New dog owner - pics & advice required!
Discussion
A recent new introduction to the Spuff Family; Tilly, a 15month old Labrador Retriever Cross who we have rehomed from the Guide Dog Association. She was being bred to be part of their breeding Programme but failed the medical back in August due to a very slight left front elbow displasia. Never having shown any signs of lameness, it was a bit of a surprise until the Standard x-ray at the medical but they can't afford to introduce it into the bloodline, so out she went. We only applied to the rehoming scheme in early Sept, were visited and signed off by the Dog Rehoming Officer in late Sept and received Tilly two weeks later!
She's now been with us nearly 3wks and pretty much settling in ok (questions for you guys later in the post) but has obviously been a huge upheaval for myself, wife and 3.5yr old daughter. However, we're lucky because the wife doesn't work and has time to dedicate to the "pup" and we live on a farm, so she has 1300acres of land to roam, straight outside our front door.
Here she is - the first pics we received from the GDA when they first asked if we wanted her...
And here are a few of her in her new surroundings at home.....
And because this is PH - a pic of her on her first journey in our motorhome
We're first time dog owners, so part of the work has been trying to work out what she needs, what she wants and how to get her to fit into our lives. She's super gentle around our daughter and very happy to be stroked and be talked at by the little'un. She's also more than happy to spend a lot of time lying around on her bed or stealing my beanbag!! Likes playing with toys in the house or ball outside (we have to be careful with high impact stuff with her elbow) and she likes long walks through the farm and forest. She's house-trained and trained to come, sit, (lie) down, wait, off, stay, down and quiet but all of this has a tendancy to go out of the window when there is wildlife around (which is frequently on an arable farm). And this has been a major source of frustration for mainly my wife, but me on occasion also. She always comes back but only on her terms and never to voice or whistle command. Outside of these times, she's really well behaved although she does struggle on the lead - pulls a lot and struggles to "heel".
We don't know whether she's being just a pup (like a child with selective hearing when the TV and their favourite show is on!) or whether it's something we can train out of her?
She also seems ridiculously submissive - she rarely looks you in the eye, preferring to keep her head low when you're praising her or trying to cuddle / pet her, which on the one Hand is better that than aggressive but suggests she doesn't have a massive amount of confidence. It also doesn't seem to fit with the personality of the dog which runs after everything too??
We've never hit her (nor would we) or never verbally abused her - I have shouted once or twice when she's run off after deer etc. but never got in her face and done anything I wouldn't do to my daughter. Is it just that she's trying to gauge us and work out where she fits in in the Family or do you think she could just naturally be very shy and aloof?
Also, another question regarding Food - we were told she was on 190grammes of Royal Cannin Jnr twice a day. We've stuck to that, although removed 10-30grammes depending on how many treats she's had during Training to ensure she doesn't put on weight. However, she looks like she has put on a fair bit. Her exercise Routine is following:-
- 05:30 - 10-15min walk (no running as she gets breakfast after we get back in and before I go to work)
- 10:00 - 45-60min walk mixed with running and fetch with the wife
- 15:00ish - 20min playtime in the garden being chased or playing fetch with wife & daughter
- 18:00ish - 20-30min walk
- 22:00 - 10min walk
Is she getting too much food vs. exercise or was the 190gr wrong in the first place? We're taking her to see the Vet Nurse next week to have her next worming Treatment and will stick her on the scales then. She was 27.5kg when she was signed over to us and 28kg according to the vet when we registered her the following week. GDA have stipulated a weight of no more than 28.5kg, so we're concerned not to have her increase any further.
Thanks in advance! This dog thing is hard work but very rewarding!
She's now been with us nearly 3wks and pretty much settling in ok (questions for you guys later in the post) but has obviously been a huge upheaval for myself, wife and 3.5yr old daughter. However, we're lucky because the wife doesn't work and has time to dedicate to the "pup" and we live on a farm, so she has 1300acres of land to roam, straight outside our front door.
Here she is - the first pics we received from the GDA when they first asked if we wanted her...
