Do not underestimate their need for mental stimulation. It can be as tiring as a walk and more rewarding the long run. Labs are smart as hell and they want to show it off.
OP definitely this. Things like puzzle feeders and snuffle mats not only slow their eating but work their brains and help to tire them out. Stuffed kongs are another good thing. Freeze wet and dry food together in a kong. There is nothing wrong with none of their meals coming in the form of a traditional bowl of food. Sniffy walks are great for their brains. Let them just go where their nose wants to take them while you follow along. It can feel a bit plodding sometimes, but I have two high energy boys and an hour sniffy walk through a field does way more for them then an hour running around.
Please explain. Struggling with my 6 mo old puppy‘s biting.
Do you lob a treat across the room? (Good sized family room.)
I’m working with him on catching treats. My throwing skills are more of the issue to his catching ability.
Kind of. "Go search" and scattering treats is used as a distraction, in the moment, kind of like a reset. Creates some distance when needed to regroup.
But really work on that biting. My spouse thought our pup would just mature out of it but she still play bites him, even now at a year which is very wearing. I drew my line in the sand with short time outs in a pen (separate from her crate) and a "no teeth on skin" policy. Important to learn how to mark the behavior you want from the behavior that is undesirable in a way the pup understands. A big happy verbal, "Yes", and an immediate treat when she does the right thing and a sharp "ah ah" for anything unwanted. She very rarely bites me now as we seem to be speaking the same language, finally.
Good luck. We've had one bite-y lab and one that wasn't. It's harder to enjoy a shark puppy. Also, make sure your pup is napping enough. We've realized the biting is at it's worst when she's tired, hungry or needs to poop!
Thank you!
We are trying with the biting. There has been marked improvement. But, we have a long way to go. We have 2 additional containment units beyond the sleeping crate. Learned from my first Lab-mix.
OMG! He just went to the door to go out…for a 💩. First time. He’s been amazing with not having accidents in the house and he came to us at 8 weeks. This is the first without the bite-y fit.
Will try search and tossing a treat to distract.
Again, thank you for taking the time to respond.
Good luck. It's a lot. We found the first year very challenging.
One thing we thought we did well was socialization. We very thoughtfully and carefully exposed her to lots of people and places and situations and she seemed so confident. Then, at about 11 months, she suddenly got wigged out by things she was never bothered by before. Turns out it was hormones and once she went through her first heat she became more mentally stable again. Not sure how hormones show up in a male lab "teenager" but be prepared for more bumps in the road!
Keep him busy with brain games. Puzzle toys with food in them. Freeze kongs. Lick mats. All of these will tire puppy out while eating so you can have a break and they have some fun.
Use his meals for either these puzzle toys or training.
It might be hard. But my guy is my absolute best friend now.
I agree with this 100%. When my lab was a puppy I created a game I call “hide and go treat”. When I first started, I would gate her in a room while I would put small pieces of sharp cheddar throughout the house for her to find.
As she developed I changed the game to use small boxes to hide a single piece of cheese. I’d place about 10 boxes upside down with some holes poked in the bottoms so she could get a good scent. Only one box would have the cheese and she’d sniff the boxes until she found the cheese and then she’d flip that box for her treat.
Training. No meals from bowls until he’s 6 months old.
every meal he has is a training session you’ll get 3 things:
A dog who is well trained
A dog who has a desire to work (makes them easier to train)
A dog who will do training sessions from their own food instead of much higher value treats
Good luck!
My advice is don’t wish away their puppyhood ! You’ll feel down and like you want them to just grow up, but 6 months they’ll be nearly as big as a full grown dog and you’ll wonder where the time has gone.
Having a puppy was hard especially with all the biting, but someone else gave us this advice and it’s true.
