Dog Community

need advice - rough lab

Posted : 3/30/2006 7:12:31 PM

Molly and her pal, Beau, get along really well. Molly definitely sees Beau as an equal and packmate.
Enter our newest walking/play buddy, an 8 month old yellow Lab named Jackson.
Jackson is large - not as tall as Molly but taller than Beau. Jackson probably weighs 70+ pounds....fat. I did talk to his owner about diet this evening. He's been eating Kibble 'n Bits. She's going to switch.
Anyway Jackson is extremely rough with Beau. Worriedly rough.
Beau is very submissive and will roll right onto his back and Jackson grabs his neck very roughly and won't let go, even to the point where he has dragged Beau a little ways.
Molly doesn't tolerate Jackson treating Beau like this and she rushes in to help her friend. But Jackson is very capable of throwing Molly off.
Jackson's owner is a 24 year old young woman (and her husband but he doesn't walk with us). She is very nice and I hate to ask her to stop walking with us. But she doesn't say anything to Jackson when he's doing this. She doesn't ignore it, she will pull Jackson off Beau after Molly starts to kick some Jackson ***.
She is listening to my advice on diet and I want to give her sound advice on how she should be handling Jackson when he's doing this. I simply don't know what to advice her to do.
But pulling JAckson off Beau isn't enough - he simply goes right back as soon as she releases his collar.
Beau's person is also very quiet and doesn't want to hurt anyone's feelings. I've got 10+ years on both of them (20+ on Jackson's person) and feel I can handle the situation diplomatically.
So throw some ideas at me as to what I can suggest she do with Jackson when he's trying to rip Beau's throat open. He nipped Beau a couple of times today too making Beau yelp.
Beau is the sweetest dog and I'm afraid Molly will get hurt defending Beau.
And this girl has got to get Jackson under control NOW...he's going to be a large dog.
Thanks for any advice you can give me.

glenmar

Posted : 3/30/2006 8:40:21 PM

Yikes, and I thought shepherds played rough! You're right she needs to get a handle on things NOW, and I'm betting that Beau and Molly are the only other dogs he gets to play with so he doesn't really know HOW to play.

I don't have any suggestions other than to tell her if Jackson doesn't knock it off, Molly's FIRST mom is gonna have to come and kick HER arse!!

huskymom

Posted : 3/30/2006 11:23:17 PM

Is Jackson actually being mean or is he just rough? If he is just rough, this girl should be working on his recall and other obedience. She needs to be able to call him off with just a command. When he gets to rough its time for a time out. And if that doesnt work its time to go home. And reward him when he is being acceptable. Our dogs roughhouse at the park all the time but no one ever gets hurt. If this dog had a reliable recall there would be no problem. Also if she can call him back sometimes get her to make him do something else for the treat or whatever so he doesnt think that beating up Beau + recalling = treat.

marynh

Posted : 3/31/2006 8:01:20 AM

I'm not 100% sure if he's being rough or aggressive. His body is saying aggressive ie., hair standing up on his back, legs stiff, and once we get him to release Beau he goes right back with his teeth bared.
He does this only to Beau, not Molly at all...and nearly constant unless we can keep him focused on something else.
I think we need to start over - when the 3 are together as Molly and Beau do fine alone. I think the 3 need to be on leash until they can get along better. Problem being my Molly is the only one who walks nicely on leash [

] the other 2 have a hard time even controlling on leash.

glenmar

Posted : 3/31/2006 9:29:02 AM

My heart just swells with pride when I hear that one of my babies does something that the others don't!![

] I'm not even sure that Molly had a ton of leash work before she left for her forever home........

marynh

Posted : 3/31/2006 9:51:26 AM

we walk Molly quite a bit and the time Paul spent home with her he did a lot of work.
She is pretty good. And the nights we don't walk w/the pups we take Molly for walks, in leash, to make sure she keeps it in her head that sometimes she won't be running off leash and has to walk like a lady.
She's doing very well with her crate too.
She's getting much more focused as she grows up.

glenmar

Posted : 3/31/2006 9:56:53 AM

Mary, have I told you lately how thrilled I am with the home you've given Molly?

marynh

Posted : 3/31/2006 10:59:16 AM

thank you Glenda [

] I'm still honored (and mention it quite frequently to those I know) that you offered to let us give a home to Molly.
My cats hate you though [sm=rotfl.gif]

glenmar

Posted : 3/31/2006 11:05:25 AM

Heck Mary, MY cats hate me...they went from cockers to these HUGE dogs and so darned many HUGE dogs........

There was no doubt in my mind after reading about Sadie that you would be a perfect home....I just wanted to be sure YOU were ready. I'm soooo glad that you were!