Comments on: Do You Humanize Your Labrador? http://dogblog.8pawsup.com/2009/11/do-you-humanize-your-labrador.html The world through the lives of two chocolate Labrador Retrievers. Sat, 04 Feb 2012 19:32:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Shannon http://dogblog.8pawsup.com/2009/11/do-you-humanize-your-labrador.html#comment-872 Shannon Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:23:33 +0000 http://dogblog.8pawsup.com/?p=922#comment-872 Exactly Mike! Labs need structure and, ironically, they thrive on it! You are most welcome for the article! :) Exactly Mike! Labs need structure and, ironically, they thrive on it!
You are most welcome for the article! :)

]]> By: Mike http://dogblog.8pawsup.com/2009/11/do-you-humanize-your-labrador.html#comment-867 Mike Thu, 12 Nov 2009 08:48:13 +0000 http://dogblog.8pawsup.com/?p=922#comment-867 So true. Our lab mix is a nervous little guy. After rescuing him from a local shelter a few months ago, he's been getting barky & growly at neighbors while on our daily walks. Pulling him back never seemed to help. Then we realized we were giving him lots of leeway with the leash. He was used to walking in the lead and perhaps didn't see us as capable of leading or protecting him. In our minds, we were simply being nice to him by giving him the freedom to sniff and walk wherever he wanted. But that wasn't the case. As soon as we started correcting him and training him to heel, his barking & growling behavior subsided. He seems to be a little bit happier too, though still nervous at times. We had to treat him not like a human, but like a dog, to earn his trust and put him on the path of a happier life. Thanks for the article! So true. Our lab mix is a nervous little guy. After rescuing him from a local shelter a few months ago, he’s been getting barky & growly at neighbors while on our daily walks. Pulling him back never seemed to help.

Then we realized we were giving him lots of leeway with the leash. He was used to walking in the lead and perhaps didn’t see us as capable of leading or protecting him.

In our minds, we were simply being nice to him by giving him the freedom to sniff and walk wherever he wanted. But that wasn’t the case.

As soon as we started correcting him and training him to heel, his barking & growling behavior subsided. He seems to be a little bit happier too, though still nervous at times. We had to treat him not like a human, but like a dog, to earn his trust and put him on the path of a happier life.

Thanks for the article!

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