Why is My Labrador Retriever Being Destructive?

[CaptainDan]

I recently adopted a Labrador Retriever from a local shelter and I'm quickly finding out that he's somewhat destructive with things around my house. He chews on things and has already destroyed some of my furniture. It seems like he's okay when I'm in the room with him, but when I leave the room, he takes it upon himself to rip things up and ruin things. I do have two other dogs that I adopted before this one and they're fine. I've never owned a Lab before though. He does play well with my other dogs. My cats - not so much. They don't like him and he's finally getting the message to avoid them. He's already fixed and house trained, which is good. I'm afraid that I can't exercise him as much as he needs and that this might be the reason he is acting out. Does anyone have any advice for me? Do I need to re-home my dog? What can I do? Why do you think he's being destructive and acting out?

 

[JGaulard]

We actually have some pretty awesome Labrador Retriever breeders who are members of this site. They would most likely be the ones to ask. I'm wondering if maybe any of them can help out with this. Any advice about a Lab that's being destructive? Is it too late to transition them out of this behavior once they're an adult?

 

[Hayden15]

We actually have some pretty awesome Labrador Retriever breeders who are members of this site. They would most likely be the ones to ask. I'm wondering if maybe any of them can help out with this. Any advice about a Lab that's being destructive? Is it too late to transition them out of this behavior once they're an adult?

Hello, I had a lab Puppy that was very destructive. Young or active dogs often need mental simulation. For example, training a dog for 10-15 min on a certain trick or command can help. Often the dog simply needs to be more physical active. Providing a dog with a "job" such as training can help with energy used negatively. If the dog is acting out of separation anxiety, a good trainer should be able to point you in the right direction. Hope this helps!

 

[CaptainDan]

Hello, I had a lab Puppy that was very destructive. Young or active dogs often need mental simulation. For example, training a dog for 10-15 min on a certain trick or command can help. Often the dog simply needs to be more physical active. Providing a dog with a "job" such as training can help with energy used negatively. If the dog is acting out of separation anxiety, a good trainer should be able to point you in the right direction. Hope this helps!

Thank you so much for the advice. I'm seeing that you are absolutely correct. Recently, I've been attempting to stimulate my dog's brain a lot more and it's helped. Firstly, I exercise him a lot more than I used to, but I also try to teach him how to properly walk on a leash, fetch, and sit. It seems that the more I try to communicate with him, the more he wants to learn. It's amazing, really.

 

[Hayden15]

Thank you so much for the advice. I'm seeing that you are absolutely correct. Recently, I've been attempting to stimulate my dog's brain a lot more and it's helped. Firstly, I exercise him a lot more than I used to, but I also try to teach him how to properly walk on a leash, fetch, and sit. It seems that the more I try to communicate with him, the more he wants to learn. It's amazing, really.

That's amazing! I'm so glad he's doing good!