And here are a few of her in her new surroundings at home.....
And because this is PH - a pic of her on her first journey in our motorhome
We're first time dog owners, so part of the work has been trying to work out what she needs, what she wants and how to get her to fit into our lives. She's super gentle around our daughter and very happy to be stroked and be talked at by the little'un. She's also more than happy to spend a lot of time lying around on her bed or stealing my beanbag!! Likes playing with toys in the house or ball outside (we have to be careful with high impact stuff with her elbow) and she likes long walks through the farm and forest. She's house-trained and trained to come, sit, (lie) down, wait, off, stay, down and quiet but all of this has a tendancy to go out of the window when there is wildlife around (which is frequently on an arable farm). And this has been a major source of frustration for mainly my wife, but me on occasion also. She always comes back but only on her terms and never to voice or whistle command. Outside of these times, she's really well behaved although she does struggle on the lead - pulls a lot and struggles to "heel".
We don't know whether she's being just a pup (like a child with selective hearing when the TV and their favourite show is on!) or whether it's something we can train out of her?
She also seems ridiculously submissive - she rarely looks you in the eye, preferring to keep her head low when you're praising her or trying to cuddle / pet her, which on the one Hand is better that than aggressive but suggests she doesn't have a massive amount of confidence. It also doesn't seem to fit with the personality of the dog which runs after everything too??
We've never hit her (nor would we) or never verbally abused her - I have shouted once or twice when she's run off after deer etc. but never got in her face and done anything I wouldn't do to my daughter. Is it just that she's trying to gauge us and work out where she fits in in the Family or do you think she could just naturally be very shy and aloof?
Also, another question regarding Food - we were told she was on 190grammes of Royal Cannin Jnr twice a day. We've stuck to that, although removed 10-30grammes depending on how many treats she's had during Training to ensure she doesn't put on weight. However, she looks like she has put on a fair bit. Her exercise Routine is following:-
- 05:30 - 10-15min walk (no running as she gets breakfast after we get back in and before I go to work)
- 10:00 - 45-60min walk mixed with running and fetch with the wife
- 15:00ish - 20min playtime in the garden being chased or playing fetch with wife & daughter
- 18:00ish - 20-30min walk
- 22:00 - 10min walk
Is she getting too much food vs. exercise or was the 190gr wrong in the first place? We're taking her to see the Vet Nurse next week to have her next worming Treatment and will stick her on the scales then. She was 27.5kg when she was signed over to us and 28kg according to the vet when we registered her the following week. GDA have stipulated a weight of no more than 28.5kg, so we're concerned not to have her increase any further.
Thanks in advance! This dog thing is hard work but very rewarding!
Keeping the weight off a Labrador Retriever can be the very devil of a job. My friend who has had several describes them as an appetite with a dog attached. There is no magic amount of food to give any dog and certain dogs will always appear "hungry". The only thing you can do is keep an eye on her weight and adjust her food intake accordingly.
In terms of obedience (not chasing deer - yes Fenton I'm looking at you) food or treats are your best friends, find what she really loves and train her to come to heel immediately for reward. It will take a while for her to pick it up as you are training her out of a natural impulse (they are wolves remember) but just by making it part of you exercise regime say ten minutes on the end of playtime will soon make a difference.
If you think training a Labrador is hard you should try training a Terrier not to chase squirrels...
In terms of obedience (not chasing deer - yes Fenton I'm looking at you) food or treats are your best friends, find what she really loves and train her to come to heel immediately for reward. It will take a while for her to pick it up as you are training her out of a natural impulse (they are wolves remember) but just by making it part of you exercise regime say ten minutes on the end of playtime will soon make a difference.
If you think training a Labrador is hard you should try training a Terrier not to chase squirrels...
Rumblestripe said:
Keeping the weight off a Labrador Retriever can be the very devil of a job. My friend who has had several describes them as an appetite with a dog attached. There is no magic amount of food to give any dog and certain dogs will always appear "hungry". The only thing you can do is keep an eye on her weight and adjust her food intake accordingly.
