It was a little over six weeks ago that I shared with you the trials and tribulations of raising a high energy Labrador puppy.
My pint-sized powerhouse is not all that little anymore. He is 7 1/2 months old and has lost the cute puppy breath and replaced it with the “you should have seen what I found and ate in the back yard” breath.
When I am picking a puppy from a litter, I always try to identify the highest energy member of the group.
There is a saying in the dog world that it is a lot easier to wind them in than it is to wind them up.
Translation: High-energy dogs can have their energies channeled and controlled to do great work, but it’s a lot harder to take the lazy couch potato boy and fire him up for the rigors of training and the work he will perform as an adult hunting companion.
Ghost is never going to be a very big dog. I prefer it this way. There is nothing an 80–90-pound Labrador can do that a 50–60-pound Labrador can’t. Ghost is even going to be a touch bit lighter than my target. He will most likely weigh about 45 pounds as an adult. He weighs about 30 pounds today.
He has really gotten the majority of the understanding when it comes to “here,” and “sit,” and he is starting to work on leash obedience for heel.
My dogs have their own dedicated room in my house where the floors are tile and the washing machine is nearby. It really does sound like a buffalo herd when whoever gets up first opens the four cages and 16 paws are all hitting the ground at 60 mph headed to the back door for their morning constitutions and a big stretch.
When this is done, and if I happen to still be snoozing til the second alarm, Ghost will tear down the hallway at blistering spend and then from about 10 feet away, he will launch himself up on the bed with the intent of dispensing 75 good morning dog kisses.
If the gate does not get fully latched at the end of the hall, it is only a matter of seconds before the remainder of the pack joins in the fun. It is about the same as a cold glass of water splashed in your face. There is no going back to sleep after this morning greeting.
My new addition really only has two trouble spots that I am concentrating on.
The first is that he just has to bark about three times when there is a commotion in the back yard or when he hears my truck in the driveway. It is not an incessant barking issue, but none of my other dogs bark at all. We are working on this issue. With an electronic training collar and some well-placed timing.
The other issue is that he really has a hard time not rough-housing with my other older dogs.
They are very tolerant and there has never been any growling or nipping, but Ghost has not completely learned his place in the pack. I do not tolerate any measure of aggressive behavior in any of my dogs. These aggressive behaviors can be eliminated if you start with them when the dog is young and be consistent as they grow up.
Over the years with all of the dogs I have owned and trained, I have never had any of my dogs start a fight or altercation with another dog.
This is critically important to me. I wish other dog owners had the same attitude.
I cannot and will not hunt with anyone whose dogs are aggressive or are always trying to start something.
Some owners will just say, “My female is an alpha,” or “My males have always been that way.” I then tell them to take their dog far away where they can let them act any way they want, but not around my dogs.
Ghost gets some stern corrections for too much rough-housing, and as he grows and matures, it is getting a lot better.
One final parting thought when it comes to dog training: If you caught your kid smoking and made them quit on the spot, that is a lot easier than letting them smoke for 10 years and then trying to get them to quit.
Fix negative behaviors before they become a habit, be that with your child or your dog. A little work early is better than strenuous effort expended later, and in most cases is more successful.
Scott Rall, Worthington, is a habitat conservationist, avid hunting and fishing enthusiast and is president of Nobles County Pheasants Forever. He can be reached at scottarall@gmail.com or on Twitter @habitat champion.