97 Tips for Raising Labs
Following are approximately 97 questions readers of BigYellowDog.com submitted in recent years. They were answered by a licensed veterinarian on the site as a general service to all Lab owners. This information is for general reference only. Always consult your veterinarian for any questions about your Lab's health. We hope this information is somewhat helpful. At this time, we are not accepting any more questions.
Question
We have a Lab and are having a problem. We leave him in a kennel outside on nice days while we are at work, but when it is rainy or too cold, he stays inside. He sees us getting ready for work in the a.m. and he gets sad. When we leave him in his room for the day he always goes to the bathroom. This is the only time he goes in the house. He is just 1 year old now, and we are really frustrated. He can make it all night long with no problems at all, but he goes almost everytime we leave him. He's also quite distructive in his room. He has eaten holes in the carpet, taken off the wall paper, destroyed boxes and pet beds and every single toy we leave him with. This bothers us, but not as much as the first topic. He is such a loving and non-destructive dog the rest of the time that this drives us crazy. Help us and our wonderful little boy!!!
Answer
I'd recommend you get an indoor plastic crate with the wire front door, the bigger ones that are built for a big dog like a Lab. They are also used to ship dogs on airplanes - know what crates I mean? This will solve two of your problems. One, the dog will not go to the bathroom in this crate. Dogs do not like to lay around in their own waste, so he will learn to hold it until you get home and he gets to go outside. Probably the reason he is going now is that he is in a big enough room to get away from it. Two, the destructive behavior will cease because he will not have access to the outside room to tear anything up. Other recommendation with this, don't just go buy a crate and throw him in there. You need to get him acclimated. Always give him a treat and praise for going in there. Leave the door open at times when he isn't supposed to be in there so he can get in on his own and explore. This one might sound gross, but put a T-shirt in there that you or someone in your family has worked out in. The smell of you guys will be on that shirt and make him feel better and safer. (Dogs operate by smell like people operate on sight.) Maybe the first week or two put him in there and come home at lunchtime a few hours later and let him out. By the third week or so, he might be ready to stay in all day. As your dog matures, he will likely get to the point that the crate isn't necessary at all. But this will teach him that when he is indoors, he should not do the things he is doing. And it will save your sanity and home remodeling bills. Hope this helps. These are common problems and solutions.