In terms of obedience (not chasing deer - yes Fenton I'm looking at you) food or treats are your best friends, find what she really loves and train her to come to heel immediately for reward. It will take a while for her to pick it up as you are training her out of a natural impulse (they are wolves remember) but just by making it part of you exercise regime say ten minutes on the end of playtime will soon make a difference.
If you think training a Labrador is hard you should try training a Terrier not to chase squirrels...
Try training a Beagle not to chase another families picnic! Most dogs will always act hungry, if they think they can trick you into feeding them twice then they will! Just stick to the same amount of food every day, we have a tub that is the right size for her daily allowance of food and I fill that up in the morning and any treats that she has during the day comes out of that allowance. Its kept her fairly lean so far and means that the occasional treat isn't going to hurt. In terms of obedience (not chasing deer - yes Fenton I'm looking at you) food or treats are your best friends, find what she really loves and train her to come to heel immediately for reward. It will take a while for her to pick it up as you are training her out of a natural impulse (they are wolves remember) but just by making it part of you exercise regime say ten minutes on the end of playtime will soon make a difference.
If you think training a Labrador is hard you should try training a Terrier not to chase squirrels...
As for training them, dogs love to have someone in charge of them and they love to have a routine. If you need to tell them off then use a stern voice but dont shout and dont use their name, just say no and make them sit. This helps to remind them who is the boss. If they run away then dont chase them, shout their name and then walk in the other direction and they will soon follow.
Most of all, make sure you give them plenty of love, they are a member of the family just like anyone else and they are the only one who will be happy to see you every time you come home!
At 15 months old and assuming she is spayed she can come off the junior and go onto Adult which should help with stabilising her weight.
Guide dogs are very strict re: weight, however this should not be the only tool to assess if a dog is of correct weight. A good vet nurse who deals with weight will assess body condition score etc so if a dog is very fit and toned they may weigh sl more than the guide set but still not be overweight.
Enjoy her, she looks lovely
Guide dogs are very strict re: weight, however this should not be the only tool to assess if a dog is of correct weight. A good vet nurse who deals with weight will assess body condition score etc so if a dog is very fit and toned they may weigh sl more than the guide set but still not be overweight.
Enjoy her, she looks lovely
I have a friend with a Guide dog, her 2nd one (first one was retired)and that looked so sad as yours does in those first pictures. Her first dog was a very happy dog but she has had to work hard with Pepsi the new one.
On first getting Pepsi she was not overly good socialising with others but is much better now.
GDA are certainly very strict with their dogs re food and weight..
Yours is a lovely looking dog btw.
On first getting Pepsi she was not overly good socialising with others but is much better now.
GDA are certainly very strict with their dogs re food and weight..
Yours is a lovely looking dog btw.
Hi:
New member just having a look around and came across this one, if i may, there are a couple of things that should be kept in mind, firstly your dog at 15 months is still only a pup mentally, she'll mature sometime around 2 to 3 years in the meantime keep working on her training, keep it fun and part of her routine, stick with the whistle and train her that responding to the whistle is in her best interest, with a lab cross this is certainly food related fried liver with garlic is a great treat for dogs as it smells great to them, or cheese another great smell, if she doesn't immediately respond as previously said by another poster, turn around and walk away, make sure she see's you do it, she'll come running, make sure you reward as soon as she comes, do not shout or she'll associate coming back to you as a bad thing, but please remember she is only young, expecting her to be fully trained and perfectly behaved would be like expecting your little girl to be able to read and understand shakespeare at only 3.5 years, so give her time. Regarding her not looking you in the eye, to dogs looking you or each other in the eye is a challenge if held for more than a couple of seconds, your dog is acknowledging your higher position in her pack by looking away, this is right and proper. I hope this helps, she's a beauty by the way.
