Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2011 4:30 pm Post subject: New member
Hi one and all found this forum through Google and hope to spend a bit of time here.
I have just got a 9 month old Chocolate Lab from someone who was going to in there own words "get rid of him".
He as got quite a few bad habits which with patience and time will not be a problem.
My main worry is he get stressed when left outside even for 1 minute,He barks and yelps and claws at the door.
What they did to him i will never know my old Lab and my sons Lab both love to be outside,I am hoping once a can trust him off the lead he will learn to love the outdoors and see it as a time to play and not punishment.
Do you have to leave him outside on his own? I think while he is adjusting, and perhaps has confidence/anxiety issues with being outside it might be worth spending time with him out there. Lots of praise when he does his business and play with him out there afterwards.
I know the weather this time of year doesnt help tho.
THen when he becomes more confident and happier being outside/going outside without you leading him there, then you can maybe pop back in while he is distracted, leave the door open an dthen come back out and praise.
then extend this, shut the door for few seconds and if he is quiet, then he gets praised etc.
you want to teach him that your not going to just leave him out there (which may have been the problem in the past), that you will come back.
But that its ok fo rhim to be on his own out there.
Getting a Lab was always going to happen but the timing was bad because of prebooked holidays but we will work round them.I have started to show him that being outside is a time to play also,I leave him for a few minutes and extend that everyday by a few minutes and always follow this time by throwing his ball for him which he loves so i hope by association he will looked forward to his "yard" time
Does he get on with your son's lab? because dogs (especially pups) learn so much from other dogs. If your son's lab is a happy go lucky chap/chapette, Zak may also learn some good habits and follow by example. Could help build his confidence.
It sounds like he's really fallen on his feet with you A good Christmas story to hear
They have seen each other just once and it looked promising my sons Lab is so layed back its amazing,Zak jumped all over him playing but it didnt faze him he took it all in his stride.
Tomorrow they are seeing each other for a bit longer and we will take it from there
I have a 5 year old dane, Zak, and a 7 month old lab, Brodie, who loves to be outside, as long as hes not by himself
Obviously now its cold outside I'm not gonna stand out there while they're just mooching about, and I'm not going to leave the back door open either. I leave the utilty room door open so they aren't shut out completely.
Brodie it seems doesn't like "closed doors" and would cry jump scratch and launch himself at the door He knows what "no" means, and he very quickly learnt what "NOOOO" with a pointed finger means, ( that hes in BIG trouble) and he knows "wait".
We are working together on this he gently touches the door or gives a little cry just to let me know hes there, I open the door, tell him to wait, close the door get a treat, and then let him in, as long as hes still quietly "waiting". So far its working, in as much as as hes not wrecking the door, just gently knocking or asking politely to come in, and I'm very happy with that (and so is Zak cause he gets a treat at the same time)
One thing I will say about labs - they are VERY quick learners.
____________ Never look down on anybody unless your helping them up
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A good Christmas story to hear 
& welcome to LF
