I have a 3 year old lab mix who my partner feels is not part of the family. I have one last chance to get things under control or he goes. I dont want to lose him, but I don't know what else to do. He has a few behavior issues that I just cant seem to conquer.
First, he's a leash puller. I've tried everything I can think of, choker collar, halter collar, not the pinch though. I've tried every training method to try and stop it as well. I want to be able to enjoy walks with him.
The second issue is that he's very mouthy, he dosnt bite, just likes to play heavily with his mouth. It gets a little aggressive sometimes and we dont really like it.
Lastly he's just very energetic, my first step to try and help that will be to get him neutered.
Please anyone, I love my dog but, we cant let him suffer anymore because i dont know how to train. PLEASE HELP ME AND GUINNESS!!!

if you have tried a choker why not a pinch? The pinch is far more effective for delivering a proper correction and is far more humane than a choker collar. if you want to test it give a correction with a pinch on your thigh and on the opposite use a correction with the choker. i assure you the pinch will pinch and the choker will leave quite a nasty bruise. Seek a trainer and learn the correct method to use these collars and for obedience lessons.

In all my dog handling classes that I have attended for 4 years. I have never seen an owner of a lab resort to a pinch collar.
I have seen more that the owner did not know the proper way to leash handle the dog.
I do not think that neutering a dog will help with the mouthing or the playfulness.
I think, your dog is asking for more playtime with his behavior.
A retriever was bred to be out in a field retrieving birds, jumping in the water and all that for about 3 or 4 hours a day.
Bird dogs are usually very "hyper" during their young 2-3 years. That is an estimate because dogs differ for various reasons.
So, even though I mentioned playtime, it might be wise to include training with time spent with your dog.
Now with training some dogs respond instantly some do not. In all cases the handler/owner must be patient and give the dog time to understand what the silly human wants.
So, go back to the basics. Start training your dog at least 2 times a day. At the very least 30 mins each time. Place a flat collar on your dog using a 6 foot long leash. The leash goes into your left hand, sort of droops in front of you and you hold the handle end in your right hand. 2 hands on the leash at all times. Next be outside in your yard if possible. Heel train your dog. Place your dog at left always (to be consistent)and at a sit. Begin your training by calling the dog's name and say heel, begin your walk immediately. Walk at the dog's pace. Because it's a lab this will be fast pace for you. The pattern of your walk should be in a large square (in order to make angle turns).
Then slow your pace. When you walk talk to your dog, when you slow tell your dog "slowing" or "easy". Then do a real slow pace as if you were window shopping. then do a jog. Vary your pace. Varying the pace will keep your dog's attention. Yes, it gives the owner a workout. Heel training includes the "stop". Your dog should go into a sit when you stop walking. Just don't stop when you are jogging. Stop from a walk or a slow pace. If heeling goes well incorporate a couple of "about face turns". How? When you are ready to turn actually give your dog a warning. Call the dogs name and say something like "here we go" and then turn. Lastly, do the sit-stay command and the down stays.
Next and at the end of training, for being a good dog, give him playtime. Play frisbee with the dog. this gives the dog another chance to run and burn off energy.
You will now have saved time in your day because you no longer have to go to the gym for a workout!
Now, during the rest of the day used the commands that you did during training.
Mouthing might stop because of your training. If mouthing occurs, remove yourself immediately from being mouthed. make a grr sound as if unhappy and leave your dog in the dust. When mouthing stops, treat the dog so it knows what you like and do not like.
You leash handling should be like a snap-tug, you are only trying to get the dog's attention. If you go to a choke collar again, it is a snap/tug and release method. You should not be pulling the dog as if to keep the choke on constantly. If you go to a pinch and snap and release method.
Sorry for the long written post.

To add to what was said...

I think pinch collar are very, very last resort. There are many other ways first you can try. Chokers are twice as bad.

Get him neutered! It won't make an enormous difference, and won't solve the problems. But it will help.

You and your partner BOTH need to get in on the dog training. He's not just your dog, he's both your dog. My brother decided he just didn't want to bother will helping train my dogs. As a result, they don't listen to him. Your partner needs to do the same thing or the dog just won't respect him.

When he gets mouthy yell 'OUCH' loudly and walk away. Ignore him. Later, try to play again. His teeth touch you, repeat. He'll soon learn what is going on and stop using his teeth to play.

