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Today, we are examining some issues with a 15 month old, 100+lb. male lab that spends his days outside, and he sleeps inside at night with his sister. Recently, when it is work time for his humans, he has gotten very aggressive with them, growling and showing his teeth. They have to drag him outside with a leash before they leave for work. With a dog of that size, he is going to figure out that he is stronger than he has been letting on, and they will not be able to get him outside at all.
Photo Courtesy of Emilee Fuss Photography
You gotta love those retrievers! They are the “happy-go-lucky” dogs of the canine world, and that is probably why they have been the most popular dog in the United States for many years. Having spent the last seven years with Tax, a yellow lab, I just do not get that they maintain that #1 position year after year. Tax is a PWD (Pretty Weird Dog).
Most black labs stay in “puppyhood” until they are about three years of age. With dogs that mature so quickly physically, it is important to begin training a retriever as soon as possible. The things they do as small pups of 20 to 30 pounds, just are not as cute when the are 80 pounds plus with that same puppy mentality! At fifteen months, this lab is very much still a puppy.
If your dog has been routinely going outside without issue and now exhibits aggressiveness at the thought of going outside, I think that something has occurred outside that he does not like. Take a moment to explore the outside world that he experiences. During the summer, it is hot. During the winter, it is cold. There are numerous insects and other pests to bother him, not to mention thunderstorms, hail, snow, and wind. On days without those things to distract him, it is a very lonely and boring place. Unfortunately, a lot of humans believe that a dog’s place is in the yard, and they leave him out there 24/7. At least this pup is out only during the day.
I know this family feels that there is no other option than the outside when they are away, but FORCING him into the yard can lead to some serious behavioral problems. His boredom may lead him to destroy the yard, dig his way out, or worse. Please note, I am NOT suggesting that they leave a fifteen month old retriever alone and unsupervised in their home. This is for the same reason they should not be left alone in the yard. Bored retrievers can cause a lot of problems and damage.
When I was still a pup, Mom put me in my crate when she could not be at home with me to be supervised. At fifteen months with proper potty training, accidents in the house should not be a problem, as they should be able to hold it for about ten hours. If you do keep your dog inside while you are away, the first thing you need to do when you get home is let him outside to “get busy.” I stayed in my crate while Mom was at work. I LOVED it, because in the summer, I was nice and cool, and in the winter, I was nice and warm. Mom placed my crate so that I could watch TV when she was away. Tax and I are big fans of Animal Planet and cartoons. Once Mom got home, we ran around the house. If there was something Mom did not want us to do, she was right there to supervise, correcting us, if necessary. As we got older, we earned Mom’s trust and did not always have to go to our crate when Mom was away. Our crates can be accessed anytime, since they are our rooms. In my crate, I keep my stuffed pig, a purple hippo, and a green alligator. Although I have a very large crate now, I had to earn it.
Until you can trust your dog to be unsupervised, I hope that you will leave your dog in a crate or a safe, enclosed room in your house. Your ultimate goal is to say goodbye at the door every morning and have your dog meet you every afternoon, like me. Being left alone inside can also be boring to your pup, so I suggest getting him a few things to alleviate that boredom. Smart toys like a 
Planet Dog Orbee Tuff Strawberry or a Crazy Pet Bumble Ball are a good choice to keep him occupied. To break up the monotony of toys, you may also want to invest in some long-lasting treats and chews like bully sticks. Bully sticks last for hours, days, or weeks depending on the size of the dog and the length of the stick you buy.
To sum up, there is no reason to keep trying to force a dog into the yard, when you can confine and entertain him for hours in the comfort of the home. His resistance actions are his way of telling you that he is uncomfortable and unwilling to go in the yard. Right now, he trusts you to take care of him. The best thing you can do is to listen to his communication about his time in the yard. If you continue to force him, you risk betraying the trust that your dog has bestowed in you. In many of my articles, I say that the dog is the most social animal on the face of the earth. We are more sociable than humans, and we do not like to spend time alone. In my house, when the TV is on, it is like someone is home talking to us.
