To be so stressed after my dog reacted…

[BEAchDays2]

Help, this might sound pathetic, I have a three year old lab.

She has always been good as gold, social, loves people, a fuss, a cuddle.

This is a factual account of what happened.

We were sat outside a bar, at the side next to a path, four women walked down the path.

One locked eyes with me and smiled and I smiled back and she approached my dog.

As she was about 2 feet away she gave a small jump, and raised her hands up, in a sort of ‘look at you’ way and my dog lost it.

She was barking, lunging, and the lady wouldn’t let it go, as in just kept trying to engage with her. She then left. My dog calmed immediately.

She has gone on to meet and greet several people, full on cuddles, belly rubs, being handled, back to her normal self. Nothing like that again but it’s playing on my mind.

Can it be as simple as just the approach, I’m struggling to shake it off. Please help, has this ever happened to anyone else?

Other things which might be of interest:

She was possibly overtired.
We had broken down and were having to overnight somewhere unfamiliar. It had been a long day.
It had been a hot day (although had cooled down by this point)

Put the sherry down, dear, you're the one talking 'poppycock'. Perhaps read a book on or two on dog behaviouralism.

As for the frequency of dog bites on children, that's because the dog and child aren't being managed correctly by the adults. A dog is a sentient being not a toy to be jumped on, push, pulled, poked and otherwise tormented to the point of snapping after its facial and vocal warnings have gone unheeded.

I mean that’s obvious.

But aggression isn’t just restricted to adolescent dogs, and anyone who thinks otherwise has clearly no understanding of basic dog behaviour. I’ve seen dogs as young as six months and as old as 13 suddenly snap, at random, at people. And it can happen for any reason - fear, anxiety, actual aggression, pain, brain related trauma etc.

To say as you did that ‘dangerous’ behaviour only happens in dogs 12-18 months shows a gross lack of knowledge about dog behaviour. Lots of behaviour can be dangerous - a child holding the lead of a St. Bernard is quite frankly dangerous, rsource guarding (which can happen at any age for a variety of reason), wariness of strangers, can all be considered dangerous and can happen at any age, for any reason, etc - but it doesn’t equate to the dog being dangerous. Dogs don't just show negative behaviour from 12 - 18 months and that's it. it can happen at any time, which was entirely my point that you seem to have missed.

OP should take this incident seriously. This was not just a warning growl - which personally, I would find far more understandable - this was ‘lunging and barking.’ If my dogs behaved like that I’d be very concerned, regardless of any extenuating circumstances.

As others have pointed out, the threshold of 'dangerously out of control' hasn't been hasn't been met.

If it was so "obvious" why ask the question?

I didn't say aggression will only show in the period 12 to 18 months, I said in the first 12 to 18 months ie 0 - 18 months. If you're going to quote me, at least have the courtesy of quoting me correctly.

She was a twat your dog was scared,.just don't allow drunk people to approach her, imagine if someone came at you making noise and waving your hands in your face how would you react?

But either way you're still wrong, as it can happen after 18 months as well - and for any reason.

The question I asked was rhetorical.

Your dog was protecting you. That lady sounded weird or drunk flapping and keeping on after the dog warned her. There are certain things you do not do near dogs

Random strangers are unpredictable and so are animals. Have that at the back of your mind at all times when out with your pet. All you can do is learn from the experience and consider what you might do to avoid that in the future.

See it’s stupid bending of information like this which helps cause dog bites.
Labradors are indeed ‘good with children’
They are also statistically proven to be responsible for more dog bites in this country than any other breed.
As for the 18 month thing……🙄
Some dogs will show traits early, some won’t. Generalising on a topic such as this is both uneducated and dangerous

@Dunnocantthinkofone are we sure we are not sharing the same brain? 😂

Sometimes it can be something as simple as a person smelling 'off' to a dog. Mine often doesn't like older people and my vet puts this down to her being unfamiliar with medication they're often on. Dogs can smell ot and it isn't pleasant. They can also smell disease (even very 'normal' ones like someone having hay-fever, Coldsores or being on painkillers for something can make them smell 'wrong' to a dog.

Scary innit?😂

Really?

Ofcourse, Labs are responsible for my bites than any other breed. That's because they exist in far greater numbers than any other breed.

As for the first 18 months, that is the key period in which any temperament issues will become obvious and should be addressed quickly with the help of a behaviourist.

And I haven't restricted it to the 18 month mark as my original post states:

"You've had your dog for 3 years and not once previously, or since this one incident, has your dog been anything other than very friendly towards strangers. That is very telling."

As to resorting to personal insults, that tactic will never win an argument.

Yes ofcourse it was.

From my origin post:
"You've had your dog for 3 years and not once previously, or since this one incident, has your dog been anything other than very friendly towards strangers. That is very telling."

As for your examples of resource guarding and geriatric aggression, neither apply to this scenario. There was no food involved and the Op's dog is 3 years old not 13.

Enjoy the rest of your evening.