Q: Our 9-year-old Lab mix has always had a good temperament, except that he’s apprehensive around people he doesn’t know. He does love kids. kids. Lately, however, his behavior around my wife has changed. When she’s sitting in the chair at night, he lies nearby. When she gets up, he barks and acts aggressively toward her. Sometimes, he just lies in the middle of floor and won’t let my wife go by. My wife feeds the dog and takes him for walks. How can we break this bad habit?—K. P., Cyberspace

A: I’m concerned that your dog’s behavior is not a habit, but rather an emotional response or a response to a medical issue, particularly if the change was sudden.

“First, visit your veterinarian to rule out a physical cause,” advises Dr. Melissa Bain, assistant professor of Animal Behavior at the University of California College of Veterinary Medicine-Davis. If there’s no physical explanation, bring in expert help from a dog behavior consultant (

www.iaabc.org

), veterinary behaviorist (

www.dacvb.org

), or member of the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (

www.avsabonline.org

). “Meanwhile, your job is to keep your wife safe,” says Bain. “Management is a wonderful thing; some people can deal with issues for many years through management alone. In this instance, instead of walking over the dog, and before your wife gets up, she could call the dog to her, ask him to sit, and then offer a treat. Now, she can go wherever she wants.”

To determine why your pup is playing traffic cop to your wife, you really need paws-on help. Allowed to continue with this behavior, your dog’s confidence and success will build, and the aggression could escalate.