Barking/Aggressive Behavior

[Steven bracamonte jr]

I recently adopted a three year old labradoodle. Neighbors have complained that he is constantly barking when I leave him home. Any suggestions on how I can tackle his separation anxiety? 

He is also a very aggressive boy, I take him to the dog park but need to keep him leashed because he does not let any dogs come up to him without an aggressive bark and has tried attacking. I continue to take him to the dog park but keep him leashed to try to get him used to other dogs, this does not seem to be working. I have a feeling, he feels he is protecting me. I have done a lot of research before I adopted this breed of dog and all my readings stated that labradoodles are very loving and great with other dogs. Any suggestions on how I can socialize my dog to be a loving caring dog with other dogs?

Please help... I want him to be happy and not an aggressive dog.

[Adina P]

How long have you had him? Do you know his history?

In any case my firm belief is that taking him through to an advanced obedience class will in the long run help tremendously. 1) Obedience training gives him security because he knows exactly the good things that he has control over and makes him ultimately feel more secure and 2) Obedience training creates a very deep and strong bond between the two of you where you learns to trust you and that you are taking care of things and 3) Once your dog is trained you can tell him to do things and that's pretty cool!

As far as socialization...this is something that occurs most readily in puppyhood--this is when the dog is exposed to all sorts of people and animals and situations so that he is 'socialized to them' and tolerates those various people/animals/things. A socialized dog is 'okay' with all those things typically...it does NOT mean he has to be social with them on a regular basis or that he has to play with other dogs or love other dogs. I would think the dog park is the LAST place for your dog. He's an adult with already set preferences and taking him to a place where he's stuck on a leash while other dogs run up to him rudely and get in his space will only set him up to fail.

It is quite common for some dogs to be aggressive ON leash where they'd be perfectly fine off leash. That's supposedly because the on leash dog is more defensive since he's stuck on a leash and can't be free and escape if needed. It's an artificial way to greet for dogs and can make the on leash dog VERY uncomfortable. In fact, some dog parks forbid dogs entering on leash for this reason.

Your best bet for socialization is to attend an obedience class with other well behaved dogs on leash. He may never be loving and caring with other dogs...but that's okay. Your only responsibility is to keep him SAFE around other dogs and prevent him from hurting other dogs. He need not play with them or like them. We humans don't get along with all other humans...it would suck if we were forced to attend a party full of odd strangers we weren't interested in. That's pretty much the dog park for some dogs.

[Kyoko]

I have to completely agree with this. Through Obedience class, they can learn to focus on you rather than what is going on around them. Charlie was taken to the dog parks quite often as a puppy, (5 ~ 8 months old ), but somehow developed guarding behavior. First thing we did was to quit taking her to the dog park since there are no need for her to continue rehearsing that behavior. I think some dogs are more reactive than the others, just as we are all different. Some of us are more social and out going, while others are quiet and loves to spend time alone.... I was sort of sad that she feel defensive and no longer enjoy the dog parks, but what can I do. We worked on this issue with private behavioral training as well, and now she can play with selected dogs that she knows and is used to. She is 15 months old, and training is on going. It is taking a lot of time and effort, while some other dogs may never need this, and just mild and friendly from the beginning... But I feel that it is my responsiblity to do so, to keep her from over reacting, possibly creating a harmful situation for herself and for the other dogs....

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

What Adina said!
Also take him places so that he is seen and can see activity. You can park by a school when the students are entering and exiting. If necessary you can both stay in the car while the kids walk by. Take him to the park and sit on a bench with him. Walk him on a street with traffic or somewhere where there are noises. Again you can park and both stay in the car at first if being outside is too overwhelming.
When you master the barking, let me know.

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

I am sorry you are having trouble with your adopted labradoodle. I can sympathize, because after our wonderful chocolate Lab died at the age of 14, we rescued an older yellow labrador. I was so stupid and naive and thought we would be getting another wonderful lab...mellow, easy going, etc. What we got was a dog that had many issues....separation anxiety, unpredictable behavior, etc. The funny thing was I searched and searched for a dog to rescue and always clicked off of any dog that had separation anxiety, yet ended up with one and what a shock it was. Labradoodles are all the things your research showed you, but this usually means a puppy from a great breeder, socialized early, treated well, and loved. Your dog has a history and you might not ever know what is causing these behaviors.

What we did was hire a trainer. She helped me work with Honey. Are you crating your dog? She told me not to make a big deal when I left or returned. I left a kong with peanut butter in it and the TV on for noise. Also, she had me pick up my keys, etc. like I was leaving, but not go or the next time, pick up my keys, walk out the door, and return right away. I guess this desensitized Honey to when I really left. I also found a pet sitter that was wonderful. Plus, I had her checked at the vet and used some calming drugs to help with her anxiety.

The good news is he is young and training and consistency will help his confidence. Try and give him lots of exercise before you leave, so he is tired. I think an obedience class would help or working with a trainer. Not being able to go to the dog park, especially if he does not enjoy it, doesn't mean you do not have a great dog. Maybe he just likes being with you...hiking, walking, playing ball, etc. I take my current dogs to the nearby tennis courts and throw a ball for them until I wear them out. I think a lot of his problems are due to fear and not feeling confident and some of this might change the more he realizes you are consistent and loving with him. Also, I was able to take Honey to doggie daycare. They screened the dogs for aggressive behavior and she was fine. However, when I took her to the vet and she was on leash, she would be very protective of me and more aggressive than I liked. Possibly when you are not there, he would be fine and they are trained to tell you that.

I am sorry to write you a book, but I just know how hard it is when the dog you thought you were getting is not the dog you got. I will tell you that Honey captured my heart and I loved her dearly and I would not have changed one minute of having her. She had a lot of problems, but she loved me so much and just lit up when I came into a room.

[StaceyW]

on the barking - we got a citronella collar that sprays Ollie when he barks - keeps him quiet as long as we remember to refill it!

[Adina P]

If the barking is separation anxiety...punishing the barking may be counterproductive.  Work on increasing his confidence via obedience training.

[Eva (Lilo and Rocky)]

I agree. It sounds like the dog is fearful and insecure and punishing him will only make things worse. Perhaps this is not a good time to leave him home alone for extended periods of time. He will likely need a lot of work upfront to build his confidence, like you say.