I had two phone calls yesterday that raised my frustration level to new heights. Both from women at the end of their ropes. Both involved lab puppies.
Now, labs are fantastic dogs. They are smart,easy to train, not hard to housebreak, fun to play with, great with kids, energetic - OH, did I mention energetic? These dogs are big dogs that need exercise. Need. As in Need to Breath. Need to Eat. Need to Exercise.
No, More exercise than you are thinking.
Much more.
One lady lived in a small apartment, with no yard, and has a six month old lab puppy. She also has medical issues that means that dog is lucky if he gets to go out to pee. He gets little to no exercise and is destroying her apartment.
The other lady has an eight month old lab puppy that everyone ignores. She took him to two classes - not two sessions, but two classes - and they didn't help! The dog is still insane. No one is home, ever, it sounded like - they left puppy in the crate Christmas eve and when they came back Christmas AFTERNOON - he had gotten out, somehow, and pooped all over the house, destroyed all kinds of things.
Oh - they have had him since he was four weeks old, which is a whole 'nother issue.
Dogs are not toys to be set aside once played with for a week. Dogs have Needs. Do your research before you fall in love with that cute puppy.
Realize what you can and can not do. Dog will act like dogs.
If you go quoting Cesar to me - then I will quote back that Cesar takes his dogs on daily hours long runs.
Daily.
For Hours.
Runs.
Even little dogs need exercise. Big ones need it also - if you don't give it to them, they will create their own. By eating your walls. Or something else equally as fun for you
And - quite honestly, I'm going to be on the other end of the phone Not Saying out loud 'serves you right!' because my mommy raised me better than that.
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