I have a 5 year old neutured labrador, and my mum manxpat has explained what happened on the behavior boards. But i don't know what to do, I walk him every day and as a result of him being too protective of me he tried to attack a BC pup he pulled me over and i now have a sprained finger! We cannot put him onto an extendable lead he broke one as a pup and he aslo broke his halti, because of his sheer strenght! I got him when i was 8 and i am now 13. When i first walked him to the park after a week he copped on that he knew exactily where he was going and would pull me so hard that i would have to sit dow or grad hold of something! I dont know how to get rid of his aggression. HELP!
Help appriciated
Izzi

Sorry, but I wouldn't let a 13 year old walk a strong labrador with agressive tendancies unsupervised! You could end up in a lot of trouble is someone gets bitten breaking up a fight.

To ChloeH, Orry (the lab i question) Is usually a well behaved dog, and i got him as a Birthday present, I usually have full control over him, but not in the park, and being of a working type he needs to be let off the lead, my mum is at work all day and so is my dad, and the Au Pair that we have for the sumer holidays has only ever walked a Jack Russel. I just want Orry to get rid of these aggressive tendancies, we went to the leeds Championship show and he was fine and competely laid back, i don't know why is has changed so quickly!
Izzi

Could you not walk him in a headcollar to give you more control...........?

IMO if you really HAVE to take him out on your own I personally would invest in a muzzel if he is trying to attack other dogs, you could get in to a lot of trouble if your Lab does bite a dog or accidently the dogs owner.

To Zoe, I will keep your suggestion in mind, but I do not want to resort to putting a muzzle on him just yet, but i will get one incase. But a muzzle will not help the fact that in the park, he does not come back when I call him and he pulled me over and now I have a sprained finger. A muzzle will help in some respects but not in others!
Thank you for your advice Zoe, much appriciated
Izzi

There will be many much more experienced people coming on to answer your questions Izzi I'm sure however, do you change your walk with your dog?  If you take him on the same route and to the same place everyday then he'll be more likely to pull because he knows exactly where he is going to and is in a rush to get there!! 

Perhaps try taking him to different places or even to the same park but by another route.  Make his walk exciting so that his attention is on you rather than his end destination.  That will hopefully help him from pulling at you.

By the sounds of it you also need to concentrate on his recall before you let him off in the park.  Have you done any work on this with him before?  Again, there are people that will have far more help for you than I on this subject but I used a long line with Glazby in the park - not an extendable lead but a lunge line I used to have from my horsey days.  It meant that if he ran off and wouldn't come back I could stamp on the end of it.  Whilst he's on it practise calling him back to you and giving lots of treats to praise him when he does.  You can gradually increase the distance between you but you still have him under control.

I'd also suggest that if possible, you don't walk him on your own.  Even if your aupair hasn't got experience in walking a lab, 2 people are better than one - even if she's just there to hold your hand!!

I hope this helps!!
Hayley..

Thank you for your advice Charanda I will bear it in mind! But Orry pulls and pulls no matter what route I takehim on because they all have differant smells and new dogs that live along the streets. But thank you for you help, it is much appriciated!
Thanks
Izzi

well, you need to get him in to training classes, or maybe a 1 on 1 with a trainer to begin with, you should keep him on the lead ALL of the time. i know that lads need to run but he needs to stay on the lead until he know that when you call he HAS to come back. you could think about getting him a long lead which will help in recall.
and try walking him any where but the park

Thank you for your advice Staffie Lover, Yesterday was the first time in months! I am not letting him off the lead until I can trust him. Thanks for the advice.
Izzi

If he's always pulling like you have said then you definitely need to go back to basics with him in his training.  However, this shouldn't all be left to you to do - you need the help of your parents and I agree training classes maybe a good idea.  This would also help to socialise him with other dogs. 

Also, if he is always pulling at you then you should definitely NOT be taking him out on your own.

What if he pulled you over and you lost him and he ran into a road causing an accident?  Until you can control him properly (which with training you eventually will be able to) you should have an adult with you when walking him.  This is for your safety, his safety and other people's safety.  You and your family must to the responsible thing.

Thank you for that, I will bear it in mind.
Thank you for that info.
Izzi

By the way - I didn't mean to sound quite so stern!!  :-D

Izzi, I think we can all sympathise with you but you do have to think about yours, the dogs and everyone elses wellbeing.  You would never forgive yourself if something bad did happen.  I used a lunge rein on my dog to teach him recall.  They cost about £5-£10 and are very long indeed.  I know you said he broke a halti but have you tried a Gentle Leader?  I use them on my BCs and they are a lot stronger than a halti.  Not only that a Halti actually closes on the muzzle as the dog pulls, the gentle leader does not.  They have a website and would be well worth a look.  I help out a training classes and we had a 14 year old girl with a lab cross weimeraner (can never spell it) and was having similar trouble.  We asked her to use a gentle leader and give it a go.  He improved enormously and she never goes out without it now and he is a very calm dog indeed.  Hard work and patience ahead but please be safe. 

Claire

Hi Izzi,

Your right in saying that a muzzel will not solve any aggressivness but I just dont want to see you getting in any trouble. Last week a 13 yr old girl brought her staffy to the park and it bit a child, she thought it would be a 1 off and took it the next day to the park where it happened again- now the dog has been put to sleep. I'm in no way saying you are this irrisponsible but just to be carefull ok, even if your dog bit someone elses and it turned out to be the other dogs fault they will probably find some way of pinning it on you because of your age. I'm sorry to throw bad stuff at you but you need to look at it from all angles.

If he's a working type lab, how about doing some gundog training to give him some mental stimulation.  That will tire him out more than a race around the park.  Be fun too.

Helen