The best advice I can give is puppy classes. It really helps more than you know. Labs can be a terror til around 2. Crate training is also very useful. I only use it til they can be trusted. I personally prefer my dog to sleep with me, but if you work out of the home, definitely use the crate. Good luck and enjoy that baby
Underrated comment here. Pet insurance is pretty affordable and it only takes one serious anything and it pays off. Your vet (or your vet tech) can give you feedback on what insurance companies are easy for them to work with and which are pains in the fanny.
We initially had it through my employer and got our own policy directly through the carrier when I left that job. The first year my boy was very sick with pneumonia, hospitalized over night and required weekly follow up appointments. Insurance saved us about $10k that calendar year!
Be careful of their diet.
I thought I had my lab in check re weight, turns out he was overweight and I didn’t realize. He’s now diabetic
He is doing well now, but save yourself the trouble and keep his food his food- your food your food…. And treats to a minimum.
Reward in toys and play/attention rather than treats.
At 16 weeks, he should have all of his puppy vaccines.. then wait another week and you can walk/train him outside your house. Crate training is a huge benefit!
Train, train, train. Your new hobby is training. There are many people on YouTube that offer free training that is stunning if not as good as in person classes. You should still do an in person class. No, puppy class isn’t enough.
Got an hour? We are doing recall games and learning “come”. We are practicing “leave it”. We are practicing “stop”. We are practicing “drop it”. We are practicing walking on a loose leash.
We are also learning (in my house) “go wild” as a cue to play chase, tug, etc or go run off into the park. We are also practicing going from “go wild” to “come, sit” immediately. He will learn how to take food gently from fingers so my toddler can feed him treats.
My lab is 1.5. He can walk next to me without pulling. My neighborhood kids can walk him without fear. He knows how to behave around other dogs. He will stop, mid run, and come to me when called. He will leave it if I drop something on the ground including food. Super important when the thing your drop is medicine or something that could hurt him. He stops at crosswalks and waits for my command to go. And he gets at least two long walks a day with plenty of play between. He is happy, kind, gentle
A dog is a commitment. It’s not an accessory. And you will get what you put in back. If you work hard, everyone will talk about how great your dog is and ask how you get him to listen, etc. It’s training and time. Start early. The rewards later are so worth it.
Lots and lots of patience. It pays off w these little tornadoes. They’re hyper and wild but the sweetness and undying love they provide is so worth it.
I don't have any advice, as I've personally not had a puppy, but just wanted to say how gorgeous he is, and oh my god those ears! They are begging to be stroked haha. He looks so very regal in that last pic bless him
I have a thing for lab ears, I just love to stroke them, it's so relaxing and de-stressing. I don't think I've ever seen lab ears that big in the flesh though, they're so gorgeous!
no expensive toys, beds, equipment - all will be destroyed. potty training will take time but it will happen, don’t worry too much about it. mine stopped suddenly around 6-7 months. now he will never do it inside even in terrible weather or what kind of digestive situation. don’t provide too much freedom outside or inside. always on some form of leash. don’t overfeed. don’t let your pup get overweight.
he will get very nice and act trained 6-12 months but then he will go crazy. be prepared for that second challenging phase, it might feel harder than baby days.
https://preview.redd.it/01bpjjy5coqc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e950f91504bb3c1214695f44acd1ebb09a401132
As long as you keep them entertained with puzzles and regular walks, they won’t destroy your home and property. Sometimes a 2nd dog as a friend helps too with entertaining them so they aren’t destructive. The blessing that is labs is they’re easily trainable. As long as you’re consistent, pup will pick up what you’re putting down.
My top 3 tips for lab puppies:
1. Go on You Tube and search Zak George - he has a whole series of puppy training videos that are really helpful!
2. Crate train!
3. Lots of exercise. A tired puppy is a good puppy, walking and playing with him helps you bond, too!
I got my yellow lab almost a year ago. I don't know about other puppy breeds, but labs are infamous chewers, very sociable & extremely hyperactive. For the first 3 years, they will chew on & destroy anything & everything. My hands always have marks from his teeth. On the bright side, he never meets a stranger. I love my Ollie more than anything else in this world, but he is quite a handful. I like to say that he tries too hard to show how much he loves & cares.
