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friedgreentomato | 10:42 Mon 12th Aug 2013 | Animals & Nature
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Colin, my 10 month old lab/retriev X is out during the day - he has plenty of ground to play in, shelter and toys.

But he has started stealing stuff to destruct!! So far it has been 3 pairs of shoes, the mop bucket, plastic boxes, every single rubbish bag and the recycling bin!

He also likes to empty plant pots and to sleep on the compost he takes out!

I am at a loss what to do - I walk him each morning and as I said I leave toys for him.
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Lab-retriever's like to pick things up/walk around with things. I guess Colin (who is not a collie) might not know what to do once he's retrieved something if he's munching on it! You could have him bring you things instead, and tell him off for eating them.

One good trick is to teach them to bring you the matching shoe, ours can do this with probably 80% accuracy - it's probably a little unfair to expect him to know the difference between oxfords and wingtips, especially when they're the same colour. He probably has the advantage of being the one who hid them however!

In short, you might want to give him some jobs to do to stop him getting bored :)
Or get another dog for Colin to play with - maybe a Collie called Lab or something?
Like ummm said,they are like toddlers and he is testing you right now. He wants to see what he can get away with.
When I got sally,she was already two years old....never walked,wasn't house trained (what's a house?),didn't even know what toys were. But we got there in the end. Colin has come to you with some 'baggage'...be firm with him,and he'll soon learn some manners. It will take some time though.
Failing that crate him when you need. Some time out so hes safe and not getting up to mischief when you can't keep your eye on him.
friedgreentomato - I really do not know why you are taking such an aggressive attitude towards my replies I was just trying to help, and my suggestion of boredom has been backed up by other posters.
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Lol Ed perhaps training him to clear up after himself would be a start!!

He is excellant at fetch and we take him to the beach etc to allow him an off the lead run everyday.

We had 20 people in the house on saturday night and he was a complete dream so well behaved appart from 1 cheese stealing incident!! (yes I am aware cheese is bad for dogs which is why I took it off him)

He has decimate all his balls so we have just bought him an extreme rubber one (£8) the funny thing is he does not chew his bed or furniture - at night the light goes out and he sleeps!
I meant to also say that when I got Sally,I took some time off to be with her,and help her settle in. Can you do this...its an opportunity to set some parameters.
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morrigan your put own in capital letters so I copied your style of writing!

Sorry
sorry fgt, there's me suggesting treat related products, I've just seen that you are trying to cut back on titbits and treats.
My friend who works full time had a dog from a shelter and had a lot of problems with him to the point where we thought she had made a big mistake. The dog chewed the place to bits. He even chewed the paint off the front door which made him ill and he ended up at the vets. Someone suggested she start taking him to dog agility classes which she now does. The dog loves it because it fulfills his natural instinct to chase and catch and he`s a lovely pet now - she doesn`t get any problems at all with him (she works full time as well)
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Ed was considering that route but hubby may be a bit difficult to convince!

Thanks pasta - I always had dogs as a child/teenager/young adult but they were pups and not rescues! Its good to know that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

I did take time off when he arrived and we took him away with us too - we are off on holiday again in September and we have cottages booked that he can stay in with us - so no kennels for him!
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Lol always its OK but his stomach seems to react to everything apart from bonios, his meal and his dentabix!
Have you tried him with any of those hide bones, they keep our dog occupied for hours chewing at them.
"Ed was considering that route but hubby may be a bit difficult to convince!"

Just go pick one up FGT!
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Lol tony - 30 mins to decimate one of those.

Bought a post mans leg bone 3 hours to get through!
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Ed are you trying to get me divorced - with 4 cats and a dog already!!
Well, get rid of the cats then, you've upgraded.

What about doggy day care?

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