behavior change

Question
"Hi I have a medium sized (55 lb) 9 year old lab mix that I rescued at 3 months old. Recently her behavior has changed for no apparent reason. I can't get her to want to stay in my room at bed time. She paces at the door, no longer sleeps in her bed and bolts out of the room when I open the door as if she is panicing. Note this goes on all night. All in all she has been a good dog and very easy to train and take care of. I really feel lucky to have gotten her. I thought long and hard before adopting her. I was afraid, because I'd never had a dog before her. She always listened when told to do something. Now, just the simplest thing as coming to me is a problem. Forget about when I tell her to get in her bed. One other thing is she seem to be aggressive with me lately. This morning the smoke detector went off. I went to fan it and she went off. Coming toward me barking. The minute I stopped fanning she stopped barking. I started fanning again and the behavior continued. She even jumped at me. My brother thought it was funny but now finally see's what I have been telling everyone for the last couple week. For the 1st 6 1/2 yrs it was just the 2 of us. Then we moved in with my brother and his family who also have a little dog. The 2 of them get a long great and we have been here now for.2 1/2 yrs. One thing that has always bothered me is she's always drifted to others like guest when they came over,so when we moved here I just got use to her just being the family dog instead of my dog. Everyone loves her. I still am the primary care taker but she seems to drift or want to be around everyone else. The problem now is they don't always want her around anymore. The funny thing is I'm told the min. I leave she's either up in my bed or at the door waiting for me to return. When I do return, I either get her backside running away from me or I am ignored. What is that? I am baffled at this latest bed situation. This has been going on for about 3 week. I've taken her to the vet and there seem to be no medical issues. Help please."

Answer

Hi Cairo,

It may be impossible to pinpoint why your dog seems to be more distant from you, or why she seems to be aggressive with you lately. I wonder if moving in with your brother has something to do with it, since it changed the whole "pack" dynamic. Whatever the reason, there are things you can do to reestablish your position as the pack leader. Practice "Nothing in life is free", a simple way to help put things right. Read about it here:
http://k9deb.com/nilif.htm

Give your dog more exercise. Letting your dog outside by herself (or with your brother's dog) doesn't count. You need to exercise your dog in the way of leashed walks, runs in the park, etc. You need to spend time together, and exercise is a wonderful and fun way to bond with your dog.

Enroll in an obedience class. It's a great way to show your dog you're in charge, as she learns to obey. The class's teacher can observe you and your dog together, and offer suggestions based on his or her assessments to help your dog re-bond with you.

When you praise your dog, don't do it in a timid way. Put your hands firmly on your dog. Hug your dog. Make eye contact with your dog. It is hard for her to ignore you if you are looking her right in the eyes.

Feed your dog by hand. Let her see just who provides the food for her pack.

There are no rewards for being adorable. Make your dog follow a simple command (such as sit, down, stay, etc.), before giving affection. This will help make your dog eager to please you, for your attention.

I hope I've been a help.
Best of luck,
Patti