unruly rescued lab

Question
I recently adopted a 10 month old male chocolate lab from a neighbor.He was left out in a small pen for several monthes with very little interaction from people or dogs. I want to bring him into the home on a regular basis, but he is destructive, and very mouthy. Very understandable, as he has had no stimulation or training for so long. I bring him in on the lead every day to feed him and monitor his every move. I constantly pull him away from anything he shouldn't get near with a firm "no" or "down" whichever is appropriate and then tell him good boy when he does as told. If he gets mouthy, I give him a proper chew toy and tell him that is his to chew. I see very little progress, and was hoping to get some tips, as it will soon be very cold here in Mass. and his dog house won't bring him much comfort when the weather turns freezing.He is going to start obedience training tomorrow at a professional center for a seven week series. I am very patient and am more than willing to do whatever it takes to make him a great pet. Any helpful advice would be greatly appreciated. He was neutered 10 days ago and I have just changed his diet to that of boiled white rice, veggies and lean meat. It has come to my attention that he is gluten intolerant.Thanks

Answer
The obedience training should solve your problem. Socialization with other dogs is also required as they learn from other dogs what is accepted and not. I would suggest lemon juice (squirt directly into the mouth) when he chews on you or someting else. use the word JUICE! when you do. usually only takes 1-2 times and then the word only to stop chewing. They catch on and quit in a short time. The dog would likely do much better with a companion dog if you have room. Many countries now require animals to be adopted in pairs because they entertain each other and stay out of trouble and have a constant companion. We've done this with Doberman, Rott, Beagles, Basset, and other breeds and it works out fine. Keep him mentally stimulated with non agressive play, toys and companionship. As you likely know they are very active athletic dogs.

Regards,

Henry Ruhwiedel
Westwind Kennels LLC