Dog welfare question - from a cat owner???

[BillBlank]

I've never owned a dog so I need some advice about an unfortunate situation. My wife's mentor type person has eighteen cats and two young black labradors. The only exercise they get is in a garden about 1.5 times the size of a tennis court, no walks. The dogs have not been neutered. The bitch is just coming up to two years old and is frankly nuts. We have to dogsit for them occaisionally and the behaviour those animals exhibit is mental.

No response to instructions, nipping hard enough to leave marks/bruises through clothing, jumping to chest height, humping my leg and biting each other, especially the mouth area. Furniture destruction, pee where they feel like it with no request to go out.

Is this behaviour normal for pure breed labs? If that was a cat I'd say it was a bored and distressed animal.

What can I do to dissaude the dogs from this whilst they are in my care without causing undue distress or real harm to the animal?

Do I report the owners to the RSPCA?

Thanks gents/ladies in advance, I like dogs but these two are putting me off the idea.

[mtnbkr]

Is this behaviour normal for pure breed labs? If that was a cat I'd say it was a bored and distressed animal.

I've never owned a lab, but this doesn't sound like normal behavior.  I'd say your analysis is correct: Bored and Distressed.  I don't think there's much you can do while the dogs are in your care.  You MIGHT get an improvement while you're there, but as soon as their owner comes back, the old treatment and behavior will return.

Chris

[roo_ster]

Those labs ain't right...likely due to their living circumstances & duma$$ owners.

Don't call SPCA while you're there.  A week/month later, however...

[Justin]

Those labs ain't right..

Yeah, well, neither is anyone who owns 18 cats.  Blech.

[Sergeant Bob]

I would suggest that if you dislike caring for their animals you just make this the last time you do it.
Call the SPCA? I didn't see anything in your post that indicates the dogs are being "abused". Maybe you and others don't agree with the way they are being kept and would do otherwise, but if you are going to report everyone whose dog doesn't get enough exercise, you have a rather big job ahead of you.
Do you turn in people whose children are unruly and don't get enough exercise?

[BillBlank]

Good point Bob, it's one of the reasons I'm asking you lot. I don't know how a dog behaves and if thats normal. I like to mind my own business but I worry about those dogs, I also don't want to be an interfering jackass. Ah well,  al part of the rich tapestry of life i guess.

[charby]

Its not the dogs fault, crappy dog owners. They are not abused just not trained or disciplined properly.

Charby

[Leatherneck]

I'll go you one better, Charby: those Labs ARE being abused. For a sociable, energetic dog like a young lab, confinement and lack of training are borderline criminal. Crappy dog owners indeed. Mental cases if they have 18 cats as well. GRrrr...

TC

[charby]

TC

Okay I do concur with you. This person shouldn't have dogs, 18 cats.. holy poop batman. I have a 6 year old lab myself and I can tell when I start to lack in giving her enough exercise or attention, turns into a damn fruitcake. But she doesn't jump on people or bite them.

Charby

[K Frame]

No, no it's NOT normal behavior for ANY dog.

It is typical behavior for a dog that has been given no training, no outlet for its energies, and no structure.

It's also behavior typically seen in dogs of all breeds owned by people who don't give a damn about their companion animals.

I can't even imagine what the smell in the house is like if there are 18 cats.

Realistically, you can't do anything to the dogs in the limited amount of contact you have with them. Remedial training, regular exercise, care, and attention over a long period of time is the only thing that's going to cure this.

My parents have a lab that was largely in the same place as these two. Magic was an outdoor dog, and largely ignored, when my parents got him through a rescue. It was a tough time for awhile, because he had no training, little socialization, etc.

He's still a bit on the hyper side, but he's been through training, he knows how to appropriately interact with other humans and dogs, and he's turned into one hell of a fine companion animal.

[XLMiguel]

Hmmm, 20 animals in a small house/yard.  I'd like to know more details before make any great leaps in logic, but IMO, Neglect = abuse, that's too many animals in too small a space.  It's an abusive, unhealthy environment for man and beast, I'd be inclined to drop a dime.

[Penman]

Some cities have limits to how many animals you can have without a kennel license. If there are any laws that apply, you might just say that you're not comfortable sitting the animals in a situation that's not legal.

[Holly76201]

As the owner of a 2 y.o. Lab, these dawgs are being treated horribly. If you can't get out of dogsitting, then take them for long walks. Or if you skate or rollerblade, take them with you. My daughter comes over and "borrows" our Lab, takes him to the skate park, and then brings home a tired puppy. Also, for the jumping problem,  knee them in the chest, then pet them when they are on the floor.  Throw old tennis balls for them to chase, after all they ARE retrievers. The nipping of humans deserves a sharp "No Bite" and ignore them for a few minutes so they associate the behavior with the punishment. But I bet you $5 their behavior will improve by at least 50% if they just get a lot of exercise, meaning at least 2 15 minute walks a day.
Can you bring this topic up with the owners? Good Luck.