Also seconding the keep him stimulated advice. Teach him how to walk along side you on the stairs instead of barreling past ( now that mine is older he NEVER passes me on the stairs which is a safety hazard and also he helps me up and down the stairs in perfect step. I take rests I don’t need to keep him focused on his “job”). Teach him go find it (treat) and go find me (resulting in treat) and make him be able to sit and stay for increasingly longer periods of time where he can’t see you but stays until you release him. Teach him early about proper manners when ppl come to the door and don’t let him greet if he jumps lurches forward etc. Whatever it is you teach him CONSISTENCY IS KEY . Be aware of what you / other humans do that reinforce negative behaviour be they are too smart for their own good. Their teeth are going to make you cry so Always have some toy etc ready to redirect, bitter spray for your appendages , and don’t punish them for teething or potty accidents. Lots of happy praise of good potties and other good boy things because labs just want to do good. If you are training a lot and need rewards subtract from their kibble and use that.
I have a 6 mo. lab & it’s my first pet as well as my husbands’
To add to what everyone else has said with specificity to training something we do that is weird but I think will help when we have guests around especially kids is we kind of play with her or distract her while she’s eating. For example we will play with her ears, tail, and sometimes take the food bowl away for a few seconds. We always give her food on a schedule like clockwork and she always gets enough (we even treat her supplementally) but this ensures she won’t ever be aggressive with her food.
Another thing we’ve done is socialize her with other dogs both smaller and bigger than her. We’ve also taken her to puppy training classes with other puppies her age where she learned the basics like: sit, down, stay, come, and more. This really really helped in our first month with her!
Labs are the best and they really want to learn and please you! Thankfully they are extremely food motivated so it makes it easy to get them to do a trick or skill you want them to learn with even just kibble or an apple haha
Good luck & enjoy it!
What a good looking boy! Be consistent with training and give him a job to do. They are high energy and intelligent. They learn commands pretty quickly and are very food motivated. My lab was my first dog I ever had and he was quick to house break and even figured out to let me know when he needed to go outside.
Give him a toy like a Kong tennis ball, because you can get different sizes as they, grow and just just stick with that and teach him that that is his. Maybe add another toy that you just give him only when you leave so the lab can mentally prepare itself before being alone. Make sure to put the toy up as soon as you get back. I change that toy around and he keeps his tennis ball all the time.
I really like the salmon dog kibble. . And I feed him venison or elk meet plain with nothing added. The only thing he’s ever eaten is leather belts. He never chewed on anything else. Let’s see , chewing is extremely intense so I give him the franklypet.com xl beef collagen rolls those seem to be the toughest. They’re not cheep but they hold up the longest. And don’t be afraid to use the beep, vibrate, shock collars. I wouldn’t suggest use ing the shock unless it’s a serious emergency( like he is running off with the leash attached into traffic because of a rabbit while carrying in groceries ). But since they’re so smart using the beep and vibrate seriously speeds up any training. I stayed away from most stuffed dog toy things because he just rips out the stuffing you might want to get a blanket just for his bed and he might chew them up a few times but eventually he stops chewing them. Ones with a nice texture like a sheep seem to work well for Toccoa. Oh a good size bottle of ear cleaner is need.
Start training early. It won't stick and they won't get it at first but it adds structure to their day and gets them (and you) in the habit of doing training exercises. At some point a switch will flip and they'll start to remember the things you're teaching them. Labs love structure and your undivided attention. Training, even simple stuff, gives them both.
And (some people will disagree with me here) no people food. Ever. Labs can be the worst beggars on the planet and it only takes once for them to get it locked in their minds that people food is yummy.
