Help with 2 year old Labrador behaviour

[MollieMoo1212]

My dog is 2 years old and obviously not quite out of the teenage phase!

I need some advice on how I can train her not to do certain things inside the house, if anyone can help that would be amazing

So she gets very excited if someone comes into the room. Despite lots of fuss/attention she will grab the nearest available thing- this could be a cushion/blanket etc and won’t let it go.

Second problem is children’s play equipment in garden. If excited will chew and it is getting ruined(This includes a trampoline so can’t be put out of reach) I’ve tried distraction but I cannot distract her for hours on end. As soon as not distracted will go back to what she’s not meant to be doing.

Ive started leaving her inside when we go out which seems a shame so would love to get this sorted

We use positive reinforcement so would normally give her a treat to drop it but is this just encouraging her to grab stuff she is not allowed?! She may continue to grab things once treat has been given

We’ve tried ignoring her too but the object ends up being chewed

Thanks!

I should add if it’s someone very exciting in the house she will keep up this behaviour all day, it’s very stressful
She has her own toys and get’s plenty of exercise etc

Does she have an area of the house for time out? Such as a room where she is seperated from people or a crate/kennel? Personally, I would not allow her to greet every guest and remain excited for the entire visit. 'It seems a shame' is a human emotion - it does them no harm to have quiet time in a room and learn boundaries.
Does she 'retrieve' the items to guests/yourself or does she grab and shake/try to play tug? Retrieving is in her blood, maybe tap into that. If she is chewing and being destructive she sounds bored. 20 minutes of retrieving/heel work etc tires them out a lot more than mooching around the house. My dog doesn't get to follow me around the house all the time and come and go as he pleases, he does get to come and see guests after the initial 15 minutes as I know he will be calmer.

Thank you for reply.

Yes she is crate trained and loves her crate at night, goes in for her naps too.
She grabs the objects to shake/pull then just sit there in her mouth. Sometimes my children are using the blanket and she will still grab it!

When guests come we’ve tried putting her in crate for a bit but doesn’t seem to help-comes out even more excited!

Even with my daughter there she will constantly be excited and grabbing stuff. Have tried filling up kong and doing scent work/games etc but the very second I stop she is up to no good!

If it’s just me at home she’s as good as gold

@MollieMoo1212 that sounds difficult. How is her general obedience such as heel and recall?
My dogs day looks like this:
7am - 30 minute walk/training and breakfast afterwards then into his room or kennel
12pm - 30 minute training heel, stop, stay and a couple of retrieves, about 10 minutes of that are play time
5.30 - 1 hour walk, mostly off lead but intermittently at heel with lead on, then dinner
7.30 - into living room to chill out and out for last wee at about 10pm

It sounds very military but he is a chilled out dog because of routine and training. He is good now but during the training phase I wouldn't let him get into situations I couldn't control so if I was out in the garden with my toddler for the afternoon I would only let him out for part of it because I know he would go self employed eventually and start dicking about when I couldn't control it.

She is pretty good when out and about, no problem with recall and is doing well on the lead after lots of training. She normally gets 3 walks a day, one practicing lead walking, one short sniffy walk and a long off lead

Maybe I should try putting a stricter routine in place at home

Rather than asking over the internet you need to find a decent trainer who can teach you how to fix these very common issues.

Let her be in the room when people come round as long as she's behaving how you want her to. When she starts getting too excited or chewing things put her out of the room until she calms down.
Once she is calm let her back in. Rinse and repeat

Have you ever trained her to settle and does she get enough sleep?

When dogs have a huge burst of emotions, like being excited for visitors, they will often pick something up to parade around. My dog does it with her toys. Could you try showing your dog acceptable things to do this with (like toys) and trade for what she has selected.

Failing that, she needs to be separated until she has calmed down and then when brought back in, ignored by everyone until calm again. Any kind of acknowledgment of her will just reinforce the over excited behaviour.

You could also try ‘giving her a job’ when people come round. My dog knows when the doorbell goes, she has to go to her bed until told to come off. When the doorbell goes now, she runs full speed to her bed 🤣

how much time does your dog spend in the crate a day, not including nighttime? Dogs need a lot of down time and they’re not always good at self regulating it, so we need to do it for them. When they get over tired, that’s when the destructive behaviours will appear. Try more crate time, at regular intervals and then you have to get everyone to ignore her when she comes out until she is calm.

it’s tedious and tough but will be worth it

My initial thought is that she should be made to sit when visitors co.e and only given attention when she is calm. Making a fuss of her when she is excited reinforces the behaviour you do not want.

Also, maybe try a house lead, or keeping her in another room until calm.