Hello all,
Unfortunately I have a very somber topic to this thread. My fiance and I got our chocolate lab mix puppy at 7 weeks old. At the time I was working a lot, often gone first thing in the morning and home around 8PM and my fiance was out of work. During the day he was caring for the pup. He started out as a very friendly energetic little guy and I've watched him progress into a snappy and skittish dog. He is now 6 months old and stays across the room from me, doesn't often come when I call him and is very flinchy, often fear biting when I try to pet him. Last month I found out that my fiance has been taking his aggression of being out of work out on the pup, hitting him (not punching, but still just as bad in my eyes), yelling at him, or just leaving him in his crate, which I had reserved for when we are out or night time until his habits are fully under control. I was absolutely shocked and furious. He has been attending anger management for a month now and has changed completely in my eyes, and has been nothing but kind to our pup since. I have always shown the pup love and have never hit him and have very rarely even raised my voice to him.
I know he may harbor resentment toward my fiance for a very long time for this, possibly forever, but will he always be this way toward me as long as my fiance is still around? Any steps I can take toward rehabilitating this poor little guy would be completely embraced. I absolutely love my dog and will do anything to be able to keep him, and my fiance is completely ashamed and remorseful of how he has been. The anger management classes are really helping him and he is continuing to take them until we both truly feel he is in control of himself.
Thank you so much everyone
EDIT: To be clear, according to him he was not just hitting the dog for no reason, but as "punishment" when he did something wrong rather than using positive reinforcement. No better in my eyes, just a clarification.
