Dog Behaviour/Training Question

[Abe89]

Hey all, I have a 3 year Labradoodle (more lab than poodle) whose been a great family dog and wonderful pal in the bush and the blind. Very affectionate as labs are.

However there is a downhill/negative behaviour trend that is occurring.
He is intact.
His natural temperament is timid/submissive. seems to be anxiously emotionally attached to me. There have been a very few incidents of him growling and snapping his jaws at kids but generally there have been other stressors involved that weve been able to address.

Recently got away with my wife for a few days and had someone stay with our kids at the house the dog is very familiar with everyone. However the dog growled and nipped the entire time we were away, kids included. The person who stayed was not a naive dog person, and she was genuinely concerned she would be bit.

So just reaching out….any talking and research Ive done says its a negative trend and there’s not much you can do to curb that anxiety/dog feeling threatened anytime Im not there. If we cant get a good course of direction dog will be looking for a new home without kids.
Thanks!


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[Hunter5425]

There are generally 2 reasons for a dog to act up this way, fear or aggression with fear being the more common. Some dogs are very nervous ( fearful) in unfamiliar situations and hence lash out. I don't know to what extent your dog was exposed to new people and places but if it was limited this could be a factor. The behavior towards kids is most concerning as kids are more likely to aggravate a dog then adults and must be dealt with. My wife has dealt with several dogs like this and she would give a firm NO and hold the dog down till it relaxed and then rinse and repeat. Many people will jump in right away saying they would put the dog down with such behaviors but with training this can be dealt with. If unsure of what to do find a good trainer in your area and take some classes with them Good luck on your pooch.

[britman101]

There is an upside to owning a dog, especially a hunting dog, as you get to see the fruits of your labor at work in the field. The downside is when the dog exhibits negative behavior like chasing livestock, fighting other dogs, or biting people. Now this is my opinion, but many times it is because of the training, or lack of training that the dog received. You say the dog is 3 years old now which means this negative behavior has been developing unchecked for that length of time. To undo this negative behavior will take some work. It may take six months , or it could be up to a year but if you stay on top of the dog and discourage the negative behavior by verbal commands and showing you are unhappy with him, will leave you with a more confident and happier dog. I would involve you and your wife to begin with in the training, and once the negative behavior has been eliminated in fido, then involve your kids in the training. The dog has to know its place in the family pack. And as mentioned in an earlier reply you will have to work on socializing the dog. I would start off by taking it on a walk in a park with a leash. However, until the negative behavior is under control do not let the dog off leash in a doggy park. One bad outing for instance could undo all the hard work you have put into retraining your dog. Tried to be brief in my response, but I am one who believes bad behavior in a dog can be turned around. Good luck and let us know how things work out.

[3blade]

I’ve seen a lot of this out of labradoodles. Had one bite me on the leg completely unprovoked (never bit anyone before, knew the dog/owner), missed the tendon by a couple millimeters, despite medical grade cleaning ended up with a nasty infection draining grey puss for weeks, on antibiotics. Could have lost my leg. FYI every dog has 5-6 kinds of bacteria in their mouth that can kill you. A coworker has one, constant nipping, she’s scared to have kids. Yeah. Several other horror stories but they follow the same. I think the mixing of two very different temperaments is a stupid idea.

you have a known biter around your wife and kids….my wife would have ended the discussion with a bang before I got home. Dunno why people make excuses for dangerous animals.

First up, snip him. Give it 50/50 that fixes it.

If that doesn’t work, end it. The world does not need dangerous dogs. If your kids get ripped up you would give anything to have the chance to prevent it. You have the chance. Sometimes being a husband and father means doing man stuff, this is one of those times.

[DirtShooter]

Man I feel like every dog behavior thread always brings out the dudes who love shooting dogs. Shoot first, train second seems to be the trend ffs.

OP seek out a good trainer, or a 22lr like everyone else is gonna suggest.