New member just having a look around and came across this one, if i may, there are a couple of things that should be kept in mind, firstly your dog at 15 months is still only a pup mentally, she'll mature sometime around 2 to 3 years in the meantime keep working on her training, keep it fun and part of her routine, stick with the whistle and train her that responding to the whistle is in her best interest, with a lab cross this is certainly food related fried liver with garlic is a great treat for dogs as it smells great to them, or cheese another great smell, if she doesn't immediately respond as previously said by another poster, turn around and walk away, make sure she see's you do it, she'll come running, make sure you reward as soon as she comes, do not shout or she'll associate coming back to you as a bad thing, but please remember she is only young, expecting her to be fully trained and perfectly behaved would be like expecting your little girl to be able to read and understand shakespeare at only 3.5 years, so give her time. Regarding her not looking you in the eye, to dogs looking you or each other in the eye is a challenge if held for more than a couple of seconds, your dog is acknowledging your higher position in her pack by looking away, this is right and proper. I hope this helps, she's a beauty by the way.
Thanks for all the kind and helpful replies.
We are really pleased to have her as part of the Family and it's nice also, that people notice the difference in her appearance from pre-homing to being on the farm. We regularly keep telling ourselves, she must have a charmed life with having so much attention, the farm to herself and lots of ground to Keep her fit and interested, plus a fire to huddle up next to at night, but sometimes it's easy to loose sight of that and focus on where we might be going wrong etc.
So, we're just coming up 3wks today of owning her. Guide Dogs suggested to remain on Jnr feed until the end of four weeks, just because she might be a bit anxious and that'll affect the digestive System and best to start weaning onto the Adult once she's settled. In all likelihood we'll start introducing it next week as she appears quite settled and her guts seem to be working ok!
Thanks for the tips regarding Training. At the moment she's getting doggie treats but we've heard cheese and sausage mentioned a few times already, so we'll try those to keep some interest during training. I have to confess that she's very good around food and doesn't beg or steal or even show any interest in food when we're eating. But I know that's how the Guide Dogs train them and I'm very grateful as it makes life easier not needing eyes in the back of your head or having a dog salivating all over everything.
And re: the swing bin - that was at the previous Puppy Walker's house. We have a Brabantia thing and, as above, she doesn't go foraging for food.
The tip regarding her not looking at us straight in the eye is encouraging now we understand why. Thanks for that.
We are really pleased to have her as part of the Family and it's nice also, that people notice the difference in her appearance from pre-homing to being on the farm. We regularly keep telling ourselves, she must have a charmed life with having so much attention, the farm to herself and lots of ground to Keep her fit and interested, plus a fire to huddle up next to at night, but sometimes it's easy to loose sight of that and focus on where we might be going wrong etc.
So, we're just coming up 3wks today of owning her. Guide Dogs suggested to remain on Jnr feed until the end of four weeks, just because she might be a bit anxious and that'll affect the digestive System and best to start weaning onto the Adult once she's settled. In all likelihood we'll start introducing it next week as she appears quite settled and her guts seem to be working ok!
Thanks for the tips regarding Training. At the moment she's getting doggie treats but we've heard cheese and sausage mentioned a few times already, so we'll try those to keep some interest during training. I have to confess that she's very good around food and doesn't beg or steal or even show any interest in food when we're eating. But I know that's how the Guide Dogs train them and I'm very grateful as it makes life easier not needing eyes in the back of your head or having a dog salivating all over everything.
And re: the swing bin - that was at the previous Puppy Walker's house. We have a Brabantia thing and, as above, she doesn't go foraging for food.
The tip regarding her not looking at us straight in the eye is encouraging now we understand why. Thanks for that.
That seems like a lot of structured exercise, i'd plan the walks and just let the rest flow naturally. My lab is 14 weeks and is like a hover with legs and always seems to be hungry. Once mine gets to 1 yr old I'll move him to 2 walks. As long as yours gets a good length walk at least once she should be fine.
Vets all think he will end up being 30kg plus and already loves a good wrestle.
Vets all think he will end up being 30kg plus and already loves a good wrestle.
Edited by phil-sti on Friday 4th November 18:41
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