My Puppies Growing Up

[Paulp]

My male lab X GR (desexed) pup is now about 14 months of age and I'm seeing definite changes in his behaviour. He seems to be becoming more fixated on me and perhaps more possessive. We have had a couple of growls when he has a particularly favourite chew item and when he was socialising with one of his buddies the other night before obedience class he started to get a little aggressive when the other dog interfered with him coming back to my recall, something he has never done before. In the last couple of months we have introduced another dog into the household, a desexed female lab a couple of months older than him, but there has been no conflict between them, they get on like a house on fire (they are sleeping snuggled up to each other next to me at the moment). They do play very rough but not agressively.

Are there particular behaviours I should watch for and nip in the bud or just let the growing up run it's course?

[Poodle wrangler]

Bad behaviour = bad behaviour.

Should be nipped in the bud, otherwise you're telling your dog it's OK.

Is he growling at you (or other dog) when he has the chew? Growling at humans is a huge no-no at our house.

Are you spending less time with him? Less exercise?

Ideally spend some 1:1 time with both dogs. Tired dogs are good dogs, too .

I'd start TOT to reaffirm you're the leader- good for both dogs- http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?showtopic=64101

Ask at the obedience club?

[Paulp]

Bad behaviour = bad behaviour.

Should be nipped in the bud, otherwise you're telling your dog it's OK.

Is he growling at you (or other dog) when he has the chew? Growling at humans is a huge no-no at our house.

Are you spending less time with him? Less exercise?

Ideally spend some 1:1 time with both dogs. Tired dogs are good dogs, too .

I'd start TOT to reaffirm you're the leader- good for both dogs- http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?showtopic=64101

Ask at the obedience club?

I don't let him get away with growling at me, I make physical contact (should clarify, don't hit, just hold or lay my hands on his head) with him and verbally reprimand him if he growls. I have always had a good physical relationship with him in that I have always been able to take things from his mouth and manhandle him when necessary.

He hurt his leg a few weeks back and we have treated it conservatively in case it was a dysplasia so we have not been walking much over the last couple of weeks and I have been trying to discourage his insane racing around as much as possible, on the other hand they have had much more time inside with us. All seems to have settled down though and we are going back to our daily hour or so strolls. I noticed the first signs of this changing behaviour before the injury.

I just ask as sometimes an innocuous behaviour develops into something larger and it is much easier to deal with when it is still innocuous if you know what you are looking for. The household rules stay the same no matter what their age.

[Erny]

Hi PaulP.

It very much sounds as if your dog is not perceiving your hierarchy status as where we would prefer it to be. This can be surprising to some, who think that what they've been doing is of 'leadership material'. But often it is the more obtuse things that we do - more often unintentionally - that give our dogs the opposite impression to what we intend.

Be careful. Your dog has given you a warning (ie growl). Unless you know what you're doing, pushing beyond that can escalate to a bite. This is not to say your dog is being nasty. It's just the way dogs have to manage if they think a subordinate is not observing the rules of the pack. But it can be dangerous all the same. You definitely need to be calm and assertive, but it's about what you do and how you do this that can make the difference between your dog accepting your higher hierarchy status -vs- rising to the challenge you set.

I'm not suggesting they are insufficient, but given I can't know through observation your relationship with your dog, perhaps the household rules need adjusting?

Your dog would have left the 'puppy' phase at around 6 months and from there has been gradually entering and developing through and into adolescence. At 14 months of age he's very much a young adult - one who would have by now some pre-conceived idea of where he fits within the pack. It is around this age that symptoms of the dog's perception of its hierarchy status and position within the pack often begin to become obvious. It's not about a sudden change, but how the dog has been developing its notions of your position in the pack from when he was a puppy and through all of the stages of development to now. This can be established through everything you do and in every way you interact with your dog, including play times; feed times; exercise times; training times ..... it all counts. If we've been adjusting to accord with our dogs throughout the puppy to adult development, behaviour problems are less likely to become serious. But when we see or hear those early warning signals, it really is time to sit up and take note. Each habit, once practiced, becomes a 'learnt' behaviour. How learnt that behaviour is depends on how often the dog has managed to practice it.

Perhaps matters are not as serious or as grave as I might be imagining? That doesn't matter. When ANY sign of aggression is described as having been exhibited - especially (but not exclusively) towards the owner, I always regard it as a matter worthy of some very careful and serious consideration and attention.

Practicing "TOT" and also applying the NILIF ("Nothing In Life Is Free") program will certainly do no harm and may be sufficient to make all the difference. On the other hand, you might need more strategies/techniques than this but to advise them over the internet without a deeper understanding (which comes with observation) of the relationship you both share, is not recommended. If you're not sure, then engaging some professional help and advice would be highly recommended.

Edited March 28, 2008 by Erny