Destructive dog

... the newest addition to our family is Enzo. He is 107% black lab, with the two organ systems that all black labs have, the jaw and the paw.

He has completely reconfigured my cyclamen and is now working on the pansies. We have

(1) Sprayed the dog and cat repellent stuff
(2) Buried his own feces near the plants (that, until this week has been working)
(3) Negatively reinforced.

This dog is smart, and has been trained. He follows commands, but is still young and adventuresome.

Any hints would be appreciated

W J

might try the pet forum. could be someone there would be knowledgable about problem puppies. good luck.

I also have a pup, but just likes to dig a hole or two. I have been told that teaching the dog there is a place to dig is helpful. Burying a toy, snack and positve reinforce for that area and negative everywhere else.My neighbor trained his dog to stop digging in an area by burying a ballon. When it popped, the dog stopped digging there. Good Luck!

baloon, eh?

i heard the way to get a dog to stop jumping is to have a squirt gun and squirt in his face when it jumped up--if you are out with him that might help but you would need to catch him in the act--soemething that makes him associate digging with a bad experience is the idea i guess

Exercise! For a sporting dog, that's the best thing you can do for him...lots of exercise. Do you jog? That would be even better. I don't know if it will stop the mischevious puppy stage of digging but it may help.

I used to have a Dalmatian (he's crossed over) and he loved to exercise. My DH would take him running with him...for 5 miles, he had amazing endurance!

He is a cutie!

Try putting some wire mesh around where he wants to dig? You can buy it in rolls at most hardware stores. I was thinking about a long strip of the wire mesh laid flat as a kind of border around your plants until he gets the idea. We also have a black lab named Lucy who was a rescue from an abusive home a couple of years ago. I don't think labs grow a brain until they are three or fours years old. Good luck!

I have had this same problem....first with a potbellied pig (impossible to negatively reinforce...lol) and now with my dog Jasper, who is part lab. My best bet so far has been fencing in the flower bed and negatively reinforcing the fence. I also have spot for him to dig, he used to dig to China in the middle of the yard but now is allowed a place in the back if he wants. As he has gotten older he doesn't have the desire to dig that he used to, thank goodness!

We have always had Labs here and they are a high energy dog regardless of age. Exercise is the primary diversion. Schedule ample time for training and activity with him. Swimming, retrieving, I would say walking but they will make four laps to my one so running would be appropriate.

Fascinating to watch the dog whisperer. In the majority of problem dogs he deals with, the root of the dogs' problem is boredom. The remedy is exercise. Most of our Labs lived to 14 years old. We have one that is now 13 and his spring is STILL wound too tight!

I would say, catch it early as you will have a lot of years to look forward to.

Your little guy is charming and I always say ~ AWwwww but then I slap myself and say NO! I don't need another dog... 8 )

Get a cat.

Clathrus

My wife has two :(

We have two or three. One just came up in our backyard wanting to be fed; about half grown. The other two are house cats; this is critter country and we don't let them out.

Saw a big female redtailed hawk soaring above the treeline this morning.

Majestic.

Deadly.

Keep even the plumpest of tabby cats indoors ....

Somebody was talking to me the other day about shooting cats. I told him my cats return fire. Accurately. He stopped talking about it. The Hill Country is critter country too. I think that feral cats don't do really well here. I've seen fox, coyote, hawks, and various other critters. Tough life outdoors.

Our cats are allowed out in the daytime, but all are inside at night, two in the sunroom and three in the garage. We live in the edge of a small town, but it's like being in the country with pasture on three sides.

I love your Lab, but his digging may not compare with Sara's. I don't think Pyrs ever outgrow digging. She will be three this month and would still love to uncover the septic and propane lines again. Our solution has been to give her a large area of her own, fenced, and let her out into our yard when we are with her or when we invite her into the house. She prefers to be outside unless it is extremely hot or thunderstorming. Even when it is below freezing outside, she is in her element and too warm inside.

Patricia, what a beautiful dog.

I lost my little Lhasa in July. We had her 16 years. I've always thought of myself as more of a cat person than a dog person. So, for some stupid reason, I was really not prepared for the grief we all went through when she crossed over. Four months later, I'm still digging up her bones in the back yard, and it still makes me miss her. :(

Until a couple of years ago, my back yard was always for kids and the dog. Then the kid grew up and the dog got old, and neither wanted to play catch any more. We decided to make it attractive for adults. When I built new flower beds through Rosella's normal path, I saw that years of habit were confusing her. Even though it looked completely different, she still wanted to take the path she'd always taken--and trample my new flowers. So I put in stepping stones to guide her. To my surprise, she figured it out, actually used them, and determined that it was no longer the place to dig. She still dug, but she found other places.

There are small accommodations like that that you can make. You can give them a place to do their thing, and they will get the hint and leave yours alone. At the time, you may think that's a lot of extra trouble. But they are worth it.

Sara is a lovable, beautiful girl, but we are looking for her new home. Her digging causes problems for my husband, who still has difficulty walking since his stroke a year ago, and she still wants to romp and play like a puppy. At nearly 100 pounds she is a danger to him. I have contacted the Austin area Pyr rescue group about her, but if anyone knows of a perfect home for a big sweet dog, let me know.

Patrob, I'm going to ask my Mother if she would like Sara. She has had a number of GPs over the years. My mother raised goats and sheep and the dogs. She had a hard time for a few years back and had to get rid of all her pets and livestock. She is now in a new home in the country and has lots of room. I not sure if she is looking for a dog at the moment, I'll let you know. I would love her myself but have a female Great Dane that can't get along with other females. My Mother and I love GPs, they have such wonderful dispositions.

Cocoa, I have sent you a d-mail!

what about this?

http://store.hightechpetstore.com/yb1-item.html

W J