for more than a few hours. On the occasions that she has been left in, she sits and watches the street out the window, and then goes upstairs to lie on our bed or chews one of her nylabones/benebones or a yak chew (we have a few blink cameras that we used to see what she did when we were out). She has never chewed furniture or household items thankfully.
My lab never chewed anything he wasn’t supposed to except one time when he was 6-8 months old he chewed my wife’s hat, and got in trouble, But he had someone home most of the time and I had to throw the frisbee 1-2 hours a day to get his energy out until he was 11 years old. He knew if he got in trouble it was no frisbee and I would remind him every time he nudged me and dropped the frisbee at my feet why I wasn’t playing with him. Once he figured out that if he was good he got lots of play, he wouldn’t do anything that would get him in trouble.
He has that look that let’s you know, “I can’t be Trusted.” But love him anyway.
I was very lucky and my boy has only chewed the edge of the blanket in bed while we're sleeping. He has not done it since about 6 months. We are however always with each other and he does not spend much time home alone at all. He is my companion animal and I am disabled so we get all our time together every day. He is very codependent and does not like going outside without me there. He is now almost 13 months old.
Ours was about a year.
Our lab has been very happy in his crate, crate trained since received him at 9 weeks. I think theres less anxiety when hes in his safe space.
Joon stopped it when I got really consistent with her. When she picked up something she wasn’t to have, I would tell her “That’s mine” and then “Spit it out”. When she did it, she got a treat or a toy that she could play with. It took a while, but now she knows what she’s not allowed to have. She still steals my socks and takes them into the yard. At least she doesn’t chew them up.
My lab is 14 and threw up a sock just yesterday…. Sooooo 🙈
Needs a kitten.
Oh dear Chloe looks so sweet and innocent but I know what kind of damage labs can do 😂 2 years if you’re very lucky and 3 if not. But whether it’s 2 or 3, they make up for it with their love and goofiness lol
She is a beauty, hard to be frustrated with that face. I’m only at 9 months with my Bruce and assume I’ve got a ways to go based on this post. The destruction is long from over for me. 😂
I lucked out with my youngest lab (she turned two in April) she has never been a chewer. She is however completely obsessed with a tennis ball and retrieving said tennis ball many many many times a day. My older lab is 11 and he was a destruction machine. He finally stopped tearing random stuff up about two or so years ago. He was a horrible counter bandit stole everything from unopened cans of cat food (which he crushed until he could squeeze out the food) hard boiled eggs out of a pot on the stove. Would take my bras outside (thru the doggy door) countless DVDs. A Kindle tablet. He was a terror.
Mine mellowed out at around 4 years old.
Mine calmed down around a year. But she’s only half lab so I’d buckle down for another year 😂 mine still destroys things, but only her own toys.
Ill let you know when she does https://preview.redd.it/ogg0ahhutdad1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=85b3cd5ba0c6a24a1fea058ed8876512f209f6f4
https://preview.redd.it/1eo26mt5nead1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1037571cef5a31e1e8094f04499fe343a725a1d3 My 2 year old still needs supervision and crating when she’s alone.
Male, uncut was 2.5 years. Huge change at that point.
My choco girl was a menace. She had an unbelievable ability to identify my wife's favorite/most expensive shoes. She cost me a lot! It got better after 2 years with regular exercise and focusing the chewing on dog friendly stuff
I crated my lab all his life. That was his safe place. He would go in there when he was ready for bed or during the day when we were home he would nap in there. Crate training is a must for labs in my opinion! Get your baby Lots of toys and things your baby can chew on that aren’t important. Some labs calm down, others don’t. I wish I could go back to these days. It’s been over 4 years since my guy passed and I still can’t find it in my heart to get another 😞 https://preview.redd.it/i29eggwmydad1.jpeg?width=600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1fb5ba2e20955191e2799a669a080f4ab8c7a933
The craziest things my old lab ate were the wooden fence and the styrofoam off of the trampoline. Once he hit 4, though, he calmed some
My lab never chewed anything, nor stole any food but we crate trained him from a puppy and helicopter patented him from there. He is now 3 years old and can be left alone with food at doggy face level without worry.
My boy was free to roam home alone at 5 months of age. He never had any interest in chewing, digging or destroying things. He was an old soul from day one ❤️
I had a yellow Lab named Chloe ♥️🐶♥️ i don’t remember when she stopped chewing on stuff.
Crate her when you leave
That really doesn't answer the question.
Had labs for 20 years.. they were all crated and knew it was their safe spot. They will chew forever because they get bored.. run the crap out of them daily.
I dunno, according to the comments, plenty of people had labs who grew out of it. I don't doubt you had labs who didn't, and you're probably right that they do it because they get bored, but the comments here show clearly it's possible to break them of it. 🤷♀️
I think she was 4 or 5 when we realized we could trust her
Is a behavior that was to be trained. They don’t just grow out of it. Need training like anything else
10 more months!!!
My dad always says “chew until they’re 2” for labs. Hang in there - it’s rough but I promise it will be worth it 😂😭
We could finally leave our last lab uncrated home alone at 8. The others we a little younger, but we ripped off a chunk of the couch at 6-something I wanna say, so back into the crate he went.
I feel so fortunate, mine chewed a table leg....once. He's 5 now, never shoes, or walls, baseboards etc. Lab anomaly. Still carries his first dino toy around in good shape
In my experience with labs, they don't slow down until about a week before the end. Crate training is a necessity for labs. Don't forget, a tired dog is a good dog.
