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My yellow lab is a year old and seems to be agressive to new people who come to the house. She looks out the window at people or other dogs who walk by and growls and barks with hair raised on her back.
She has also tore up two expensive throw rugs within a week. We are not home at the time. We have to keep putting her back in her kennel when we leave.
I had a chocolate lab before and she was nothing like our yellow lab.
I have twin daughters, six, I'm afraid she might bite someone one day. She loves the girls but too agressive.
I have thought about giving her away.

I have a 3 year old yellow lab named Daisy who used to be the EXACT same way when she was around 1. (and in a few ways still does). When my family ever left our home we would just leave Daisy to rome around the house. It seemed like EVERY TIME we came back, SOMETHING would be chewed up (especially things like baskets and towels.) We started putting her into a kennel/cage whenever we left the house and we did that for about...2-3 months. Then we decided to let her out and see how she behaved and what do you know; she stopped chewing on things! It didn't take her long to realize that if she destroyed things around the house, she would be confined to her kennel. I believe the cause of your dog and my dog's chewing (and I think it's the same in all dogs) is they're anxious when they're alone and need something to do;labs don't like being alone too much. Just keep doing what you're doing with the kennel and eventually you're dog will stop the behavior. When you DO let her out, be sure she has plenty of chew toys to keep her occupied.

About the aggression...Daisy barks and growls at people she sees and hears through the door. She also HATES vets;whenever we take her to the vet she seems to want to "protect" me when the vet comes in. Sometimes dogs develop such a close relationship with you that they feel the need to protect you from other people. I don't know about your dog, but mine ends up LOVING people once they come in the door and she gets a good sniff of them (and maybe realizes they aren't going to harm me.)Maybe you should experiment and keep your dog on a leash when people come in and see if she still acts aggressive.

Maybe you should buy a few books on labs. They will give you all the information you need about the breed.

If all else fails and your dog continues to show signs of aggression (or it gets worse) you should consider giving her away. I know it's sad, but you don't want to risk one of your children getting hurt.

Hope I helped! Tell me how it goes!

-Texancuti

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i have a kitten. i have had her for about...9 days. she is 7 weeks old. whenever i put her down and leave the room. she starts freaking out. like running around and meowing like crazy. when i go back in a pick her up, she falls asleep, starts purrring and calms down. can anyone give me any advice on what to do??

Your kitten probably misses its mother...Imagine how you would feel (and what you would do) if you were taken from your mom/dad at a very, very young age and had to live with a total stranger. You would probably be scared. I think for the first month you need to try and spend as much time with your kitten as possible; let it sleep in your room, let it stay with you while you watch tv. You might want to get a heated blanket for it to sleep with (see link below)...the kitten is used to sleeping close to its mother and being warm; that's probably why it falls asleep in your arms. You could even use a hot water bottle and cover it with a blanket or two.

http://www.petsmart.com/global/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441778458&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302025596&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=2534374302023690&bmUID=1151774496658&itemNo=0&Ntt=heated+bed&In=All&previousText=heated+bed&N=2 *this might work or

http://www.petsmart.com/global/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441775862&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302025628&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=2534374302023689&bmUID=1151774496680&itemNo=2&Ntt=heated+bed&In=All&previousText=heated+bed&N=2 *it might be a bit big and fit for a dog but it would still work

-Texancuti

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We are moving this summer and my parents told me I could get a dog. I want a small dog that I can carry around with me everywhere. I've thought about getting a bichon frise for quite some time, but I found out that they can get fairly big sometimes. Any ideas on some small, full bred dogs I could get? And some of the positives and negatives about them?

here's a few...

Yorkshire Terrier: PROS-very loyal. loves to be in a social household. doesn't require much exercise. CONS-grows long coat that needs to be groomed often. doesn't get along with children. prfers to live in a household with adults.

Cocker Spaniel: PROS-very affectionate. Has a willingness to learn and is very intelligent. Gets along with other dogs and children. CONS-can be difficult to house-train. Seems to bark and be louder than other dog breeds.

Shih-Tzu: PROS-has a happy, outgoing, and affectionate temperament. good with kids. bonds with every memer of the family, making it a great companion. grooming and exercise needs are minimal. CONS-also can be difficult to housebreak. tend to weeze and snore. can be stubborn and clever;likes to outsmart its owner.

Pomeranian: PROS-very affectionate dogs. eager for basic training. lively, outgoing, and alert. CONS-tends to act unfriendly towards other dogs. grooming needs are high. can act very cocky.

Chihuahua: PROS-very intelligent and learns quickly. intensely loyal and strong willed. loves affection and is extremely active. CONS-becomes VERY attached to its owner,therefore behaving aggresive towards other people. often snaps and children with its sharp teeth. doesn't like other dogs and demands attention and affetion from their owners. can be very noisy sometimes and difficult to housebreak.

These are only a FEW of all the small dog breeds out there, but these are the ones I like the most although the chihuahua isn't one i favor. Hope this helps you!

-Texancuti

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