Stressmagnet

Uhmmm? No one told that to my 10 yr old Lab. Don't Say That. EVER AGAIN. ;)

I dunno how to remain calm either. I've owned a reactive dog that has attacked and I've seen the damage and I was totally fine with the owner of the attacked dog putting the boot into my girl (note: that was the first and only time she ever attacked because I went back to basics with her). She was a very dominant female. I did some panicked kicking of my own on that day. Ernie is a submissive make and rolls over or licks lips of any dog getting grumpy with him. I will NOT have him hurt. I understand that owners make mistakes (I did) but to ignore a polite request to get your dog or reel it in, to me, is just plain bad ownership. And I will kick and punch and do anything to protect my dog and myself.

I so wish I waited another 6 months before desexing Ernie. Or found this forum sooner.

Happy birthday Horrible Herbert. After the year you've given your mama, may you morph into being known as simply 'handsome Herbert'. He IS handsome. (Love the Canadian flag pic as I'm canadian!)

Question about different labrador types? I bought Ernie from a well established very reputable breeder with a lot of decent champions in his pedigree - some NZ dogs. That's a bonus really for me, as I was totally focussed at that point on getting a calm steady boy. Since going to puppy class with him, I've run into another lab puppy, a few months younger - also from a well known breeder and the differences in their appearances are startling. Ernie is slim, rangy and moves like he's gliding. His face is slimmer with more of what I would classify as a gundog face (slimmer skull, longer muzzle). The other pup has a broad beefy face, almost mastiff like and has a very solid gait. He weighs almost as much as my dog and he's 2 months younger. Both dogs have champion sires and dams. When I looked up breeders again on DOL I noticed there seem to be two very different 'looks' for Labradors - the smaller, rangier type and the larger more majestic looking. How can they both be breed standard when they look so different? Ernie has UK and NZ dogs in his line, while the other appears to use a lot of canadian dogs. I've started to notice these differences at our local lab club as well. Most of the labs are big solid boofas and Ernie and a few others are more athletic and slimmer.

Ah yes. Ernie is 7 months and a lovely boy but he's starting to ignore me. Because he can. I'm reverting bsck and have resorted (oh the shame!) of rewarding him with cheese twisties since he is now (yawn) bored with chicjen/hotdogs. Gets me some looks in class but it seems to be working. Frequent rewards; collar pops and junk food. He's all teenage boy. :D

Nothing to add to this but a trumpet fanfare and snare drums.

"It's time dog owners took responsibility of managing and controlling their animals so innocent people and pets are protected." Yes. Deed not breed exactly.

Seems like the wrong species was euthanised.

:D :D lame in more ways than one, according to my teenage daughters. Thanks for your post tho - good suggestions which made me feel like I was doing the right thing.

I'm pretty calm. I think if you read my original post again, I'd done everything you suggested. If owners won't call off their dog - especially one that is snappibg, growling, and lunging at my dog, I have no qualms about getting cranky. And defending my dog. With a well aimed kick to the opposing dog if necessary. Also, as I sm lame in one leg - running away is NOT an option for me. I have to face it and unfortunately, so does my dog.

Heartbreaking. I was also reading and hoping for a better outcome. I'm so sorry.

Ernie isn't 'reactive' - I've owned a reactive dog. He just is still working on manners and leash behaviour. I'm not going to muzzle him until he looks like he IS reactive. I just wish owners would get that not every other dog NEEDS to meet their dog.. When Ernie's on leash, I expect certain behaviour and he's really getting it. But when another owner lets his/her diog charge mine OFFLEASH in a LEASHED area; yeah, I get cranky. And so far, all the owners flouting the leash restriction have owned small reactive dogs.

Re kids and dogs: On the weekend I had to teach a four year old how to approach dogs. He launched himself at Ernie full blast. Grabbed his head and hugged; slapped my dog on the head with vigorous "pats" while Dad stood watching about 2 metres away. Then screamed when Ernie jumped up for an enthusiastic waggy lick. I mean, I know Ernie's a lab but loads of folks get bitten by labs every year in this country. Labrador does not equal always placid and friendly. I am so very lucky he is one atypical calm pup and that he actually listens to me. Mostly.

If I've asked nicely. If I've moved my dog away. If your dog is trying to bite my leg. I'll happily threaten to kick it. Would I ACTUALLY kick someone's dog? Not unless it actually latched on to me or my dog. But yeah, I would. Sorry if that makes me horrible. I can live with that.

Yeah. What is with that? I ask permission before I greet anyone's animal. Granted, Ernie is beautiful and friendly but omg keep your hands to yourself!

My family dogs were Labradors - Molly and Mopper. Poor mum did all the work. My first dog that was mine solely was Katie the kelpie. Omg - such a great dog and I kearned so much from her. She was a nightmare pup and an escape artist but a pleasure to train and to hang with. I lost her at 12 years old from s brain tumour. I still regard her as the benchmark for every dog ive had since (I'm looking at YOU, Ernie!) and every dog I know. I miss her every day.

They sell it right around the corner from me. Thanks for the link, I will check it out.

Isn'ti micrchipping the first thing you do when you get a new pet? Or do you actually WANT to spend all that money just to have it scooped up for free by someone else or pay pound fees?

Watching this. Same problem.

Grrr. Can you stand another rant from me on clueless owners? The scene: Local park - LEASHED AREA. Me and Ernie notice a highly reactive yorkie on a long retractable lead being walked (?)) by a mum with a kid in a stroller. Ernie is still overly lungy and desperate to meet every damn dog on this earth. His trigger distance is about 3 metres- then he yanks and jumps. I see this woman bring dragged, stroller and all behind the Yorkie and move well off the footpath and start to distract Ernie by putting him through his paces. At this point, he's 10 metres EASILY off the footpath. the mum continues to approach, makes NO attempt to reel the little guy in - who is now snarling and lunging from about 10 metres away. I ask her nicely to reel her dog back. Her response (as she continues to approach) is 'he just HATES big dogs' and LAUGHES. At this point, Ernie is reacting and yanking and jumping because her dog is right in his face and I'm putting myself between him and said Yorkie. As her dog snaps at ME and my dog, she laughed AGAIN and says 'he thinks he's a big dog but he won't hurt you'. At which point I said 'control him or I'll kick him into next week'. I then got abuse heaped on me for walking MY dog in an area if I didn't want him to 'meet other dogs'. Seriously. So glad I cannot carry a weapon.

:D Thank you. I wasn't being all 'poor me", honest. I didn't get that sporting dogs HAVE an 'off' switch myself - so there you go. Hence white flag waving. :D I laugh when folks ask how I can 'manage' such a high energy pup as my lab Ernie with my illness. Um, I walk him once a day, bombard him with mind games and all he wants in the evening is lie his head on my feet. Of course, he does some digging in the garden, helps with taking the laundry off the line and solar light removal at various times but really, he's CHILL.

This make me WANT.

I'm so glad to hear something positive. This is hard to imagine and you must be so frantic. My thoughts are with you and thanks for the update.

Thank you everyone. This is scary stuff. I'm glad I asked the question as I really did not know these details. My last dog was my ex's and I was pretty firmly told to butt out when it came to her care - she wore a flea collar and got Frintlibe when he remembered. Very lucky with her. I've taken to brushing Ernie nightly. It's an excuse to get him used to the process and allow Me to run my hands over him. I'm trying to desensitise his feet - so tick checking is easy. The vet at Point Ckare has a similar board. 7 cases last month in his little suburb alone.