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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

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Original poster

Got a ticking off by another lab owner today :(

44 replies

Avantia · 21/01/2011 09:56

Have a 7 month old pure lab - good breeding background , parents both working stock.

She is a very friendly bouncy puppy as you can imagine with a lab and we have one problem that I am trying to deal with .

She can spot another dog 100yards away and will gallop off to play - after a play and run around she comes back so that part is not a problem. I just dont want her to run off like that.

So to overcome the running off I am trying to make it that it is more fun and rewarding to be with me than other dogs at times. ( I have no problem with her playing with other dogs - its just the running off).

So I have introduced a ball to throw to try and distract her and titbits rewards when she brings it back etc.

Today out with her and got a 'telling off' by another lab owner that I shouldn't be using a ball with such a young dog becuase of hip problems . Apparently she wanted to breed from her dog but didn't pass hip score and vet said it was because of ball chasing etc .

Anyway whether its a ball or other dog my pup is going to run after it. I appreciate the advice but felt a bit put out and I really didn't explain my reasoning behind as I should have. I dont want to breed from her and am aware of hip problems and too much execercise with young labs .

What do I do ? How do working young labs overcome this problem with running over fields picking up game ?

I was made to feel an irresponsible dog owner which I am not.

OP posts:

arentfanny · 21/01/2011 09:58

As far as I am aware, hip problems are hereditry, which is why breeding dogs are hip scored.

Original poster

Avantia · 21/01/2011 10:02

I understand why dogs are hip scored -but it was the telling off that I shouldn't be using a ball that got to me. It's either her chasing a ball or other dogs .

OP posts:

Alouiseg · 21/01/2011 10:04

I sympathise greatly my dog is hyper sociable and wants to talk to anyone and everyone...and their dog. I carry lots of treats to keep him by my side but he is so excited by another dog that he will often go bounding off anyway.

Sounds as if the other lab owner was bitter at her own mistakes and came across badly.

Don't feel bad, you know about hips, and ball exercise and use it as a distraction.

Having a dog is like having a child, every bugger has an opinion. :o

PlasticLentilWeaver · 21/01/2011 10:07

Hip problems are not purely hereditary. It plays a significant part, but too much high speed, twisting type exercise (e.g. ball play), growing too quickly, being over fed etc can all contribute and make things worse.

Original poster

Avantia · 21/01/2011 10:08

Thanks , off to a new dog training class now . - more doggies to play with !

OP posts:

midori1999 · 21/01/2011 10:11

Over exercise can cause/exacerbate hip dysplacia, it is multi factoral. A bit of running after a ball at 7 months is unlikely to do huge damage in a lab though, if you had a giant breed Imight think exercising more caution was a good idea.

As for how working dogs cope... one of my girls litter brothers was worked in the field from a young age and did very well. However, when he was hip scored his score came back at 54. Appalling and he obviously can't be bred from now. Both paarents have good hip scores and both parents and the brother of my girl qualified for Crufts (Dad qualified for life and placed highly every time he goes) What a waste and a shame and probably a lot to do with the fact they didn't wait to work him.

Are your labs parents hip scored? A lot of people wsith working stock don't bother.

SlubberdeGurnard · 21/01/2011 10:14

Poor you.

I would have been very tempted to say "oi snout out" but I probably would have smiled and nodded and gently seethed inside.

If you know about exercise restrictions for lab pups and keep that into consideration when you are practicing retrieving then tbh I can't see what the problem is, so long as you watch lots of running on very hard ground and lots of jumping.

My lab pup is addicted to ball retrieval and it is absolutely wonderful wrt to her recall training. She will come back to me from pretty much anything (mid way through chasing seagulls this week) because she might get a tennis ball thrown for her.

Do whatever works.

Do you intend to work you lab? I got a gun dog book out of the library and am now working on steadiness. So instead of me just lobbing the ball and her chasing after it she has to sit and wait while I throw the ball until I give her the command to fetch it.

Amazingly, despite throwing the ball less she is even MORE fixated on me and the ball.

Original poster

Avantia · 21/01/2011 12:34

Hi all, both parents were hip scored . Dont intend to work her but want to use the 'in breed' skills or instinct that she may have. I use the whistle for recall and she loves fetch - again she has to wait for my command (or at least we are trying ) before she goes.

OP posts:

SlubberdeGurnard · 21/01/2011 12:53

LOL @ at least we are trying. Oh here too

I feel the same way as you Avantia, I very much doubt i'll ever work my lab but I like having a go at activities that her breed has some skill or natural instinct for.

The other thing I do, ABSOLUTELY on purpose because I have such superb skill and natural throwing ability is chucking the ball into a hedge or in completely in some random direction and then trying to guide her to do a blind retrieve.

