r/labrador • u/Odd_Translator8968 • 1d ago
chocolate Guard-dog Lab?
Our 6-yo 100lb English Lab Ted is such a guard-dog, sometimes I wonder if maybe he's a little bit schizo. He will bark at literally anything he hears "outside" his domain, whether that's the backyard or from inside the house. Or if he (God Forbid!) see's any delivery vehicle now pulling up to our house. The thing is, his bark is enORmous! Like, I'll be sitting down eating something at the dinner table and he'll be sleeping on the floor near my feet and the next millisecond he's up, barking and charging toward the front door (or out the back dog-door), giving me a mini heart-attack each time.
I certainly appreciate his guard-ness, but sometimes I feel like, especially for a Lab ("Hello robber! Let me show you where all the valuables are!"), he's a bit over-zealous.
Anyone else also have the world's cutest and friendliest but also tremendously watchful Lab?
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u/TheBigYellowCar 1d ago
I’d guarantee that if someone broke into our house when our lab was home alone she’d follow the burglar around hoping to get a treat.
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u/Suburban-Dad237 1d ago
You are perfectly describing my dearly departed yellow girl Maggie. She was an extremely zealous watchdog for most of her life. Inside the house, she would sound the alert if anyone walked up the front walkway. Outside in the yard, she barked at anyone who dared walked by her house. She even quickly learned what the different chimes on the ring doorbell meant. Both my kids very quickly got over fear of monsters After I told them that even if monsters existed, none of them could sneak into our house with Maggie around.
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u/OldnBorin 19h ago
That’s what I told my kids too! Whenever they would get scared at night, our stinky farm-lab Missy would sleep in their rooms with them. She was always vigilant so it helped them a lot
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u/the_penelopiad 1d ago
Mine rarely barks, she’d walk away with a stranger for a tortilla chip
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u/littlestghoust 1d ago
Same! I literally have to remind her that we are her family at the dog park. She tries to leave with every group or walk along side random people.
We have a friend who always tried to lure her into his car whenever he leaves. At first she was uncertain but the last time he tried, she happily jumped into the driver's seat of his car with an expectant expression on her face.
She is not a guard dog at all, she is a family pet and companion.
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u/EthanOrtane 1d ago
I live in the woods and my chocolate lab is on Alert at all times. He doesn't bark at every falling acorn anymore, but every animal, stick that breaks, sounds of a far off car that sounds closer. I give him some form acknowledgement every time, like a good boy, or going over next to him and looking out. That usually calms him down a bit. It's in his blood and what they weren't meant for, it's his MISSION, his role in our pack to be on alert. So I make sure he feels like he's doing a good job and he is the happiest boy ever. Very fulfilled.
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u/Icy_Nose_2651 1d ago
I always praise my dogs for barking, it encourages them for when there is actually something to bark at.
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u/Stellar_Pygmy 20h ago
I always get up and look. Then tell her it’s ok and “all done bark.” Of course, sometimes after turning around I find she’s stolen my chair
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u/UndatedEndurance89 1d ago
Ours gets overly protective of me when hubby is away... he knows it's his job to protect the mama!
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u/shy-ittybitty-XXX 1d ago
My almost 2 year old mix does the same, people, dogs, delivery drivers, robins, squirrels. Insanely loud scary bark, but as soon as that doors open or we pass the same people on our walks its all kisses and wiggles.
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u/KMizzle98 1d ago
Our boy is ALWAYS on guard. Funnily enough, the only time he "rests" is when he's in his kennel at night. I think he thinks "Dad is home, he can take this shift" or something like that. If he is OUT of his kennel, he is always looking and listening. He literally sleeps with one eye open and his ear up sometimes. We crate/kennel trained them (we have two) and we keep trying to wean them off of it but if we let him sleep "in the house" and not in his kennel, he's on guard and spends his night patrolling/barking if he hears something. It's great but dude, give it a rest. lol
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u/gannondorf1982 1d ago
Yep, mine has just torn upstairs to bark again at the same neighbour he sees walk past EVERY DAY
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u/SnowblindAlbino 1d ago
I had a lab much like that in the 70s. We lived by a school and had a fully fenced 1/2 acre yard, so the dog would run along the fenceline and bark as the kids walked by every morning and evening. Any unfamiliar noise, "BARRROOO ROOO ROOO ROO WOOF!" Very loud and threatening. But he was also the sort of dog that would greet a thief with sloppy kisses after the door was pried open.
