how would you hand this continuing problem?

Question

i have a 2 yr old labrador that majority of the people in my neighborhood are scared of. he barks at strangers and is protective of me and my family. we have caught people throwing stuff at him when he is outside chained up to do his duty, as well as some of the neighborhood children teasing him . we have asked them to stop and have talked to the children's parents about the situation. with summer coming, he will probably be outside a lot more. i can not move his chain because the tree that we were using to tie him up on was cut down. he is a strong dog and the only other thing we could move him to is a young tree that i fear he would pull up easily. for a bit of background--he is on a tow chain, with about a 10ft length, and clip rated for 1,000+lbs, he has broke many chains and clips in the past. he almost pulled down a fence post that was cemented into the ground (that was at about 7 months) a fenced yard is not an option as we rent and the dog downstairs does not get along w/ him.

in response to helen...he goes out for at most 20 mins..enough time to do his duty... never once did i say that he was chained out for extended periods. i did say he would be outside more in the summer, mostly on his leash. he goes for many daily walks. i have had labs my whole life. a faimly member trained and bred labs so i know the proper ways to care and train them. he barks at strangers that come near the home. he does not starve for attention. i said he is treated just as our children. anyways if he wasn't on a chain how would he go outside? do not have a fenced yard and it snows here and i have young children...cant bundle them up at night and take him out to do his duty for 20 mins... that is just common sense. there are leash laws where i live so my dog has to either be in a fenced yard, chained or leashed when outside. and as i stated before my landlord will not put a fence up. i can not move because of lease.

i was asking how you would re-approach the parents of these children that are outside more now due to the nicer weather about not teasing the dog. and yes he is laying by me right now sleeping at my feet and is an inside only pet. he has 2 children in the home w/ him. which is y he is protective. wow i just realized people only saw the statement about the chain and not the full thing!

i have tried calling the cops before. they do not do anything. as for the aspca...we do not have one here. the humane society that we do have doesn't respond to much of anything. i have tried both routes. and they both said the same thing. we have to talk to the children's parents and ask them to stop. i was simply asking how i should go about asking them again because it seems like noting has been done to address the matter on their end.

my lab does get a lot of exercise, and has ample space with in the house. we are just restricted outside because of the no fence.

i don't want to hear the "give your dog to a farm" i can't move so the "move somewhere else" won't be an option...we have a lease and are bound by it. the landlord knows we have him and knows he is inside.

please have you read what i have typed? he goes for many walks and is leash trained. he is now 2. he has never been an outside dog and never will be. he is a very smart dog..does things that sometimes i can't even do!
maybe i should elaborate more on the barking...he only barks at strangers/non family members when they are coming to the door...mainly when he is already inside. people are scare of him b/c he is a larger lab.

HE IS INSIDE ALL DAY WITH THE EXCEPTION OF GOING OUT TO GO POTTY. THE CHAIN IS TO KEEP HIM FROM RUNNING AWAY AND TO KEEP FROM HAVING TO BE CITED FOR THE LEASH LAW WHICH STATES A ANIMAL MUST BE CONTAINED WHEN OUTSIDE OF THE HOUSE

actually yes labs like any other dog are protective of their family. the one i had growing up was very much protective of my brother and i.

to reiterate he is inside all the time with the exception of going out for potty. when the weather is warmer he will be outside more but on the leash not free roaming, which is what we did last summer as well.

and by protective i mean that as an example in out old home (main reason we moved) during the night someone attempted to break in and he alerted us to faint noise at the door so that we could take proper actions.

the apartment we are in now is a large flat and we are the upstairs tenants. the next door neighbors and him get along great too....their kids play with him all the time when he is out and treat him with respect. it is the other children in the neighborhood that don't.

and he does have playmates, 2 children, 2 adults, and 3 kittens.

LAURA K: (thank you for reading :)--no i do not have a balcony, we have tried the rebar after the tree was cut down, he pulled it right up (forgot to mention that) the ground here is like a 1-3foot layer of soft/dry dirt and then clay, we live near a lake. most times we would all have to go out being that dad and i work opposite schedules and most times there is only one of us here at a time. my oldest (7yrs) is in kindergarten and youngest (4 yrs) is at home most days. when schedules conflict grandma watches them. so on nice days we can do the leash potty but he tends to want to play more than anything. when no one is home my friend (who lives down stairs) lets him out for us. she took care of him and the cats when we had to go out of town.
as for taping them we may just have to do that. our camera broke and can't get a new one at the moment but we have access to one.
as for the police and hs, here they don't do anything unless someone/thing was hurt/killed.

i did talk to his vet about the chain. she is the one that told me that if i had to then to use one that will contain him, which is what he is using now. she nows what type, and how long it is. and that he is only on it for short periods of time. i am going to bring this situation up at his next visit as well, i just wanted to see what other people would do or did do in the same situation.

