i have two six month old chocolate labs and they are destroying our house any suggestions to stop them.?

Question

they are chewing their way through all of the wood in the house and also won't stop soiling we have tried rewards such as cheese and it gets very disheartning when someone says my 13 week pup is totaly dry,any suggestions would be very grateful,cages are no good as we would need 2 .

Answer 1

You get two crates, and you keep them there when you can't supervise.

When you can supervise and see them going for something shouldn't tell them NO in a firm tone, wait a few seconds and offer them one of their toys. When they take it, praise lavishly. Also when you see them chewing their toys on their own, praise them lavishly. They may get up and come to you, that's ok, they've still gotten the message you like it when they do that.

Exercise, exercise, exercise. Labs needs lots of exercise, get them out for a run a couple times a day. Play fetch in the backyard with them. Just sticking them in the backyard to exercise themselves rarely works, as most dogs won't. Who wants to play alone? Remember a tired dog is a good dog.

As for housetraining, I'll attach my article. The only extra advice to that is to take them out seperately. One stays in his crate while the other is taken out to potty. This way they aren't a distraction to each other.

How long it will take you to house train your dog depends on your dedication to the training process and your puppy's maturity and learning rate.

Things you will need to housetrain your puppy are a properly fitted crate, a collar and leash, some treats, and time and patience.

You also need to pick a spot for your puppy to go potty. Using the same spot each time will help the puppy recognize that this is where he should go, and the smell from going there other times will help him go potty faster when you take him out.

I don't recommend using doggie litter boxes or those puppy pads. If you want your dog to always go potty in the house fine, then use this article to teach them to go there. But don't complain to me when your dog starts going other places in the house. Dogs often times cannot tell the difference between a puppy pad and your expensive rug. All they know is its ok to go potty in the house so any area with a roof is fair game for elimination. Also trying to paper train a dog and then trying to switch the dog to going outside is counterproductive and confusing for the dog. Doing this will only slow the training down. So forget the puppy pads and start teaching your dog to go outside from day one. If you have already been using them throw them out and start all over from the beginning, but keep mind the process may take a little longer the second time around since once your dog has bad habits they are hard to break. Its much easier to prevent them than to correct them later.

When looking for a crate you want one that is big enough for your dog to stand up, turn around and lay down. You don't want it so big that he can lay in one end and use the other end as a bathroom. If he can do this trust me he will. There are all kinds of different styles of crates: the two most common are wire and plastic. But they come in mesh, wicker, all sorts of different materials now. I would recommend choosing either a wire or plastic one, especially for puppies that like to chew. Here are some pros and cons of plastic and wire crates.

Plastic: These come in several sizes so can accommodate nearly every size of dog. They also give a more den like feeling to the dog and have less of a cage look. The disadvantage to these crates is that you may need to buy more than one to accommodate a growing puppy, and they take up more room if you want to store them even though they usually will come apart in halves for storage. There are also some newer plastic crates that will fold up similar to a wire crate.

Wire: Like the plastic crate these also come in a variety of sizes. They do look more like cages though, something that can be fixed by purchasing a cover for it. A cover will also help some dogs feel more secure in a wire crate. The advantage of these is that you can buy a size to fit your dog when it is full grown. Wire crates have dividers available for purchase so that you can make the crate fit your puppy. These also have a storage advantage in that most fold up very neatly and can be stored easily.

Next you will need to introduce your puppy to its crate. Just sticking the puppy in there without a positive introduction can be very stressful for the pup. I like to bring a new puppy home on a day off, and try to pick it up as soon as possible in the morning. This way I have all day to introduce the puppy to the crate so that by bedtime the puppy will feel pretty comfortable with its crate and shouldn't fuss to much.

Start by showing the puppy the crate and let him explore it. Next show your puppy a treat and then toss it inside. When your puppy goes in to get the treat praise him excitedly. Repeat this a few times and then end this session. If your pup won't go all the way in the crate to get the treat try throwing it closer to the door, or even outside the door and then gradually toss it farther back, until the pup goes all the way in.

After an hour or two have another session with crate. If your pup went all the way in the last time start there, if not start at the point you left off. After a couple times of going in the crate and coming right back out you can shut the door. But let the pup out after a second or two. Repeat this gradually increasing the amount of time the pup is in the crate. If you do this several times the first day by the time your ready for bed your pup should be pretty comfortable with the crate. I also like to repeat this process for a day or two after the pup comes home.

Also remember that whenever your dog is crated you need to remove any type of collar, even a buckle collar can catch on a crate and strangle a dog.

Now that you have your crate set up and your pup introduced to it you need to put your puppy on a feeding schedule. Puppies 8 wks to 6 months should be given three meals a day. After six months this can be cut down to 2 meals. Free-feeding (having food available all the time) is not recommended. It can lead to obesity and makes it harder to housetrain your puppy. Another disadvantage to this feeding method is that it will be harder for you tell if your dog is off food which can be a sign of illness. Feeding on a schedule allows you to predict when your puppy will need to go out. If you know when it went in you can predict when it will come out. You will want to divide your dog's full daily amount into three smaller meals. Give him the food and after twenty minutes take away the bowl whether there is food in it or not. Dogs will generally consume all they want in twenty minutes. Take your puppy to his potty spot about 15-20 minutes after he has finished eating. Repeat the go potty command while you are waiting for him to go. When he starts to go tell him good boy go potty, and when he has finished give him a treat and make a big fuss over him.