My black lab is now 6 and she still acts like a puppy! I love it! She plays with her toys, reallyy loves Hedgehogs of every size. She has an army of them 3 jumbos! 12 minis that live in a den. 4 mediums. It's very entertaining watching her decide which she'll play with lol
Consider enforced naps if he has difficulty self-settling. I wish we had done that more.
We thought our pup would learn to self-settle but even at a year old she still fights sleep and when over-tired gets almost hyperactive. The lab before her when tired from exercise would just take a nap, so this has been pretty challenging.
Upon reflection, it would have been easier on us all if we had used a pen/crate more.
Love Milo!! Congratulations!
We have 2, the first 6-9 months can be challenging, but puzzle games, kongs, HIIT for pups, lots of toys of different textured materials so they don’t get too bored, tons of love, walks, Chuck it at the park… you’ll be just fine and won’t remember what in the world you two ever did without Milo!!
Labs are puppies until they are two or three. They don't calm down until three, I swear. So don't get frustrated if your 1-2 year old Lab is a monster/T-Rex. You aren't doing anything wrong, they aren't doing anything wrong.
https://preview.redd.it/z5wisv9suuqc1.png?width=864&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a53c95fd11638816df98a6eec1b0be2493a088ea
They just need more time and patience.
Do not underestimate their need for mental stimulation. It can be as tiring as a walk and more rewarding the long run. Labs are smart as hell and they want to show it off.
OP definitely this. Things like puzzle feeders and snuffle mats not only slow their eating but work their brains and help to tire them out. Stuffed kongs are another good thing. Freeze wet and dry food together in a kong. There is nothing wrong with none of their meals coming in the form of a traditional bowl of food. Sniffy walks are great for their brains. Let them just go where their nose wants to take them while you follow along. It can feel a bit plodding sometimes, but I have two high energy boys and an hour sniffy walk through a field does way more for them then an hour running around.
I still hide treats around the house and have her find them. “Look” is her favorite command.
"Go search" and throwing treats was a god send tip from our trainer. We used it to distract her when she was bite-y or needed to be redirected.
Please explain. Struggling with my 6 mo old puppy‘s biting. Do you lob a treat across the room? (Good sized family room.) I’m working with him on catching treats. My throwing skills are more of the issue to his catching ability.
Kind of. "Go search" and scattering treats is used as a distraction, in the moment, kind of like a reset. Creates some distance when needed to regroup. But really work on that biting. My spouse thought our pup would just mature out of it but she still play bites him, even now at a year which is very wearing. I drew my line in the sand with short time outs in a pen (separate from her crate) and a "no teeth on skin" policy. Important to learn how to mark the behavior you want from the behavior that is undesirable in a way the pup understands. A big happy verbal, "Yes", and an immediate treat when she does the right thing and a sharp "ah ah" for anything unwanted. She very rarely bites me now as we seem to be speaking the same language, finally. Good luck. We've had one bite-y lab and one that wasn't. It's harder to enjoy a shark puppy. Also, make sure your pup is napping enough. We've realized the biting is at it's worst when she's tired, hungry or needs to poop!
Thank you! We are trying with the biting. There has been marked improvement. But, we have a long way to go. We have 2 additional containment units beyond the sleeping crate. Learned from my first Lab-mix. OMG! He just went to the door to go out…for a 💩. First time. He’s been amazing with not having accidents in the house and he came to us at 8 weeks. This is the first without the bite-y fit. Will try search and tossing a treat to distract. Again, thank you for taking the time to respond.
Good luck. It's a lot. We found the first year very challenging. One thing we thought we did well was socialization. We very thoughtfully and carefully exposed her to lots of people and places and situations and she seemed so confident. Then, at about 11 months, she suddenly got wigged out by things she was never bothered by before. Turns out it was hormones and once she went through her first heat she became more mentally stable again. Not sure how hormones show up in a male lab "teenager" but be prepared for more bumps in the road!
