I've been thinking about this, too.
My youngest is very confident, social, drivey, but she can be reactive- like if she sees someone she might bark at first, then ignore or greet if called on. She's very easy to call or control in this situation- its not a fear or aggression based behavior. Or if she hears something outside she'll go off with this high pitched bark. But at training, with other dogs, on the trails, she's perfect. Ignores other dogs and people, but friendly when called on. Absolutely trustworthy. For example, she ran a mass-start canicross race recently and was absolutely perfect (and did awesome too).
Is she reactive? I'm not sure. She's so social and confident, if she is reactive it doesn't come across as nerves?
I really don't know... she's excitable, for sure, high energy, but not sure it is reactivity or just... youth- she's still immature at 13 months old? Curious what others have to say.[/QUOTE]
I think youth is part of this and with maturity we may see change. Our male is 14 months.I've been thinking about this, too.
My youngest is very confident, social, drivey, but she can be reactive- like if she sees someone she might bark at first, then ignore or greet if called on. She's very easy to call or control in this situation- its not a fear or aggression based behavior. Or if she hears something outside she'll go off with this high pitched bark. But at training, with other dogs, on the trails, she's perfect. Ignores other dogs and people, but friendly when called on. Absolutely trustworthy. For example, she ran a mass-start canicross race recently and was absolutely perfect (and did awesome too).
Is she reactive? I'm not sure. She's so social and confident, if she is reactive it doesn't come across as nerves?
I really don't know... she's excitable, for sure, high energy, but not sure it is reactivity or just... youth- she's still immature at 13 months old? Curious what others have to say.
with maturity we may see change.
Yep, happens to me all the time LOL! Not sure how I managed to make the same post twice...Tim, you hit reply as I was still typing lol.
I guess my question would be does heshe have weak nerves or just a Lab? Because a Lab should NOT have any level of aggression at all. Beyond natural defensive/self preservation a Lab has no reason to have any aggression and they were never supposed to be protective. That is not their job.What about a steady old lab who has no reactivity at all, but also certainly doesn't have the nerves to handle a protection type scenario?