Question:

I have just gotten a lab (he’s about 9 months old)…. I received him from a friend who can’t keep him where she is moving. The dog has a deformed leg and I believe he may have been abused by the original owner (they were going to have him destroyed because of his leg and the fact that he was the runt…that’s when my friend took him in) My problem is that he doesn’t know how to socialize well with humans… he barks at them and when I take him for walks he jumps at them in an aggressive manner (and if they run…oh boy!). He seems to be worse when I have him on a leash, because when he’s sitting here at home he will just bark at new people and back away…eventually (after about 10 minutes) he get’s used to them. How do I correct his behavior when he is on the leash? There are alot of kids on the block and I’m afraid he’ll attack them if they run. I’ve thought about putting a muzzle on him and allowing him to go up to people (with their permission) thanks in advance, Harry Mezger

Response:

You really must have in person help for this.  Timing is everything and to do it properly someone skilled in handling dogs needs to SHOW you how to ready your dog, and the best reaction.  Jerking your dog back MAY be exactly wrong and MAY be making the problem worse.  If you don’t get the help of an experienced trainer there is a good chance that eventually the dog will bite, it will be killed and you will be looking at an expensive traumatic lawsuit.  If you get good quality help NOW there is a good chance you can correct this to the point that you will have a nice pleasant pet dog. If you wait the behavior may become so ingrained that it will not be possible to correct.   For further help and information see "People, Pooches, Problems" by Job Michael Evans Also join the discussion groups on pet dog behavior see how on http://www.dog-play.com/behavior.html — Diane Blackman  

: I have just gotten a lab (he’s about 9 months old)…. <snip> : My problem is that he doesn’t know how to socialize well with : humans… he barks at them and when I take him for walks he jumps at : them in an aggressive manner (and if they run…oh boy!). He seems to : be worse when I have him on a leash, because when he’s sitting here at : home he will just bark at new people and back away…eventually (after : about 10 minutes) he get’s used to them. : How do I correct his behavior when he is on the leash? There are alot : of kids on the block and I’m afraid he’ll attack them if they run. : I’ve thought about putting a muzzle on him and allowing him to go up : to people (with their permission) Don’t do that.  It may make the dog worse.

Response:

General obedience training will help a lot with this. The dog is a good age to learn fast. Find a class in your area: your dog will learn to get along with other dogs in the course of attending the classes. Also, a prong collar might be a big help in controlling him until he’s ready for offlead work. Some labs, especially if they’ve had no training in basic manners, seem to have no nerve-endings in their necks and are very hard to control on a basic flat or choke collar. Get your instructor to fit one and show you how to use it properly. Katharine Maus and Ch. Csillag’s Bartok, vizsla

Response: