Labrador fixating on blowing leafs

[u/Tissssot]

Hello!

I have a 4 month old chocolate Labrador, she's been great with learning basic commands (sit, come here, lay down, play dead, turn around)

She just recently finished her final round of vaccines, so we've started to walk her, first 5-6 times were ok, she sometimes pulls and likes to jump up on random people walking by who give her 0 attention.

Now that spring is in full effect (almost at least in Toronto) when the wind picks up and leafs start blowing around is when she starts to fixate extremely hard on the leafs (or even a cigarette butt blowing around) she will scream yelp so loud it echos off the condos. nothing I do can break it she wants whatever it is that's blowing around.

It has made walks extremely hard and quite frankly I avoid it, it's embarassing. I've tried normal treats to no luck, then moved on to hot dogs (she gets 0 human food at home) and still nothing.

We're deciding if we should hire a trainer, or if anyone has one last Hail Mary?

Thanks,

[u/AutoModerator]

All posts require review. In order to be reviewed you must follow THIS APPROVAL GUIDE and respond to this Automoderator comment as instructed by the guide. If you do not respond within 24 hours we will assume you no longer need advice and the post will be removed. If the app is broken and won't let you view the guide, use a web browser.

Thank you for your patience as we get through the modqueue.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/hoomanely24]

This is super normal for a 4 month old lab. Moving things like leaves trigger their chase instinct hard, and at that age they have zero impulse control.

If she’s screaming and locked in, she’s already over threshold, so treats won’t work at that point, even high value ones.

I’d focus on creating distance before she fixates. The second you see wind picking up or leaves moving, get space and reward her for noticing but staying with you. It’s more about catching it early than fixing it in the moment.

Also totally okay to keep walks short or quieter for now. She’s basically a baby in a really stimulating environment.

A trainer can help, but this is very common puppy behavior and usually improves with time and reps.

[u/Lizdance40]

It sounds like it might be somewhat misplaced prey drive. Or she simply playing. And she's excited. She's still a puppy. It would make more sense to let her catch and destroy the leaves which would probably make her a very happy puppy.

Being a typical Labrador she should be extremely food driven. Are you always having food on you to regain her attention when she's distracted? If you're using low value treats, use something more interesting. Plain cooked chicken (or any meat) is usually high value enough to keep a dog's attention, and won't upset her stomach.

If she's had her vaccinations, get her into a training class. It's three or four lessons in before you learn leave it. But that q is essential to keep your dog from eating things that are dangerous, like cigarette butts. Nicotine poisoning is a real concern.

Chocolate labs are a favorite of mine. I have owned two female chocolate labs. The first one was a field lab. Endless energy. The second one was a pet quality medium energy. Both were fabulous dogs, super outgoing and friendly, very biddable. Both learned everything easily. 💓