Congrats on the new family member bro. We have an 8 yr old female chocolate lab and couldn't be happier. They are easy to train compaired to other pups, but still take some work. Consistancy with you AND everyone else in the house will make it go much faster. They don't really grow out of the puppy stage for at least 2 years, but then they do turn into the perfect porch dogs. They are intelligent! We taught ours to ring the doorbell when she wants to come back inside instead of barking at the door.

Here is our Bailey right behind the most rotten/loving boxer you've ever meet.
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Love the Alpenzeller dogs. My cousin has a GSMD in Switzerland.

As for the question posted:

-Don't buy a puppy
-Live with it
-Hope they don't chew it
-Work the dog until he's too tired to chew
-Keep the dog out of the room unless you are watching him
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uh.... psssst.......




He already got a puppy.......



(goes back to reading the content of the thread)

:-)
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Our friends in Germany have an Entlebucher which is the smallest of the Swiss Mountain dogs. Nice dog, but very stubborn and doesn't take to strangers well. She's not aggressive, but reminds me of a Ridgeback in that it knows it's family and doesn't really want to know anybody else.
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Here's the most recent picture, which was last Tuesday:

Image
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Create a pattern or habit. 20 minutes after you feed or water a pup they poop and pee. You can set your watch to it. Take him out after you feed or water him. Give lots of encouragement for a "job well done." Create training was very successful for us as well.

As far as the chewing goes, just rub some Gurkha's all over your stuff. He'll never touch it.
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haha that with the combo of Apple Bitter were golden :-)
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Got an odd problem....Dante is starting to eat the carpet. Any suggestions, because he's starting to eat it up in spots.
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Just found this thread. Have been in your position twice in the past 3 years. Golden and a Yellow Lab. Sounds like you're doing great! Be consistent and have a boatload of patience. I'm sure you have posted a pic. Can you PM me the link?
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the dorky reply is "find something he likes to chew on more than carpet."
and uh.. the normal reply?
Did you get a Nylabone or two?
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Check your PM's in a few minutes

Pup's got a few bones and a few other toys to chew on. Just thought it was weird to see him chew up the carpet like that
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I raised my lab on pieces of 2x4. If I gave him plenty of wood he was allowed to chew on he left everything else alone.
His mother ate all the pickets off the back porch. She's the one thqat taught me that labs need to chew on wood. Period.
Oh yeah, His mom ate a whole roll of linoleum, too. Ruined it before it even got put down. :-)
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