BehavioRx Case of the Month
for April 2006

Aggression and Stress

The clients with a two year old male Labrador Retriever complained that he had started growling at visitors, especially children. He then growled at their nine year
old daughter when she approached to take him to the back yard end put him on his running line. The father grabbed the Lab and dragged  him out, swatting him on the rump several times.

The worried couple phoned their veterinarian and several trainers for advice. They were given several types of advice, ranging from shake-down/take-downs when it again occurred, to euthanasia, as the dog was labeled a 'time bomb." No one took the time to gather  the facts to find out why the Lab's behavior was changing from a good-natured fellow to a potential biter.

As it happened, the dog's yard was not fenced end the clients felt he needed the fresh air and exercise, so the  running-line was installed. He spent nine hours on
the line during six days a working week and was put on it after meals twice daily for about an hour.

From the yard he could see neighborhood children and adults and had started barking at them about six months prior to the first growls at visitors in the house.

The Nature of Stress:  When the client understood that stress is often cumulative in its   effect on both people and dogs, they grasped the  concept: Those long hours of isolation away from the territory where his primary social group lived (in the house) coupled with the stress created by the frustration of being tethered away from
people, were bringing him to the brink of releasing the tension by displacing his coping behavior toward people who he didn't perceived as authority figures. Both
parents came up with the obvious solution at the same time, saying,  "Do you mean we should leave him n the house when we're working and when we're home?"   

The program involved just that; plus putting the Lab on the "earned praise and petting" program, using the Jolly Routine when guests arrived, getting guests to toss
the ball for him, etc. Since he had been scolded, swatted and put out for growling, all negatives were eliminated.         

Two years later the clients called to say everything worked out great. However, another new baby had arrived five months ago and the dog had just growled at her the day before. Ever since she started crawling the Lab had tolerated her climbing on him, poking her fingers in his ears, etc. But then he growled at her when she pounce on him as he dozed.

We were able to refresh the concept of stress and map out a program to show the still good-natured Lab how to cope indirectly with the situation by moving away from the child toward the owner and lots of Jolly Routine praise. At the same time, the owner was advised not to leave the baby and dog together unsupervised until the baby had learned how properly to pet the Lab and to "Let sleeping dogs lie" After several weeks, no growling has been reported.

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