I agree with everyone. Labs are also very forgiving. As everyone said, you can never hit him, raise your hand, or raise your voice to him again.... no one! And, he may be skittish with respect to those actions. But, your goal is for BOTH of you to regain his trust.
1. Ten minutes a day, 30 - an hour if possible, sit on the floor with some small treats. Don't stare at the pup, and at first maybe don't even say much, if he's scared .... You never really know how much your fiance shouted at the dog.
2. Toss one treat to the pup. He may ignore it. If he takes it, toss another and praise softly. If he doesn't take it, then toss the treat over his head behind him... and wait (if it is not a distraction you may want to turn on TV or read a book on the floor, while waiting.)
3. If he takes the treat, toss another behind him. After he takes 3, toss one in front of him. After he takes 3 of those, hold a treat in your hand, resting on your leg or the ground. This step may take a few minutes or a few days, depending on his trust. But it is a major milestone.
4. After he takes a treat from your hand, repeat 3 times. Then, leave your hand on your leg, with nothing. He may come and nuzzle you - "where's my treat?" Scratch under his jaw without moving your hand much, praise and treat from the other hand. Try not to move too quickly or to raise your hand over him. After a few moments, stop and wait. Make him ask for more.
5. He may ask by nuzzling, pawing, or barking. If you can do this 3 days in a row, then you've regained his trust, with reservations.
If all cases, no one else can be in the room or making noises. You can't stare at him, in fact looking away or ignoring him may seem less threatening. Don't raise your voice and don't raise your hand over his head. Don't force him... let him ask for it. And, don't give him as much attention as you want, just a tiny bit, to leave him wanting (and asking for more).
6. Advanced - you don't know what your fiance did, so you want to undo everything. A Lab is a very tough dog. When my Lab was young, I played with him by hitting him with small sticks, newspapers on the rump, chasing him like a madman, barking and yelling at him. We have dry weather, and I'd static shock him by accident when I pet him... The point is that he learned not to fear anything that I might do to him... because it did not hurt (I never hit him in the face ... on purpose ... I apologize when I did) and it was a game... Ask the behaviorist about these advanced behaviors for confidence. Don't let your fiance do these last exercises.
After you complete steps 1 -5, Have your fiance do them... with you in the room to help. Men tend to stare at dogs and rough house with them.... But this is not the time, yet.
If you get a trainer to help you with these ultra-gentle exercises, you Lab may relearn trust very quickly or it may take a few months. Let us know...
1. Ten minutes a day, 30 - an hour if possible, sit on the floor with some small treats. Don't stare at the pup, and at first maybe don't even say much, if he's scared .... You never really know how much your fiance shouted at the dog.
2. Toss one treat to the pup. He may ignore it. If he takes it, toss another and praise softly. If he doesn't take it, then toss the treat over his head behind him... and wait (if it is not a distraction you may want to turn on TV or read a book on the floor, while waiting.)
3. If he takes the treat, toss another behind him. After he takes 3, toss one in front of him. After he takes 3 of those, hold a treat in your hand, resting on your leg or the ground. This step may take a few minutes or a few days, depending on his trust. But it is a major milestone.
4. After he takes a treat from your hand, repeat 3 times. Then, leave your hand on your leg, with nothing. He may come and nuzzle you - "where's my treat?" Scratch under his jaw without moving your hand much, praise and treat from the other hand. Try not to move too quickly or to raise your hand over him. After a few moments, stop and wait. Make him ask for more.
5. He may ask by nuzzling, pawing, or barking. If you can do this 3 days in a row, then you've regained his trust, with reservations.
If all cases, no one else can be in the room or making noises. You can't stare at him, in fact looking away or ignoring him may seem less threatening. Don't raise your voice and don't raise your hand over his head. Don't force him... let him ask for it. And, don't give him as much attention as you want, just a tiny bit, to leave him wanting (and asking for more).
6. Advanced - you don't know what your fiance did, so you want to undo everything. A Lab is a very tough dog. When my Lab was young, I played with him by hitting him with small sticks, newspapers on the rump, chasing him like a madman, barking and yelling at him. We have dry weather, and I'd static shock him by accident when I pet him... The point is that he learned not to fear anything that I might do to him... because it did not hurt (I never hit him in the face ... on purpose ... I apologize when I did) and it was a game... Ask the behaviorist about these advanced behaviors for confidence. Don't let your fiance do these last exercises.
After you complete steps 1 -5, Have your fiance do them... with you in the room to help. Men tend to stare at dogs and rough house with them.... But this is not the time, yet.
If you get a trainer to help you with these ultra-gentle exercises, you Lab may relearn trust very quickly or it may take a few months. Let us know...