I'd also like to tell you how to tell if your puppy is getting to much or to little food. The recommendations on dog food bags are just a starting point. Start with that amount and then watch to see if your dog needs more or less. The way to tell is to do a rib check. You shouldn't be able to see the ribs, if you can add more food. You should be able to easily feel the ribs under a thin layer of fat, if you have trouble feeling the ribs, cut back the amount of food.

In addition to having to go out after meals your puppy will also need to go potty after he wakes up from a nap, after playing, and first thing in the morning and before bed. Signs that your puppy needs to go out: are restlessness and circling an area while sniffing. If your puppy does these things it's a safe bet to take him out. Remember though that individual dogs have their own signs of needing to go to the bathroom and you will soon pick up on these signals as well.

When you are out for potty breaks you should stand still, if he wants to play ignore him. You want him to know that it is time to go to the bathroom not time to play. If you allow him to play before he goes to the bathroom he may start to hold out on you to extend his playtime. Once he has gone to the bathroom however you can play all you want. Stay outside with your dog for about 10 minutes to wait for him to go, if he doesn't go in ten minutes just pick him up and carry him back inside matter-of-factly. No treats or playtime on the way in. When you get back into the house he will either need to be crated or watched like a hawk. Try again in ten minutes. Repeat until he goes.

Another mistake a lot of people make when they bring their new puppy home is to allow him free run of the place. This will only hurt your training and will also cause your dog to get into a lot of trouble. Young puppies need to be watched. When your puppy can't be watched he should be in his crate. This way he can't make a mistake or get into trouble.

Accidents:

The only time you can punish your puppy for having an accident in the house is if you catch him in the act. Even then it's less of a punishment and more of a redirection. If you see your puppy going to the bathroom in the house, startle him with a sharp NO and take him outside to finish the job. When he finishes outside, give him a treat and lots of praise. Back inside the house clean up the mess and use an enzymatic cleaner (such as OUT or Nature's Miracle) to remove all traces of the mess so he won't be tempted to use the same spot. Most carpet cleaners will leave traces of the mess that you can't see or smell, but your pet can.

If you find a mess after the fact, well to bad that one is your fault, you should have been watching the puppy. Simply clean it up and try to watch more carefully. If you try to scold your pup after the fact he will have no idea what you are mad about and will be confused and may even become scared of you. NEVER, NEVER rub your dogs nose in urine or feces. It is not only disgusting but it also has no training value what so ever. Hitting your dog with anything including a rolled up newspaper is also unacceptable.

Young puppies may need to use the bathroom during the night, so I advise putting the crate in your bedroom. This way if the puppy sounds restless you can take him to the bathroom. This will also make your puppy feel more secure because he is close to you. If you do need to take your puppy out in the middle of the night make sure you allow him to go to the bathroom only. No playtime for these outings. Still give him a treat and praise, but do so in a quieter manner than you would during the day. This way you won't get him all riled up the middle of night. Remember if you let him get away with playing in the middle of the night he will begin to expect it, and you don't want that. How long night time outings will last depends on the age of your puppy, and how fast his bladder matures.

It also helps to have his last meal of the day at least two hours before bed and take away his water an hour before bed. You don't want to put it in the crate with him, it would be unfair to the puppy to expect him to have a supply of water and then not have to go to the bathroom all night long. The only thing that should be in your dog's crate are a chew toy and maybe a doggie blanket. Although some pups will urinate on absorbant materials that are in their crate, if yours does remove it. Also if you see that your puppy is chewing on his blanket it should be removed. If the puppy ingests part of the blanket it could cause an intestinal blockage. If that happens emergency surgery is needed to remove the blanket from the intestines.

I know this sounds like a lot of work but that is what puppies are. They are also a lot of fun and that should make up for the work part of having a puppy. And just keep in mind that one day soon you will have a beautiful dog who is housetrained and is a joy to have around.

(Note: if you are going to use this article to train a dog that had previously been housetrained and is now having accidents, please contact your vet first. If your dog suddenly "forgets" his housetraining it can be a sign of infection, and that needs to be treated. Once you have confirmed that the dog is healthy with your vet, then refresh your dog with this article)

If you aren't willing to make the investment in training, and the tools you need for your dogs, maybe you'd be better rehoming them.

Answer 2

Sorry, but this is the reason why reputable breeders will not sell 2 puppies together. It is extremely difficult to train 2 pups of the same age, They need to be seperated & given individual attention & training. You need to find some way of keeping them out of the main parts of the house when you are not there to supervise, confining them to a small area will speed up their house training. If you have the room, I would get an outside kennel & bring the puppies into the house one at a time to train. Enrol in a good training class where the trainers will be able to suggest different methods.
Good Luck
By the way - the person who said cheese causes peritonitis is talking rubbish!