Thank you all for the advice I will try all of these ideas. I will let everyone know how it goes.

What I did was to bring my dog (GSP boxer mix, under 1.5 years) to Petco or Petsmart (can't remember but either would work) and fit him with an inexpensive harness. Then I clipped the leash to the metal ring at his chest instead of the metal ring on his back. He can't pull using the harness that way and it doesn't hurt him at all.

Then I walk my dog for at least an hour in the morning and I jog with him 2 miles in the evening. Because I trained him with the harness, he doesn't pull with the collar I now use.

For the aggressive play, I only play with him outside except for games of fetch with a soft toy. If he gets aggressive, I throw him outside. When I play with him outside I always have something to put in his mouth to distract him (I keep outside toys by the door). If he just wants to rough house, I leave him outside alone.

Inside we also work on tricks or whatever with food rewards. He loves the positive attention he gets from pleasing me with a trick. I keep training fun by laughing at his antics to earn a treat when its a new trick. This keeps my attitude positive. If I get frustrated, I stop.

I realized I need to further explain. If he gets rough inside I throw him outside for only a few minutes and bring him back in. If he goes back to playing rough, he gets thrown out again for a few minutes only. I'd do this again and again until he gets the idea. Also, we do a sit routine every time before being let back inside so he listens to me before coming inside.

You're just trying to communicate what you want from him. Right now he's doing a better job of communicating to you what he wants from you. He's not psychic and he doesn't understand words, you have to make it very clear what you want and he will probably do it with joy.

I sooo know what your talking about!! My German shepherd was the worst when it came to going on a walk....now, he's absolutely perfect* He doesn't pull or tug at all. Here's how, You don't put him on a choker collar. You use a simple chain collar.I'd advise you to start him on the chain collar and work with him in your yard first. Every time he pulls, you stop, and pull and to where he is behind your thigh. As you do this you say, "Heel!". When he is pulled to where you want him(behind your thigh) you make him sit. Start walking again and if he gets ahead and starts pulling you stop again, pull him behind you make him sit and say, "heel!". It takes a couple of weeks for them to get it but once they do they learn to walk either behind you of with you. I taught my dog that a couple months ago and now whenever he gets ahead of me I simply stop, i don't say anything, and my dog gets up scoots behind me and then sits and waits for me to walk on. It takes a lot of patience and time, but I hope you'll try it, it's very effective. Good luck!
P.s Trying this with a non-neudered dog might be impossible!

Oh! I forgot to add. You can purchase a clicker thing(I don't know the actual name) at a pet store and click it every time you say heel, in order to get your dog's attention

I do not under stand the recommendation to neuter a dog to get control of the dog while on leash. Logically it does not make sense. If that were true, all dogs in the show ring would be neutered and there would be no dogs left.
Why is it that people can walk or pace their dogs in a show ring and the dogs remain "intact' yet there are many people that say neutering will make training easier.
A dog owner needs to commit time and effort to training a dog. Training a dog properly is the key. Then when the training session is over it is time to use those same commands in everyday life.
A dog owner needs to be consistent. Saying sit means the dog sits. This is not a request during training session nor is it a request in everyday life.
I recommend that people stop looking for shortcuts or a magic pill for correcting bad dog behavior. People will see the results and be happy with their companion and will wonder why they did not make the effort sooner.
As for clicker training. Some instances clicker will work.

Because neutering a dog helps keep them from thinking about bitches so much and so they have more interest in you.

Refering to the above comment made by Bocch, I don't recomend that all dogs be neudered,of course. But from my past experience with dogs, training them when neudered seems to be easier because, especially with males, they don't pick up female scents and stuff therefore they aren't as distracted so they give you their attention fully which makes a big diffrence in training. I'm not saying it's only possible to leash train a dog if they are neudered, i'm simply saying, with males, it makes it a lot easier. I have no doubt that a non-neudered dog could be leash trained just as well as a neudered dog, it would just be more difficult and take a little more time.

Just throwing a bit in.

I have two, non-neutered male Great Danes. Gatsby is a four year old, approximately 33" at the shoulder and weighs 160 pounds. He is not fat. He is extremely muscular and strong. Chaucer just turned 1 in December. He's the offspring of Gatsby, and stands about 34" at the shoulder and weighs about the same. Again, same build as his father.
I'd like to stress... NOT NEUTERED.
We've never had formal training classes. My partner and I have a 2 year old. The two year old can walk these dogs down a busy street and handle them. Zeke (the human child) is very small for his age and very asthmatic. He's a strong kid, but the Danes are definately stronger.
I don't think neutering has anything to do with walkies. It's how the dog is trained.