with the walks, he is leash trained, but being young only pulls when he's overly excited. we have used the choke chain on some walks as a training aid (yes i have been properly trained with one) being that my family member and i are not on speaking terms at the moment i will contact a trainer in the area and see what s/he suggests, being that this could get further out of control w/ the neighborhood kids. he's not aggressive..yet, and i want to keep it that way.

honestly, last resort is neutering b/c my family member and i were going to breed our 2, yes she is and has been a lab breeder

Answer 1

I have two labs - littermates actually - they are 4 now. Bottom line is he is bored and wants to come inside. Can he come in? You must get him off the chain. He is either going to end up hurt by a mean person or he is going to end up biting someone and then getting put down. If you love him and I am sure you do, please get him off the chain and out of the backyard. Can you bring him inside all day and then take him for a walk later when you are home? Labs make wonderful inside dogs - they want human companionship and want to be part of the family. If you cant because you rent, can you check into another rental that will let you bring him inside or if it comes to it finding him a home where he has a yard to run in and a house to come inside to.

Are you sure your landlord wouldn't let you fence an area? Even if its a small area say 10X10. Lowes/HD has lumber for not too much. Or post on freecycle or craigslist.

Also, labs actually have not bred to be protective and I fear its turning him into a mean dog by keeping him chained with people being mean. I hope you can do better for him..I don't say that to be mean, but just that labs are wonderful and he wants to be a happy family dog.

OK I just reread your comments...I didn't realize he is out just to go to the bathroom. I misinterpeted duty as protection not to go to the bathroom. Do you have a balcony or deck where you get one of those bathroom lawn things? Puppy Pee Pads? Would you have to take the kids out to take the dog out? I would always leash my dogs up and take them out and within a few minutes they would go. No reason to take everyone out is there? Seems like that would be an option? He should only need to go 2-3 times a day. Can you get him on a schedule before kids start walking to school, before they leave from school and then say at 10 pm? I would also call the cops...that just totally POs me that they are being mean to your dog. What about a motion activated sprinkler that would spray the kids when they get close?

Just read some more of your comments...
Dont know if you have funds for this or not...but you could tape the kids being mean towards the dog and then take it to the parents? I have never had good luck in talking with parents in the neighborhood about anything. They are always convinced that their kids are angles. Could you take your dog for a walk to their house and introduce the dog to the kids and explain that you love your dog and when people throw rocks it makes the dog mean and hurts the dog. The main ASPCA or HS number or website might have better advice.

What do you think about the potty schedule?

When I said not bred for protection I meant like GSD or rottweiler etc..ofcourse they will alert you to something. My labs are good about that. If its the barking that is getting the kids to come over what about a citronella collar?

What about cementing some rebar in the ground - would that hold him?

Growing up we had a dog that neighbors threw rocks at...he ended up biting three of them. Luckily my dog didn't get put down but we had to always have him muzzled after that.

Sometimes kids are so mean!

Answer 2

Honestly, I stopped reading about halfway down, when you were simply addressing other people's comments. I understand your situation. He must be on a chain...that isn't optional here.

You need to do two things. First, stop the kids from tormenting him. You have already tried talking to the parents, and it didn't do any good. I think trying again would be a waste of breath. You cannot make their parents be responsible. But you can stop the kids. You need to be outside with your dog and hollar at the kids when they come by...and I mean really hollar. It will be a pain and an inconvenience, but really your dog shouldn't be alone outside anyway if he's been known to be overly protective and to break chains. The last thing you want is for him to go after these kids.

Which brings me to the next thing you need to do: decrease your dog's protectiveness. I'm not an expert on this by any means, so consult your vet about training methods to accomplish this.

Answer 3

If your dog is on a chain, and a child goes back there to torment him and the dog gets ahold of the child and mauls the child you will be charged with a serious felony crime and the dog will be put down unless you have video tape to prove the child tormented him. Even then, in many places you risk losing the dog and getting in serious trouble. You might want to consider re-homing your dog with someone that lives in the country or has a very well fenced in yard that can make this dog indoor and outdoor and maybe take him hunting, something to keep him busy and from being bored and lonely.
It's wrong that those kids and those stupid people do that kind of stuff to your dog. But for his sake and your sake, please re-home him and get a dog that you can have in an apartment without having to worry about finding him a home or taking him to a dog pound on short notice because someone complains and the landlord says he has to go.
I know that would be very hard to do, but sounds like it would be best for all.

Answer 4

Ohhhh, I hardly know where to start. It's cruel to chain a dog up, especially for hours at a time. He is BORED and that's why he's barking. I don't blame him trying to get free! Next ... he barks at strangers not because he's protecting you or your family but because he has no respect for you and sees himself as pack leader. This is very stressful for a dog and he could end up self-harming - mutilating his own tail and so on. Doubtless you have never had him trained or you would have been told all this. Please unchain him, take him for regular walks at least twice a day to socialize him with other dogs and take him to obedience classes. It will do ALL of you good, including your neighbors!

