should I let my Lab pup chew

[redroof 0]

I have a 9 week old lab pup which wants to chew all day. I got some dog chew toys and a bone for her which she chews along with shoes and furniture etc. I am concerned this will cause hard mouth. I have thrown rolled up socks a few times and a tennis ball twice which she will has mostly decided to hold on to and chew. i will hold off on any further play retrieves. also while outside she will lift sticks and carry them

I know not to play chasing or tug of war etc

how much if any and what type of chew should she be allowed ? hard / soft / rubber ?

should i allow her to carry sticks? I dont want to be telling her no or leave it all the time .

[samearl14 11]

Not an expert, but id say yeah let her chew things. They will chew furniture less if theyre worn out or kept occupied obviously. And giving it proper chew toys should stop it chewing stuff you dont want it to. My 12 week old cocker is the same at the moment.

And on the carrying side of things, im happy for mine to carry stuff around as later on you can just instil the fact that the stuff has to be carried back to you.

ATB with your pup

[masmiffy 82]

Chewing is natural but you have to make sure they only chew things they are allowed to furniture etc is out!!

Catch her doing it scold her and then give her something she is allowed to have and say good girl once she takes it.

There are loads of 'toys' and chews in shops for pups but I would go for the 'natural' stuff.

As for carrying things again no problem and as has been said it will help so long as you get her to bring things to you, make a gentle game of it.

Good luck mate

[gadge 2]

My lad used to chew everything its just normal, somtimes i used to think that its when she was teething not sure,but i would say to get somthing which is hard rubber so it doent sollow anything

[eddie1 2]

at nine weeks old is it not teething ? i have a spaniel he was the same at that age i used to keep bones in the freezer gave him one each day ( frozen) seemed to work ok for him .

[Lab 10,979]

I wouldn't let it chew anything and i wouldn't let it carry anything either. If it chews then make sure it knows thats wrong. If it picks up a stick or anything lying around then make the pup bring it too you, take it from it and then plenty of praise. If any your toy chews have the squeaky bit then remove that too....

[Duncan_642 0]

someone has said scald it for chewing! NEVER do this. of you see it chewing something important never loose your temper distract it with something they are allowed to punishing a dog at an early age for doing sonething nateral will more than likely spoils its natural ability in later life!

 

an example is if it picks up and wanders round with a shoe dont loose it encourage it to you praise it when it does come no matter how long it takes and replace with a toy if you do it by telling it off when you want it to retrieve a bird to hand would you think it will after you spent a year or so telling it off for picking something up....

[Lab 10,979]

someone has said scald it for chewing! NEVER do this. of you see it chewing something important never loose your temper distract it with something they are allowed to punishing a dog at an early age for doing sonething nateral will more than likely spoils its natural ability in later life!

 

an example is if it picks up and wanders round with a shoe dont loose it encourage it to you praise it when it does come no matter how long it takes and replace with a toy if you do it by telling it off when you want it to retrieve a bird to hand would you think it will after you spent a year or so telling it off for picking something up....

Well Duncan i'd say we have some different ideas on how to train a dog.

I'd really like to hear from some of the other lads/lassies on here training gundogs and what there views on letting dogs carry things for whatever time the dog feels like? Maybe i have been doing something wrong....

[Duncan_642 0]

didnt say leave it i said get it back to you asap calmly....

 

Just cos my status is newbie doesnt mean i dont know anything. tell a retriever off for retrieving and you get what....

Edited September 8, 2011 by Duncan_642

[Lab 10,979]

didnt say leave it i said get it back to you asap calmly....

 

Just cos my status is newbie doesnt mean i dont know anything. tell a retriever off for retrieving and you get what....

didnt say leave it i said get it back to you asap calmly....

 

Just cos my status is newbie doesnt mean i dont know anything. tell a retriever off for retrieving and you get what....

I never said you did..... I also never said tell off a dog for retrieving, far from it.

[Duncan_642 0]

letting dogs carry things for whatever time the dog feels like

 

was what you said and thats not my point ive learnt the hard way in training by doing it all wrong and spoiling what could have been a really handy dog, ive moved on and learnt from my mistakes not the dogs and have seen some really good progress in the ability of my dogs though a better understanding of how to bring out there ability.

[Lab 10,979]

letting dogs carry things for whatever time the dog feels like

 

was what you said and thats not my point ive learnt the hard way in training by doing it all wrong and spoiling what could have been a really handy dog, ive moved on and learnt from my mistakes not the dogs and have seen some really good progress in the ability of my dogs though a better understanding of how to bring out there ability.

Ok mate i did read your first post slightly wrong, hold my hands up. But you did say if it brings a shoe to you then replace it with a toy. Then what is the dog to do with the toy? Not looking for an arguemenet here just interested in different ways off training.....

[samearl14 11]

Keep this as a good discussion of training techniques and it could be a good thread. Iv recently got my first what i would call proper proper gun dog (shes 16 weeks now) and i like to hear different methods of doing stuff for future ref.

[Duncan_642 0]

yeah if you do that when its a pup you will encourage good retrieving behavier then when in the kennel at 6 months or so you have the basics laid out.. once in the kennel build a narrow long run in your training area (garden) and throw a dummy to one end call pup to you and as it has nowhere to get distracted will learn to come to you straight away. Do this little and often for a month or so letting them have a scamper inbetween each lesson keep it fun at all times. then expand the run then within a few months disregard the run and you yet again have used a stepping stone to good obediance

[Duncan_642 0]

letting dogs carry things for whatever time the dog feels like

 

was what you said and thats not my point ive learnt the hard way in training by doing it all wrong and spoiling what could have been a really handy dog, ive moved on and learnt from my mistakes not the dogs and have seen some really good progress in the ability of my dogs though a better understanding of how to bring out there ability.

Ok mate i did read your first post slightly wrong, hold my hands up. But you did say if it brings a shoe to you then replace it with a toy. Then what is the dog to do with the toy? Not looking for an arguemenet here just interested in different ways off training.....

 

once it has the toy it can do what it wants as later in life it will be replaced with quarry and as of yet ive not had a hard mouthed dog, current spaniel is 18 months hold and will deliver to hand soft as you like no damage what so ever. and even this years poults whist dogging in have been returned able to be put back into the pen.