Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2011 8:36 am Post subject: Help Needed - Chalky's behaviour has changed! Updated
Hi,
I would like your advice please on Chalky's recent behavior change. We have had him since July, he is 15 months old and neutered.
He settled in with us really well and with our other lab, Ellie-May (who is 14 months old), the two labs were getting on great together, and Chalky's behavior has been near on perfect, i.e. no jumping up, perfect recall, didn't pull on lead, gentle mannered and very biddable.
However, we have had trouble with him since a certain neighbour of ours decided it was really funny to bring his 2 collies off lead down to our gate so that his aggressive male collie could have a go at Chalky through the gate, to prove his dog could have any dog it liked! And believe me, if we didn't have our gate area protected with chicken wire, I dread to think what would have happened to Chalky's face!
Things got so bad with the neighbour and his dogs, that my OH had to go and have serious words with him, we were even considering contacting the dog warden if he didn't stop. Since being told by OH, the neighbour is now keeping a low profile, and the dogs haven't been brought down to the gate since.
The trouble I have now, is that Chalky's behaviour has changed with male dogs and men, he will growl and try to nip them if they get too close, (only if he is on lead or in the garden, off lead he is fine) and he has become very rough with Ellie-May, (trying to sit on her and bite her neck etc). Obviously I have been stopping him when he gets like that, and he listens, but I'm very sad to think that maybe he won't be the same gentle natured, loving boy he used to be before all this.
Any help and advice you could give me would be very much appreciated, as I don't want this to spiral out of control, I'm hoping we can get him back to how he was before, and I'm sure Ellie-May feels the same way too.
Last edited by juliet42 on Fri Nov 25, 2011 10:02 am; edited 1 time in total
What is concerning me most is Chalky's attitude to our next door neighbours who have been friends of ours for years. They like to chat and pet Chalky and Ellie over the garden wall, and give them the odd treat or two. Since Chalky's encounter with the collie, he now tends to growl and snap at the wall where our neighbours stand, and they are upset to think they won't be able to stroke Chalky anymore.
I've explained the situation to them, and they understand, but I would be great to think I could do something to help Chalky see them as friends again.
According to what he said a while ago, he's quite proud of the fact that he lets his dog do this! Quote: "My dog can have any dog".
Thanks for your help
Pleased that lizi is in touch now, hope she`s able to help you out
As for the idiot who reckons his dog "can have any dog it wants", he needs to be shown the error of his ways, he shouldn`t have dogs full stop but sadly there`s no way of stopping him.
I`d definitely get on to the DW and see if s/he can have a quiet word and point out what trouble he`d be in if his dog does "have a dog" or even worse a child or adult.
What a complete plonker that neighbour sounds. He possibly has a screw loose somewhere. It sounds more like attention seeking behaviour to me, and definitely not normal. I would definitely report to the dog warden, even if he is lying low for now, as you really never know what he will do next, either to your dogs or to someone else's.
As for your other neighbours who want to be friends with Chalky, would it help if, for a while, they threw him some tasty titbits over the fence instead of reaching out to him, as he clearly isn't ready for that and may react badly. That would mean he doesn't have to come too near, but may gradually start to relax a bit. I don't know really, but it would be what I might try. I used to have the problem of Charlie being defensive and growly when the bin men came around even though they were friendly to him. Then, like a numpty, I persuaded one of them to give him a biscuit. I have now created the opposite problem for myself, in that he now believes their sole purpose is to be biscuit dispensers to him. At least he does like them now though.
I am glad Lizi is helping you out. Her advice will probably be much better thought out than mine.
Molly had a suddenly dislike to my postman ( with her history it was no suprise) but he is great and he gives a whistle and Molly now jumps up at the gate waiting for a treat.
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum You cannot attach files in this forum You cannot download files in this forum
At least he does like them now though. 
