Alderhaus

My apologies, another useful post.. resource guarding is exactly what you are dealing with here. A dog that does not want to "play" is a dog that you will need profesional advice with... Good luck. cheers Ally

That's a pretty tall order considering you've never seen the pup Sheree. No qualified experienced trainer I know would make it, particularly without having observed the dog and its owner interact. Internet diagnosis and modification of dog behaviour is fraught with uncertainty and can be downright dangerous at times. There are far too many variables involved. Littlelab, I second Blacklabs suggestion that you get a professionally qualified and accredited behaviouralist out to see your pup. Teething problems with settling a puppy into a family and establishing boundaries of acceptable behaviour are not unusual and with such an intelligent, active breed quite normal. It would be the rare puppy buyer who hasn't had those "oh my god what have we done" moments about dog ownership and early intervention by someone who can see you and the pup interact can set you on the path to a well mannered, happy dog (and a happy owner) I have not seen this pup but the mouthing, barking and behaving completely psycho sound like perfectly normal puppy behaviour. You need ways to occupy that growing mind and body and right now you are the best playmates your pup has. You need to show her what play is acceptable and what play isn't. Gundogs are mouthy babies and the first thing you need to teach is that NO CONTACT between her teeth and any human is acceptable. Do a search here on "mouthing" and you'll find lots of suggestions for dealing with it. At her age, many gundog puppies literally run at you with their mouths open to latch on. You need a consistent, effective deterrance strategy. As for the growling over food. The technical term for it is 'resource guarding' and, if mishandled, it can turn into a real issue. Constant mucking about with food can increase some dogs levels of anxiety about it and actually worsen the problem. The crate suggestion is a good one. This is about giving the pup a safe 'den' in your home AND providing a method of ensuring your dog does not have unsupervised interactions with your child while you are occupied elsewhere. How you transport her in the car is a side issue. I'd strongly recommend you get one and leave it set up permanently somewhere. Until you've sought a consult with a professional, I'd be feeding her in there undisturbed. Put her in, ask her to sit at the back, place the food in and release him to eat (this will have to be trained). Then leave her alone to eat his dinner, release her when she's done and remove the bowl. Great family dogs are made, Littlelab, not born. Some professional advice and the implementation of a program of consistent training will set you on the path. I consider an ongoing program of obedience training mandatory for gundogs until they reach maturity at around two. Incidentally, no pup of this age should be doing much onlead walking IMO. It's too hard on growing bones. And to answer your question? Yes, labs can be aggressive. No breed can or cannot be aggressive. It's a combination of genes, experiences and environment that determine temperament. Edited: Molly is a "she"

Hi Littlelab I am a bit surprised as I know the breed and this is not normal character. However, the most valuable post so far on this list is that of Blacklab, whereby no matter what breed, they are all individuals. I have a divese background, that of a vet nurse, all breeds trainer, and qualified German Shepherd Trainer and Canine Good Citizen Trainer. I have read later in this list that the dog has bitten a child??? If I read that correctly???. I will post a few comments here but will spcifically invite you to phone me urgently regarding the political position of your dog in the house. People are all too willing to view dogs as they view themselves, and unfortunately that leads to difficulties. I agree with Blacklab in that Puppy Class deals with very basic issues, and if your dog exhibits anything outside the norm there will be a rare perosn who can fix the situation at the point where it needs to be dealt with. This is not to disrespect vet nurses, I am one by trade, but there is limited information available and they have their hands full with what they deal with on a daily basis. It seems you have a problem at the moment with boundaries and who is boss. That is a very easy situation to deal with once you know what you are doing. My suggestion to you - Find a breed dedicated group, you must also let your breeder know what is going on - assertive behaviour is not something to contine with in such a fashion in such a breed..... If there is no breed dedicated group in cooee I would STRONGLY recommend you find a German Shpeherd group close by, speak to them and explain the situation. This is a breed that is used to dealing with assertive dogs and the trainers will be omre than happy to help you. We are used to dealing with this. Trust me - this is NOT a situation that you want to get out of control. If you cannot find someone in close range please feel free to call me and I will discuss with you some basic changes to make within the household (who eats first - you or the dog??? - who enters the house first after a walk - you or the dog???) and we can regain some control. Email me for my phone number. Cheers Ally