Hi, we have an 11 month old Labrador who used to be great to walk. She loves people and other dogs and has always been excited to meet and play with anybody. However, in the last few weeks, she has started barking at people walking past or sitting on a bench, children and other dogs. Sometimes the barking sounds quite aggressive which isn't nice and totally against her nature as she is normally very calm and friendly. She gets really hard to control and starts trying to pull/leap away. It's becoming quite a problem which we can't seem to control her by way of training, treats etc etc Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Hi @Ayesha and welcome to the forum. Sorry to hear you are having a few problems. What is your Labradors name? I had very similar issues with my girl last year, I have since learnt that she is hyper vigilant to the environment and in the past has reacted to any change in her surroundings that she felt threatened by. I know what triggered her responses and many respects this has helped. Maybe something has triggered this behaviour in your girl, it could be age related I really couldn't advice on that in any great detail. I'm no expert but it does sound to me as if she has become fearful. Firstly try to relax, I know this isn't easy. She will pick up on the slightest little bit of body language. I realised I used to tense my jaw, Mabel definitely picked up on it and I had to teach myself to be calm. It isn't really a case of training but more counter conditioning and de sensitisation from the triggers that are causing a response. By this I mean you are trying to change the way your girl feels about triggers that cause her distress. Not easy but it can be done, with a positive attitude and treats in your pocket. Firstly remove her to a distance that she doesn't feel threatened, I would then introduce a game of LAT (look at that). In essence your dog looks at the trigger back at you and you C&T (click and treat). This is enabling your dog to look at what ever is causing her distress and not respond. Gradually you can get closer to the trigger as she gets more comfortable. I also play a little game of throwing food on the floor and getting Mabel to find it, this has help her as she now thinks "yay scary man running towards me, quick look at mum and she throws cheese for me to find". There isn't a quick fix I'm afraid, I hope this helps. It worked for me, I can walk Mabel in all situations these days. I read a book called "Control Unleashed" which has proved very helpful. You may also want to check out Pippa's website as there are all sorts of really interesting articles. http://www.thelabradorsite.com/ Good luck
Have you read Control Unleashed - Puppy Program? I am interested if there is a big difference between them...
I've read both. The puppy program is better, I think, in that it goes into more detail and contains earlier steps in the exercises.
@Ayesha your girl's barking could be a result of excitement, frustration, fear or aggression. Without sight if what is actually happening it is not possible to state one behaviour over another. Whatever the current behaviour there is a cause that has brought about the change. Can you think back to anything that happened a couple of weeks ago or perhaps something that happened that made her jump/spook. Knowing the cause helps with the modification plan. Whatever the cause a dog in a state of arous all, as you have discovered, has no interest in treats etc. With most aroused dogs you could put a cut of best steak under the nose and get no response. If you are struggling to modify the behaviour it is well worth having a consultation with a behaviourist ensuring that they only use positive training methods who can advise and help you with a behaviour modification plan.
Mine both started barking at about one year old. The breeder, same one for both, said lots get a bit full of themselves and decide to announce perceived, possible threats. I found some obedience to show I was in charge and would decide who was a threat helped. A simple call to heel and a sit. Also helped reassure the people they barked at. I noticed Jet did not bark at people I knew and greeted so there was an easy solution, just say "Hi, great day, how are you?" whether I knew them or not. With Oban, who every spring has to refresh his training as neighbours who stayed inside all winter start coming out again (and they all have dogs, never go out and play with them in winter), what works is to laugh at him. "Ho, ho, ho, you big silly. They live there. They lived there last summer too. That's nothing to laugh at." This mildly chastises him and, would Mum be laughing if there was something to worry about? Nope. ETA: I really like Control Unleashed too. I haven't looked at the Puppy Program either but based on how much benefit I got from the first book and DVDs I'd sure give it a try. There must be a review somewhere on how they differ?