Ya, my previous dog was trained by me, without being neudered, and he was excellant! I guess, maybe, the breed and the gender of the dog has something to do with it.

Try the gentle leader for walks, it works wonders for our beagle and jack/beagle mix. It doesn't hurt them, but also doesn't allow them to pull. It kind of looks like a muzzle and they certainly don't enjoy having it on, but they have gotten used to it and we can go on nice walks now!

As far as the mouthing, I just watched an episode of It's Me or the Dog with two sheepdogs who were mouthing everyone, among other things. The trainer (Victoria, I think?) had some fantastic advice. The owners had their two dogs under control in three weeks. See if you can check out that episode. GOOD LUCK.

Another tip. If he's a leash puller, every time he gets crazy and pulls, make him sit. Don't let him go until you give the okay. This has always helped me. And, I'm for real when I say that our two year old can walk our two largest Danes. They're not couch potatoes. We do extreme hiking. Now, our four month old Dane. She's not up to par, yet. She's a NUT on a leash. She's a really spunky girl and we've got a lot of work to do before she's ready to go.

In agreement with "Barkingjack". I love the Gentle leader! I used it to train my German Shepherd. It looks like a muzzle except they can still bark and drink. You can pick one up at Petsmart. What I did was I started him out on the gentle leader than gradually worked my way up from that to a chain collar and now I walk him with a regular collar, and he does really well. I REALLY, REALLY PREFER THE GENTLE LEADER!

I can definitely relate to your problems.

I have 2 large dogs, both leash pullers.

I tried everything I could until I bought a pinch collar as a last resort.

I used to think the pinch collars were mean torturous devices but now I think it's the best thing in the world & I know they do not hurt the dog.

To understand why it works, you have to understand what it does.

In the dog world, when one dog does something wrong, the Alpha dog will go up to them & nip at their neck to correct them.

This corrective action is simulated with the squeezing action on the pinch collar.

My dogs actually listen to me now & they understand the correction when I pull it. My dogs stop & look back at me for instructions b/c they know they are being corrected.

It sounds to me that all the Hyperactivity your playful dog is showing are all signs of him/her desperately seeking your attention.

He's putting his mouth on your hands b/c he wants you to pet him & play with him.

Dogs are not meant to just lye there on the floor.

They NEED attention, they NEED long walks, lots of play time with you & lots of exercise.

Dogs are work. You can't just hvae a dog & expect only to feed it & give it water.

A dog is needy & demands attention.

The things you say he or she is doing, are all signs! He's desperately trying to tell you all "Love Me & Play With Me Please!!!'

I sit on my floor for over an hour every single day playing with my dogs. Then, as I walk through out my house, I am constantly touching them, talking to them, playing with them. Dogs NEED this.

If he doesn't get his needs met, he'll get angry with you & he'll start acting out. He'll start destroying your things.

And, if you can't give him what he needs, then find him a good home who can because it's so not fair to him.

cclarkaudio-

Hello and I'm sorry to hear about your lab mix. I have a border collie/retriever mix who is very high strung.

For years I tried harnesses, choke collars, even tried to train her to heel, but she is far too stubborn.

The most effective method is the Halti, a brand also known as the gentle leader. How it works is a loose strap goes around the mouth and then around the neck. The dog can eat, drink, even bark and pant with a gentle leader/Halti on. But once the dog pulls, their mouth is closed shut, and my dog could not stand that.

Now because your dog is a lab, labs/retrievers have the tendency to be quite mouthy. My Buddy is quite mouthy. My suggestion is to immediately turn your back towards the dog when he becomes mouthy, and ignore him. Do not play into his mouthyness, and mess with him even a little bit. This creates confusion. It's either he can't or can mouth you.

Another method I used with my puppy was to simply grab his mouth, and hold it shut, gently. I would repeat "no bite". Then I would say, "Kisses". If he gave me a kiss on the hand, he received praise. If he attempted to mouth again I would repeat the action.

Labs are a very energetic breed. Neutering will definately help. My other suggestion is daily play time for at least a half hour; either in the yard or at a dog park where he can run around and act like the pup he is.

Hope this helps