Question on older lab

Fish Slapper · 03-09-2004, 07:24 AM

I have a 5 year old yellow lab with the heart of a lion, unfortunately he has hip problems which causes him to be stiff at times. He loves to chase the neighbors dog up and down the fence line and I cannot get him to stop. It has gotten to the point that I am afraid that he is going to hurt himself (the hip problems) and not to mention it drives me crazy. I was wondering if anyone has an opinion on using a training collar at this late stage in his life? or if anyone else has had this problem and might offer some advice? I have never used a collar before and have been told that they do not work on older dogs. I would appreciate any advice that anyone can offer.

Kenai Kidd · 03-09-2004, 01:53 PM

I've no experience with training collars. However I am curious if your lab is taking any medication for his hips? I had a large black lab with arthritic hips and the vet prescribed Rimadyl. It eased his pain and stiffness. Side effects from extended use include damage to some internal organs. My lab was eleven at the time so the side effects weren't a concern. Your dog's vet can tell you more about it. Good luck to you.

V.

rockn'reel · 03-09-2004, 03:03 PM

You can use a collar if YOU learn to use it correctly. It just depends on the temperment of your dog. First, I would check with the vet to see if this is really causing much trouble for your dog's hips. they will only get worse if they are not kept in shape so in a way it might be helping your dog (definately not as good as swimming but better than nothing). Back to the collar--your best bet is get on and just put it on your dog but don't use it until the dog gets familiarized with the collar. Once he has it on for a week or two then you can use it (don't want the dog to learn that the collar is what is causing his correction, otherwise he will learn to behave onthe collar but not when it is taken off). You might want to get with someone who has exp with using a collar to get the feel for when to use it, how to use it, and more importantly why you are using it. Just my .02 hope it helps.

fishinpoor · 03-09-2004, 04:06 PM

FISHSLAPPER,#1 have your vet determine what course of treatment is appropriate for your dog,as far as collars are concerned,ROCKN'REEL is correct,you have to understand it first,let him pack it around for a couple of weeks,take it off,put it on randomly,or he will become collar wise,as far as not working on older dogs,thats not the case,if he is conditioned properly it will work on any dog.if you would like more detailed info on the use of collars feel free to e-mail me...............DAVE

Labsforme · 03-11-2004, 05:59 AM

If you have room for it I'd put in a dog run,6 x 12 on cement.That can save a lot of grief in the long run(IMHO).With a collar you have to be there to stop the behavior and most dogs will revert once they realize you're gone.Having the dog vet checked is excellant advice for the joint problems.

Fish Slapper · 03-11-2004, 08:33 AM

Thank you for all of the replies and believe me my dog and the vet are best friends. I expect to have to have hip replacement surgery on him in a few years atleast according to the vet. The dog gets lots of exercise every day, he is walked 2 miles every morning rain or shine. When he runs the fence he goes crazy and runs until he can't run anymore and it really breaks my heart to see him hurt. Both of my labs stay inside and are only out when we are home so I think the collar may work, I have to try something before he gets hurt or my wife has a nervous breakdown yelling at him telling him to stop!

MrsSled19 · 03-11-2004, 11:26 PM

This may sound very strange but when our newf got older and had hip problems our vet told us to feed her plain yogurt. He said he did not understand why it worked just that in most cases that it worked. This may help with your labs stiffness. We fed our dog the cheap containers of the plain yogurt one in the morning and one in the evening. If you do this and it works do not feed it to your dog when it is regular feeding time. If you do over time your dog may develope a problem eating it's normal food if the yogurt is not with it and may not eat at all with out it. Also it will take your dog time to get used to the yogurt and will have to go out more often for a while. This worked wonders for our dog and if you choose to try it I hope it does the same for your dog. There is nothing worse than to see an animal hurting because they can not tell you anything and are not able to do the thing that they used to love to do, so it becomes a guessing game on how to help them. I hope this will help you.

mrssled [img]graemlins/hearton.gif[/img]

Jonah's Revenge · 03-11-2004, 11:35 PM

I don't know if this is an option for you in regards to your backyard setup, but an under ground electric fence may work.
The collar with an audible tone is adjustable for how far away you want the correction to occur. If you have a large enough backyard so he can still run around this would work.
Whenever he went near the fence, he would get an aduible tone and then a shock if he gets closer. It is a possibility that if he doesn't get close enough to the fence, he will not run and bark at the neighbors dogs.
As far as a shock collar working on an older dog, go for it. In the situation that you are using, he will associate pain with running next to the fence and will learn from it. You can teach an old dog new tricks. It just takes more time if you have to break old habits.