For some opinions re; a dog we have taken into rescue.
Normally our rescue will take any lab in but draw the line at any signs of agression simply because we are looking after the dogs here and dont want to be injured,secondly it should be alien to lab nature and that people want a nice natured dog.
This week we were asked to take in afour year old lab seemed straightforward owner had a stroke and was very ill so the son arrived with the lab :( he was actually growling when He arrived when I tried to put on one of the collars ,we always do this as they have our tag on should they decide to leg it.
I asked the son was he agressive and he said he had never seen him show agression and could only think it was because he had never been in a vehicle before and he had brought him in a van.
We decided to give him a chance and he went in the kennel but was creeping in like he was scared,almost on his tummy,anyway over the days he has been here he has finally discovered playing ball he loves to play and will fetch the ball back Sam took the opportunity to slip the collar on whilst he had the ball in his mouth and he was fine,today he was playing again but when Sam tried to stroke him he had quite a strange expression and it was quite scary (the dog not sam) he didnt do anything and carried on playing but just for a split second it was there.
We noticed he didnt like to go through the hatch in the kennel so we opened the big door for him.
he seems like something is going to hurt him.Can I add our kennls are very big and light with runs on.
I want to give this boy a chance of a home  through rescue but am wary hence posting here I would like peoples honest opinion based on behaviour if possible.I also do not want to us to be in danger of being bitten or worse.
Background is he lived on a farm  and was never allowed in the house

It could be a brief seizure.......  Some dogs also show similar symptoms that have been linked to diet....

Has he been vet checked Mattie?

not that I know dont even think the people had him vaccinated trouble is getting him there we were giving him some time to come round but I could arrange it not sure if he would be handled though by a vet.Its a s if he associates touching with harshness

Poor boy, he doesn't sound like he's had much of a life so far :(  He could have a medical problem causing physical pain or as I see Digger suggested it may be linked with seizures - but to be honest Mattie I don't know because if he's been an outside dog with little or no human interaction or socialisation and possibly handled roughly in the past he may just be distrustful of contact full stop. 

Sorry can't be of more help, Good luck, Teri

If he hasn't been socialized or handled & been shut out of the house He might have been punished for trying to get inside he might even have been chained up or locked in a shed or barn etc

Do you have a TTouch practitioner near you ? It could be that he is scared of things & the growling is a defence mechanism If he can relax & realize nothing more bad is going to happen you may be able to turn him round

Edited to add link to list of TT practitioners

It might be a long journey my late cross breed used to growl when i tried to groom her at first, when she was spayed they x rayed her & found several old fractures that looked like she had been severely kicked many times, she did respond & although never totally relaxed around children she learnt to totally ignore what frightened her

Hi Mattie, think MM has hit the mark, This sounds very similar to a girl I had a while ago, seemed handshy, slunk along the ground, but always made eye contact, which was quite scary at times. Would play intermittently and then, it seemed she realised she shouldnt, and again the slinking and eyballing started,

I was very wary of her, but tried not to let it show when around her.  Her growls were not angry growls but more throaty.  She eventually responded, it took a lot of time and constant talking, touching and gently bringing her round.  She and I spent a lot of time in my bathroom, the only room she seemed to relax, all other rooms seemed too big. 

She had suffered a serious lack of socialisation and had literally spent all her life with one person. The change seriously traumatised her.  She was homed after nearly 7 months to a lone person, who understood the problems she had and although very much better, she will never be a socialite, but, she does literally worship her now owner.  Visitors to the house are welcomed, but outside is a completely different matter.  she reverts to the slinking and her eyes show a cross of fear and rage.  But she has never once made any attempt to bite or attack. 

2.5 years later she still prefers the bathroom to any other room in the house.  She was 3 when she came to me

Thankyou is it possible then its fear agression? ive no doubt he has been hit

It certainly sounds like fear to me. i would at least put a little Bach rescue remedy in his water, it may just take the edge off of his stress. TT would be great if he will tollerate someone around, otherwise there are aromatherapy remedies that I could suggest. Feel free to PM me if you want some or details.

The poor labs behaviour sounds very like my newfie boy when we got him.  He actually went for me when I tried to brush him.  He was snappy and cowering in terror at the same time.  Only dog I have actually been scared of and he was only 6 mths old!  I had his sister from a pup and she had never so much as growled so I knew it wasnt his breeding.  He is 3 now and I wouldnt change him for the world.  He is a beautiful well adjusted big hearted boy that loves everyone.  It helped having his sister as at first he would hang back and watch her being cuddled or getting treats etc and even now although he is never aggressive he still hangs back and lets her meet strangers first, then when he realises she has not been murdered he wades in with slobbery kisses.  It took at least 8 mths before I felt he had turned the corner and he was very hard work at first.  I am still careful however never to let him be is a postition that he would be without someone familiar and in a potentially terrifying situation as I would not trust him 100%  eg. he doesnt go into kennels when we go on holiday.  He stays with a family that love him and know about his past.

Mattie

Sounds like everything he has gone through since being with you goes against what he is used to and is showing a little aggression as a defence mechanism.

1. May never have been in transport before and has been ferried to you in a van
2. He lived outdoors and now he is being asked to go inside a kennel. Though it may be large and airy he probably still associates it with being confined.
3. Has had little human contact and now you are handling him
4. Probably used as a kind of working dog rather than a pet if he comes from a farm and you are treating him like a pet.
5. Like you say has probably been hit and you are treating him with kindness.

Everything has changed for him and hes bound to be a bit wary, as we would be if we were made to do evrything differently. The fact that he plays for a while and then as you say seems as if he feels that he shouldnt be would indicate to me that he does have a good chance of being a nice natured dog but needs to learn to trust, and how to be a dog rather than to be what someone else wants him to be. Just give him time and take it slowly. When he is used to you, I would start to introduce other people like yourself so that he realises that his old owners are the exception rather than the rule. Perhaps when you can get him to a stage where at least you can handle him without fear of aggression, you could get a behaviourist in to assess him.

Well done for giving him a chance. Im sure in a few months you will both be glad that you did.

Good Luck x

thanks for that it makes sense but we as a rescue will hopefully be able to find someone to take him on,of course we will work with him towards that end.
we need a volunteer bahviourist

If you try a TT touch practitioner & tell them you are a rescue you never know they might waive the fee. There is a way starting with a feather that they use(especially on feral cats & similar)to work upto the dog being touched & massaged. You don;t need loads of repeat visits the idea is to show you haw to use TT & then use it yourselves

The slinking away & cowering is a sign of an abused animal trying to make itself as small as poss etc I had never come across it until I rescued my X breed she wouldn't come into the house for a week nor use the kennel she slept in the run attached to the kennel(all covered in)she todate is still the only dog who has lived in the kennel over the age of 8 weeks

Seems to me the dog is very unsure of himself & insecure, poor lad what a life he must have had