Is my Goldendoodle's protective therapy dog behavior instinctual?

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I am so sorry to hear that your grandson suffered a traumatic injury from Blue! It sounds like Blue has a lot of energy and needs some training to be kept under control. There are programs that you can send a dog to for professional training or even service training so that they are more controllable. Golden doodles tend to have lots of energy and are goofy to begin with, they are also not the most aware of their surroundings so bumping into things is pretty common with these high strung dog breeds. I wold recommend seeking the help from a behaviorist or sending Blue to a training course. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Golden retrievers love to play fetch, and have fantastic demeanours. If you are very interested to know the exact heritage there are blood tests your vet can run to tell you the genetics of your dog and exactly what breed it is! Or if you have a picture to share I can try to help as well. But from the behaviours you are describing it sounds like you have a dog with a fantastic personality!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. My advice is to get professional help sooner rather than later. This type of behavior is often due to anxiety. I would strongly recommend talking to your vet about anti-anxiety/ behavior modification medication which can make a huge difference! Once the medication is on board, the fear-threshold is lowered, and learning can occur. At that point, working with a reputable trainer in your area is a must. Best wishes to you and Cooper.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be him reacting to the new pup. This is not uncommon and it is usually transient. However, this could of course be due to a medical condition so if this does not improve or resolve in the next week, have Tucker evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a good night!

Hello, & thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Bandit is behaving like a very dedicated Border Collie. His instinct to protect a new member of the herd ( family ) has really been kicked into high gear. I think this is fascinating. It will be interesting to see how strongly Bandit continues to bond with your grandson as he grows up. Take care.

What a cutie! It could be that Bear is a bit undersocialized with men and that is why he is a bit more hesitant around them. If this is happening around your house it could also be that he is feeling a bit protective of it. Working on some socialization training by having any men or visitors to the house toss Bear a treat every time they see him (without any interaction unless Bear wants to) can help him start to associate them with good things instead of scary. Getting Canine Good Citizen certified (which is usually part of training for therapy dog certification) can also help with manners, greeting behavior, and socializing as well.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! She is likely being very protective of you. Usually these behaviors can be corrected but this usually requires in person training by a qualified dog trainer. I recommend you consider contacting a qualified dog trainer to work with you in person. Good luck and have a good day!