Unruly Lab

Question
Hi I have a 2 year old male yellow purebred lab.  He is neutered.  He attended group puppy class at 6 months old and graduated.  We've had a personal dog trainer come to the house 3 times but nothing has stuck.  He jumps on strangers, jumps on kitchen table, steals objects from around the house and when we scold him he is now turning agressive and bites us and growls.  W've tried the spray water, the lemon juice, cans filled with pennies, 2 special training collars.  He ignores our commands.  Is there anything you can suggest?  

Thank you

Answer
While I am against older, harsh methods of training, training must focus on the owner playing the role of top dog.  You must be the leader and it sounds like both your class and the trainer failed in that point.  Read through http://www.dogbreedinfo.com./topdogrules.htm

Do what you can of this:

''Elevation for small puppies: Sit on the floor and gently put your hands around your pup's middle, below his front legs, and lift him up. He is facing you. Hold him for 15 seconds. Repeat until he no longer struggles. If he is past 10-12 weeks, lift his front feet off the ground, but don't pick him up.

Cradling for small puppies: Hold your puppy gently on his back, as you would cradle a small baby. If he struggles, hold him firmly until he quiets for 10-15 seconds. With larger pups, you can do this as your sit on the floor, with your pup between your legs.

Quiet lying down: Place your pup on the floor on his side, with all 4 legs pointing away from you. Use your hands on his neck/shoulder area and middle, to hold him in this position. When he is quiet, praise him. Lengthen the time that you keep him quietly in this position. When he accepts this position well, handle his paws and muzzle, while keeping him quiet.''

The quotes mean this isn't my original work. It is copied from my Puppy Raising Manual. I have long used these or minor variations of them, and they are very effective. You may want to give him a belly rub while he is on his back too. Helps bonding. There is a big difference between him rolling over and demanding a belly rub, and you choosing a time to roll him over and rub his belly. The latter cements your place as pack leader.

A mousetrap is very effective in making a dog leave something alone. Most dogs will stay away from anywhere they were surprised by a snap. The best part is that it is not you that is correcting the dog. It works whether you are around or not. The mousetrap is very patient and is always on task as long as you reset it.

Better than mousetraps when you aren't around is the crate. Other dogs may not be as bad as the young Labs I am plagued with. Still your house and dog will be much safer with the dog in a crate when you are away. The dog may be happier in its den than loose in the house. It relaxes, it feels safe in its den. It rests, the body slows down reducing the need for water and relieving its self. Dogs that have been crated all along do very well. Many of them will rest in their crates even when the door is open. I think the plastic ones give the dog more of a safe, enclosed den feeling. They are harder for dogs to open too. Metal ones can be put in a corner or covered with something the dog can't pull in and chew. Select a crate just big enough for the full grown dog to stretch out in.

Leave it some toys. Perhaps a Kong filled with peanut butter. Don't leave anything in the crate the dog might chew up. It will do fine without even any bedding. You will come home to a safe dog and a house you can enjoy.

A dog that has not been crated since it was little, make take some work. Start out just putting its toys and treats in the crate. Praise it for going in. If you have been able to trust it with any bedding, put that in the crate. Feed it in the crate. This is also an easy way to maintain order at feeding time for more than one dog.

Counter Surfing

Does your Foster Puppy counter surf; constantly checking the tables and counters for a tasty morsel that he is sure was left there just for him? If so, teach him The Can Can! For The Can Can you will need about 6 cans (empty pop cans with a few rocks or pennies inside them and a little piece of duct tape over the hole works well). Stack the cans in a pyramid on top of a piece of cardboard or paper to which you have attached a piece of string. Tie the string to the object that your Foster Puppy most desires from the counter top. It may be a dish towel or if it is food he is seeking, use a paper towel that you have used to pat down a piece of meat or maybe some meat juice. Then wait. When the object is snatched from the counter top the pyramid of cans will come crashing down, startling the thief. Your puppy will be caught in the act red pawed! You have just created a self correction! It may take several repetitions to get the point across, but soon your puppy will decide that it just isn't worth taking the chance.

Consistently is very important in correcting jumping and other problems. Quickly correcting him each and every time he jumps on somebody is very important. He must never get the affection he wants. A number of things have been used. One of the most gentle is to grab his front paws and hold him up. The traditional knee to the chest or step on his paws are fading from use. As part of the the trend away from negative methods, just step backwards leaving his front feet to fall to the floor. After a few tries, the dog may just stand there looking confused.

Try the above and get back if you have more questions.