8 year old lab attacks other dogs

[manitz]

hi, i dont' know much about dogs. My parents have an 8 year old lab who attacks other dogs when she's walked. My dad just walks her at unsociable times in fields near them. They want me to look after her when they are on holiday. i have walked her a couple of times but each time she's gone for other dogs and i don't know what to do. I've started to only have her for short weekends and i wont walk her - she has a long one b4 she comes and one again when she gets back.

They want me to look after her for a week. My dad hates her being in kennels and doesn't believe she's exercised well there. i think if she's with me for a week I ought to make more effort with her exercise and i have heard that being on the lead will make her more aggressive. However I also walked her a long time ago off lead and she didn't come back. She's done that a couple of times to my folks and then they found her collapsed as her legs had gone. Dad had to carry her back to car. She's not huge for a lab but I'm pg and couldn't carry her.

Do you think she could be trained out of this behaviour and can anyone recommend a reliable trainer. My dad doesn't 'believe' in training wtf? surely that's the point of a gundog? I think we should be loving looking after her but instead I dread having her and don't really trust her.

Any advice would be gratefully recieved, including how to pitch it to my dad!

I'm the owner of three large dogs and work with lots of them. The only thing I can say to you for YOUR safety's sake, the dog's and other dogs around her is that you really must tell your father that you've thought it over and are not able to care for his dog. Ask him how he'd feel if you were to be pulled over or caught in the crossfire of a fight whilst pregnant if necessary.

If you want to you could make enquiries with local kennels and give him he details of what they can offer - perhaps ask your/his vet or a couple of local, reputable rescues for recommendations and likewise for behaviouralist recommendations and info - but under no circumstances do I think that you should risk caring for the dog yourself.

Don't feel guilty saying so either... your responsibility is to you and your unborn baby, your fathers the one responsible for his dog!

thanks vallhala, i've read some of your posts on other threads so was hoping i'd hear from you. there is no way I would want to get caught up in a dogfight. Do you think training could help her though? Is 8 too old to train? it seems such a shame as she's otherwise a lovely dog. Is it a normal thing for labs to behave like this? My ex sil suggested an electric collar but she said it was really contraversial and it seems like abuse to me. I was wondering about taking her for secret training when I have her for the week..Or to more forcefully press him to sort the problem out.

The problem is that dad does lots of childcare for me and this is seen as 'owed'. I could get dh - who is way more doggy than me - to do the exercising. Or are you saying there is more to this than just her behaviour to other dogs?

The problem with secret training is that it will not be continued once your Dad has the dog back again, unless he commits to reinforcing it. It is really the dog's owners that need the training, more so than the dog.

thanks. i think you are right but i thought maybe a week at doggy school might show him that training is useful and maybe help him see that it would make life easier. Not sure that's what he wants tbh...

My spaniel can be aggressive with other dogs. When our secretary looks after him when we go away he wears muzzle when she takes him out.

yes that would help. i'm so dumb, i hadn't even thought of it. Have you looked into correcting her/his behaviour or is not correctable?
Thanks

Yes and no. I have researched and emailed dog behaviourists but they reckon that dog on dog aggression is the hardest to cure. I also noticed on Spaniel rescue websites many of the dogs suffer from the same thing. Some people try to make me feel bad by saying "Oh, never met an aggressive Springer before" and I feel like saying "That is because they are all in rescue centres!" There is no rhyme or reason as to why he does it. Sometimes he plays along happily, others he turns on them, or wants to go for them straight away. Fortunately he has good recall so when we are out I have his ball and keep my eyes peeled for other dogs and bring him to heel (hopefully). Have to say it makes walking him not exactly relaxing. I have to look out for dogs, ducks, chicken, sheep. But he is fabulous in every other way

this one seems to do it to subservient dogs as far as I can tell. thanks again.

my dog can be aggressive in this way (rescue dog with unknown history) and you need to find out why. In my dog's case she is very anxious, and when she is worried she will go for the other dog.
I had a trainer who made it worse by telling her off every time she did it. What actually works is praising her for noticing the other dog and sounding cheerful and relaxed, plus distracting her with treats/a toy. I always keep her on the lead around other dogs, but try my best not to hold it tight- that makes her more anxious. It's very hard if another dog comes running straight up though, without the owner taking any notice (my pet hate!) She is getting better, but I will never trust her with strange dogs completely. Although with mum's dogs she is fine, having got to know them and her place in the pecking order so to speak.
I have to say though, you should not be looking after the dog unless you are happy. Our kennels is great, always walking her alone, and taking her out of the back of her kennel so that she doesn't walk by the front of other dogs cages. I don't feel worried leaving her with them at all.

I am happy looking after her generally. We lived with them for 9 months and, as I said, my parents do childcare for me at the moment so the kids are well used to her. Though ds is only 2 and likes to poke her in the eyes and bash her with cars so I don't leave him alone with her just in case he hurts her or she finally has enough and lashes out (he is getting much better but is untrustworthy).

I'm just not happy walking her or around other dogs. like yours she gets on really well with my ex sil's lab, they curl up together. my parents got her at 6months-1 year and she was previously with a family with 3 kids. I can't work out whether she felt rejected or if the family got rid of her because of this issue. i think I'll have a chat with dh this evening... My dad's view is that in the kennel she's just in concrete but at least at ours she can go in and out to the garden and is in a home environment.

I agree kennels are not ideal, but I don't have anyone to leave the dog with, and at least I know she is safe in kennels. I'm sure if I was your dad I would want her to be with you.
An issue like this might not have really been a problem before your dad got her. It would be interesting to know how your dad reacted when she first did it with him, and what he does now. He might be contributing to the problem- it's easy to do believe me!
If you do take her, try the distraction with food or a toy, so that her attention is not on the other dog, and don't let her off the lead without good recall. I have never used a muzzle- it really stresses my dog out, but it might make you feel more confident when out walking her if this dog doesn't mind wearing one.

My eldest girl is very protective of us when we are out and whilst she never approaches other dogs she will attack dogs that run up to us. I muzzle her and she is quite content to wear it, i've also found that she is now not as bothered if we are approached I think it is because I am calmer.

interestingly when we go to agility and gun dog training she is off the lead and unmuzzled and behaves immaculately, perhaps because she is focused upon a job. At 6 she is only just learning gundog work so I don't think they get too old to learn x

Kennels aren't the only option, have you looked into Barking Mad type things where the dog goes to stay in someone's home? Also have a look at local dog trainers, our dog is going to stay with ours in a non kennel enviroment. You might be able to find one that will do training with boarding to help with the dog aggression.

Thanks for all your ideas everyone. Didn't see dh last night as I was out on the - non-alcoholic - raz. will talk this through with him but am thinking he can walk her on the lead with a muzzle and at least then we don't have to deal with the issue since she's not actually our dog. I think now dad is retired he would get more out of her if he interacted with her and agility and gun dog training sounds like real fun, but like i said not for me to do, I might just buy it for him for his birthday or something.

The problem is they've always treated their dogs like humans and i was brought up by them so i'm well aware they dont do discipline in any form. Ellangirl, I have no doubt that my dad (for the reasons just mentioned) could well be contributing to it!

Thanks coca I will look into that.