Hi My black lab JETT is 1 year old. He is a lovely dog very very playful. Got a lot of energy we walk him twice a day so he gets between 1 1/2 to 2 hours a day. We've had alot different problems with him in the past and most have faded over time. One thing we are worried about is his rough play. So we have two boys one is 7 Blake and one 12 Harley. He has always rough played with the oldest but the youngest he never gets rough even when Blakes rough with him. The oldest harley we have struggled with. Jett will pounce and grab his sleeves arms. When he says stop he will follow him tieing to grab his top. On two occasions when me and the Mrs have told him to stop his has snapped at us. He has also snapped once or twice if we have moved him of say the sofa or the tent I'm trying to pack up in the garden should I be worried about this??? He is a loving dog always comes for cuddles and will play with kids with ball and toys without any trouble but sometimes if oldest stops he tries to play bite him. He stops when asked but that odd time he has snapped at us. Anyone else had this or similar? Should I be worried??
I thought this post was going to be about him playing rough with other dogs. I would be concerned if he is snapping at people and would consult a behaviourist for some one to one advice/training.
Thanks I have one coming this Thursday he said that it sounds like he dominent and doesn't know what he is doing sounds confident in his behaviour and said he will have him sorted in no time
Hi Gary, Please take a look at this article about dominance among dogs before you meet the trainer (or hand over any of your hard earned cash to them!) The idea that dogs want to try and dominate their humans, and we need to show them who's really boss, is outdated and discredited now. It sounds like this perhaps trainer hasn't kept up to date with recent discoveries about best way to train dogs. The Association of Pet Dog Trainers is a good place to find an up to date trainer. Good luck!
My first reaction is that he knows your 7 yr old is too small to play rough with but thinks your 12 yr old is fair game. Most Labs learn not to bite hard before 1 year, but perhaps rough housing with him has slowed that down a bit. Cooper will never bite at my 3 yr old grandaughter, but she does push her some. She will mouth me, if I rough house with her, but she doesn't actually bite.
The dog is 1 yr old! He wants to play. Agree not a dominance issue. You should redirect his energy when he gets excited like that. Use treats or a toy and get him to do some obedience right there and then. Then continue play at calmer pace. Educate your son on how he should behave towards dog. This is easy to solve yourself