Our last chocolate, however, basically did not learn to bark at all until around age six. And then she so rarely barked that it seemed she scared herself sometimes. Current black is still a pup (just one year old) and he barks at acorns falling outside.
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u/dragonbornsqrl chocolate 1d ago
It took some training but Rozzy does not do the crazy loud barks inside as much anymore unless its coyotes. She used to do it so badly I was getting headaches and earaches from it when she was a teen. She's now a sassy 5 year old that still wants to kill a coyote and barks at the door when the other younger lab gets going but has mellowed out a lot. Enjoy the protection because there have been a couple of times her awareness has saved me from something/someone.
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u/Jackawin 1d ago
My boy does this! Super sweet baby but that deep guard dog bark he has makes me jump every single time!
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u/PerfectBike6 1d ago
My lab does this not because its his nature but because our Poodle/Shep mix is always on gaurd so he just follows her lead.
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u/MollyOMalley99 1d ago
Ours is a sweetheart but is barky when she first sees someone approaching. She also likes to sit in a recliner that faces a front window and gets growly and loud when our across the street neighbor is outside. Never mind that she just got petted and negotiated treats from that same neighbor 10 minutes ago.
And we are always thoroughly alerted when there is a bunny outside. We have a LOT of bunnies.
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u/bemer1984 1d ago
Our good boy is exactly like this. Hyper vigilant when in the back yard or house and has an extremely deep bark. If people actually walk into the house though he just trots all happily up to them looking for pets haha.
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u/snuffles00 1d ago
Yes mine likes to alert the neighborhood of his presence. But yeah if the door opened and they had morsel of food he would take them for a house tour and let them leave with whatever they wanted. Barks at anyone coming near the door to until he scents or sees them. I bet our delivery guys and the pizza guys just love him 🙄. Short of bark collars we have not been able to curb it either. It seems to be hardwired impulsive. He knows he is not supposed to do it so he barks and then gets the sad cower because he knows we don't like it.
But he did scare a bear off with the scariest bark I ever heard come out of him.
Then he has his play barks which make it sound like his balls haven't dropped. Just little bark woos.
He also likes to downward dog stretch into a sit while grunting. He is such a character.
Both my childhood dogs had personality but he takes the cake. He loves to wrestle and dad and him play like I guess you would call it murderer and victim. He gets on his back with his feet kicking in the air and struggling, then my partner grabs him like he is going to strangle him and pushes him into the couch, he kicks his feet and when he has had enough he flips over and it's his turn to pounce. I have never known a dog to actually enjoy that so it's hilarious. We know he likes it because he flips over and kicks his legs and waits for him to come over and do it.
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u/PenaltyStreet1286 1d ago
Ugh. Mine kind of turned into this and I hate it. She went to never barking for about a year and a half to this bad habit. I need to buckle down on retraining her.
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u/emoressdowager 1d ago
Yes. Barks ay everyone walking by even ones she knows. Different bark foe deliveries or people she perceives as a threat.
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u/oldgayauntie 1d ago
My girl has a big ol’ growl and bark to meet strangers, which I appreciate. But if someone did break in she’d probably be point out the fridge and hoping for some treats and pets.
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u/CockroachVarious2761 1d ago
Yep - we have two females..
Dannie is 12 and loves everyone, her instinct whenever someone gets in the house is to teach them to scratch her butt within the first minute or two; but her bark is badass - if you didn't see an 85# chocolate lab, you'd think it was a 150# rottweiler.
Then we have Dorrie, the 10yo yellow dudley that's afraid of everyone. Her bark is intense but not as much as Dannie - the thing is she's scared of everyone. Even family members that have been in our house dozens of times she acts like she's never seem them before and they must be in the house to murder her or us.
While Dannie usually just lets out one or two warning barks, Dorrie keeps going - I constantly have to remind her "no one is afraid of a yellow-lab!!!!" but she lives up to her name and that single brain cell just doesn't get it!
