Pet Information > ASK Experts > Dogs > Dog Breeds > Labrador Retrievers > behavior problems

behavior problems

20 9:35:07

Question
my 12 weeks old labrador pup has a very dominating and stubborn behavior , he sometimes humps my leg and i push him away as he doesnt listen to me on this other wise i am training him and he is responding really well , he bites and barks at me whenever i try to pet him ,only time he doesn't do it is when he gets up from sleep and is still half awake half sleepy.
please help me on this

Answer
I think you need to find a good book and work on obedience.  He is a little too young for a class if one was available.  The key to most behavior problems is approaching things using the dog's natural instincts. Dogs see all the people and dogs in the household as a pack with each having their own rank in the pack and a top dog. Life is much easier if the 2 legged pack members outrank the 4 legged ones. You can learn to play the role of top dog by reading some books or going to a good obedience class. A good obedience class or book is about you being top dog, not about rewarding standard commands with a treat. Start at http://www.dogsbestfriend.com/ For more on being top dog, see http://www.dogbreedinfo.com./topdogrules.htm
Here is a list put together by the professionals at a dog guide school for those caring for their dogs.

The Cultural Clash by Jean Donaldson, 1996

Excel-crated Learning by Pamela Reid, 1996

Don't Shoot the Dog, by Karen Pryor, 1996

Surviving Your Dog's Adolescence, by Carol Lea Benjamin, 1993

Second Hand dog, by Carol Lea Benjamin, 1988

Dog Problems, by Carol Lea Benjamin, 1989

Super Puppy, by Peter J. Vollmer, 1988

HELP, Mt dog Has an Attitude, by Gwen Bohnenkamp, 1994

Owners' Guide Better Behavior in Dogs and Cats, by William Campbell, 1989

What All Good dogs Should Know, By Wendy Vollmer, 1991

How to Raise a Dog When Nobody is Home, Jerry Kilmer, 1991