Hahahaha

Talk about blind leading the blind but we sort have got a warmer warmer colder colder system with me using "too bad!" for colder you are going totally in the wrong direction and "yes!" for warmer. She is a bit rubbish but is totally mesmerised by the activity. I think a herd of dogs could rampage by each carrying a nice roasted chicken on their backs and she would be totally oblivious with her nose stuck in the hedge.

A good distraction technique if nothing else.

BelieveInLife · 21/01/2011 13:19

I can vouch for the fact that that kind of free running at a young age can cause problems. My dog has an RSI after chasing a ball too much too young.

Not that it was right of her to tell you off at all, it's your dog after all.

CalamityKate · 21/01/2011 13:26

Slubber I am clearly a gifted dog trainer because I've never thought of throwing balls into hedges etc as a precursor to guided retrieves HOWEVER - I find that when I throw a ball straight, it naturally tends to go into hedges/trees/behind me/other fields!

Obviously an innate skill which I never realised I had.

bumpybecky · 21/01/2011 13:32

when we first got our dog I had the knack of throwing balls straight upwards into the trees! I had to call DH from home / work to come and retrieve more than one ball with long stick before I got the hang of throwing

our poor dog always knew exactly where the ball was and spend ages sniffing and jumping up, trying to work out how to climb big trees

SlubberdeGurnard · 21/01/2011 14:37

Kate and becky I see you are both blessed as I am with dog trainers throwing arm (although I've yet to see a lab run up a tree to get a ball )

I do sometime wonder what I must sound like from the other side of the hedge

"oh yes! Yesss YESS YESSS YESSSS oh too bad"

CalamityKate · 21/01/2011 14:47

I spent ages trying to fish a ball on a rope out of some bushes once, after one of my hopeless flingy chucks neat throws.

I emerged, ball-on-a-rope-less just as an oldish couple walked by. I'm convinced they thought I'd been having a wee in the bushes.

SlubberdeGurnard · 21/01/2011 16:31

Heh heh

Probably with the obligatory twig in hair up-do.

I am finding that Dog Trainers Throwing Arm and Hedgerow Hair go hand in hand.

bumpybecky · 21/01/2011 16:35

yes, ours was a ball on a rope too! I'm sniggering at the wee in the bushes thing :)

Original poster

Avantia · 21/01/2011 16:44

So what shall I do fellow dog lovers - I was throwing the ball to distract her from running off to play with other dogs - either way there is running involved .
Do I try another method of distracting her ? Do I keep her on a lead ? (not really an option)
Do I not take her to open spaces ? (not really an option either )

Answers on a postcard ..

OP posts:

bumpybecky · 21/01/2011 16:47

do you play ball when you're not trying to distract her?

I'm not an expert by any means, I don't even own a lab! (she's a lab x collie x??) but I'd be tempted to keep the ball in my pocket ready to use as distraction, but not use it more than a few times per walk if possible. I'd also ask the vet for advice next time you see them.

bumpybecky · 21/01/2011 16:50

sorry, interruped by small crying person!

I think a few chucks of a ball a day won't do much harm, but a full on half and hour might be a bit much at such a young age :)

ours used to love her ball, played for as long as we could manage then she's take the ball off to someone else to throw! we had to stop playing it a couple of years ago (she's now 14) now as she kept injuring herself charging off after it and pulling muscles and things :(

bumpybecky · 21/01/2011 16:52

sorry for typos, small boy on lap!

Original poster

Avantia · 21/01/2011 16:55

Yes use it as a distraction - I am not chucking it all the time and on some days I dont take it - it depends where and when I walk her - obviously today I picked the wrong place !

Was using the ball to distract my pup running off with the other lab who was chasing a frisbee !

OP posts:

bumpybecky · 21/01/2011 17:12

frisbees never lasted long with us, dog used to much them a bit then they got sharp edges and cut her mouth and had to be binned. I never managed to get one stuck in the tree though!

I'm sure a few chucks of a ball will be fine :) it does make you doubt yourself when someone tells you off though, even if you are right

bumpybecky · 21/01/2011 17:13

munch!

CalamityKate · 21/01/2011 17:25

Will she play tuggie at all?

SlubberdeGurnard · 21/01/2011 17:48

Avantia you can put her on the lead . Much better to have a short stint of on lead training or sit, wait and watch me training than have her get into scrapes way waaaaaaay over there in the distance.

Just so long as you make both of those fun with lots of treats or tug or whatever floats her boat she won't resent being put back on the lead.

If the other dog comes close enough for you to check with the owner if it's OK for your dog to say hello then you get a double bonus whammy of training points as you can reward the 'wait' with an 'OK!' and she can go and greet the dog.

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