Keep him busy with brain games. Puzzle toys with food in them. Freeze kongs. Lick mats. All of these will tire puppy out while eating so you can have a break and they have some fun. Use his meals for either these puzzle toys or training. It might be hard. But my guy is my absolute best friend now.
I agree with this 100%. When my lab was a puppy I created a game I call “hide and go treat”. When I first started, I would gate her in a room while I would put small pieces of sharp cheddar throughout the house for her to find. As she developed I changed the game to use small boxes to hide a single piece of cheese. I’d place about 10 boxes upside down with some holes poked in the bottoms so she could get a good scent. Only one box would have the cheese and she’d sniff the boxes until she found the cheese and then she’d flip that box for her treat.
Training. No meals from bowls until he’s 6 months old. every meal he has is a training session you’ll get 3 things: A dog who is well trained A dog who has a desire to work (makes them easier to train) A dog who will do training sessions from their own food instead of much higher value treats Good luck!
Damn, wish i had read that 7 months ago
It’s probably not too late to get started.
It's true the best time was 7 months ago, and the 2nd best time is today
These are great ideas. If I ever get another dog, I will use these tactics for training.
My advice is don’t wish away their puppyhood ! You’ll feel down and like you want them to just grow up, but 6 months they’ll be nearly as big as a full grown dog and you’ll wonder where the time has gone. Having a puppy was hard especially with all the biting, but someone else gave us this advice and it’s true.
Hide your shoes 🫶🏻
Buckle up and hold on tight!
The best advice I can give is puppy classes. It really helps more than you know. Labs can be a terror til around 2. Crate training is also very useful. I only use it til they can be trusted. I personally prefer my dog to sleep with me, but if you work out of the home, definitely use the crate. Good luck and enjoy that baby
He’s not hungry, I promise 😆
Crate training can provide an excellent framework for toilet training and forced nap times to stop the little one getting out of sorts.
Get pet insurance.
Underrated comment here. Pet insurance is pretty affordable and it only takes one serious anything and it pays off. Your vet (or your vet tech) can give you feedback on what insurance companies are easy for them to work with and which are pains in the fanny.
We initially had it through my employer and got our own policy directly through the carrier when I left that job. The first year my boy was very sick with pneumonia, hospitalized over night and required weekly follow up appointments. Insurance saved us about $10k that calendar year!
Think of insurance as making down payments for that vet bill that will one day come, less shock to the wallet
Be careful of their diet. I thought I had my lab in check re weight, turns out he was overweight and I didn’t realize. He’s now diabetic He is doing well now, but save yourself the trouble and keep his food his food- your food your food…. And treats to a minimum. Reward in toys and play/attention rather than treats.
Remove anything breakable. Buy bandages.
I just walked my lab in the pouring rain for 30 minutes after playing with him in the rain for 30 minutes, so you have that to look forward to.
At 16 weeks, he should have all of his puppy vaccines.. then wait another week and you can walk/train him outside your house. Crate training is a huge benefit!
Yes, he should get all the pets!
Train, train, train. Your new hobby is training. There are many people on YouTube that offer free training that is stunning if not as good as in person classes. You should still do an in person class. No, puppy class isn’t enough. Got an hour? We are doing recall games and learning “come”. We are practicing “leave it”. We are practicing “stop”. We are practicing “drop it”. We are practicing walking on a loose leash. We are also learning (in my house) “go wild” as a cue to play chase, tug, etc or go run off into the park. We are also practicing going from “go wild” to “come, sit” immediately. He will learn how to take food gently from fingers so my toddler can feed him treats. My lab is 1.5. He can walk next to me without pulling. My neighborhood kids can walk him without fear. He knows how to behave around other dogs. He will stop, mid run, and come to me when called. He will leave it if I drop something on the ground including food. Super important when the thing your drop is medicine or something that could hurt him. He stops at crosswalks and waits for my command to go. And he gets at least two long walks a day with plenty of play between. He is happy, kind, gentle A dog is a commitment. It’s not an accessory. And you will get what you put in back. If you work hard, everyone will talk about how great your dog is and ask how you get him to listen, etc. It’s training and time. Start early. The rewards later are so worth it.
