Dog owners, I have a predicament..

Wait... Does anyone know the details of this oil in the food that reduces shedding??

I'd do anything to control the fur rolling through my home like tumbleweed.

I have a St Bernard. I have her shaved in the Spring/Summer. I know that her "coat is her air-conditioning".. but we have AC in the house so I don't let that bother me. I also agree with the furminator suggestion. That thing gets out an amazing amount of hair!
As far as the furniture thing, I have this little box that I put on the couch. If the dog gets up, it beeps at her so she gets down. Eventually she gets the point and stays off the couch. My grandma always put newspapers on the furniture when she left the house to keep the dog off. Seemed to work for her. Good luck!

We have 2 large breed dogs. We take a brisk 45-60min walk in the mornings and they sleep the rest of the day

We recently got new furniture and Hubby does not want them on it. We use mouse traps to deter them. We used them when our doberman was a puppy and counter theif. They work great! We don't even set them anymore, just place them out. Our lab/dane mix immediately heads for the other room when we open the drawer where they are kept.

I have not had this issue as I am an animal lover and always have been - I am executive assistant for a dog walking company. It is not uncommon to keep a dog baby gated in a specific area of the house..... This of course is better than crating if he can be trusted not to get into trouble. If you don't want to do this, you can also put a sheet/blanket on your furniture where he lays during the day so the hair doesn't get everywhere. Being an animal lover I've just accepted that there will be pet hair on stuff (we have a dog and two cats) ..... Chances are he is laying on the couch partially because it smells like you and your boyfriend and that is comforting to him. If you baby gate him in the kitchen or something, you should maybe leave a blanket or towel that smells like you or your boyfriend so he'll have something to cozy up on.

AND Yes, running or walking him for long periods of time will help tire him out and expend some of his energy.

Being the owner of a lab/boxer mix with short hair that sheds like crazy, it's something you just have to get used to. My vet told me that I'll find my dog's hair way after he's passed. I vacuum once a week to try to contain it and brush him once a week outside.

With regards to getting on the furniture, when he gets up there, tell him to get down. Use the command, "get off" or "get down" and shoo him down. If he won't go on his own, gently tap his hind end or gently pull him off by the collar. Keep reinforcing that. He'll get the hint.

If the dog has been previously crate trained, there is no harm in crating him during the day. Coming home and letting him out is a wise move, but you can do that if he's crated too. Crates are not evil, they reinforce good behaviors and don't let the dog get into trouble when he's bored and lonely. However, if he's not been crated before, the baby gate is your next best alternative. Pin him in the kitchen or something, but train him for it first. Start with 5 minutes as you step out of the house, then 10 as you drive around the block, then 20 as you run an errand, then an hour as you go to dinner... etc. I know it sounds like a lot, but if the dog is not used to confinement, he'll get bored and possibly destructive. Also make sure that when you do pin him, he's got things to do - a nylabone or antler, a treat-despensing toy, or a Kong. i would also consider picking up the water if his bowl is located there - he may relieve himself in your kitchen if you allow him free access to water.

Hope this helps.

PS: Yes a nice long walk, or round of fetch at a dog park will wear him out. A tired dog is a happy and well-behaved dog.

Even though I do not like animals, I do not have it in me to keep him caged while I am at work for 9 hours a day. For now I come home on lunch to let him outside and he stays off the furniture when we are in the house.

Actually... dogs do fine in crates for a time. I wouldn't leave a dog in a crate for 9 hours, but if you are coming home at lunch, it is certainly fine to leave him there for 3 to 4 hours, let him run, then put him back for another 4 hours. Dogs naturally "den". They like it. My dog loves hiding in small dark spaces (usually under my bed... how the heck he FITS under there is a mystery to me) and he will sleep there for hours.

You also don't have to keep up the crate thing forever. Use it to train him. If he can learn to poop/pee outside, he can learn to stay off the couch. Keep him crated except when you can supervise him. Reward him when he's being good (off the couch). Make floor time good for him. Use "no" when he's on the couch and then reward him with praise the second he jumps off the couch. He'll figure it out. Labs are smart.

My boyfriend has suggested a baby gate to keep him confined to the kitchen/laundry/mud room. Has anyone else overcome this issue or have suggestions?

A baby gate will work until he learns to jump/climb it. My dog can and will jump over the gates.

Finally, a silly question. If I take him walking for a long period of time, is he going to get exhausted? :laugh:

It depends on how fit the dog is. And eventually he's going to get fitter and so the long walk is less likely to make him exhausted.

BUT it's still a good idea. Walks are good exercise for the dog, they're also good for managing boredom and for building bonds.

I know you don't like dogs... so maybe you're not looking for the bond, but at the very least the walk will make you part of the dog's "pack" instead of just that 'other person' in his life... and that's usually a good thing. It will help with behavior training.

Good luck!

P.S. I'm amused that I'm talking like I'm an expert. My dog is super smart and fabulous and has some behavior issues too >.> I'm obviously not an expert trainer or he wouldn't jump up on people, bark, or beg.

There is an oil you can get at the pet store to put in his food each morning. It helps with shedding dramatically. Also, there are a lot of different combs you can get to cut down on shedding. Most brushes don't get the under coat. I have a husky mix that I groom almost every other day, and can make a sweater off of the hair I get off of her each time.

I had an issue with my dogs not staying off the furniture in the beginning.

Dogs are like kids, consistency is key. Eventually he will learn that the couch is not for him.

Walks help dramatically. With labs, you will either get the most well behaved dog in the world, or a crazy hyper active pain in the *kitten*. I have the pain in the *kitten* God love her.

But just like humans exorcise is very important to dogs.

Crate training isn't cruel. Any trainer will tell you that. When you crate train it becomes their little house. Never use it for punishment though. If you really feel ill about leaving him in a crate though, baby gates work good too. My youngest dog has separation issues big time. He's an angel when I am home, but when I leave he freaks out, so I put a baby gate up so he can only have access to the kitchen.

I have 3 dogs.

I sympathize with this - my lab boy is good but also a pain in the *kitten*.

Baby gate like almost all have said works great. We put blankets on our couches, during the day no one is there to say no.
Lint rollers for clothes work really well on couches also.

I use a baby gate when my dog is sick to her stomach or I have repair guys coming in during the day... it works very well - and is really cheap. Get one of the collapsble ones you can move it throughout the house and use different rooms for him.

He won't get worn out... labs don't do that. Remember, they might be inclined to jump into fountains if you pass them.

Dogs are actually den animals, which means that they enjoy being kenneled. My Yorkie enjoys the safety of his kennel. I let him sleep with me at night, but every morning, I let him out before work, then he runs in the house and straight into his kennel without being told. I come home after work before the gym to let him out, and as soon as he is back in the house he runs straight to the kennel. Anymore I don't even tell him to Kennel, he watches me, sees what I am doing and runs into his kennel when he knows I will be leaving. The house is just too big for him to be in without me, it makes him feel unsafe and he gets ornery, causing messes. I realize Yorkies are much smaller than your dog, but I know of a lot of people with larger dogs that kennel their dogs all day as well. He'll be ok, I promise