I have a 2 year old lab/poodle bitch, who has always done me proud with her friendly nature towards people and dogs. A month ago we went away for a week leaving her very happily with her breeder, being looked after alongside her mother in her own home. When we collected her she was happily playing with her mother, had eaten well and showed no signs of distress at all. However, since we got home she has been acting really oddly in a number of ways:
1. She doesn't want to go on walks with my husband (previously her favourite pastime). This could be due to him taking her on a long walk in warm weather maybe? She is fine with me.
2. When sent up the garden before bedtime for a wee she goes and lies down under the trampoline or round the corner in the garden. Previously she would go straight out and do the business and come back in.
3. She has been losing patience with strange dogs, baring her teeth and snapping at them. Used to play with anything on four legs.
4. Has been very wary of strangers, barking like mad at my hairdresser when she arrived...always loved everyone before and has never barked much.

I know she would have been lovingly looked after while we were away, she knows her breeder well because we see her often.
I am at a loss! I have always felt she was very trustworthy with other dogs and people and this recent behaviour has me a bit concerned. She is acting normally with dogs and people she knows.

I would contact the breeder and tell them what she has been like and see if anything happened whilst she was with them that could explain the change in behaviour :)

Also is she due is season maybe as this could also be a reason why she is behaving a bit out of character :)

Lucy
xx

if she is the only dog at home is it possible when she stayed with the breeder she became part of "the pack"???

could this be the reason she has changed

I imagine its the change that has been the major cause, did the postman call at 7.30am as per usual did the milk man call at 8am?  was she fed at exactly 6pm etc etc it would have naturally disturbed her somewhat and i would say just ignore her for now and give her a few weeks to re-establish herself back into the routine of your normal living.
I do wonder if its a bitch thing? as our girl can get emotionally disturbed by any changes to her normal routine?

She has been spayed so it won't be the hormones I don't think...I can cope with the odd behaviour in the garden but I am really hoping her distrust of strange dogs and people won't last! She is such a fab family dog and it would be a shame if she started getting stroppy with others! I will give it a while then before I consult the doggie shrink...thanks

I agree also with the other posts but it depends aswell on the breeders dog her mum, if she lives in your house on her own she might have started to copy the other dogs behaviour while she's been there.  Let her settle back into your routine as Mygirl said and i'm sure she'll be back to her old self.

Warm regards Susan

Yes, I agree that it would be good to get in touch with the breeder to find any possible cause of these changes in behaviour.  I would also suggest you get her checked by the vet to rule out any medical cause.

Best wishes.