How to stop my 8-month-old lab mix from attacking things at the fence?

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

Many dogs have this problem - it's called leash reactivity :) It happens because Laika is so excited to see another dog, and frustrated because she can't immediately run over to them - which leads to barking and lots of crazy, uncontrollable behavior. Fortunately, this behavior is usually very treatable with a good training plan. Normally, a training plan for these dogs involves using very tasty treats to reward calm behavior at a distance from another dog - it's critical that you're far enough away that she can be calm and take treats, which means that you may need a lot of distance at first! Once she understands the game and is doing well, you can gradually move closer. It can be hard to do this on your own at first, so I would really recommend getting in touch with a good reward-based trainer who can help you in person. He/she can help by setting up controlled training situations at first with a calm "helper dog" to help both of you get the idea of how to work on the problem, until you're ready to transition to real life scenarios like passing another dog on a walk.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! These types of behavior can improve though this does require in person training with the help of a qualified dog trainer. I would encourage you to contact a dog trainer that can work with you and Bailey in person to really take care of this behavior. The sooner these behaviors are dealt with, the more likely it is that you can improve and resolve them. Good luck and have a great day!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! These types of behavior can improve though this does require in person training with the help of a qualified dog trainer. I would encourage you to contact a dog trainer that can work with you and her in person to really take care of this behavior. The sooner these behaviors are dealt with, the more likely it is that you can improve and resolve them. Good luck and have a great day!

This type of behavior can be very concerning, especially when there are small children around. The good news is that your puppy is still very young and this is a good time to teach her good and appropriate behaviors. You are already doing a great job by exercising her regularly (a fast-paced 20-30 minute walk 2-3 times a day is best) and by redirecting her aggressive tendencies with chew toys. Another tactic you can use in training is to immediately stop play and ignore her if she starts becoming aggressive. This will teach her that that type of behavior does not get her what she wants (your attention). It is also a good idea to always use positive reinforcement when she is being well behaved. Puppies respond better and learn faster from positive reinforcement (like verbal praise and treats) than negative reinforcement (like yelling or hitting them). It would also be wise to start some initial training of basic commands as well, like sit, stay/wait, come, etc. This will help her focus and energy levels and will help establish your role the dominant one in the relationship. I hope this helps. Remember, persistence early on will help you raise a great puppy. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck!

Hi Carol! You're right that this behavior is somewhat concerning in such as young puppy - some lines of Presa Canarios can be quite dog aggressive, so this is something to keep an eye on as Karma gets older. Growling or lunging at another dog who gets close when she is sitting with you is a form of resource guarding - basically, she wants you all to herself. To improve this behavior, you want to teach her that good things happen when RaeRae approaches. If RaeRae starts to walk over to you when Karma is sitting on your lap, praise Karma, pet her, and tell her what a good girl she is. If she growls and RaeRae leaves, just say something like "Oh - too bad!" and calmly put her off your lap or on the floor. Basically, you want her to learn that if she growls at RaeRae, she loses your attention and the opportunity for snuggling - but if she allows her to come over without growling, you fuss over her and pay lots of attention to her. You could also try using a DAP pheromone collar to help reduce Karma's stress about this and encourage more social behavior. If you don't see any improvement in this behavior over the next few weeks, or if things seem to be getting worse, I would recommend making an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist sooner rather than later - early intervention gives the best chance of a good outcome with behavior problems in puppies, just like human kids.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Usually these behaviors can be corrected but this usually requires in person training by a qualified dog trainer. I recommend you consider hiring a qualified dog trainer to work with you in person. Good luck and have a good night!