Skittish/Growling Rescue Dog

Question
Hi Sandy.  In February my wife and I rescued a Lab/Pyrenees mix.  Cooper was 3 months old and interacted with the family very well.  House training and his chewing was not as easy as our 12 year Lab (Simba) when he was a puppy.  Cooper is house trained but still chews every now and then; but that isn't the problem.  He is great with our family.  He is very gentle with the kids.  He is very gentle taking food or treats out of your hands.   When we have someone or family over he barks constantly.  If they try to approach him, he runs away.  He growls, barks and sometimes moves towards them if to bite them.  We are afraid that he might bite someone.  I have tried and tried to socialize him to other people but to no avail. I have given my neighbors and family treat to give him.  Cooper will cautiously approach them, take the treat, move away and them look at them and growl and bark.   We have talked about giving him back to Lab rescue but our son is very attached to him.  I hate to give up on Cooper if there is something else to try.  He loves to play with our oldest dog and sometimes can be to nippy with him.  I read that Pyrenees served the humans by protecting and defending their flocks and property against wolves, bears and other predators but this is a domestic environment.  Please if there is anything you can suggest, it would be greatly appreciated.  My wife and I are torn apart about this and we do not want our son to loose his dog if we can do something.

Answer
Hello John,

It sounds like you have a very fearful dog. This is one of the most difficult problems I encounter. It is not a problem of socialization but of lacking self confidence and direction.

Fortunately, he was only 3 months old when you got him. The remedy is very strong and dominant leadership. You would bolster his confidence by turning up your leadership so that he looks to you for guidance and strength. If he gains trust in you as a leader, he will follow your lead. If you show calmness toward strangers he too will be calm and abandon his pseudo-aggressive displays. A fearful dog will certainly bite which is why this poses such a serious dilemma.

I'd suggest that you seek out a competent professional to help personally guide you through the changes necessary to rehabilitate your dog.

Good Luck!

Sandy