My chocolate Lab and my 8 year old daughter.

Question
Hello,

My family and I have a 6 month old chocolate lab.  We have had him for about 2 months now.  He recently completed 4 weeks of Puppy Kindergarten.  The reason we signed him up for classes was he was resource guarding againt my 8 year old daughter. The resource guarding seems to be subsiding.  she can pet him now while he has a toy and he no longer growls at her.  She can give a simple command (sit, lay down) and he listens and she offers a treat and he takes it gently from her.  When she feeds him she can take a scoop of food from the dish and he will eat out of her hand. (we did all this with the advice of a trainer)  the problem I have is that he seems to have no interest in her socially. She tries to play fetch with him and he ignores her, she tries to pet him and he walks away.  She tries to help me out in the kitchen by keeping him away from the food, but when she calls him he completely ignores her. We encourage her to do as much as possible with him.  Feed him, let him out to the bathroom, let him in when he is outside and barks, but he still doesn't have that bond with her we were hoping for.  She loves him very much and tries her best everyday to get a reaction from him, but it just doesn't happen.  I plan to sign him up for the next level of obedience classes that start in the fall and I am going to bring my daughter with me so she can take part andlearn how to properly give commands etc.  Is there anything we can do in the meantime to help?

Answer
It is obvious he doesn't see her as a higher ranking pack member.  See www.dogbreedinfo.com./topdogrules.htm and their additional material on dogs and children.  You plan to take her to the obedience training sounds like a good idea.  What would ideal would be for your daughter to do 4-H with him, but the timing is all wrong, and she may not be old enough.  

In my area, clubs form soon after the first of the year. Even many urban areas have 4-H. For info look in your phone book under government listings for extension or cooperative extension offices. Ask specifically about a dog or canine club. The 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 a treat.