Lab doesnt bark

Question
Hi,

I'm from India and have a lab that's exactly one-year-old. Problem is he just doesn't bark when outsiders enter my compound (like postman, plumber, etc.), but instead barks when he sees/smells familiar people (like our family members). How to make him bark at unknown people so as to keep intruders away? Also, he's afraid of other dogs (even puppies) when they bark at him (when he was six months old, he was attacked by a couple of dogs, but I shooed them away). How to make him overcome that fear? Your help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Jnyanendra.

Answer
If he were my dog, I would see if there are obedience training classes so that the dog gets socialized better.  Unfortunately, these types of problems are best addressed by someone face to face.

Labradors, however, are NOT guard dogs so you should not expect them to bark at intruders.  I have several that do not bark at all.