Black Lab Aggression

[JMcManus]

We have a two-year-old black lab that is very intelligent. Unfortunately he occasionally growls at children and even adults he is unsure of. We notice his hair stands up on his neck when he growls but it also stands up when he plays. He has never bitten anyone but we are not sure if this may change. He has not been fixed and we are thinking of getting this done to help lessen his aggression. He has been to obedience school and is well trained in all other areas. We were told labs were not aggressive and we are wondering if anyone else has experienced this.

[JakodaCD OA]

well any dog has the potential to be aggressive. To say he hasn't bit anyone yet, is the key word, "yet"..
If he is "unsure" it's probably fear based aggression vs downright aggression.
I have dealt with fear aggressive dogs, and I can tell you this, I'd bet my bottom dollar, if a stranger cornered him he'd bite them. It's the 'fight or flight" defense.
Neutering certainly can't hurt him, but will not make the behavior disappear.
My suggestions? Keep up on the obedience classes. You are aware of the problem, therefore don't put him in situations which would warrant the behavior.
Growling is a prelude to a bite, it's a warning, I'd rather have a dog growl than just nail someone.
I would not allow people he is unsure of, strangers, push themselves on him. Let HIM make the decision on who to approach who not to. I'd never leave him alone with a child (ever ever) or an adult he is unfamiliar with.
I would be walking him in areas where there are LOTS of people around, but again, no one approaches him or touches him, let HIM become more comfortable with people around without interacting with them.
You may never have a dog who likes children or adults but it can be managed. If YOU know what triggers the behavior, it's up to YOU to avoid putting him in situations that make him uncomfortable. You can however work on having a dog who can go anywhere, do anything and mind his own business as it sounds he does in other things you enjoy doing with him
Just my 2 cents Good luck

[erdog3]

Yes I have the same prob. with one of my yellows, I have never been able to trust her with children, have no idea why she is like it, never been abused, and had her as a pup.
If anyone wants to pet her, I always warn them that she may bite, to wait, if her hackles go up then I say no, I let her sniff their hand first.
But I never let young children near her, kids older than 6 or so she is o.k., she has had obedience training too.
She is now 7, fine with my own kids and family members, the best watch dog I've ever had though, when I was living alone, (6 years) I always felt safe, no one would get past her, without me knowing about it.
My advise: If you can keep him without young children comming into contact you should be o.k.,
if not then sometimes it is kinder to have him put down, as was suggested to me for my girl.

[finnbob]

i have a black lab and he has tthe same probs as your dog hes on a herball remadie for stress and that helps but also i find that if people just ignore him then you distract your dog from the people or kids he will soon learn that you are nicer than the other people then you can gradually get him closer to the people on his terms and in his own time but try not to forse anything on him just let him relax and iam sure you will be fine.

[SalemsMom]

I have a black lab, he is showing signs of aggression this year,he is nuetered,and never had a problem with him before,he is four years old this year. He went after my chow,which he always was best buddies with, and my chow is a female. I have never let strangers with him,as he to would always put up his cackles around strangers. He was taken out in public,and has been socialized,but it never helped. He also went after my little 15 year old dog,and I pulled him off of her,and he growled and snarled at me. he has never done this,the vets can't find anything wrong with him. He reverts back to his old calm self in just minutes,but he does worry me anymore,so he doesn't have the priviledges he use to have.
When we are gone,we now put him outside,in a kennel,as I want no one hurt,including my dogs or cats,he always loved the cats,and will now chase them,and I have stopped him twice from killing one. He does love the cats that are indoors though. He does have chow in him,but I know who his father was ,and he is a calm and loving dog,would never hurt no one. His mother was a full blooded lab, and Jackie was dumped out on the road,at four weeks old.We took him in,and I repeat,was always a good dog,but did have a very protective nature,and didn't like strangers.

[agilitydog]

I am a lab owner and lover. ALL dogs have the potential to be aggressive I agre with that.
Unfortunately, many people are told that labs are great house dogs, are sweet, and great with the family therefore many people feel that there is no need to train them. I commend you for the training. But labs can be tough as they get older. At 2, a dog enters their technical teenage years and try to test different things. Has he always done this? If you have never seen this, it doesn't mean the problem was never there, it just hasn't been brought out in him yet. (For example, my dog was always great with sit stay,so I never really worried about "proofing him" as we call it. Well as time progressed and the stay became more demanding, I started having problems. I had to back up the training a little If you avoid people and situations, then he never really learns how to not be aggressive.

I do completely agree with socializing him and getting him around people, so he learns to trust them. Also, find a trainer that can help bring out the aggression. He needs to be tested, or set up, in order to be fixed. Unfortunately, to fix the aggression, he has to be put in a situation where he feels the need to be aggressive. This can be hard to do. Keeping him away from people is great, but does it really solve the problem??
I hope this all makes sense. I will help you through "setups" if need be.

[Obedog]

Originally Posted by agilitydog

Has he always done this? If you have never seen this, it doesn't mean the problem was never there, it just hasn't been brought out in him yet.

Well said!! SO many people do not test their small pups for signs of aggressive behavior, and are puzzled when it comes out a year or two later. In puppy class, I have people open the pups mouths while teaching them to be still. They look in pups ears, not just getting the job done, but teaching the pup to be still while this is being done. Also feet handling is a must. Most of the time, any signs of aggression come out when asking a young pup to do something he doesn't want to do, and can be corrected. So many wave a treat in front of a pups face, and the pup never learns how to accept things he does not necessarily like. Treats are fine for young pups to teach simple behaviors, but also the owners should go that extra step. Once a dog is mature, you can control it, but not change it.

[golden&hovawart]

I have a golden and as every-body know,they are pretty good family dogs.One day,while i was talking to my neighbour.Her toddler ,i suppose,did something to my golden and she snapped.She didn't bite her but I put her into a submissive position,on her back,held her down with my hand closed tight around her muzzle.She never did it,again,She was braught up with my son who was 1 year old when we got her.A dog is a dog and will snap,whatever breed it is.Today,when she doesn't want to be patted,she moves away.If I see her do that,I just tell people not to touch her.