[Abe89]

Thanks the input. Just confirming what I’ve been finding.
Difficulty with training; he is incredible when I am around. I am his safe place, therefore I never see this behaviour. We’ve exposed him a lot, but when Im there it doesn’t happen. He is a model citizen, normal exited lab who has to sit obediently before he gets pet. So not seeing it Makes it hard to correct. My wife as well doesn’t see as much. He gets on edge with others when Im not around.
Some reading suggested training the behaviour doesn’t address the route anxiety; just makes the warning signs disappear.

First dog so figuring it out. Ive done a lot of work with him; been fun. And family loves him too but works with him less. I get what yall say about unaddressed learned behaviour… we all have pretty solid behaviour expectations. But kids are kids (not as firm) and im not home 24/7….this has only been popping up occasionally in the past year but the last 4 days take the cake. We have too many little kids around to mess around.
thanks again, just feeling the waters to see if there were other options.


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[2 Tollers]

Can I ask why the dog is intact? Norm for a large non breeding dog is 18 to 24 months for growth development then snip.

On the training side --- I am around a fellow that has a very aggressive intact yellow 3 / 4 year old show lab. He comes out for field work with us at times and a year ago you really had to watch the dog as it would go after other dogs.

He went into a professional obedience school for training --- I had my dog in some of the same classes and got to watch some of the transformation on the dog. Strict standards --results for not following commands --- direct results for impluse behaviours that were out of line. Controls were loud verbal, pinch collar on at all times and an e-collar.

The instructor had no issues getting in the dogs face and screaming at it to "Knock it Off"

There were improvements --- however personally I do not trust the dog as the handler is not consistent, not quick with commands and tends to look away.

You would have to get everyone around the dog trained up to how you want it handled and the standard to be maintained.

My thoughts - snip - look for a change within 4 weeks and get in with a solid instructor.

[urban rednek]

Have you had the dog checked by your vet? I have run into a couple cases recently where underlying physical issues caused changes in behaviour.

1. Large (140ish lbs.) 4yo intact male, ESL. Had always been aloof, but civil; I chalked it up to the language barrier. Started acting aggressive (growling and occasional snap, no contact) with strangers and known acquaintances. Eventually started acting aggressive to owner and immediate family.
Diagnosed with ear infection. All better now.

2. Large (150ish lbs.) 6yo female. Had always been timid, but friendly. Randomly started acting aggressive (growling) to almost everyone except immediate family. Eventually started reacting to family.
Diagnosed with thyroid issue. All better now.

[pikergolf]

Originally Posted by 3blade

I’ve seen a lot of this out of labradoodles. Had one bite me on the leg completely unprovoked (never bit anyone before, knew the dog/owner), missed the tendon by a couple millimeters, despite medical grade cleaning ended up with a nasty infection draining grey puss for weeks, on antibiotics. Could have lost my leg. FYI every dog has 5-6 kinds of bacteria in their mouth that can kill you. A coworker has one, constant nipping, she’s scared to have kids. Yeah. Several other horror stories but they follow the same. I think the mixing of two very different temperaments is a stupid idea.

you have a known biter around your wife and kids….my wife would have ended the discussion with a bang before I got home. Dunno why people make excuses for dangerous animals.

First up, snip him. Give it 50/50 that fixes it.

If that doesn’t work, end it. The world does not need dangerous dogs. If your kids get ripped up you would give anything to have the chance to prevent it. You have the chance. Sometimes being a husband and father means doing man stuff, this is one of those times.

Labradoodles, two of the most aggressive dogs I have ever seen have been Labradoodles.

[58thecat]

Get him fixed and see if that tunes him down, if not then get rid of the dog as there is a potential for it to hurt someone really bad and that is on you.
Hope it works out for you and your pup.


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[Ackleyman]

Kids , let alone Little kids...with a biter ? Dog bites one of those kids in the face you will regret that the rest of your life. Forget the warm and fuzzy doggie therapy BS. Kids are WAY more important then the dog. I would get rid of that SOB right now.