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Is this leash aggression, or something else?
I'm very confused by my dog's behavior when meeting new dogs.
We have been at several events where there are sometimes hundreds of dogs present, all on leashes. These events have been charity walks, or "dog fest" type events. She's great at these events, greeting dogs properly and making new doggy friends.
She goes to doggy daycare often, and has never had an issue there, EXCEPT when she's in the lobby and on a leash and another dog comes in on a leash. Otherwise, if she's out in the yard with up to 20 dogs (and she's one of the only dogs they can put with large dogs or small dogs...she's 11 lbs), she's fine. No issues.
Then, there are situations like I ran into tonight. She sees another dog, they're both on leash. She goes NUTS. Barking, whining, generally being a stereotype "small dog". So, when they meet, if they sniff her wrong, or look at her wrong, she growls. But, we can walk with the dog, and she's absolutely fine.
So, I'm truly confused. The trainer at the doggy daycare is confused. He was at the "dog fest" and asked me how she was doing with all the other dogs around while everyone was on leash. She did beautifully. I used to think it was because the other dogs weren't greeting her correctly (some tend to go right for her privates and push up on her stomach, which she doesn't appreciate) but it seems like tonight when it happened the other dog didn't do anything wrong. Is she possibly reacting to unstable dogs? The vet and the trainer have no answers for me. Obviously, she's not telling me what's up lol Any ideas?
I worked really hard to be calm during introductions, so I don't believe it's me. If anything, I'm a bit more tense in situations where there are large groups of dogs than if we meet just one while we're out walking or spending time outside. I do understand that some dogs just don't like each other. There is a Shih Tzu that walks around the same times we do, and they have never even been on the same side of the street and they seem to just hate each other. I have spoken to that owner and he said that my dog is the only one that his dog has such a strong negative reaction to. We do plan to walk them together at some point, just to see.
3 Answers
- ?Lv 61 decade agoFavorite Answer
meeting nose to nose, on leash, as i always say, is fightin' words to dogs.
it's a conflictive posture. when you're in a group of a whole bunch of other dogs, chances are, you are doing a fun walk or some other such thing, chances are good that you're moving in the same direction as many of the other dogs.
your first issue here is obedience. you need a foolproof command to take the focus back to you. one of my dogs (APBT) gets very drivey when there are a lot of dogs around, and the high tension makes her nervous. so i tell her "show me your belly" for a belly rub, or have her do some mundane tricks for a cookie, and that helps to take the focus off the other dog.
when you are approaching other dogs, try to be moving up from behind them, instead of AT them. some dogs (i've noticed, a LOT of small ones) get nervous and act aggressive when they feel stressed. approaching from behind may help - just make sure the owner knows you're coming up to them!
it may be leash aggression, it may just be poor pack structure between you and your dog (lending your dog the impression that he is the alpha, and should be deciding who is friend or foe)
either way, if those techniques and training some alternate behaviors don't work, you may want to call a behaviorist to assess the situation.
- VanityLv 41 decade ago
At the dog park I visit, there are times when there will be tension between two dogs that are normally very social and friendly with other dogs. It's been suggested that just like with people and how we'll meet some we like and some we immediately won't, that the same might apply to dogs. (And perhaps even other social animals.)
How do you behave during these times? In anticipation of her meeting a dog in the lobby or when you're out walking, you may find yourself nervous and tugging on her leash. If so, she may also be reacting to that. To remedy this, you'd have to act as if you're calm and confident about the situation, even if you're not.
- 1 decade ago
You need to get in with a behaviour modification trainer, ASAP. It's perfectly fine to ask other owners not to let their dog near your dog in the meantime. I'd also have her sit and "leave it" in the presence of other dogs.