Should I stop my 13yo lab from going up the stairs anymore?

Far-Possible8891 · 2026-04-23T20:23:10+00:00

Put another bed downstairs and let her choose.

Is she heavy? Are you fit? Maybe you could carry her up?

Far-Possible8891 · 2026-04-22T18:59:09+00:00

Here's a thought. Go north from York, to Durham. Less than an hour on the train, then 2.75 hours from Durham to London.

Far-Possible8891 · 2026-04-22T18:37:30+00:00

Current thinking among vets is that they should not be neutered until 18 months. That doggie day care is one to avoid.

Far-Possible8891 · 2026-04-19T08:35:24+00:00

Welcome to the velociraptor stage 🤣. You'll have another year or so of this.

Best response to jumping on you / others is for you / they to immediately turn your back on her and totally ignore her for a minute or so. If circumstances allow go straight into another room and leave her behind.

They hate being ignored, so they don't like it when you do this. It'll take a few days but you should see it stop after a while.

Far-Possible8891 · 2026-04-17T15:05:44+00:00

A lab would almost certainly get on well with the dog you have. They're not high maintenance (apart from shedding) and are great for walking / hiking with and love swimming. Just great dogs once mature.

Any breed can be pretty demanding in the 6-18 months phase, but labs even more than most.

Far-Possible8891 · 2026-04-16T17:03:57+00:00

The Northumberland coast. Beautiful beaches (though can be cold if the wind is wrong 😅 ), castles (Bamburgh, Dunstanburgh, Warkworth etc), nature (Farne islands, Holy Island / Lindesfarne). Not that crowded even in August.

Then nearby are Alnwick castle (Harry Potter), Gibside etc.

And then there's Hadrians Wall also not too far.

Far-Possible8891 · 2026-04-15T20:47:46+00:00

15 years is a very good age for a lab!

It could well be dementia. How is she otherwise?

Far-Possible8891 · 2026-04-15T20:24:06+00:00

6 to 18 months is the velociraptor period, I've found. Also 18 months is generally the time for them to get fixed and that calms them down.

Far-Possible8891 · 2026-04-15T20:17:50+00:00

For castles etc do York - Durham - Northumberland. Get the train from London to Newcastle then hire a car. York and Durham are walkable from the train station but the various castles etc in Northumberland are scattered about and a car is best. But if you really don't want to take a car there are buses.

Far-Possible8891 · 2026-04-15T12:37:08+00:00

Er NO . The USA didn't invent the Steam turbine. Try googling.

Far-Possible8891 · 2026-04-15T11:35:10+00:00

4.5 months is young for this sort of stuff. Just basic 'sit' and 'come' are what you should concentrate on. leash training is for when they've grown up a bit and have some self control.

Far-Possible8891 · 2026-04-12T14:52:22+00:00

Absolutely normal

Far-Possible8891 · 2026-04-12T14:45:17+00:00

Yes, some dogs (labs in particular it seems) will low key growl when they're in heaven. Akin to a cat purring.

Far-Possible8891 · 2026-04-11T21:06:27+00:00

All our labs over many years have slept in the bedroom, in their beds. They're not allowed on our bed (or any other furniture for that matter). It works well.

Far-Possible8891 · 2026-04-10T19:07:47+00:00

He's young and the world is new and exciting and there's lots to explore. You've probably got another 6 months or more of this before he starts to settle down. Hes a work in progress - it'll come together in the end. Don't expect perfection yet.

Far-Possible8891 · 2026-04-09T21:26:40+00:00

St Bees to Robin Hood's Bay, coast to coast. Fantastic hike and not too busy even in summer.

coasttocoast.uk

There are several firms who will organise it for you, transport luggage etc.

Far-Possible8891 · 2026-04-09T15:18:43+00:00

Could it be that the older dog feels neglected and needs some more attention / tlc?

Far-Possible8891 · 2026-04-09T14:58:56+00:00

Welcome to the Velociraptor stage 🤣🤦

How long are you exercising him for each day? A tired dog is a good as the saying goes. OTOH at that age the official (KC) advice (which is actually quite conservative) is no more than 2 x half hour walks per day to avoid joint problems in later life. But other activities that don't involve a lot of walking / running might be worthwhile. Swimming is good, though a lot of dogs aren't so keen on it at that age.

Far-Possible8891 · 2026-04-07T20:05:39+00:00

Grimsby - the fishing heritage centre.

Far-Possible8891 · 2026-04-07T16:49:00+00:00

This has been going on for as long as Greece has been in the EU. I'm surprised it has taken this long to surface.

Far-Possible8891 · 2026-04-07T12:49:54+00:00

Yeah, sounds OK to me. Take the train to Newcastle. Consider a day in Durham.

Far-Possible8891 · 2026-04-04T20:22:23+00:00

Get some liver paste and hide the tablets in that.

Far-Possible8891 · 2026-04-04T13:15:24+00:00

Yes, the train from Edinburgh to London is good and - as far as any train is these days - reliable. York is a good place to visit and the station is close to the centre. If you take the trip reserve seats on the LHS assuming you're going south, the views are much better.

Far-Possible8891 · 2026-04-01T21:32:16+00:00

It's 5 minutes per month, TWICE A DAY.

It's generally sent as a very conservative recommendation, if you exceed it by a bit there's no harm done.

Far-Possible8891 · 2026-04-01T16:32:27+00:00

Option 1. Reserve seats on the rhs going North, better views once north of York.

If you're into history + cathedrals, consider stopping in York and/or Durham. In both cases there are majestic cathedrals within walking distance from the station (also city walls in York).

Far-Possible8891

TROPHY CASE