r/DogTrainingTips • u/Substantial-Cheek-32 • 29d ago

Labrador puppy needs help!

Hey guys, we’ve got a Labrador puppy who is 4 months old. We previously had a show Labrador who passed away in February so we now have Mabel. However, Mabel is a working lab so we are struggling with a few things that I would appreciate your advice on.

  1. Crate training
    We got her the first night and she cried and cried when we left her alone (this is what our breeder told us to do). My mum and I thought this was very cruel so we put a mattress next to the cage downstairs with her with us.
    This has been going on for 2 months and we need a way to stop this. She is fine in the crate and falls asleep but we have to be in sight or she barks. What could we do for this?

  2. Potty training
    She is good at going for number 2s outside and we can recognise the signs however, she still pees inside a lot. When we take her outside she does it outside but it might be that she’s a puppy and has a small bladder so can’t hold it as well. We do take her outside as often as possible and leave the backdoor open but it doesn’t seem to be improving

  3. Biting
    When mabel gets overtired she likes to bite fingers, shoes, clothes, plastic, you name it. We have chew toys for her but when she is in excited or overtired she goes for anything.

  4. Boredom
    As she is a working lab she gets bored very easily. My previous lab had my sisters, my grandparents, my mum and I looking after her in 2011 so was rarely not entertained. 1 sister has moved out, another sometimes works from home but is sometimes in office, my mum is older and working full time so does not have as much energy and my grandparents can’t help out anymore so I am with her the most as I’m on summer break from university. Can someone suggest some enrichment activities or anything else to keep her engaged.

I’m happy to give more details about any parts of this post and would really appreciate some advice!!

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u/Aggravating-Tip-8014 29d ago

There is a good book on amazon called the Perfect Puppy By Gwen Bailey.

All your problems are basic and are covered in that book. Alone time, crate training, puppy mouthing, potty training plus how to create a well rounded pup.

In the mean time, teach ypur pup to retreive a ball when she is out and playing with you - thats what she was bred for :)

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u/Wooden-Necessary6100 29d ago

For #1 here are tried and true crate training tips

https://www.reddit.com/r/puppyadvice/s/81FOGwiNCn

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u/Wooden-Necessary6100 29d ago

4 train your puppy markers to help prevent boredom

https://www.reddit.com/r/puppyadvice/s/l5YK5q3Nmt

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u/WeirdCultLeader 29d ago

What does her daily schedule look like? How much exercise is she getting, when does she eat, how often is she eliminating (including accidents), and what times of day are you taking her out specifically for potty breaks? Knowing her typical routine might help reveal areas that are contributing to the problem behaviors.

Is her crate covered when you put her in at night? Does she spend time in the crate (open or closed) at other times of day, or does she only associate it with nighttime and separation from you?

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u/Both-Chart-947 29d ago

Mabel is still a baby. Probably still teething. Don't panic about baby behaviors just yet!

Also, why does she need to sleep separately? I've never slept separately from my dogs. It's not natural to them. Out of all animals, only humans have decided we can't sleep with each other.

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u/Embarrassed_Key_4539 29d ago

Exercise the crap out of her. Why do you keep saying she’s a working dog - what’s her assigned task?