Frustrated Aggressive Lab Puppy

[RAMYA RAMASAMY]

Hi Adrienne! 

I have an 8 month old sweet chocolate lab who knows basic commands such as sit, stay, down, spin and high-five. 

My only issue is his biting problem. We were going on a walk a couple of days ago and I tugged on his harness when he pulled to eat something on the ground. I told him to sit and he immediately lunged at me. I turned my back to him with folded arms and he continued to bite my back and elbows. During this I had dropped the leash, and once he realized this he ran away for some time. I was in tears already, and although I should have went back inside and got assistance, I was worried he would follow me and attack the neighbors chickens. So I went near him again, hoping he was calm, took his leash and gently guided him to the path. I stopped for half a second to wipe my tears and he lunged for the second time. The bites were very painful and I was bleeding. He also ripped my clothes. I started calling for my family, and someone finally heard and came to help. He did not bite at anyone interfering, and I was able to go inside and clean my wounds. He had ripped the skin on my finger and I had several bruised punctures.

This incident is also not the first time, as he's attacked my mother to this severity, as well as my brother. We have stopped talking him for walks and are giving him exercise in our backyard. He lunges and bites either way, but when he does in the backyard we get help faster or run inside to safety. 

Other than this, he is a loving dog and we love him too, although frankly we are scared to be left alone with him. 

 

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Hi there, 

Welcome to the forums,

I am so sorry to hear you have been struggling with your chocolate Lab. 

I hear you, because an 11 month old black Lab I once fostered for the shelter and that needed deep rehabilitation, showed similar behaviors. She used to get really, really frustrated when on leash especially when she couldn't go meet and greet another dog or person. When this happened,  she would redirect her frustration on me, nipping me non-stop and causing me lots of bruises. If people were to see the scene, they would have thought I was being viciously attacked! 

Like you, I sometimes struggled and the leash would slip away as I attempted my best to protect myself. She would then try to play hard to catch, so all I could do was run away and hope she would follow me (which she eventually did and I got her back home by tossing random treats), but it was very scary because we had a public road nearby and she had received zero training prior to seeing me so calling her was out of question. 

Apparently, from her history, she was found wandering in rural areas and was never put on a leash before. She must have lived on a farm or escaped and was set free to roam as had this thing of eating bugs (she ate crickets and cicadas as if gourmet snacks). 

And just like you, I sometimes would break down crying because I felt so overwhelmed by her behavior, and knew she needed help as she was from a kill shelter. If she returned there this way, her chances for adoption were very slim.  However, after the "crisis," I would then get into "proactive mode" and start implementing changes to prevent her getting into this "wild state" and creating some daily goals with small steps. 

Biting out of frustration is common among puppies and adolescent dogs. The classical poster child of frustration is therefore often a young, adolescent dog who gets frustrated about something when on leash and vents his frustration on the owner. The dog may start by biting the leash and then from there, go on to biting the owner's arms and legs.

The biting from a hugely over aroused dog often entails repeated and sustained teeth grabbing which makes it look like the person is being viciously attacked. Often times, these are the only dogs in the home, versus dogs living with other dogs.

So with these cases, it's important to use management, positive reinforcement training (no physical corrections/intimidation), use impulse control games (starting very easy) and having back-up plans to have handy if worse comes to worse. 

To reduce frustration biting in puppies and young dogs, you will often need a multi-faceted approach, tackling the issue from a variety of angles.

I would first start with a vet visit, just in case he has some form of pain going on.

You mention both incidents happening when your dog was trying to grab something on the ground and you tugged on the leash and when you stopped walking to wipe your tears. A common denominator here is pressure on his harness/not letting the dog go where he wants. Perhaps he has neck pain or some other type of pain that is triggered by pressure on his harness/collar?  This is more likely if this behavior is fairly new. 

Important questions: Has he always been this way? How long have you had him? Are there any children in the household?

It could also be that he doesn't like the sensation of pressure on his harness/collar when you  stop or try to move him away. Is he new to wearing the harness? What seems to have triggered the attacks towards your mother and brother? 

These are just some general management guidelines. 

1) Identify Triggers

What triggers exactly your dog's biting? For some dogs, it's seeing other people and dogs, for others it's the boredom that sets in on unstimulating walks, and for some more it's frustration of walking back home.

Write down all circumstances you know that appear to trigger this frustration biting. Recall past events, don't attempt to induce frustration just for the sake of compiling the list.

In this case, let's imagine a dog who bites out of frustration when on leash. The biting may often appear when:

• The dog wants to go in a certain direction and is prevented
• The dog  is trying to access some food on the ground and is prevented
• The dog sees an animal he would like to chase and is prevented
• The dog wants to meet another dog and is prevented

*Feel free to share with me all triggers you have recalled so far. 

2) Implement Management

Management entails taking steps to prevent the dog from rehearsing the problematic behavior (biting). The more a dog rehearses a problematic behavior, the more it puts roots, establishes and becomes habit-forming.

With frustration-based behaviors, when not tackled, we risk the dog getting frustrated earlier and earlier and for smaller reasons.

It's therefore important taking many steps to prevent the dog from being exposed to full-intensity versions of his triggers. In other words, you want to keep your dog under threshold as much as possible. Here is a guide on threshold levels in dogs: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/threshold-levels/

Management may therefore entail: avoiding walks until he is better trained and avoiding situations known for triggering the behavior. Once he's better trained and more trustworthy, it may be possible to resume walks, but always avoiding situations  known for triggering the frustration such as walking at a distance from temptations and using the emergency U-turn https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/emergency-u-turn/ 

or leave it cue https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/obedience-101/take-leave-it/  followed by a treat. 

