Back in June we adopted a dog who was just short of a year old. He had been found as a stray with his siblings when he was around three months old, and the person who found them got homes for them. He was, by all accounts, a very chill pup. His first few months with us he was chill and very friendly, although he was nervous around young kids. A couple of months ago he started showing signs of aggression, especially with people who came to the house. It was growling and barking rather than attacking. He’s ok with some people, but he’s seeming more fearful. Our son came to visit starting yesterday, and he’s been growling and barking at him even though he was fine when our son came to visit during the summer. I’m taking him to the vet this weekend to rule out physical causes. I’m hoping a trainer can help, but I’m concerned because he doesn’t seem like the same dog he was a couple of months ago. I’ve been working a few days a week since mid October, and he’s needed to go to day care occasionally. He seems excited to be there when he goes to daycare. Has anyone seen a friendly dog undergo this kind of change?
Well… a couple of months ago is pretty close to the 3 days/3 weeks/3 months rule of thumb, where at the end of 3 months (give or take), the dog is fully acclimated to their surroundings and acts like themselves.
Could be that he’s being protective of you or something along those lines. Our dog, while he hasn’t ever been aggressive, went from very chill, friendly, and placid, to friendly and energetic some of the time.
A trainer is a great idea; I’d ask your vet if they have any recommendations- our vet recommended us a fantastic one who not only trained the dog, but taught us how to train him in the future.
That could be part of it. I would have thought, though, that being around our son for a week back in the summer would have been enough for the dog not to see him as a threat.
Is there any chance anyone is hitting/abusing the dog when you’re not around?
Doggy Day cares often create behavior problems just like with human children.
I’d start there after the vet check.
No, at home it’s me and my wife. I’d think that if he’d been hit at the day care he wouldn’t seem so happy to be there. Early in his life, who knows?
I don’t know the breed of the dog, but he is behaving like a dog. You probably need to go to a trainer more than your dog. I say that because your dog is mostly responding based on his relationship with his family, which is you. I doubt training will help change the dog.
It’s not that simple. Dogs of any breed can have disparate personalities. And training doesn’t fix all things. It’s not always the owners direct fault..
He also may not realize himself the day care is the problem. It could be stressing him out..He’s a dog he cannot tell you what’s wrong by his words.
Before I had words something bad happened to me. I knew it but I could not tell it. I didn’t even know what it was called. It took months and I’m human. Think if a dog has a bad thing happening. We can only guess what it might be.
I feel strongly it’s gonna be something at the day care. Could be simple as the treats are not agreeing with him. Or another dog is a bully. One handler may be loud and scary to him.
The trick is to eliminate things til you find what helps some. I know, I know it’s very difficult to do. And takes forever.
What are your choices? Find out what’s troubling him? Is it the day care?
Some aggressive dog he smells in the neighborhood or your sons vocal patterns?
Or re-home him?
I’d try the elimination process first. After the vet clears him.
If it’s his behavior with training there are also meds to help calm/comfort him.
My beagle Betsy was a nervous Nellie and would be unpleasant to be around if there were noises she couldn’t hide from. Thunder shirt helped ease her for many years through thunder, mowing, tractors, vet visits and visitors she didn’t immediately recognize. She was also a leg leaner. Anything make a noise she didn’t understand and she was leaning hard to my leg. Sitting or standing(me). She was a hot mess. But I loved her and would’ve put up with all her idiosyncrasies. I wanted her to feel safe and calm, so I keep digging til I found the thunder shirt.
Advice like this creates problem dogs. You don’t adjust the environment to suit the dog. And breed does matter! Her description did not sound like an aggressive dog. The dog is just entering adulthood, and his protective nature is emerging. .
He is a Shepherd/Lab mix, so I’m sure there’s a protective instinct. The problem is that now he seems to be seeing almost anyone outside of the two people he lives with as a threat. We haven’t seen this kind of behavior from dogs we’ve had before, so it’s disconcerting. If he can’t handle being in day care, that’s a problem. He’s ok in his crate for 4 hours or so, less so if it goes too much longer. Apparently he was unusually calm for a pup, according to the person he lived with from 3 months to a little under a year. Maybe he was kind of frozen from being a pup on the street? Hopefully a professional who has worked with this kind of behavior can help.
IIRC you have some background in dog training. I do not.
What is your prescription for the general situation of emerging overly-protective / hostile behavior in a dog growing into adulthood? The OP probably needs to do something. What is that something?
