[Valerie and George]

After not having an accident for AGES (unless we were gone far too many hours in a row), George very politely lifted his leg and whizzed on the bedroom door last night right in front of me and was oblivious to my protests. I think -- no, I KNOW -- he's put out by having to share time and attention and treats with our new foundling Lab, and she's so very needy and pushy about attention that in spite of our best efforts to make sure HE gets lots of time and attention and treats, the fact remains that he's not getting as much of any of it as he did when he was an only. It's not bad enough trying to get house training through the thick skull of a Lab who probably never lived indoors before, now we have George making political statements.

 

[Elmer-n-Button]

Well, he did get your attention, now, didn't he? I hope that you made NO COMMENT in reponse to this--because a dog that is feeling miffed will tend to accept negative as well as positive attention, and it can lead to more of him getting your attention, good or bad. After all, what he wants is the Attention. Poor George. He just wants all the love in the world for himself. Just like my Button. My guess is if he continues, and it is just ignored, it will stop? Good luck. It's a great thing you are doing! (By the way, can anyone tell me why the italic, bold, etc. looks like that when I try to use them? I'm not seeing any clickable smilies when I use them either, just colons and parentheses.)

 

[Basset Momma]

While I know they don't do this for spite- not capable of thinking that way... you got to wonder what goes through their thick heads? Our elderly Abby stole Jake's chew stick this morning. Now normally I take it away and give it right back to the one it belongs to... except the little booger swallowed it So- I gave Jake a pat on the head and said I was sorry- Not long after I went into the back room where Abby sleeps- little "marks" scattered all around her bed.... then in my room where she lay chewing was a small puddle... and another squirt or two on my clothes in the floor B) I guess this is just his opinion

 

[biscuit]

oh yea, it can be hard! from everything you've posted, though, it appears George doesn't HATE Gigi, which is a very good sign!

plus George is a senior doggie --- having puppies around, esp. a Lab puppy :wacko: :blink: :wacko: , can really wear those oldsters out. it's one reason i haven't even considered a young doggie even though i want one and even though one was even dropped in my lap a month or so ago --- some kind of coonhound mix, a lovely girl who moved onto my front porch. but a completely insane puppy! personality-wise, Lady could handle it. but Lady is pretty physically frail, so i couldn't.

George isn't frail, though, so that's another point in your favor.

so ... basically they get along and George is hardy enough to handle Gigi ... to a point!

my prescription thus far is therefore --- ? --- :
1. give it time;
2. figure out someway for Gigi to work off some of that crazy lab energy so she isn't driving George absolutely bonkers and doesn't wear him out, thereby making him grumpy.

also, Gigi might be either a dominant dog or didn't have a chance to acquire proper doggie manners. Lady is submissive but from what i can tell, didn't get the chance to acquire proper doggie manners. she drove Biscuit absolutely insane because of this. it took her some time and she still falls back into old patterns (she's an old girl, remember), but she did learn not to leap into the middle of everything and to mind her manners!!!

so maybe consider puppy classes for the lab --- or otherwise some way for her to begin acquiring better manners, if she's pushing George out of the way or vying for attention when you and George are having a little alone time. remember, she might be needy, but she's now a member of your household and she needs to abide by the rules. she and George and YOU will be happier once she figures those rules out.

 

[Valerie and George]

Oh, he got comments, all right. :blink: Along the lines of "what the (bad word) do you think you're DOING????" Obviously, what he was doing is saying MINE! MY house. MY parents! MY food! MY couch! He isn't frail, you're right, but he is older and much more set in his ways and calm and lazy than this insane Lab, who is young but not a puppy. She's full height but not filled out and I think some of that is not eating regularly while she was a stray. I'm trying to teach her the command "it's George's turn to be petted" and sometimes she even abides by it, going and laying on the couch and leaving us be so I can love on George unmolested. Other times her high spirits get the better of her. She is trying to learn what we want of her and I'll give her credit -- when she gets it through her thick skull, she does try to do what we want. I just hope we all survive.

 

[biscuit]

good! George has a handle on things then and knows this youngun needs an earful now and again.

be warned with these labs, they take a very *very* long time to grow up. i remember reading about it when Yogi was growing up, and many many things said they stay very immature for a long time. yea, they do! :blink: it seems they do their physical growing before their circuitry growing or something like that --- i can't quite remember. so the lab puppy stage is pretty prolonged. hehehehehe.

edited to add: here's a bit on their prolonged puppyhood from Southern California Lab Rescue:

Labradors are known for having a long and delayed puppyhood and adolescence that completely disregards their physical maturity. A two year old Labrador is still very much of a puppy, and attendent with that, has a puppy's exuberance and energy. Labs don't start "settling" down until sometime between two and four years of age. A few labradors are quiet and sedate from early puppyhood onward, and a few others are bouncing puppymaniacs until well into old age, but by and large, you can expect to see mental maturation happening between two and four years of age.[/b]

Yogi is 8 getting close to 9, and he's still very, very puppy-like. he even still looks like a puppy in some ways because of that fatty layer labs have.

however, also be aware that, even though it takes them a very long time to grow up, they love taking directions, so once you all get used to each other, he'll be very easy to train --- which makes up for their goofiness. :blink:

 

[Valerie and George]

I've heard that about Labs, too. In fact, I found a Lab discussion board much like this one and they say the "puppy" phase can last till they're 3 or 4 or longer. ACK! Still, our training method is to talk and talk and talk and work and work and work ("No, you can't eat the couch. Here, eat this instead. No, don't eat the bed, either. Cheese? You want cheese?" ) and Gigi is really trying. She's learned to sit pretty when she wants to go out and let us put the lead on her instead of barging through the door and running for the hills. She learned to sit and wait patiently for Mom to get the string cheese unwrapped. She knows "go lay down" though she doesn't ALWAYS do it. We're working on "it's George's turn to be petted" and "that's George's food; THIS is YOUR food." And ... <drum roll> she hasn't destroyed ANYTHING since we took all the stuffed toys away and put mine away where she can't get at them. <knock wood> She did turn the garbage over once but she didn't string it all over the house, just turned the can over, and it was almost empty. She's doing really well with house training. She's so ALERT and so eager to please that really, if we are patient and try to make her understand what we want her to do, she's more than willing to do it. As long as she remembers and doesn't get distracted by a squeaky toy or something. George is beginning to adjust and I think he must hold classes every day to teach her how to be a good dog because she's made great strides in a short time. He's still not happy about sharing but he's showing a bit more spine in standing his ground when he wants to e petted even if she is sticking her big red nose in there getting in the way. At first, he'd just mope off in the corner when she did that, poor boy.