Yeah, my rottweiler-pit mix we found in an alley just loves cold weather. When we had that spell in the single digits this year, he just didn’t want to come inside. But when we had our 70s a few weeks ago, he was knackered after just a mile walk (normally, we walk 2-3 miles at a time.) I’m curious to see once it gets really hot here, but we’ve definitely got a cold weather dog.
As for getting an adult and destructiveness, yeah, dogs in general are quite a handful from about 6 months to 2 years. There’s a meme somewhere showing the three phases of a dog: 0-6 months, it pictures a sweet puppy. 2 years onward, it shows a distinguished adult dog. 6 months to two years, it shows a velociraptor. That tracks with the dogs I’ve known, regardless of breed. They’re basically boundary-testing tweens and teenagers at that age with a lot of energy. Ours was probably about a year and a half when we found him, and he’s now settling down quite a lot as he eases into his twos. But, man, between the new home, family, and age, he was quite extra for a few months there.
Actively being watched; this does not mean you’re watching TV or cooking dinner & not paying attention to him getting into trouble. It doesn’t have to mean you’re playing with him but that you are watching him play by himself.
Outside w/ you
Ideally, the crate should be right sized for the dog. His adult crate is way to big for him as a puppy. Putting a box or two in it to wall of the back half can help with that. You don’t want to go in your bed but if you were in a big room, you’d pee in one corner & then sleep in the other corner; same with that pup in a big crate.
Labs can be chewers & not loose that puppiness until later than other dogs.
So, a while back, we got a Great Pyrenees from Great Pyrenees rescue. Dreyfus was 4-years old or so. The rescue org said we should crate him. OK, we got the biggest damned crate we could find. (Dreyfus was small for a pyr - he was only about 120 lbs). First night, he figured out he could jiggle the cage door and the latches would pull back. We wake up Saturday morning with a big white fluffy thing sniffing at the bed. Our cat freaked out, jumped into the closet scrambling up the clothes to get away from this monster.
OK, so second night, put a carabiner on one of the latches. He pushed the front of the cage off.
Third night, I tied rope around the front of the crate to keep it on. He broke the welds on the front of the crate. At that point, we kinda figured that we were never going to keep him crated.
Never had a problem with him stress-chewing or anything. However,… one time we went on vacation and boarded him. Nice place - air conditioned inside; automated doors going outside. Dreyfus decided he wanted to go outside. He pulled the door out of the wall. While they were fixing the door, they put him in another run. He pulled that door out of the wall. I don’t think the repairs were that expensive because they did not charge us.
Since the OP is retired and has time to spend with the dog, I’d recommend against using puppy pads for house training. At best, it’ll unnecessarily delay the dog learning to do its thing outdoors.
We’ve always used the technique of closely supervising the pup indoors, taking it out frequently to wee and poop, and scooping it up to go outside the moment it shows signs of squatting. All of our dogs were house-trained in relatively short order (this includes two Labs).
Early behavioral training is good, whether guided by a “professional” or experienced dog owner.. My experience with “puppy kindergarten” is that aside from some value in socialization, canine skills acquisition isn’t so hot.
You guys need to stop posting stories of crate fails. We get it, it doesn’t always work. But it is imperative to try, especially with a baby, and to try correctly (please read up on crate training).
Also have some soft toys as well. There are some super durable rubber toys out there that are almost indestructible even for aggressive chewers. Check out Kong toys and others like it. Toys with holes for treats are great for giving the dog something to do. Toss one in their crate whenever you lock them up and they’ll eagerly go into the crate every time.
Some large crates also come with dividers that can be first moved within the crate and then removed entirely as the puppy grows.
Maybe they didn’t charge you because they were embarrassed that he was able to get out and were just really relieved that he didn’t escape into a road someplace and that you weren’t throwing a fit about that possibility.
– my lab cross hates being out in the rain; but he doesn’t mind the cold. Snow? that’s to play in!
One other advantage of getting the puppy during fair weather is that it will have more opportunity for socialization. The more interactions it has with people and dogs as a puppy, the more comfortable it will be in those kinds of situations as it grows up.
I grew up with my family owning a pure-bred bloodline of black labs. We owned males. Each time the litter was born we got the pick of the litter (we did not charge cash for our dogs getting their jollies)
Our one dog, Jason was a gentleman of dubious virtue. He had something of an amorous nature, and it did not take too much time before the local Afrikanis population started showing a distinct phenotype - a large number of black dogs.
Exactly filmore thanks. The other issue with waiting is Trumpflation, but I’ll leave it at that since this isn’t P&E or the Pit.
Right now my biggest issue is trying to find a reputable breeder, but there are apparently so many puppy mills out there it became rather disheartening yesterday on my first comprehensive search. puppies dot com is apparently a no-go zone based on my research: on r/dogs someone posted a guide for finding a good breeder and I am using that to hone my search.
I am pretty insistent on getting a New World lab, of the thinner build, but so far 2 of the local breeders indicated they raise only Old World labs, who are chunkier and with shorter muzzles. I got quickly dissuaded from one when they outright said they breed their females 2-3 times a year, and I was thinking Lord Almighty you don’t even bother to give the poor things a f. rest? 60 days gestation 40-50 days to wean is almost 4 months by itself, and you just throw them back in with a male as soon as that cycle is ended?!
I’m involved in dog rescue, so my default reaction, is “get a rescue”.
But my first dog when I could afford one as an adult was a Weimeraner/German pointer, so I am a snob. (A little. At least he was a cross of two pedigree dogs)
My second was German pointer cross random farm dog. Hybrid vigour is a thing.
If I get a chance to get a dog again, it is going to be either the equivalent of an expensive lineage, St. Bernard, New Foundland, etc) or just some random skinny sad dog we rescue.
Probably the latter.
EtA… black labs are really great dogs. Really. Not the brightest, but perfectly capable of advanced training. There is a reason that many guide dogs for the blind are black labs.
If you do get a crate, always always take the collar off your dog before crating him. There are some sad stories from people who didn’t.
Bitter apple spray is good to keep dogs from teething on your belongings.
My dog eats purina One. My previous pets were eating special grain free food that it turns out is not as healthy as originally claimed (it’s been found to cause heart problems).
My one dog was responsible for destroying more than 13 pairs of my ex-wifes shoes… keep the cupboard doors closed!
And it seems self evident, but socialise, socialise, socialise. My dogs were fine with other dogs, but also cats*, cattle, horses, sheep… hell, even a tortoise (that one took a while) because I exposed them to as many animals as I possibly could.
* that is, our cats. Others were fair game, unfortunately. I kept a water pistol loaded with water and citronella oil to shoot neighbourhood cats, because better for them to be pissed off and smell strong, than for the inevitable. Both dogs were mixed breed, but both.had German Pointer in them.. humting breeds.