We have a family dog, a chocolate lab, who is hyperactive and into everything.?

Question

He will not obey me, but when my son is around he does everything he tells him to do. Its like my son is the great master and what I have to say I might as well keep to myself.
If I let the dog out of the house or garage, he takes off and refuses my commands to sit. He heads down the street and gets into everything. I cannot put a lead on him because he is totally out of control.
Is it my imagination that this dog will not mind me? Someone told me its because my son is dominant over him and he only answers to 1 master. Any suggestions. The dog is 2 !/2 yrs old.

I thought about obedience school, but if he only answers to my son, it may be a problem.

this dog lays in the yard and watches my son mow the lawn. He rolls around in the grasss and lays around when my son is home, but for me its like a free for all. He goes for a long walk 2 times daily. We live in a rural area next to a river. He loves to swim and fetch, He is not locked up inside for hours.

Answer 1

Rev T L Clark is absolutely correct. The dog believes that he ranks above you within your pack. It is very important to teach dogs that humans are ALWAYS higher up the chain of command. Dogs who believe they are more powerful than humans are dogs who are not afraid to growl, snarl, snap and bite a human that is not doing what the dog tells it to. The only dogs who should be trained specifically to respond to a single master are police and service dogs (and in those instances the dogs are trained to ignore other humans, not allowed to be dominant over them). Here are some tips on establishing dominance over the dog

Never let your dog in or out of any door before you.
Never let your dog do something important (i.e., eating, or getting into or out of a car) without you giving that dog permission.
Give treats only for training purposes or exceptionally good behavior such as a dog following your commands - no free treats.
Try not to lose control and yell at your dog in anger. Use body language and low-growly voices to let your dog know that you don't appreciate his behavior - standing real tall is also good to do.
Don't let your dog sleep in your bed - you are confusing it as to pack order and asking for trouble.
Never let your dog in or out of any door before you.
Never let your dog do something important (i.e., eating, or getting into or out of a car) without you giving that dog permission.
Give treats only for training purposes or exceptionally good behavior such as a dog following your commands - no free treats.
Try not to lose control and yell at your dog in anger. Use body language and low-growly voices to let your dog know that you don't appreciate his behavior - standing real tall is also good to do.
Don't let your dog sleep in your bed - you are confusing it as to pack order and asking for trouble.
Get your dog's attention and encourage eye contact several times a day.
Use feeding time to demonstrate dependability and leadership by feeding on a regular schedule.
Control the territory by insisting that your dog moves out of the way instead of stepping over him.
Practice dominance interaction with your dog regularly including gentle handling, belly rubs, and muzzle control.

You and your son may also want to institute Nothing In Life Is Free (NILIF) training. This training will help solidify your position as leader of the pack and teach the dog that when he wants something (attention, food, toys, etc.) that he has to work for it. A great article to read is http://k9deb.com/nilif.htm

Lastly, your dog is still a puppy. Typically he's got a lot of energy, and labs are particularly well known for their high energy levels. This pup needs lots and lots of walking or games of fetch, etc.

Answer 2

You don't. Sorry. You're supposed to be 13 years old at the least to be on this Y!A thing. So just for argument sake, you are 13 years old. If you get a puppy now, it will be 5 years old and in the prime of life when you want to go to college, move out, or even get married. Chances are good that you will not be able to take your puppy (by then a dog) with you and will have to leave it with your parents. Your puppy will be wondering where you went and your parents will have it as well as the vet bills. You could visit at holidays, but by then the dog will be part of your parents' home and belong to them. Sorry, but you can only have a family dog if you are not grown up and moved out of the parents' house. If your parents do not want a dog as a family pet, you are going to have to wait until you have your own home and money.

Answer 3

Your son probably has a commanding voice or presence, so he has a dominant status with the dog. You need to develop a dominant status with the dog as well. Obedience training would help, but if that is out try the following: Every day take him for a walk on a leash (it can be inside the house or in the backyard) give him different commands: sit, lay-down while gently tugging on the leash in the direction you want him to go - be firm in your voice!! If he does not listen - force him to lay down (be firm but not cruel) and make him lay on his back while you hold him down. Rub his stomach or just gently push on his stomach to keep him on his back - hold for 3-5 minutes. This is a show of dominance (you are dominant to the dog) over time he will begin to obey you, but you must be consistent, firm in voice, and patient. If you give him treats, make him sit or lay down and hold that position before you give it to him - if he does not obey then do not give him his treat. He will catch on quick. Best of luck to you. Take care.

Answer 4

This dog only sees your son as a pack leader, and from the description of the way he acts with you, he (the dog) sees himself higher in the pack than you are. You will need your sons help in order to establish your position in the pack (your family). First, the dog needs a lot more exercise than he is getting right now, or else he would be worn out and not hyper. Long walks, not just letting him out in the yard to do his business. While on these long walks, make sure your son and YOU are in front of the dog. NEVER let the dog walk in front of you. Also, make sure you eat first, and the dog eats after. Dogs are pack animals and people need to treat them as such. Treating your dog like a kid or equal can cause a lot of problems and confusion for the dog. Once the dog is used to you and your son walking in front of him on the walks, you take the lead from your son, and make sure the dog stays behind you. Also, the dog should only be fed by you, after you eat of course. Make the dog realize that he has to come to you for food and water. Once the dog realizes that you are in charge as well, you can try the doggy school. Dogs do not only learn to follow one person in the family, its just that a lot of families don't understand that they need to establish pack order. Good Luck!

Answer 5

If it's under two years old, it's probably just a lab and their hyper-active selves. Labs are crazy dogs when they're under two years old, then they grow out of it (usually) and become the best dogs on the planet (sorry, I'm a little biased.)

You probably need to spend some time alone with the dog to show that you're above rank in dominance. Try feeding it (dog food in it's bowl, instead of your son), giving it water, telling it no, training it. Spend some time with it to show that you're willing to take charge of it, and maybe it'll give you some respect. Plus, you'll be able to work on that "sit."

Don't reward it (pet it or anything) when it does something wrong, but do reward it when it does something right.

Answer 6

Its called being the alpha dog and anyone can do it,bold,strong commands,with positive reinforcement,and negative reinforcement for poor behavior.Also short commands work the best.Also you need to be the prime caretaker for a while if you want to be the alpha.The next and most important training device is called a gentle leader and this can be purchased at any pet store.These dogs are naturally hyper anyway and they need training.Another good way of getting him to listen is take him to obedience school.A dog can learn at any age.

Answer 7

Put the lead on him before you open the door and refuse to walk him until he calms down. Ignore him with the lead on until he becomes submissive to you. Could take a few minutes but it's worth the wait. (He'll learn.) If when he does go through the door, pull him back in and wait, again. "No go till he takes it slow."

Take your dog for more and longer walks to release his energies. Keep an eye on him and a moment prior to disobedience, gently correct him to distract him. Praise him when he begins to avoid the things he's not supposed to do.

Often times, since Labs are pretty smart, you can put things in fron to them, tell them "NO!" two or three times and they know you'd rather they not approach these things.

But really, exercise your dog more.

Answer 8

They were right about your son being dominant, but he can have way more than one master. The dog feels he is 'above' you in the pack (your family) that he is in. The key is to take him to obedience school so you can learn to be the dominant one in a positive re-inforcement way.

Answer 9

Sounds like the dog is your son's dog. Maybe use rewards for good behaviour. Read or see Dog whisperer. Not sure what to say. Have fun.

Answer 10

aww that is cute! the dog chooses its own owner so maybe he thinks that your son makes a better owner than you do...just have your son control him but if it gets too serious you might want to take him to the vet and check him up or something...good luck!