Answer 5

All I can suggest is not to ever chain your dog outside and then leave him there by himself to be defenseless against unruly neighbors. People that would throw things at a dog can not be reasoned with. If you try to talk to them they will just make it worse for you. You can't win them over if they are scared of you dog.

If you are home all day with your dog and children that is great! He is better with his family than out there feeling defenseless at the end of a chain.

If you really want this to work you can make him into a wonderful dog. It sounds like you have some serious issues with your dog. The best solution taking him to a professional trainer.

If you can't do that take him to obedience classes. If not that then go to the library and find some books on dog training. Or check the Internet on dog aggression and learn how to be the ALPHA. Watch Ceasar Millan's TV program on National Geographic channel called "Dog Whisperer." Or get his books at the library.

He has some great training ideas on training dogs like yours. It sounds like you have a problem with your Lab because he is so strong. He is probably lunging out the door and pulling on the leash with his youthful exuberance everytme you take him out. These Labs are a handful but when well trained they are dream dogs for a family.

If you can find some way to take him out a couple times a day, maybe morning and afternoon for a nice long walk on a leash that would help a lot. You can be training him to heel while you are taking your 2 year old for a walk.

Of course you can't do that if he is lunging and pulling you down the street. You can practice in you home at first. Try to find a couple times each day to practice heeling. You have a yard to train in too. If kids come by this will be an opportunity to for them to see you training your dog. They will have more respect for the dog.

Always end the training with some games like retrieving. This a good way to teach him to come when you call him too. Keep him on a long rope, not chain please, when doing this.

When you feel you have control and he is ready, start taking for walks on the sidewalk. If he is still too protective and shows signs of aggression toward people on the street then you WILL HAVE TO get a profession to help you. Obedience classes are sometimes offered at the Humane Society that are very reasonable and they have progessionals that give advise even on the phone.

By the time summer comes you might be walking your Lab at your side with your child and neighbors will think, "What a well behaved dog!" No one will be throwing things at your dog and he will be feeling secure looking up to you as his leader and not feel he has the responsibility of having to protect you.

I had a Dobbie mix that was aggressive and it took me 3 years to train him. He would try to grab bike tires, skateboard and people's shoes as they past us on the street. Obedience training really helped cure him of that and also clicker training. (check below). It's a lot of work but worth the effort.

Here are some websites to help you get started:
http://www.leerburg.com/qa.htm
http://www.clickerlessons.com/clicker.htm
http://www.leerburg.com/qa.htmhttp://www.cesarmillaninc.com/index.php

I'm sorry I didn't give you any solution for your problem of kids throwing things at your dog. Please don't tie him up any more though. You won't find a dog trainer that would approve of that idea. OK, if you have to, not longer than a few minutes for him to do his business or when you are out their with him. But the problem is you never know when someone is going to throw something when you are not their to protect him.

There are people that live in high rises in the middle of the city that have big dogs in their apartments. They take them for walks everyday. They don't have a yard and the dogs do well as long as they get enough exercise on the leash. He can learn to run with you while you or a member of your family goes jogging.

I'm sorry for this being so long but my heart goes out to you. I hope some of this advice is helpful to you. : )

Answer 6

When dogs are chained up it does something to them. In my opinion no dog should be chained it breaks their spirit and makes them unmanagable I agree with Helen I would try walking him everyday and allowing him to be sociable. If he pulls when he is walked you can buy a harness that is called a gentle leader which trains the dog not to pull. Take treats with you and allow people that he doesn't know to give them to him. Try to stay calm yourself when approaching strangers so that the dog doesn't feed off of your emotions. Labs are usually very trainable dogs( who do have a tendency to be pullers when walked) you shouldn't have a problem correcting his behavoirs as long as you are consistent. You should check in to obedience training in your area I think that you will find it very helpful and I think you will find that you have a very smart dog. Don't allow kids to tease him he will not forget it.

Answer 7

I have to agree with Helen here, a Labrador is to high energy to be cooped up with limited space to run. he is bored and sounds he is pissed off. he needs exercise and obedience training. unfortunately you can not control what your neighbors do. if they are being cruel you should call the SPCA and ask their advice. Please consider moving to a place with a yard so your dog can run. He would be much happier.

Answer 8

Yeah run him until he is tired I know hard to do with a Lab. As for kids teasing him. Is there not an SPCA for out of control curtain crawlers.

Answer 9

Call the cops on the neighbors or just get him a companion so he won't be bored.

Answer 10

You are protesting far too much! Obviously things are not working out with this dog and it deserves a suitable home.