Is it normal...(guarding instinct and prey drive)

[Ritz459]

Is it normal for an almost six month old Labrador pup to already show signs of guarding behavior? Like, for instance, our neighbors are out side right now (they live on ten acres and so do we if that gives you a distance idea) and Sadie saw them outside so she is now sitting at a window barking and growling. If she hears a strange noise or something, she'll also start barking and she'll go into a "guard dog" mode and try to find out what is making the noise.
She only does this when only a few people are at home, or it is really quiet. If somebody comes to the door she'll be all happy to see them, but she'll bark at them and put up a fuss before she actually "sees" them. (She may see their car, but not them, or whatever.)

I was just wondering if that was normal for a Lab pup or if she is going to have a guarding instinct when she gets older.

Oh, and that reminds me, how can you tell if what you are seeing is a puppy playfulness or a preydrive? Because I've been wondering if Sadie has a preydrive or not, or if that is just her being a puppy. Because she wants to chase the rabbits and birds and what-not that are in our yard, and when she see's my ferrets she goes ballistic and tries to pounce on them.
So is that just the puppyness in her, or is she prey driven?

Just courious.

[bigdoglover]

For the last part of your post, it sounds like prey drive. Labs are a retrieving breed, and have to be taught to "wait" while hunting.

For the first part, I can sympathise to an extent. My question would be how much socialization does she get? I live in the country too, and may not see a single person for a whole week, so in order to keep my pups socialized, I take them to town with me. Just a thought!

[GSD]

I agree sounds like prey drive, and prey drive is a fun drive so play and prey are pretty much the same.

As for guarding, I think its more of your puppy being unsure of the situation and reacting. It may or may not be a good thing depending on what you want. SOme people want a dog that barks at others and stops when told, others want a dog that doesn't bark at others.

If you don't want it, I'm thinking more socialization is in order, and even they your pup may grow up to bark at people by the house, and that IMO isn't a bad thing.

[Carrie]

If a dog is going to be protective, then 6 months is perfectly normal to begin trying out his voice. A Lab generally isn't extremely protective, but most all dogs have some of that....to one degree or another.

My Doberman started growling and barking at strange noises outside (when he was inside) at around 4 or 4-1/2 months....just beginning to find his voice. As long as your dog is well socialized and learns to settle or "enough" when you ask, you should be glad that he lets you know someone is out there. I usually go look out the window when my dogs are "going off" and then when there's no one coming, I say in a sing songy voice..."Oh...it's nothing. It's OK" Kind of a muttering, reassuring tone and then "enough." It's like they want me to check too and looking out the window seems to reassure them. Not sure if they're that complex to know that my looking out the window means anything, but it seems to help.

All dogs have three drives; prey, fight/flight and pack. Some have more of one or another. Prey drive is practiced in the form of play with most all dogs; chasing things that move is fun and it is also what wild dog pups or wolf pups do when learning how to hunt. Domestic dogs as adults are more like wolf pups and continue this play/prey thing on into adulthood.

[Ritz459]

She does get a lot of socalization (seeing as how she is a Guide dog in training). She LOVES people (maybe a little too much. lol ) but if she thinks something is amiss, she'll bark and growl until she figures out what is going on. She might be asleep and someone sneezes and she'll be up and she'll let out a woof and then look around. We'll tell her it is ok and to go back to sleep and she does.

Personally, I like a dog that barks and is standoffish with strangers until told that it is ok (but not so much that no one can handle him without the owner around....I like a happy medium), but I was just wondering if how her personality is turning out to be would be good for a blind person. lol Not so much the guarding, but the preydrive.

[Carrie]

Personally, I like a dog who notices when something is amiss and lets you know...as long as they understand what is normal and what is not and that comes from oodles of socialization. I wouldn't want a dog who flies off the handle and jumps to conclusions. LOL. Lyric is good about that. I don't know about the prey drive when related to seeing eye training. You'd have to ask your trainer. I think it would probably need to be kept in check or directed in a way that it doesn't interfere with guiding. But the drive to forge on ahead and be unafraid of normal things would be good, I would think. I don't know much about guide dog training specifically.