Help!!!!! My beautiful 2yr old chocolate lab Hudson is just gorgeous, but when we are out walking( on lead & halti) he is wonderful. We can walk past many people and many different breads of dogs. But there will be the odd dog on a lead coming towards us or on the other side of the road and Hudson goes berserk. Hackles up, teeth bared and a ferocious sounding bark. Their owner consequently reacts which in turn makes Hudson react more. He is not a viscous dog at all, would lick you to death. I’m not sure if he is being overly protective or if he senses something in the other dog and handler. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated as this is very stressful to me and him. Not to mention embarrassing. Please help so walking can be a pleasure for everyone. Thanks in advance. Lisa D.
Lisa, I think we need a bit more info on this behaviour. Have you had Hudson since he was a puppy? If so, when did you see this behaviour develop? Does Hudson have dog friends he plays with? What he is like, off-leash, with other dogs? Thanks!
Hi Jo, Yes I’ve had Hudson since a puppy. It’s probably been an issue in just the last few months. We can go to the dog park and plays very happily with other dogs. There was an incident probably about 3-4 mths ago ; we were at the dog park with many other dogs( of all breeds) and one of the smaller dogs came up behind me to say hello and jumped at my legs. As I turned to pat him Hudson came in between us and started barking and growling. I didn’t think much of it at the time, I distracted Hudson and all was settled. Today though, at the dog park were 4 labs, a Samoyed and a small poodle. They all played very well together. Not one bark or growl. Any suggestions greatly appreciated as he is just the most adorable boy. Cheers Lisa
Hi Lisa - Right, from what you say there it sounds like the cause of his reactivity on leash, is frustration. This is very common and can look very fierce and angry-sounding - because the dog wants to go reach the other dog and is very frustrated about being on leash and unable to do this. The best way to approach it, is using a technique called Look At That. There is a whole thread on this, here: https://thelabradorforum.com/threads/look-at-that.22184/ Hope that helps!
