My dog is becoming overly needy and nasty with me

[mylife4his]

Hi all, looking for some advice. I have a 1.5 year old Lab Mix (he’s 100lbs) and I love him to death. I have had him since he was a puppy and he’s always been a high strung, high energy dog. I am a single dog dad, and have an active lifestyle and live in Colorado. Just recently, we moved out of the city in Denver into a cabin in the mountains, but nothing to remote. I feel it was a beautiful upgrade and we have a huge yard now and hiking trails that connect to my yard.

When in Denver, I was walking him few miles a day along with playtime everyday. On the weekends, we spend time hiking in the mountains. I also have a dog friendly office so he comes with me twice a week to work, and gets a ton of love and attention. He also has a best dog friend at work and they play 2 hours every week. On top of this, I work 1 day remote and am home with him. He’s only home 2 days a week by himself. I spoil him with bones, toys, and other things to keep his mind occupied. When in Denver, things were great and we had an amazing routine and relationship.

However, now since moving 3 weeks ago, I feel like I have a different dog. I’m not sure if it’s cause of the move and we’re both developing new routines, but he’s become extremely aggressive and nasty with me. He constantly barks at me for attention and has become overly needy. Well go on a 4 mile hike and he gets home and will continue to whine and cry to go outside. I’m only 1 man, and can only do so much for him. I feel lately he’s controlling my life lol and I have 0 time to myself and I’m starting to feel resentful.

I really don’t what to do at this point. I’ve tried ignoring the bad behavior, but it seems it’s getting worse.

Any suggestions?

 

[christiano1988]

@mylife4his It’s likely that he’s just stressed out and overwhelmed by the move. Moving can be extremely stressful for dogs just like humans, he’s trying to adjust to a new environment and is likely clinging to the thing that comforts him most which is being outdoors. Give him time, and be patient- I know it’s difficult. But if he doesn’t level out after another month or two or if the behavior worsens then maybe bring him to the vet to see if there is an underlying medical issue causing the problem.

 

[mylife4his]

@christiano1988 Thanks for the reply! That’s a good call, I think it could be a comfort thing being outdoors. Guess I didn’t really look at it that way…I plan on just being patient and trying to re-train in certain areas and show extra love. I appreciate it!

 

[christiano1988]

@mylife4his That is a fantastic plan! Patience is key here, he will adjust on his own timeline, all you can do is support & comfort him when and how you can. And if he is food motivated, maybe try introducing some puzzle games to keep him mentally stimulated while inside! Or even doing some scent training games inside as well. I would also try to focus some of your re-training on being in the house, so he feels more comfortable & confident in his new home.
Good luck to you both!

 

[guitarrandy]

@mylife4his Barking and whining in the way you describe isn’t being aggressive. He is showing insolence, sure, which is usually reinforced by the owner giving in. What does he do when you ignore his demands?

 

[mylife4his]

@guitarrandy I would agree showing insolence. To be honest, I have been giving in more since the move, which probably isn’t the best thing.

For example, I was sitting on my back deck yesterday while he was down in the yard. He was staring and aggressively barking at me for a couple minutes… when I ignored him and turned away from him, he just grabbed a stick and chewed it.

Just this morning after a short walk and him going pee and poo, we got back inside and he started whining at the back door and staring at me. When I ignored him, he just came on the couch and is now sleeping on my legs.

 

[guitarrandy]

@mylife4his I’m not sure why exactly he’s testing you now in this manner but those are promising reactions to you not giving in. If you’re ensuring he’s getting equal time getting exercise and uninterrupted attention from you as before when he was most happy, then you can give yourself permission to not give in to his demands, knowing that you’ve given him enough.

 

[mylife4his]

@guitarrandy Thanks for your replies! Some friends things I’ve over spoiled him previously, so this is just a big adjustment for us both. I think it’ll get better with time, especially since he’s getting the same amount of exercise time and attention. Just feels like we went back to square 1 on some things lol

 

[benreborn]

@mylife4his This kinda happened to me. It turned out that he had hip dysplasia and was in pain, and that’s what the ‘aggression’ was communicating. He was diagnosed at age 1 and a half. Also a big breed.

 

[p4m3l4]

@mylife4his Try being as predictable in your routine as you can be. Do your hike at the same time every day, work at your computer at the same time every day. You can give a chew or toy filled with peanut butter when you start working to signal “this is calm time.” He’s in a new environment, make it as easy as you can for him to predict what happens in that environment.