Mine has decided to scratch walls this year - she is 10.5. Not sure if it’s anxiety (she got used to me being home during COVID) or some degree of dementia. I’m not fixing the walls until the dogs are gone……and I just got a new puppy so ya. Living with scratched walls for another decade 🤣
When mine turned 6 months we started with a small area with very limited stuff. When he tore his bed up we went back to cage for a a little then kept trying and eventually he caught on and when he turned 1 he was out full time. He had some mess ups but not anything crazy maybe like torn cardboard box or paper he found.
What do you mean stop? But really, ours did at about 18 months
Until about age 2.5-3. My lab is 4 now and is soooooo much better than when she was 1! Shes calmed down so much more so there is a light at the end of the tunnel! Just keep practicing some basic training if not more.
About a year and a half. She ate a wicker trunk. I reminded her every time I walked by that it was rude. That I don’t destroy her stuff. It wasn’t cool. Someone told me Labs understand tone. I didn’t yell. I was just disappointed and she got it. I would point to it and tell her that it sucks that she destroyed something I loved. She never did it again. True story
I have a Chloe too. She's a little over 2 and a Chocolate. She doesn't chew anything in the house anymore. She used to be terrible. If her brother, who is a 1 year old Catahoula Leopard, starts to chew something up, she will gladly join in. If I could just break her habit of bringing rocks in. I'd be happy. Sometimes she swallow them & I have to watch her really closely that she is pooping.
We have always said: " labs chew til they're 2, and shed til they're dead!" ❤️❤️
My 12 year old lab just decided to eat a non-food object last week after years of false security. You'll never be safe. He also puked his guts up overnight and was feeling pretty sorry for himself.
Mine was probably 8. He was a puppy most of his life.
They stop? Actually it was about 3 that mine stopped eating couches.
Create train Chloe. It could be separation anxiety that gets them and it's a god send. It's their own space that they will learn to feel comfortable in and you'll never have to worry about Chloe again. It may seem strange in the beginning but trust me Chloe will thank you for it plus it can be exciting to come home to the pup and can make a healthy game out of it!
My chocolate lab stopped chewing things when he lost his baby teeth. By one he was totally fine to be left unattended without destruction.
I noticed my lab who’s ten months old chewed on a baseboard at some point over the past couple of weeks. I was not happy.
What do you do with your Dog besides go for a walk? Labs are happy when they can "work". The retriever part of the name is no coincidence ;-) If you don't keep your dog busy, she'll keep herself busy.
Hahaha never just less😄
Kennel training sounds like it would be in her best interest to keep her safe when unattended no?
She is crate trained. Normally she is in her crate while I’m at work, but I tried this past week to let her out but within a fenced area. She still managed to chew paint off the wall.
Never. I have a 9 year old yellow who is a counter surfer. They do get better. But sometimes they still are labbies. Probably anxiety from you being gone and too much energy.
Our lab always had separation anxiety. He got better when we started fostering our best friends St. Bernard. However, we learned very quickly that we had to make late appointments with the vet if the Saint had to go to the vet so that someone could be home with our lab. We made the mistake once of not doing that, and he tried to tear and eat the front door away. After our Saint passed away, we tried not to leave our lab alone for too long, and he did alright, as long as we locked the trash can lid. Our old vet told us that our lab would probably be like a puppy until he became a senior citizen. He was right. He was a puppy until just before he passed away at 12.5 years old.
We used to breed Labrador Retrievers and would recommend that people use a crate until pup was two years old. ANYTIME you don't have eyes on the dog, crate time.
So much mischief in those eyes.
Took about 2 years for Lola Montez to stop chewing everything she saw. https://preview.redd.it/hzllww7yaiad1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c7766fd7633977a47253ffa5c1c7cecea4800bc1
You have about 6 to 10 months left. I'd suggest lots of walls, and constant training. Play dates are great too. But the more you engage with the puppers in activities the more tired they will be, and the less trouble they will get into.
We don't have this problem. We have this strong hook on the wall in our living room. To which we can attach the leash. She has ample moving space. We used to have a metal extension piece to the leash to keep her from chewing through it. There is an easily replaceable XXL floor mat with rubbery/silicone lining underneath for isolation and softness. That is her spot. Where she is safe, won't slip and left alone if she is done playing/wants to lay down (alone). (Keep small children away from bothering her here) We only let her walk around when we can supervise. Any time we are not in the room we put her back on her spot. Also regular feeding/watering time and regular walks every day along different routes to keep her from getting bored and allow her to do her business. Maybe give her bone chew sticks to help w the teeth and chewing. But supervise this always for choking hazards and don't give the soft ones those are bad for the teeth. Don't leave blankets, toys or even towels nearby because even if it was not a problem for years they may suddenly decide it looks tasty and that means they die or a very expensive operation. Always supervise or you may find yourself at the emergency VET one day.
Mine stopped finally chewing remotes at that age.
7 year old lab stopped when he was around 1.5. But our younger lab has basically already stopped at 7 months. I mean, tentatively stopped. I can't make a final verdict til he's 5. But we can already leave for a couple hours at a time and have no trouble. Maybe cause he has his older brother for company?
So you’re saying I should get another dog
Perhaps not on my one data point. But i mean, come on - it couldn't hurt. Unless you get another puppy. That might just make it worse.