Hi. I have a lab dog who has 2 puppies from a big unknown breed of dog. Her puppies are approx 10 months old. They are actually bigger than she is and she is 3 years old. For the past few weeks, she will not let them eat. They have separate bowls. All it takes is for her to look at them and sneer while they are eating and they walk away from their bowls. If the bowls are placed a great distance away from each other, she will run to the other bowls and sneer to make the other dogs back off and then she will go back to her bowl. It has gotten to the point that I basically have to hand feed them so they will know it is okay to eat.

I know I can leash her to the front yard to allow the other dogs to eat. But she has never been leashed. She wears a collar with no problems. I am afraid to leash her as I don't want her to become traumatized. Several months ago, I leashed one of her puppies to have her close by when a potential new owner came to see her. She immediately acted beaten down and of course the people did not want her due to that current personality. That personality has remained. I can barely pet her. She has to see my hand in front of her face, such as feeding her, before she is comfortable with me. We have never raised our voice, hit, or done anything bad to her (except for the leash). We cannot take her to get her shots or to get her spayed as we cannot get her into a vehicle. (The lab is now spayed).


Any suggestions on the feeding as well as the scared personality.
TIA!

So, let me make sure I understand the situation because I did get a little confused about which dog you are talking about a few times.

You have a 3 year old lab female that had puppies 10 months ago. She got pregnant by an unknown dog or dogs because you didn't bother to teach her to walk on a leash so you couldn't get her to the vet for her shots, spay, or any other care for that matter. But, now, you have gotten her spayed but is still not accepting a leash. Was it the lab or the puppy that acted "beaten down" when leashed for the potential adoptive parents' visit?

Your 3yo lab is being food aggressive and you won't stop her because she doesn't like being tethered. Get over it. Tether her. You shouldn't be handfeeding those puppies and creating behavioral issues the new owners will have to deal with. What you are creating are dogs that will end up in a shelter and euthanized.

Stop worrying about how the lab behaves when tethered. She'll get over it. Tether her. Walk away. Let her scream, yelp, thrash around, pitch a holy terror. She isn't dieing.

If the puppies haven't learned to wear a collar and leash, start teaching. Put on the collar and attach a leash and let them drag the leash around. They may not like it at first but they'll get used to it. Once they are used to the leash dragging behind them, start taking ahold of the leash. If they cry, yelp, scream, thrash or otherwise get very dramatic--ignore them. Keep holding the leash until they settle down. Let go. After a few minutes, pick up the leash again. Once they are used to this, start holding the leash and walking so they have to follow you. They may object but they'll go with you.

This same procedure will work for the 3yo lab as well.

I hope you have had the puppies spayed/neutered.

You also need to work on the food aggression issue but frankly, I think you need to hire a dog trainer/rehabilitator for that.

Ok, back again. I didn't realize I needed to post background info. I have 300 acres with a public access road going through. Dogs and cats are constantly being dropped off. Usually I don't bother with leashes or tie ups so they have free roam of the place.

I decide which ones I want to keep and get them spayed/neutered. Most of them are given away. I am familiar with my local animal control shelter and their qualifications for keeping a cat/dog to put up for adoption. I do call the shelter when dogs are dropped off that exhibit erratic and manic behaviors. Also when dogs have been dropped off after their owners have poisoned them and had expected them to have met their demise in the ditch. I am only allowed to have x number of cats/dogs per local ordinance. No leash ordinance applies.

I rescued the lab as she was headed to the animal control shelter as she was reported to have killed some chickens. She was already pregnant. Being pregnant means a very very short stay at the shelter. Killing chickens is probably considered to be aggressive, but I really don't know. I don't even know if she actually killed some chickens or if the previous owners just said that to get rid of her.

She gave birth to 8 puppies. Only 2 have remained with us for the past several months. She has been spayed. The lab has been easily trained in all aspects except for the new eating behaviors.

Problem #1: Just one look from her, the lab, keeps the other 2 puppies from eating. Even when she is not around they are afraid to eat out of a bowl as they feel she has "claimed" their bowls as her own.

Problem #2. The female puppy will not allow me to hold her or to do anything in which she can see my hands in front of her face. This started when I first put a leash on her. She wears a collar but will not allow me to go near the collar, to put a leash on her again. Subsequently, I cannot take her anyone in a vehicle whether it is to get her shots, to get spayed, or to be given away. So, based on your response, I will "corner" her to put a leash on her again and try the steps for her to get use to a leash. She has never been aggressive so I am not afraid of her biting me. I have been just afraid of making her feel bad or scarred as she already acts like she has been "beaten down."

So thanks for your response re: the leash. The closest dog trainer is 3 hours away, so that is not a viable route for me to go.

Probably my best bet in the future, is to call animal control on all dogs and cats that find their way to my place. That way, I only have to worry about my specific chosen pets and not others unwanted ones. It will also enable me to stay within the pet ordinance rather than constantly being in violation.