Answer 3

I do not mean this to sound mean but you need to get a good book on training dogs. Those two should have been trained long ago. Seriously, it is not the dogs, it is the training. Use positive reinforcement for training. Put the dogs on a lead and walk them. When they 'go' throw a praise party and give a small treat. Clean up any places they have gone indoors with a good enzyme cleaner (nature's miracle) to get rid of the odor, not cover it up. Do not leave them unattended. Two crates? What's the problem? I have had multiple dogs and crates. Get the dogs into obedience classes. They will teach you a lot about training a dog. Good luck

Answer 4

Labs are super high-energy dogs; they need lots of exercise, this is a plea for more play/exercise time; maybe 2 walks a day would keep them from destroying your home. Take them somewhere they can run freely for 1/2 hour at a time while on the walk. Leave bones for them to chew and take away valuables. Don't replace your furniture till they are completely over the chewing.

Answer 5

So you have to get 2 crates it's going to be cheaper than all the damage there going to do. Having 2 dogs of the same age is a lot of work as you are finding out, For the house training you need to train them to go on command, you would not dream of training your dogs to sit without a command and house training is no different. Go out with your dogs whenever you think they might want the toilet after a feed sleep etc.Stay out with your dogs giving them a command ( be clean or busy ) anything you want then when they start performing repeat the word and lots of praise. They will soon get the idea but you have to stay out with them and keep saying the word there is no short cut. As for the chewing are your dogs getting mental stimulation this often tires them as much as physical exercise,go on google for Kong recipes there are a lot of good ideas on there. Take your dogs out separately when your walking them on the roads or they will get confidence off each other and will be nervous if they have to go out on their own Enrol at a good training school you will not be able to take them together as they will mess about rather than concentrate so take them alternate weeks.2 Dogs of the same age are going to egg each other on so don't be afraid of separating them when it all gets too much

Answer 6

you should get them lots of interesting chewy toys. there are some where you can push some treats all the way in, so they will be munching on those for ages to get them out. also, hide small treats around the house, obviously not in places where they have to destroy to get them out. obviously, there are raw hide chews as well but i think one a day only, not too many as it can cause diareha (dunno how to spell that :S). also, you can get sprays that dogs dont like, spray it on the furniture or wherever, and it stops from biting, chewing AND clawing! you get them at all pet stores or garden centres.
the thing for soiling is you just have to train them! but obviously when your not in the house, you can buy these mats, with a special scent where the pups will only want to pee/poop on them. so if u keep them in the corner of ure utility room for example, they should, in theory, only soil those mats, and you just throw them out. theyre not very expensive. if that doesnt work either then perhaps puppy training classes? good luck
o, and just one other thing. feeding cheese as treats all the time can really fatten your puppy up. its ok, if they get LOTS of exercise, but otherwise i think sticking to normal dog treats is better. :) xxx

Answer 7

You can buy a product from your vet, to spray onto any item that your dogs `take a fancy to`. It tastes of bitter almond and animals hate the taste. It has worked for me with numerous puppies. Also, as you have two puppies, it would be very advise able to go to proper `training` classes with them, because it is harder to control two animals, they are like children, one will egg on the other. I am glad that you have two puppies, because having one is like being an only child. Dogs like company too, they are still puppies and will continue to be "naughty" for a while yet. One of my rottweilers when she was a puppy, chewed up anything that she could smell me on! She chewed her way through six pairs of spectacles, it cost me a small fortune! This was before I discovered the `magic` spray.

Answer 8

i'd love them!!!
NO CAGES!!! it breaks their spirit...animals see this confinement as a form of punishment..as most people would.
(the only thing that should be put in a crate are eggs.)
they need to be played with more..give them their own toys...
they are just teething and need something to chew on to releive the pain of new teeth breaking through.
chew toys..squeaky toys..anything that is well made and chewable for a pup.
( mine almost finished off a closetfull of shoes)
the soiling..the minute after they are fed...or have had water..put them on the lead and take them out for a walk.
praise them when they soil outside....
pups are a lot of work..but the love in return is so rewarding...

Answer 9

I know that buying 2 crates/cages may be a bit costly, but think of what they are doing to your home, I bought a dog crate on e-bay and it was a godsend though I'm one of those people whose pup was clean at 5 months and hasn't chewed a thing (sorry). If you follow this link it will show you dog cages from the person I bought from, they are very good.
I would just like to say to you, that I think you are very brave having 2 pups together, you deserve a medal!!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-DOG-PUPPY-CAGE-CRATE-42-for-car-or-home_W0QQitemZ330103434652QQcategoryZ20745QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItem

Answer 10

I would suggest lots of toys to keep them occupied. Are they left home for long periods? I have a black lab, she is 6 now and still chews on my door but only when I leave her at home by herself. I think if you are always with them, they tend to get really upset when you leave them they just feel left out. Maybe if you have a fenced back yard you could try letting them run around outside for a while, if you need to tie them up. Mine likes to run, and would jump right over any fence.

Answer 11

YOu have no other choice but to crate. Buy one Extra large crate and crate them together for a month then buy the second one. You think the crates are expensive wait till you have to repair windows and holes in the walls or an entire set of steps because I have seen them eat the whole step.