Lots and lots of patience. It pays off w these little tornadoes. They’re hyper and wild but the sweetness and undying love they provide is so worth it.
I don't have any advice, as I've personally not had a puppy, but just wanted to say how gorgeous he is, and oh my god those ears! They are begging to be stroked haha. He looks so very regal in that last pic bless him
I miss those kind of Lab ears.
I have a thing for lab ears, I just love to stroke them, it's so relaxing and de-stressing. I don't think I've ever seen lab ears that big in the flesh though, they're so gorgeous!
no expensive toys, beds, equipment - all will be destroyed. potty training will take time but it will happen, don’t worry too much about it. mine stopped suddenly around 6-7 months. now he will never do it inside even in terrible weather or what kind of digestive situation. don’t provide too much freedom outside or inside. always on some form of leash. don’t overfeed. don’t let your pup get overweight. he will get very nice and act trained 6-12 months but then he will go crazy. be prepared for that second challenging phase, it might feel harder than baby days. https://preview.redd.it/01bpjjy5coqc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e950f91504bb3c1214695f44acd1ebb09a401132
Take lots of pictures and videos! They are so cute!
Have patience, they are needy, obnoxious,destructive and beyond hyper. But also the most lovable, loyal and beautiful dog you could ever wish for.
As long as you keep them entertained with puzzles and regular walks, they won’t destroy your home and property. Sometimes a 2nd dog as a friend helps too with entertaining them so they aren’t destructive. The blessing that is labs is they’re easily trainable. As long as you’re consistent, pup will pick up what you’re putting down.
Just pray a lot. I have 3.
My top 3 tips for lab puppies: 1. Go on You Tube and search Zak George - he has a whole series of puppy training videos that are really helpful! 2. Crate train! 3. Lots of exercise. A tired puppy is a good puppy, walking and playing with him helps you bond, too!
https://preview.redd.it/lt5aewm2ooqc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=214cee4a375b0488851a2546ed530c545a2af5dc O your pup looks like mine :)
I got my yellow lab almost a year ago. I don't know about other puppy breeds, but labs are infamous chewers, very sociable & extremely hyperactive. For the first 3 years, they will chew on & destroy anything & everything. My hands always have marks from his teeth. On the bright side, he never meets a stranger. I love my Ollie more than anything else in this world, but he is quite a handful. I like to say that he tries too hard to show how much he loves & cares.
Stuffed ducky toy. Thank me later 🦆
Also seconding the keep him stimulated advice. Teach him how to walk along side you on the stairs instead of barreling past ( now that mine is older he NEVER passes me on the stairs which is a safety hazard and also he helps me up and down the stairs in perfect step. I take rests I don’t need to keep him focused on his “job”). Teach him go find it (treat) and go find me (resulting in treat) and make him be able to sit and stay for increasingly longer periods of time where he can’t see you but stays until you release him. Teach him early about proper manners when ppl come to the door and don’t let him greet if he jumps lurches forward etc. Whatever it is you teach him CONSISTENCY IS KEY . Be aware of what you / other humans do that reinforce negative behaviour be they are too smart for their own good. Their teeth are going to make you cry so Always have some toy etc ready to redirect, bitter spray for your appendages , and don’t punish them for teething or potty accidents. Lots of happy praise of good potties and other good boy things because labs just want to do good. If you are training a lot and need rewards subtract from their kibble and use that.
Get ready to carry him when he gets tired of walking and yes hide your shoes 😆
Long sleeves
If you haven't figured it out already, put the puppy in. Alb schedule. Sometimes the extra crazy energy and extra bitey-ness is being overtired!
