Help !!! My dog Lab is having aggression problems

My Chocalate lab Cocoa is 17 months old I started her in training at 3 months pretty much just socilization with other dogs and people. I took her everywhere from street fairs to dog parks to dog expos ect.... I wanted her to be exposed to everything at a young age. She entered her advanced training and became certified CGC. Then she turned 1year and shortly after that she started getting nasty with other dogs when she was on a leash even if they weren't bothering her started growling at people that walked by. I have to monitor when i take her to the dog park in fear if a dog is in her face too much she will go after it. I have been working with a trainer on these issues. She seems to be getting a little better and I know it will take time. I'm just very frustated because I feel I did everything to avoid this behavior. If any one has had similiar issues or any advice I am willing to try anything at this point.

 

There are some things that we can't prevent no matter what we do...nature vs. nurture. Just keep in mind that her behavior could have been much worse if you had not socialized her.
Is she aggressive with dogs off leash? What kinds of things are you working on with the trainer?

 

www.unclematty.com

 

regarding aggression with my lab

She is not aggressive with other dogs off leash. She is very independent though and just likes to play fetch with her ball when I take her to the park she could care less what the other dogs are doing unless a spat happens between others then she gets curious. Her trainer has me taking her to pet smart and walking up and aisles while other dogs are there keeping distance and making her sit and watch. BUT BUT if a dog comes too close she will start growling and getting upset. Its behavior she just started one day. I was able to take her anywhere and she would come nose to nose leash tangled with other dogs never a problem. Trainer thinks maybe protective nature. I want to do therepy work with her but can't right now with her being so uptight. I took her to the Vet to make sure she nothing was wrong. Vet says shes very healthy. Don't know what else to do.

 

You might be interested in Patricia McConnell's booklet "Feisty Fido" for further suggestions. Its not uncommon for some dogs to be aggressive on leash but fine off-leash. The leashes makes some dogs feel restricted and in turn they become defensive.

How does she react if you interact with another dog while she is off-leash?

 

Hi,
About that book 'Feisty Fido'... It's a very good book. I bought it from Amazon a while ago along with 'Cautious Canine' which cost me a bomb lol.

I have to say though that I found them both a waste of money. Every single thing I read I'd already done or was trying as a result of the advice given on this message board.

They're very short books, and everything in them is said on here.

My advice would be to try (for a while, not just once or twice) some of the suggestions you'll get from people on here.

Good luck.

Just incase - I'm not saying the books aren't good, they are, very good! But it's all said on here.

 

I found the books to go into more detail and be easier to use as a reference. For example, it talks about using a behavior like having the dog look at you to redirect his attention. So, when walking your dog in PetsMart, for one thing you should control the situation so that other dogs do not get within your dog's "comfort zone." Keep his attention on you and treat him for not reacting. You gradually work up to being closer to the other dogs. The trick is to train him to automatically look at you when he feels threatened by another dog, which is detailed better in the books.

TTouch is also a good tool to use. If you have any TTouch trainers in your area, I would definitely contact them. You can search for one here (and also find out about what TTouch is): http://www.ttouch.com/. Use the link to the Practitioner Directory to find out if there is someone in your area. I went to a 2-day seminar once and it was amazing what they could do in a short time with some of the dogs.

 

Thank you for the tips on the books I think I have read about a dozen now and they all seem to say the same things I think I've been getting better advice here.