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If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Year old lab suddenly fearful and aggressive

9 replies

CJat10 · 10/07/2022 20:43

Pretty much as subject heading. He's had good socialisation, been to positive training puppy school, followed a positive training plan, walks to heel, recalls (most of the time) solid sit, stay and down. He's been a soft and cuddly idiot puppy. A month ago a 10year old came to ours and was playing with him, throwing balls etc. He suddenly switched from play to loud barking and fear of the boy. Nothing happened that could explain it. Next occurrence was a cyclist.....then a woman who looked at him, then other dogs....

I feel I have to walk him on lead all the time now but that's not helping him because he's not learning to socialise with other dogs. He's fine with people as they don't stare at him or approach him whilst he is trapped by the lead. In fact he's fine 90% of the time but I need him to be 100%.

How can I stop this fear driving aggression?

OP posts:
StillMedusa · 10/07/2022 22:36

He may have hit a secondary fear period... mine did at about the same time. She was super confident with other dogs, and generally just not bothered with other humans until she hit puberty... then overnight she became scared of young men with dark hair or in hoodies, then bigger dogs, then not keen on anyone in general except us and a few selective dogs she knew well.

a) Get a positive force free behaviourist in. If you join ReactiveDogsUK on FB they will reccommend a trainer in your area.
b) Do not force your dog to socialise. It doesn't help and generally makes everything worse (I'm not saying you do btw..but just in case.. avoid the dog heavy parks etc.. it won't help him feel more confident.. it would be like putting me in a room full of large slugs and saying ' see it's fine'!.. I'd fight you to get away!)
c) Until you have had professional advice and support... be his advocate. He's reacting because for whatever reason (and there was no reason for my girl either), he's scared! Mine does NOT like to be approached by strangers, but she's a rare breed , fluffy and beautiful and it seems everyone thinks they have the right to try and stroke her... which makes her panic and bark. So I have a yellow dog 'anxious' harness and I call out 'sorry I'm just moving away because my dog is nervous'

d) Personal preference... I take my girl out into the countryside for long off lead walks where I am less likely to see a soul, at least a few times a week...or on a long line if she's likely to see deer . If she has been upset by other dogs, I give her 'rest days' where we nip out for a poo but that's it... to let her cortisol levels subside. Sometimes NOT walking your scared dog is the single best thing you can do. Scatter food at home, have fun games.. but let him have a break from what scares him.

Sorry, that's long and I'm no expert, but as someone with a wonderful, but nervous dog, I've spent a fair bit of time learning, and still am.

Also.. contrary to popular belief, quite a lot of dogs, once they reach adulthood.. don't actually like other dogs much at all! It took me a long time to realise that I thought she should socialise. In fact mine, like many others, just wants to be with her family and merely tolerates a few dogs she knows well.

We are 3 years down the line, and in general my girl is much better than she was, but within clear limits. I don't do busy dog parks, I don't go to places which I KNOW will be hard for her, and when I walk her I am in charge... I try to read her body language ..if I see another dog on lead, she is beside me, never in front, so we can do an about turn, I can redirect her quickly so she can't fixate on the other dog.. it's amazing how that helps!

CJat10 · 10/07/2022 23:08

Thank you. Yes planning to avoid people as much as I can. I have two dogs and the other is also a person magnet being very cute. Trying to keep people and particularly children from running up and stroking them is very hard.

I'm tired of worrying about it tbh and wonder if he will be a liability forever 😌

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UrsulaPandress · 10/07/2022 23:11

And get a vet check to rule out pain.

CJat10 · 10/07/2022 23:11

He is intact and this followed a period of me having to stop him approaching other dogs because he played, got excited then humpy. I know off a good trainer but post covid he refused anymore work. I'll try him again

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CJat10 · 11/07/2022 00:53

In terms of going to a vet....he went for a routine checkup at about the time this started. He would not cooperate with lovely vet and I had to restrain him for an injection. I have no idea how they would be able to examine him , look in his ears etc. The vet he turned on was shocked at his response to her. Me too! It all feels impossible

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Frequency · 11/07/2022 01:18

Definately get in a professional ASAP. In the meantime lots of positive reinforcement for wanted behaviours.

If you see a dog or other trigger in the distance wait until your dog notices it and then treat immediately. Continue treating until your dog starts showing signs of being uncomfortable. The second their body language changes from relaxed to tense, turn around and put distance between you and the trigger as quickly as possible.

You'll notice you slowly get closer and closer to the trigger until eventually you can walk past it.

It would also be worth talking to the vet and asking if you can bring your dog in once a week. On the first week ask the vet to deliver treats from a distance as long as the dog appears calm. If they're not calm take a step back and just sit in the waiting area and feed treats or stand outside. Slowly increase the interaction bewteen the dog and the vet.

This www.amazon.co.uk/Behavior-Adjustment-Training-2-0-Frustration/dp/1617811742/ref=sr_1_1?crid=MSV2G2MJBQ9X&keywords=behaviour+adjustment+training+2.0&qid=1657498615&sprefix=behaviour+ad%2Caps%2C70&sr=8-1 is a great book on desensitising fearful dogs but nothing will beat the input of a hands on consulatation with a professional.

coffeecupsandfairylights · 11/07/2022 07:32

If he's even aggressive at the vets I would bet good money on this being a pain response - ears or joints in particular are big triggers for aggression in dogs.

So I would book another vet appointment and have them muzzle him so they can do a good physical check of every part of his body. A good behaviourist would insist on this anyway before taking on a client so it's really important it gets done.

They need to check everything - all his joints, paws, nails, ears, eyes, teeth, mouth, stomach, back - everything. Dogs are really good at masking pain and I wonder if he was playing a bit over-excitably with the visiting boy (hence the barking) and then hurt himself somehow.

There's no point booking a behaviourist until he's had a clean bill of health as no behaviourist worth their salt would see this dog and work with him without a full MOT. I would also potentially be including bloodwork to rule out something like a thyroid disorder which can also be linked to aggressive responses.

Good luck!

334bu · 11/07/2022 07:45

Could also be a loss of sight thing, a startle response? Needs to be examined thoroughly.

CJat10 · 11/07/2022 09:04

Thank you. Will call vet then

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