Friday, July 31, 2009

Female lab puppy is attacking us?

Got this lab from a rescue,
she is 2.5months old and is very sweet. Loves to play/good with other dogs in home/very quick learner. But, recently when she gets is put on our bed to go to sleep she turns into attack mode and wont let anyone in the house touch her. She snarls and shows her teeth and attacks anyone that goes near her. I cannot pick her up to try and take her outside without getting bit. I want to correct this while she is so young, as she seems to be a very good dog but it's very scary when she starts attacking us.
Answers:
I recommend NILIF (see links below) and obedience lessons. She wasn't abused, she's showing dominance. She's young, but you can't allow it. If you let her call the shots now, things will get much worse later. I also wouldn't allow her to be on the bed at all...no couches either.
NILIF:
http://k9deb.com/nilif.htm
http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/our_pe...
http://www.greyhoundlist.org/nothing_is_...
Dominance in Dogs:
http://www.moordair.com/jnckc/dominance_...
She has obviously been abused or through some sort of trauma before you adopted her. Get a trainer right away to try and correct the problem before it becomes a regular habit.
stop putting her on your bed. get her a crate and place her in there. but yes you need to stop this now. and good for you for knowing it! put her on a leash on the bed and when she growls, pull her to you. try to safely get ahold of her and place her on the ground and tell her and make her sit. once she calms down. allow her back on the bed. and repeat the exact same thing over again with the same action. if you are consistent she will learn this is not a behavior that is accepted. and she will respect that. usually would just say stop putting her on your bed. i wouldn't let her sleep in it anymore. but since you say this is the only place she does this you need to provoke her reaction until it is corrected, before she starts acting this way at other times with other things. if she does do the exact same thing you did with the bed. be consistant, patient and loving with her training and she'll figure it out fast. i would put her on the bed only to correct the problem and only when you are not going to bed. when it's bed time place her in a crate. it's someplace she can feel safe and she will be safe since she cannot get into anything while you're sleeping. once she's older she will get off the bed at night and start getting into things and could harm herself. good luck with your new pup and yay for you for going through a rescue!
She was probably abused. Try obediance class.
If I were you I would try crating her at night and not letting her into the bed or the bedroom. Our puppy has learned very quickly that there are certain rooms and things that she is not to be in or on. She sleeps in her crate at night and she is ready for bed by around 8:30 or 9:00.
She is four months old and was only 6 weeks when we got her but she learned this in about 3 weeks time. So this is something you should think about.
Well... She is 2.5 month of age.. She weighs what?? 15-18 lbs? Don't pull away from her or act scared when she growls and shows her teeth.. Take her by the scruff of the neck and take her outside to pee... If you allow and keep encouraging this behaviour by showing fear, it's going to get much worse. Don't allow her to sleep onyour bed at all.. Don't allow her to posses or own anything. Make her work for things, sit before eating, etc.

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