# lab weimaraner mix



## clembm (Jan 10, 2010)

Hi Guys,

I am possibly getting a new puppy/dog (7 months old) next weekend. It is a lab weimaraner mix. This is what I know about the dog:

The parents were a black lab(mother) and the father was a weimaraner. The lab was hyper and the weimaraner was a trained hunting dog who they say was calm. Both were raised in good loving homes.

The dog I am getting is a bit hyper. The owner I am getting it from said that he barks at anything that moves especially other animals. He said the dig is pretty smart and is trainable. It has not been house-broken yet I am being told.

Anyone who has had this mix have any tips/tricks?

Is it to late to housebreak this dog? 
Can I train it to be calmer and/or bark less?
Is this mix good around kids?
What books could I get to help me down the road to train?

Thanks for any help!


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## RonE (Feb 3, 2007)

I may have a lab/wemeraner in Molly. Her mother was a chocolate lab and her father was a traveling salesman who didn't leave a card. She has yellow eyes and no undercoat and her build is more weimeraner than lab. Her puppy looks were all lab.

Typically you don't train a dog to be calmer, though training might help with the barking. Usually, calm dogs are the ones who are stimulated physically and mentally. Molly is a runner. After she's run a few miles and then swam across a river (and maybe back) she's pretty mellow. 

It's never too late to house train a dog. In fact, at 7 months, it may be easier because the dog will have some bladder control. 

Training and socialization (not genes) will determine whether the dog is good around kids (or humans in general.)

For books, I recommend anything by Patricia McConnell - especially _Family Friendly Dog Training.
_


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## Marsh Muppet (Nov 29, 2008)

Most 7 month old Labs are pretty hyper. Likewise Weims. However, the combination of "hyper", "barks at everything that moves", and "not housebroken" would have me making a mental note of the location of all viable escape routes. Any one of those situations may have a perfectly reasonable explanation. All three could be indicators of a gnat-brained lunatic.

The pup may just need some consistent guidance, but I'd be leery of such a dog until I spent a little time with him.


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## Independent George (Mar 26, 2009)

clembm said:


> Is it to late to housebreak this dog?
> Can I train it to be calmer and/or bark less?
> Is this mix good around kids?
> What books could I get to help me down the road to train?


1. It's never too late to housebreak a dog. I'd start with a crate - see the stickies in the training forum for more details.

2. The best way to calm a dog down is to get it some exercise. Labs & Weims are both gundogs, and typically high-energy (especially at 7 months); they both typically need a lot of exercise to be happy. Training also helps - mental stimulation counts every bit as much as physical when it comes to wearing a dog out. The good news is that both are typically very responsive to humans, and should train fairly easily. 

3. Yes and no. No dog is inherently 'good for kids' - each breed has its own advantages and disadvantages. As I stated above, Labs & Weims are very responsive to humans, and tend to be easily trained, but are also very high-energy, and can unintentionally injure a child during play just because they're so strong and fast. As with any dog, training is the key - both for the dog and the child. Always supervise when they're together, and make sure your kids know how to behave around a dog, and the dog knows to folllow your kids' commands.

4. I think Patricia McConnell's "The Other End of the Leash" is a must-read for any dog owner; it's not a training manual, but explains a lot about how humans and dogs interact and interpret each other's body language. I'd also recommend anything by Karen Pryor.


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## wvasko (Dec 15, 2007)

Forget the breeds, it's what drives are in this particular pup and your ability and patience to handle the drives. I am so sick of the word hyper to explain what a wild wooly young dog of any breed should be. Yes, some may actually be hyper. When people get pups they should not expect them to jump in recliners and chill all day. It's not the nature of young beasts to do the recliner's thing.

This is not aimed at OP, just a minor vent of mine for the over use of the hyper word. People use this word to explain the shortcomings of their pups so they don't have to do necessary/proper work needed for dog ownership. It's a "blame it on the pup, not me" thing. My opinion only.


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## clembm (Jan 10, 2010)

ok, I went pick up the dog. It was a fantastic connection but now that I have it home, it seems frightened and is putting it's tailed between it's legs. It does it even when I'm petting him gently under his chin. 

Any tips to make him more comfortable and less afraid of his new environment as well as me in general?


Thanks for any help!


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## Marsh Muppet (Nov 29, 2008)

Timidness can be a symptom of the stress of moving to an unfamiliar place. I would leave him be to the greatest extent possible. Ignore him and let him approach you. Arrange for tasty treats to fall out of your pockets any time you move in his vicinity.


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## wvasko (Dec 15, 2007)

Treat him kindly and in 30 days you will probably wish he was back acting more like he is today. You have no idea what has happened to him the 1st 6 months of his life. All he knows for sure is that he is in a brand new strange place with a strange family/owner etc. It could take longer than 30 days but he should change especially if you follow the MM approach with tidbits of food dropping out of pockets etc. Should be a win-win situation.


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