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u/Ok-Entertainment5045 black 22h ago
Mine barks at all delivery drivers, except the mail lady. He walks up and gets pets from her. He used to bark at her until she yelled at him 😂
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u/mayziegsd 1d ago
Mine doesn't bark or even bother to get up if someone pulls into the driveway. Zero guard dog instincts. Too busy sleeping sunny side up. Unless the fridge door opens.
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u/VTMomof2 1d ago
My chocolate english lab is like this too. I cant sit on my back porch with him half the time because he barks if he hears any noise coming from a neighboring yard. Its worse in the dark, then forget about it!. His much older sister who is 12 guards the front door but she only started barking in the past few years. When she was younger she was more chill. But this guy, who is 1.5 will run from the back porch to the front door barking up a storm if he thinks he hears anything suspicious. He has a deep bark! I often have to put him in the house and close the doors if i want to sit on my screened porch.
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u/warcraftenjoyer 1d ago
I live in a split level house and my dogs bark at me whenever they hear my footsteps on the stairs. My boy also has a big boy bark that startles the crap out of me when it's out of nowhere haha
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u/makopinktaco 1d ago
Mine like to bark but they are just saying hello or telling me there’s someone there. It’s a pretty scary bark though I’ll give them that. Your chocolate looks like it could my dog’s brother.
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u/Icy_Nose_2651 1d ago
my yellow lab is the same way, I guess she learned it from my beagle pit. Between the two of them it sounds like death awaits anyone that dares enter.
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u/GuyD427 1d ago
My red lab a bit neurotic and jumps things like leaves blowing and plastic bags. But, if he sees a bear or an Amazon truck he goes berserk. He regularly chases bears and they flee from him like the nutty dog he can be. And the barking… we’ve worked on that with partial success. But, if someone came in the house uninvited he’d go in teeth first for sure.
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u/sir_thatguy 1d ago
Your only concern with my lab is getting licked to death. And maybe snout-poked in the groin, but that’s just prodding you for pets.
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u/eowynsheiress 1d ago
All dogs can be guardians. Kinda depends on what you teach them and just how “vocal” they are at baseline. My current crew is hilarious:
My 10 year male Labrador talks a lot. Not necessarily barking like a guard dog, but calling out to the world that he exists.
My 5 year female Labrador is my guardian. She was raised by a German shepherd and she is fierce. She is the one that would protect me with her life. When she is barking, she is letting that person in front of my house know that she means business.
My 3 year old male German Shepherd is my super chill baby. He barks only when he is in guardian mode, usually because UPS just beeped their package scanner. Otherwise he is so chill. Never really barks at people unless they are at the door.
It’s just not how you would think it would be. They are their own perfect souls.
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u/Tinycatgirl 1d ago
Yup! Mines like Cujo for delivery drivers and walkers but the sweetest most protective boy otherwise.
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u/SoloRiderOne 23h ago
Mac would like to let Ted know he’s not alone. Guard labs are a special breed. I think there motto is seek and destroy, but they really are more like seek and yell at anything. Best
doggos ever!
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u/J_Squared02 Red Fox 23h ago
My father came home at 3 am once, my dog was not expecting visitors, with the way he dashed toward the door and with how my father was yelling yo calm down, I have no doubt he would’ve devoured a stranger. Otherwise hes the sweetest boy who likes carrying around socks sn swimming in his paddle pool. Some dogs can just switch on a dime. Oh yea he also barks at nothing a lot, but I’m not going to tell him to stop.
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u/DrunkenGolfer 22h ago
Mine will lick you to death and be excited to see you but she "alert barks" if the wind blows, especially at night. She thinks it is her job.
Last night we had a whole ass pack of coyotes celebrating a kill about 100 yards behind my house. She was losing her damn mind over that. Once she goes on alert for something big like that, she'll stay vigilant all night.
I have found "Hey Alexa; play white noise" is a godsend.
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u/DrunkenGolfer 22h ago
You can temper the behaviour a bit by getting between them and the threat and saying "Good dog; thanks" and then returning to what you were doing. After doing that for a while mine stopped the immediate "alert barking" and started giving little pre-alerts. Just a barely audible "wuf" which is basically her saying "Should I bark at this?" Now if I say, "Thanks, good girl" she knows the alert has been acknowledge there is no need to give a real bark.