These measures are in general temporary, at least until the dog is capable of demonstrating better impulse control and frustration tolerance. They can also be implemented for those times when one doesn't have time to train.

3) Acclimate To a Muzzle

Dogs who bite out of frustration are often in a hyper-aroused state and this often means that they'll bite harder than if they were calmer. You will need to take steps to prevent your dog from potentially hurting you and others around you.

Muzzle training your dog is therefore important so that you have a back-up in case your dog happens to be exposed to a trigger that causes him to go over threshold. Here is a guide: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/video-archive/train-your-dog-to-wear-a-muzzle/ 

In your case, a strong basket muzzle will likely be needed as this allows your dog to pant and take treats. 

Just because your dog wears a muzzle though, doesn't mean you are free to expose him to his triggers. You still will need to avoid full intensity exposures as if he wasn't wearing it. 

4) Interrupt the Behavior Early

Learn to recognize the earliest signs of your dog potentially starting to get "revved up" and intervene swiftly *before * any biting occurs. One of my favorite ways to interrupt is to entice the dog into a fun treasure hunt game. This means you'll have to carry treats in your pocket (and hold your hand in that pocket) so to have them ready at a moment's notice. *If your dog gets frustrated by smelling treats and not having them, skip this and consult with a professional. 

I would therefore toss a handful of treats mixed with kibble to the ground and tell the dog to "go find them!" as I point at them.

The redirection needs to be long and valuable enough so that the dog doesn't go back to biting. Sometimes, one may have to do several reps in a row to get the dog back to baseline.

It's crucial to interrupt the behavior before it escalates into biting. If one interrupts the behavior once the dog is biting, it will be more difficult to redirect him, and on to of that, one risks establishing a behavior chain  (dog bites on purpose to get treats) which can be difficult to eradicate once stablished.

6) Avoid Corrections

A dog who bites out of frustration can be a very scary ordeal especially when the dog is large, has little bite inhibition and the biting is challenging and difficult to interrupt.

As tempting as it may be to use corrections under the form of corrective tools (such as prong collars, choke collars shock collars) or physical interventions (pushing the dog down, shoving a hand in the mouth, grabbing the muzzle, getting angry at the dog) these risks adding fuel to the fire, potentially triggering defensive/aggressive responses.

7) Provide More Enrichment

All food should be used for brain games, training and food puzzles. This can help keep the dog mentally stimulated and can help provide an outlet for built-up frustrations.

Impulse control training and frustration tolerance exercises may also help, train these very gradually. I recommend working alongside a trainer for safety.   Here are some impulse control games: 

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/10-impulse-control-games-for-dogs/

8 ) Ensure Enough Sleep

Many dogs get very cranky when they are tired and this makes more prone to getting overstimulated and frustrated. It's very important that puppies and young dog sleep enough. You may need to enforce naps for dogs who have fear of missing out or struggle finding their "off button." This can be done by providing a quiet area free of stimulation and that is dark and relaxing. 

9) Enroll in Daycare

This can be an option, especially in dogs who are unexercised and have surges of high energy,  but the daycare needs to be one that is very, very carefully chosen, with preferably dog trainers taking care of the dogs.

Going there a couple of times a week or doing play dates with dogs they get along with, allows them to engage in some types of play they may crave.

At the same time, you'll also be able to get some respite considering how frustrating and emotionally draining it is dealing with a dog who bites out of frustration.

10) Teach Relaxation

Catch your dog when he's in a relaxed state and praise and reward that. When he sits without being asked to, praise and give a treat, When he lies down without being asked to, praise and reward that. Keep randomly praising and rewarding him when he's lying down by placing some treats in between his paws.

Do this as often as needed so that your dog learns that when he's calm, he gets your attention and rewards.

If your dog gets frustrated when ending a training session, end it by providing a longer lasting treat like a stuffed Kong and walk away. 

11) Enlist the Help of a Professional

Some cases can be very difficult to treat. It may be difficult for you to interrupt your dog's behavior, or maybe he bites too hard and you are starting to fear him which makes him more likely to bite (when in fear we may move a lot and run). You need to make your safety and the safety of others your top priority.

If your dog shows signs of aggression, dog's hesitate to consult with a behavior professional. This is for safety and for correct implementation of behavior modification. Look for a reputable dog behavior professional (like a board-certified veterinary behaviorist) or a dog trainer with years of behavior consulting under the belt and using force-free methods.

Sometimes, dogs may need medications to be under threshold enough to allow them the opportunity to learn better coping skills and better frustration tolerance.

 

[JMFS]

Aw, I'm so sorry to hear this, Ramya.  It's not good mentally or emotionally to be held captive by your own dog, and that's what this is sounding like. 

Nevermind - Adrienne was typing at the same time as me!  I'm just here for moral support.  <3

Having had a resource reactive dog myself, I understand the stress level involved.  Every time you have to take him out it's this whole thing where you'd rather not, but you have to so you do your best.  I dealt with it for 8 years before I finally got help, and I wish I had done it Much earlier and gone without some things I didn't need so I could have paid for a trainer.  They're not cheap, but I'm here to tell you it's Totally worth it.  If you're struggling to find one in your area, I'm happy to help by digging up a link to the Pet Professional Guild, or checking other resources.

Edited November 5, 2022 by JMFS
Adrienne beat me to the punch

[MICHAEL GRADLE]

JMFS,

You mentioned a link for the Professional Guild....could you supply that link....thanks.

Mike Gradle

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Hi Michael!

Welcome to the forums! 

The Pet Professional Guild link to find dog trainers near you is this one. You simply click on this link and enter your zip code.

https://www.petprofessionalguild.com/Zip-Code-Search

Feel free to post on the forums for any questions!

Best,

Adrienne