My labrador still growls

[duckdog]

My 18month old lab still playbites and growls if you go near him whilst he is sleeping. Is there anything I can do to try and reverse this?

He didn't get a frim hand when he was younger as my parents considered this cruel but I'm starting to get fed up with it now.

 

Thanks

[Traztaz]

I would get firm and sharpish myself, this is not disobedience or not listening it's a challenge, along the lines of who do you think you are to wake me up!!

I would deal with it as soon as possible, I am not talking about beating your dog sensless!!

Sit with him untill he dozes and then wake him , as soon as he growles, grab him firmly with one hand from the back of the neck as his mother would carry him and give a sharp NO!

[Greenhunter]

It might help to really establish who is the pack leader. You know you are but does the dog? He's definitely challenging your leadership a bit so why not try something like grooming him, especially his head and back near his tail. If you stand astride him while you do it it will reinforce your dominance even more.

 

Traztaz's advice is well worth doing and have you tried taking his food off him while he's eating it. I've always done this with all mine because you never know when they will pick up something which could harm them and you need to be able to take it off him. But I suppose if he's a working dog you'll have that covered anyway.

 

Good luck with him mate.

[dustyfox]

If my dog start to growl at me I will stair them in the eyes they dont like it, they think its a challenge. They should look away and give a glance every so often but if he doesnt look away growl back at him.

 

And feed him after you have had your food as if you feed him before you, he thinks he is the pack leader because the pack leader always eats first.

[duckdog]

He was ment to be a gundgog, but my family though otherwise so he just became the family pet. He sleeps on the sofa, and if you stroke him while he is resting he will start growling. I've tried grooming him before but he just rolls onto his back and starts biting.

 

 

Thanks for the help

[GJUK]

He was ment to be a gundgog, but my family though otherwise so he just became the family pet. He sleeps on the sofa, and if you stroke him while he is resting he will start growling. I've tried grooming him before but he just rolls onto his back and starts biting.

 

 

Thanks for the help

 

Sort it out, sort it out ASAP.

 

He's telling you to **** off, he doesnt want you touching him. But as the 'pack leader' of the house you should be able to do *whatever you want* to him, without even the slightest thought entering his mind of putting up a fight.

 

I keep and breed boxers, dogs that are very strong minded and powerful animals.

 

Zoltan, the boy I have had to be held upside down for one hour and 45 mintures until he gave up trying to push me off. I left it a bit too long with him because he ended up getting cocky and trying to rule the roost.

 

After all that, now you can do anything to him. Well I can anyway.

 

If the young dog bites you and its hurts, bite them back. It's what would happen in the wild.

 

If you want any help PM me mate, I know how bloody hard it can be.

 

My above advise worked with all the boxers I've had, but it can 'break' a weaker dog so it might not work with a lab? But it sounds like hes getting a bit too big for his boots to me.

 

Jon

[mossy835]

yes sort it out, i can do any thing with my g sheperd put food down and take it away.

[Mungler]

Get him off the sofa for starters. He's a dog.

 

He will need absolute consistency. You can't start to discipline him if after you have had a straighten up with him some other member of the family coos over the dog or gives him *** bits.

[libs]

Get him off the sofa for starters. He's a dog.

 

Nothing wrong with a dog on the sofa! My lab sleeps on my bed every night, sits on the sofa and watches tv, never growled at me and follows commands.