Aggressive female lab

Question
QUESTION: Hi there, our lab (who we love dearly) is 5 years old and on occasion has shown possessive-type aggression in the dog park we visit around her ball.  She loves the ball being thrown for her, probably a bit too much so sometimes when other dogs are in the proximity she may lash out at them.  She's never bitten any dogs but there is usually an altercation that we can snap her out of by shouting at her.  This was an ad hoc occurance though.  
A lot has changed in the past 6 months as she had her first litter of pupppies.  It ended up being an emergency caesar and we spade her at the same time.  We also kept a puppy for her - as she is a very needy dog and has been very happy to have a friend.  They play very well together.  Coco (her daughter) is now 6 months and recently Phoebe's aggression in the park has escalated beyond being related to the ball.  When a dog approaches (mostly females) her hackles come up, tail goes up and if the dog doesn't submit, then Phoebe lashes out.  Coco is not far behind but usually barking behind her.  I'm not sure if this is a pack mentality as Coco is getting older and Phoebe's trying to show her dominance?  Her behaviour just feels very unpredictable and unlike her.  My husband is definitely the person that she considers pack leader and in his frustration yesterday hit her quite hard to stop her fighting which I'm sure isn't the right approach either.  She submitted to him immediately.
The biggest issue for me is that we have a 3 year old son we also take to the park as there is a play area there.  Usually having our dogs with us has not been a problem, but now that Phoebe is displaying this behaviour I feel worried for his safety, if he were to be in the wrong place at the wrong time...
If you have any insights or ideas on how to train her out of this?  They both love their food - being typical Labs - and i wondered whether feeding them before we go would maybe help ?
Thanks
Anita

ANSWER: Hi Anita,

Thank you for contacting me. You are right to realize the danger involved in this situation. It sounds like you have some resource guarding going on there with Phoebe. This problem is amenable to behavior modification, but you must approach it in the correct way under the guidance of a knowledgeable professional.

One thing I can advise you of that you must change immediately is the use of any kind of physical correction or punishment with your dog. You must abandon the ideas of pack leadership and dominance, as these ideas are based on erroneous information about dog behavior that result in approaches to dog training that can be harmful not only to your relationship with your dog, but to your dog's psyche. Training based on pack theory and dominance can result in aggression. Read this position statement of the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior: http://www.avsabonline.org/avsabonline/images/stories/Position_Statements/domina

Also, please see this article about the use of confrontational methods in dog training: http://vet.osu.edu/assets/pdf/hospital/behavior/trainingArticle.pdf, and this position statement about the use of punishment in behavior modification: http://www.avsabonline.org/avsabonline/images/stories/avsab%20postion%20s%8Ant21

For now, I recommend you do not take Phoebe's ball to the park anymore. You are going to need to work on this ball possessiveness (resource guarding) issue under more controlled circumstances with the guidance of a skilled professional. You do not want Phoebe to practice this behavior anymore, so prevent it from happening again.

In fact, I would recommend you not take Phoebe to the dog park at all anymore, but rather take her on walks. A once daily walk off the property is one of the best things you can do for your dog's mental health.

You must adopt a gentler approach to Phoebe immediately. I recommend clicker training. You can use clicker training to modify behavior as well as train basic and advanced behaviors. You can read more about what clicker training is here:http://animalinfo.com.au/fact_sheets/view/2/25/175/Clicker_Training_What_is_it

Be sure to watch the accompanying Youtube video.

You can find some very good Youtube videos online about clicker training; you can also find some that contain misinformation. I recommend any uploaded by Emily Larlham ("kikopup"), Donna Hill ("supernaturalbc2008"/"supernaturalbc2009") and "tab289."

A gentler approach isn't a weaker approach; it is actually stronger. Try to find a certified clicker trainer to work with. You can start by looking on the Karen Pryor Academy website: https://www.karenpryoracademy.com/find-a-trainer Call the 800 number if you don't see a trainer listed: 800-472-5425. You can also find a good trainer on the Jean Donaldson Academy Referral List page: http://www.academyfordogtrainers.com/sc/Academy_Graduate_Referral_List.pdf

Stay away from trainers that use shock, choke chains, prong collars, leash corrections, alpha rolls and methods which employ dominance maneuvers or say that food is not needed.

"Research shows that dogs do not need to be physically punished to learn how to behave, and there are significant risks associated with using punishment (such as inhibiting learning, increasing fear, and/or stimulating aggressive events). Therefore, trainers who routinely use choke chain collars, pinch collars, shock collars, and other methods of physical punishment as a primary training method should be avoided." (American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior)

Two females are the toughest combination and can result in the fiercest dog-dog aggression. I would recommend that you locate a good, reward-based trainer or certified animal behaviorist (http://www.animalbehavior.org/ABSAppliedBehavior/caab-directory) experienced in behavior modification near you as soon as possible. You may also want to check this list to see if you have a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in your area: http://www.dacvb.org/resources/find/

You can find additional information on my Links page on my website about training and dog behavior and how to find a trainer: http://www.dubuquedogtraining.com/links.html

Good luck! I hope this helps!

Cindy




---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks so much Cindy.

I've printed off the links you added and will read them at home tonight.  We're actually based in Cape Town, South Africa so need to find a good behaviourist here to help us.  I had no idea that two females had the potential to be so difficult - and I also thought that Labradors would never give these types of problems.  But we are very committed to our dogs so will do everything we can to get things back on track.

I wondered, is it OK to still take Coco to the park?  Is it good for them to be getting their exercise separately?  And should the behaviourist see Coco as well or just Phoebe?

Would it be crucial to get Phoebe sorted out asap because Coco learns her behaviour from her?

Thanks again

Anita

Answer
Anita,

I don't know what the dog parks are like in Capetown, but I personally do not recommend them to my clients in this country. There is too much potential for bad things to happen which can permanently damage the dog. I prefer to socialize my dogs in more controlled situations and let them get their exercise elsewhere. You will have to be the judge of whether the park you are taking Coco to is safe and good for her.

I don't think the dogs need to be kept separate, but certainly each dog should have its own individual time with you, however you choose to spend it.

It sounds like only Phoebe is having issues, so I don't think that Coco would need to go unless you observe problems with her. Part of the behavior assessment will be though to discuss how Phoebe and Coco interact. The behaviorist may want to see videos if you have any or can get some. But don't set the two dogs up for a scuffle to get videos!

Dogs do learn from each other but I don't think this makes getting Phoebe seen asap critical. I think the reason you want to get Phoebe seen asap is just for Phoebe's sake - to help her feel more comfortable in the world.

Good luck!

Cindy