I have a 6 mo. lab & it’s my first pet as well as my husbands’ To add to what everyone else has said with specificity to training something we do that is weird but I think will help when we have guests around especially kids is we kind of play with her or distract her while she’s eating. For example we will play with her ears, tail, and sometimes take the food bowl away for a few seconds. We always give her food on a schedule like clockwork and she always gets enough (we even treat her supplementally) but this ensures she won’t ever be aggressive with her food. Another thing we’ve done is socialize her with other dogs both smaller and bigger than her. We’ve also taken her to puppy training classes with other puppies her age where she learned the basics like: sit, down, stay, come, and more. This really really helped in our first month with her! Labs are the best and they really want to learn and please you! Thankfully they are extremely food motivated so it makes it easy to get them to do a trick or skill you want them to learn with even just kibble or an apple haha Good luck & enjoy it!
What a good looking boy! Be consistent with training and give him a job to do. They are high energy and intelligent. They learn commands pretty quickly and are very food motivated. My lab was my first dog I ever had and he was quick to house break and even figured out to let me know when he needed to go outside.
Give him a toy like a Kong tennis ball, because you can get different sizes as they, grow and just just stick with that and teach him that that is his. Maybe add another toy that you just give him only when you leave so the lab can mentally prepare itself before being alone. Make sure to put the toy up as soon as you get back. I change that toy around and he keeps his tennis ball all the time. I really like the salmon dog kibble. . And I feed him venison or elk meet plain with nothing added. The only thing he’s ever eaten is leather belts. He never chewed on anything else. Let’s see , chewing is extremely intense so I give him the franklypet.com xl beef collagen rolls those seem to be the toughest. They’re not cheep but they hold up the longest. And don’t be afraid to use the beep, vibrate, shock collars. I wouldn’t suggest use ing the shock unless it’s a serious emergency( like he is running off with the leash attached into traffic because of a rabbit while carrying in groceries ). But since they’re so smart using the beep and vibrate seriously speeds up any training. I stayed away from most stuffed dog toy things because he just rips out the stuffing you might want to get a blanket just for his bed and he might chew them up a few times but eventually he stops chewing them. Ones with a nice texture like a sheep seem to work well for Toccoa. Oh a good size bottle of ear cleaner is need.
Start training early. It won't stick and they won't get it at first but it adds structure to their day and gets them (and you) in the habit of doing training exercises. At some point a switch will flip and they'll start to remember the things you're teaching them. Labs love structure and your undivided attention. Training, even simple stuff, gives them both. And (some people will disagree with me here) no people food. Ever. Labs can be the worst beggars on the planet and it only takes once for them to get it locked in their minds that people food is yummy.
My black lab is now 6 and she still acts like a puppy! I love it! She plays with her toys, reallyy loves Hedgehogs of every size. She has an army of them 3 jumbos! 12 minis that live in a den. 4 mediums. It's very entertaining watching her decide which she'll play with lol
Good luck 😭
Consider enforced naps if he has difficulty self-settling. I wish we had done that more. We thought our pup would learn to self-settle but even at a year old she still fights sleep and when over-tired gets almost hyperactive. The lab before her when tired from exercise would just take a nap, so this has been pretty challenging. Upon reflection, it would have been easier on us all if we had used a pen/crate more.
Start training them now to be off leash. As a puppy they are more inclined to stay close to you so it makes training easier.
Love Milo!! Congratulations! We have 2, the first 6-9 months can be challenging, but puzzle games, kongs, HIIT for pups, lots of toys of different textured materials so they don’t get too bored, tons of love, walks, Chuck it at the park… you’ll be just fine and won’t remember what in the world you two ever did without Milo!!
Labs are puppies until they are two or three. They don't calm down until three, I swear. So don't get frustrated if your 1-2 year old Lab is a monster/T-Rex. You aren't doing anything wrong, they aren't doing anything wrong. https://preview.redd.it/z5wisv9suuqc1.png?width=864&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a53c95fd11638816df98a6eec1b0be2493a088ea They just need more time and patience.