Chuffy
Posted : 9/7/2009 12:42:31 PM
JackieG
It sounds pretty normal to me. I would definitely give Ollie a break from the pup. Crate Connor when you can see that Ollie has had enough for one session. The dogs need to spend one on one time with you, especially Connor. I start training almost immediately unless a dog is very, very timid. Sit, here and heel are the three basics at my house. If you let the dogs constantly play with each other, even if Ollie continues to put up with the chewing, neither dog will be bonded with you as much as they will bond with each other. It's only natural that dogs would bond to each other more than to us and that's why we have to make the effort to become the prime focus of our dog/s attention. Get a dog training book or DVD. Patricia McConnell and Jean Donaldson are two I like a lot. Puppies of that age can be terrible sometimes and they can be relentless in their quest to chew/play/bite/pull. lol Training is really the answer to most of the puppy craziness.
Ditto all that!
Also, the Lab may well be in his second teething phase now, which will make him more mouthy, so chilling or freezing some of his heavy duty chews and toys may help alleviate the problem. They will be soothing to his gums and therefore they will feel nicer to chew than ears!
I think it is also important to get the young pup into a class if you can, and/or set up some play dates with well adjusted adult dogs with good social skills. They will help teach him what to expect from other dogs.... as it is he may be getting a VERY unrealistic idea about what is OK and what is not from the older dog in your home. This could well lead to him getting a rude awakening later on when he tries it on with a strange dog who is a little less tolerant of such "rudeness", and unless he has had a lot of positive social experiences, that is likely to leave him with fear related behavioural problems.