I have a labrador I adopted at 4 years old, he is a great dog, smart, obedient, loves people and children, but he hates small dogs and he snarls then hides from my fat black cat. he seems to have a problem with animals that are smaller than him, how can I fix this?
Also when I take him to the park to play, (he loves tennis balls) he always runs off and jumps in the river, then he comes back with no problem. How can you keep a Lab out of water??? is it possible?
Answers:
I tell my newfie everything is a baby.
Your dog was obviously attacked my smaller dogs either when a puppy or older. You may never get him/her over that fear. That's what Labs do, they retrieve from ponds, lakes %26 rivers. Let your dog go in the water once a week, or play with the hose water..they love it %26 it will wear them out.
I have had 5 Labs and there is no way to keep them out of the water I believe it is just instinct, as for the little dog thing, I think he is just being protective
labs were bred to retrieve birds hunters had shot,from the water.they looooove to swim-why not let him enjoy himself?just put a blanket down to protect the backseat from wet dog,muddy paws,etc.
Well, labs were born to go into the water, it is in their instincts. If it becomes that much of a problem, you could bring him/her to a dog trainer. This could also be a good solution for it's problem with small animals. It worked for me (training it) but it all depends on the trainer. Make sure you find a reliable trainer, maybe a friend had his/her dog to go to. Hope it works out for you!!!
Okay, your dog was 4 years old when you got him, and his 'dislike' of animals smaller than himself was formed when he was much younger ... so you'll never be able to get him to 'like' the smaller animals, but you should be able to get him to 'alter his behavior' to be 'less aggressive' to small dogs, and less 'afraid' of the cat. You can do this by being sure he has a 'comfy place' that the cat can't use EVER ... and by 'sitting with him and petting him and paying attention to him' when a 'small dog' or the cat is around ... which is 'distracting and reinforcing' the 'non-aggression' and 'non-fear' responses.
I'm sorry, but a Lab is a 'water dog' used to hunt ducks, and he 'loves water' so the only way to keep him 'out of the river' is to find a park with no 'water features' for him to play in. Most of the Lab owners where I live actually take their dogs to the beach so they can play in the water, because Labs love 'swimming' and it's 'good exercise' for their muscles. You should always wear 'mud clothes' that you don't care about and can get wet, and carry a 'good thick towel' around your neck to dry him off after he's gone into the water ... but if you want to be a 'good Lab owner' you should take him to a 'safe place' for him to 'fetch' from the water at least once a week. You'll be happier because your dog will be happier, right?
hi i also have a labrador she is 3 and loves water,maybe if he doesnt like smaller animals it may be because hes had a bad experience with smaller animals.
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