Without seeing the dog, I could not even hazard a guess. He doesn’t sound like he is being overly aggressive. He is a male dog and is just entering adulthood. With most dogs, very consistent, calm reactions from the owner will usually bring the dog around. More socializing if he is safe to be around off-leash. I think the owner and the dog should go to school together. Most of my experience has been with bird dogs. Breeds are different, individuals are different. A sharp jerk on the collar and holding the dog steady till he returns to a calm state is usually all that is needed.
I think you need a good trainer. It seemed likely that he’s becoming protective of his pack as he reaches adulthood. That’s not an uncommon trait in dogs. A good trainer should be able to help you redirect the dog’s behavior in ways the are compatible with your lifestyle.
My sister had a basically low key, social German Shepard who was very protective when held back. So when she had unwanted people at the door (and she’s quite close to both a Jehovah’s Witness Hall and a Seventh Day Adventist group) she’d hold the dog’s collar tightly, and the dog growled and barked very aggressively. The same dog was chill when i visited.
When he was trying to chase one of the cats after we got him putting him on the leash calmed him down. He didn’t pull. Dog and cat are great friends now. With people it’s been the opposite; he’s barking a growling at people he previously was very friendly with.
I agree with the comments re: the dog becoming protective and the need to train him to adjust the behavior. Our dog barks aggressively when someone is at our front door, but when we let them in and we behave calmly, she does a few sniffs and lesser barks, and a couple minutes later she relaxes, knowing they are not a threat to her, or to us. She also barks at people outside our backyard fence, so I think she is just protective of the house in general - her den.
If I am out walking her and run into a neighbor and stop to chat, she is calm, quiet, and friendly. She never barks at anything when we are away from the house. It’s just around home when someone outside the pack approaches that she goes psycho.
I don’t mind the protective behavior to an extent - that is one of the benefits of having a dog. But extreme, unwavering alertness is annoying and needs to be addressed so everyone, including visitors, can eventually relax around one another.
Another thing I’d suggest is when a regular visitor comes over, have them bring a treat or a toy for the dog. They will eventually learn this person is okay.
He’s also gotten reactive when he sees people away from home. Not as bad as at home, but he’ll lunge sometimes. I just keep my distance from other people when walking or running with him. The big concern is that he’s getting riled up about people he previously was calm around.
I think one thing to keep in mind as a dog is learning is to let them try again. Yes, of course strong corrective action is needed when he lunges, but don’t shield him from opportunities to learn the right way to behave. And when he gets it right, shower him with praise, and maybe treats. When he makes a mistake, strong and consistent correction will get the message across. If he doesn’t get the chance to improve, he never will.
I really think you need a professional trainer, and the sooner the better. Someone who will work with you, and train you, too. Someone who understands dog psychology.
I don’t think it’s uncommon for an animal’s (or a person’s, for that matter) behavior to change as they reach adulthood, and also, as they get familiar with a situation.
We adopted a cat who had been abused. For the first week we had him, i wondered if he’d been declawed, he was that careful about not sticking a claw into me. Now i have to tell him to stop it when he digs his claws into my jeans to jump into my lap. For the first three months we had him, he ran away if you walked directly towards him. It was evident he’d been kicked. Now he’s become a tripping hazard, like a normal cat. These aren’t bad changes, but they are pretty striking changes in his behavior.
And every animal I’ve ever had since its childhood changed its behavior when it reached “teenage” age, even though they’d all been spayed or neutered before that.
I think you just have a highly protective dog, and that behavior is developing with maturity and familiarity. I don’t think it’s remarkable that he’s now reacting to people he met and was okay with when he was younger and less secure. And a good trainer can help you channel your dog’s natural inclination into behaviors you can live with.
I agree, he’s showing behaviors that, while not that rare in dogs, haven’t occurred in dogs we’ve had. One thing I saw last night and didn’t mention: after he went to his crate last night our son walked right by him a few times (the crate is in the room next to our son’s) and he didn’t react at all. Keep in mind that going to his crate at bedtime is part of his routine and not seen as a punishment.
Agreeing with all that; though with the caveat that you need to make sure you get a good trainer. Watch out for people going in for really harsh discipline or still going on about alphas.
For that breed mix, he is just beginning to enter adulthood. If he’s not already neutered, I’d get that done. He’s still going to know he’s a maturing male; but it’s likely to take some of the edge off.
That’s the place he feels most secure, then; which is relevant.