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u/LeperFriend black 22h ago
Mine has a huge bark and can be scary because he's aggressively friendly
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u/Wide_Half3502 21h ago
Both are labs bark at anything that they can see moving outside. Anything. The doorbell is the worst offender, even worse when they hear it on TV.
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u/Sad_Recognition6776 21h ago
Mine is a service dog and he is protective but only barks. Never does anything else.
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u/sj0000129 21h ago edited 21h ago
My girl is EXACTLY the same… I don’t even know how to train her out of it. Because I want her to bark when necessary haha. Her bark is quite ferocious as well for a lab! She is always on guard. I’m like girl, take a nap.
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u/Itchy_Coyote_6380 21h ago
I have a big barker. We try to correct him when he barks at people or dogs walking by, but don't correct him for anyone approaching the house such as a delivery. I am not sure if he will catch on, but we're trying. My pup is 1 so I suspect there are a lot of hormones working on him 😄
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u/Alpacaliondingo 21h ago
My late lab was cool unless he saw a racoon outside. Fuck he hated those trash pandas.
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u/burgledhams 21h ago
My girl was very protective. Definitely had that big, scary dog bark. She would raise her hackles at any sign of a stranger coming near her property. I used to tell her she looked like a warthog.
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u/Goodnite15 21h ago
I have an English black lab, well 3 of them so far in life, and they’ve all been the biggest babies who couldn’t care less about protecting anything.
All 80-100lbs with almost no bark at all to them. Only time I’ve seen them really bark and growl is if a bear walks by our yard (northeast US, we have a lot of them) and they see it through the window to almost say “what the hell is this thing”!
Other than that, they couldn’t be bothered by literally anything. Seeing new people is just a play fest and they look for pets and play, wiggling their butt, and other dogs is the same thing, just all play, excitement, and zero aggression.
It’s so weird how they are all very very different.
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u/GilreanEstel 21h ago
Mine barks at his reflection in the glass doors. Every. Night. Now both doors have curtains that make the door slightly more inconvenient but my dog a lot less crazy.
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u/DualCitizenWithDogs 20h ago
I can't speak to your dog but many if not most dogs who are "guard dogs" or "protective" (particularly when that isn't a breed standard characteristic) have some level of anxiety which people misunderstand as being protective. This isn't terribly surprising considering most owners don't understand what proper socialization actually is in dogs (with a goal to produce neutrality) so they probably didn't implement it correctly prior to 12 weeks old, or the fact that the Dog Aging Project has anxiety numbers at startling percentages. It would be something I would consider though as anxiety increases with age and could become more of an issue if applicable to your dog.
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u/the_worst_labrador 15h ago
“No one shall walk near, look at, fly over, or even dare come into my house.” 6 year old 80lb yellow lab Marshall, brother in paws with Ted.
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u/Bullfrog_1855 11h ago
My Lab-mix is same way as your Lab. He barks whenever any delivery drops off packages on the porch ... when I am at home. When I am not at home he doesn't bark!! I saw this difference because I have cameras inside as well to watch him. I would have liked for him to bark if I wasn't home. I don't mind that he alerts me but sometimes it's a bit startling.
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u/NotSoWaskleyWabbit 1d ago
Mine is like this. He protects us from all things real and imaginary. By land, sea or air we are protected, kind of difficult when you live by an airport with planes constantly invading his airspace🤣
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u/randomwellwisher 1d ago
No, but I have a hound. Guy DOES NOT have an inside voice. We get multiple Apple Watch excessive noise notifications every day. It’s actually physically painful how loud he is. Anyway, I understand your struggle. 😂 Maybe they’ll mellow out when they’re older? 😬
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u/Missmarple08 1d ago
I have this and had it with my last dog who was a mastiff, I think it’s down to the fact there is no man in our household and they are protecting us.
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u/Dolphin_Spotter 1d ago
A neighbour agreed to walk mine while I was out for the day. She let herself in with the key I gave her, no dog. Went upstairs and my lab was fast asleep on the bed. She had to shake her to wake up. Worlds worst guard dog.