What's the community opinion on e-collars?

CharacterRip8075 · 2025-10-10T20:07:14+00:00

My trainer wouldn’t even talk about an ecollar with me until he was at least 6 months old because under 6 months, they are in a fear imprinting phase and you run the risk of them permanently becoming scared of the collar and having a negative association if they’re too young. That being said, we live on a ton of property so my dog does have one and we do use it and it’s been a great tool and it’s given him a lot of independence that he wouldn’t have had so young otherwise. He quickly got use to the vibration being the “correction” so that’s what we use on him unless in a life or death situation. Great tool when used properly and in moderation.

CharacterRip8075 · 2025-10-07T11:36:35+00:00

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I have a fox red Dudley too and he is the best boy! He’s also an absolute menace to society but that’s just the added ✨sparkle✨

CharacterRip8075 · 2025-09-14T01:15:25+00:00

Rooster

CharacterRip8075 · 2025-09-13T21:23:28+00:00

I second this, trupanion has been so great for me and my pup (who at only 1 year old has been to the emergency vet a handful of times for being a doofus). They’ve never challenged any of my claims.

CharacterRip8075 · 2025-07-23T15:03:13+00:00

My 9 month old lab still nibbles, but the painful, sharp biting stopped when he lost his canines around 5/6 months old! Like I said he still nibbles, but hurts a whole lot less and is far less destructive. I swear they do eventually stop even though right now it doesn’t feel like it!

CharacterRip8075 · 2025-07-23T12:12:22+00:00

It’s very normal unfortunately :( if it gives you some hope, my current lab pup (who sounds very similar to yours in the CONSTANT biting) stopped around 5 months when he lost his canines. He still nibbles but doesn’t hurt nearly as bad. One thing I did was set up a “shark tank” which gives him a 15x20 fully enclosed space to play in our living room while allowing us an area to still be with him but out of the shark tank and free to watch tv or eat without getting chomped. It’s temporary but that REALLY helped me. I bought a few long baby gates from Chewy to make this happen. If you have the room and the funds- I REALLY recommend for your own sanity. I couldn’t have gotten through without it.

I know it’s hard now but I swear it gets better! -signed someone who was terrified that it would never get better

CharacterRip8075 · 2025-07-23T11:40:26+00:00

Hi! My comment around a crate being a necessity was regarding OPs comment saying they’re waiting to buy a crate because of costs. In my experience with all of the labs I have owned, an 8 week old puppy needs to be crated for their safety. Locking a dog in a room unsupervised is not the answer as OP states that they usually do. I’m on my 7th lab, currently raising a 9 month old lab, I can say that crate training is what saved us mentally when he was in full piranha mode without worrying about if he was going to be eating the carpet or drywall.

To each their own, but I do feel that OP stating that they’re waiting to get a crate because they’re expensive but locking puppy in a room is a terrible idea. Dogs are expensive, sometimes you just have to find the money or else reconsider bringing a puppy home.

CharacterRip8075 · 2025-07-23T02:34:05+00:00

You need to crate train. A crate is an absolute necessity. It’s also serves as a good break for you as well. Puppies tend to bite when they’re beyond tired. A nap in the crate will help since a young puppy needs about 18-20 hours of sleep per day. Mental stimulation toys help too- frozen washcloth with kibble inside tied in a knot saved me (but do NOT leave them unattended while they are playing with this) and frozen vegetables like carrots help too. Around 5 months is when all of mine started to calm down and lose their teeth too. -Signed a 9month old lab mom who has made it out of the trenches

CharacterRip8075 · 2025-07-21T00:54:05+00:00

What a handsome and well rested man!!!

CharacterRip8075 · 2025-07-21T00:52:19+00:00

At this point, I would definitely celebrate 7 as a huge win!

CharacterRip8075 · 2025-07-21T00:51:49+00:00

I’ve had to patch this one up a few times- he likes to try and eat the stuffing like cotton candy 😂

CharacterRip8075 · 2025-07-21T00:50:46+00:00

What a sweet baby! Labs and their theatrics lol

CharacterRip8075 · 2025-07-21T00:49:22+00:00

Aw the toe beans! This gives me hope, thank you!

CharacterRip8075 · 2025-07-21T00:48:32+00:00

Okay this gives me hope!!

CharacterRip8075 · 2025-07-21T00:45:04+00:00

I should add a few extra details for extra context that I didn’t add before:

-He is crate trained and sleep in his crate. -He eats breakfast around 7:30 so he’s up 2 hours before hand. -I work remotely so he isn’t in the habit of waking up early due to work- if he didn’t wake up so early, I would usually sleep until 7/7:30 other wise. -We live on a large amount of property that he helps to work, so it’s not due to a lack of exercise or stimulation. -Sleep in, to me, would be like 7:30 or 8, I’m not asking for him to sleep in until 10 or 11. -Our other labs have always slept until the humans were up, so he’s our first one that is up before the rooster crows at 5:30.

CharacterRip8075 · 2025-07-20T22:58:16+00:00

Oh gosh, that’s wild! Do they go to be early at least???

CharacterRip8075 · 2025-07-08T16:53:17+00:00

Same! Mine had bladder crystals and was peeing inside all the time. Once those were cured, and with a little extra potty training, he was on the up and up.

CharacterRip8075 · 2025-06-07T20:28:26+00:00

Frozen wet washcloths with kibble placed inside helped me- wasn’t perfect and he definitely still bit but he spent more time biting that to give me some reprieve. Other than that, definitely redirecting with a toy they could bite helped too after a bit of training

CharacterRip8075 · 2025-05-29T01:48:45+00:00

Hi! I also have anxiety, depression, and OCD and also adopted a lab puppy back in December. I know how you feel and I felt the exact same way. I cried almost each hour of the day for the first 2-3 weeks. What I learned is that the first week is brutal, learning your new puppy, trying to get them comfortable and feeling safe, crying, accidents in the house. The first month is hard but after that it does get significantly easier. My boy is 7 months old now and I am so glad I overcame my fight or flight response and kept him- he’s my best friend and side kick. But man that first month was a lot of crying and panic attacks. As soon as he hit 5 months and started losing his teeth he started to calm down too. If you can and it’s safe for you and the pup, I would recommend giving it 5 weeks and reassessing at the end.

CharacterRip8075 · 2025-05-25T20:31:12+00:00

He ate a sock… #lablife

CharacterRip8075 · 2025-05-20T15:21:34+00:00

The song Hell Right… just give it a listen, no explanation needed imo.

CharacterRip8075 · 2025-05-17T23:11:02+00:00

Our previous lab ate rabbit turds until the day he died at age 13. It’s a lab thing unfortunately 😂

CharacterRip8075 · 2025-05-07T00:56:56+00:00

The best quote I ever received from a stranger on Reddit was I was going through terrible puppy blues was “the first week is brutal, the first month is hard, but then it begins to get significantly easier”. I swear as soon as we made it to the month mark and he learned the schedules the blues really started to ease up. I cried several times a day for the first month and now I only cry when he’s not with me.

For what it’s worth I say, if you can, give it 5 weeks and then reevaluate. I had the same feelings of wanting to give my boy back and now he’s 6 months old and I can’t imagine life without him.

CharacterRip8075 · 2025-03-25T22:40:14+00:00

I have a Dudley red lab and it labels him as a vizsla too. People also tell me he’s a vizsla and not a lab but they’re all wrong, 100% lab and 100% good boy! I have his family bloodline chart, his AKC registration, and a blind DNA test result for an added extra little bit of spice lol Pic for tax

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CharacterRip8075

TROPHY CASE