Agressive towards other dogs?

[*LabLoverKEB*]

My Lab pup, Rita, is very agressive towards other dogs. She lunges, snaps, barks, and growls at almost every dog we pass on our walks. It is really starting to frusturate me, because I was *planning* on showing her, or doing flyball with her. And if she shows agressiveness to other dogs, I will not be doing anything like that with her.

Does anyone have any ideas/tips on how to break her of this?? It would be greatly appreciated.

[wolf_Q]

I hope you are able to get some good advice for Rita, does she get along well with Sadie?

Not trying to butt in, but I'd also like some help sort of in the same way with Nebo. He does not lunge, growl, bark, etc. at other dogs while we're on a walk. In fact most times he either ignores them or wags his tail and whines like he wants to play with them. He can be in a crowd of hundreds of dogs and be just fine with them all around him...but when they get in his personal space he gets pissy. Not with all dogs, but a lot of them. Yesterday I was walking him and a guy came up with his lab to let them sniff (they had been looking at eachother wagging tails like they wanted to play) I warned the guy that Nebo isn't always nice but he did it anyway. They sniffed for a bit and were real close together, and Nebo (possibly the other dog too) got rather stiff then Nebo growled/sort of snapped at the other dog. He didn't actually bite the other dog, he's never really injured another dog, but it looks bad. Help?

[*LabLoverKEB*]

I hope you are able to get some good advice for Rita, does she get along well with Sadie?

Not trying to butt in, but I'd also like some help sort of in the same way with Nebo. He does not lunge, growl, bark, etc. at other dogs while we're on a walk. In fact most times he either ignores them or wags his tail and whines like he wants to play with them. He can be in a crowd of hundreds of dogs and be just fine with them all around him...but when they get in his personal space he gets pissy. Not with all dogs, but a lot of them. Yesterday I was walking him and a guy came up with his lab to let them sniff (they had been looking at eachother wagging tails like they wanted to play) I warned the guy that Nebo isn't always nice but he did it anyway. They sniffed for a bit and were real close together, and Nebo (possibly the other dog too) got rather stiff then Nebo growled/sort of snapped at the other dog. He didn't actually bite the other dog, he's never really injured another dog, but it looks bad. Help?

You are not butting in. It's better that making a whole new thread on the same subject.

Yes, Sadie and Rita are great together, but they do play rough a lot. Could that be the problem??

[MajesticCollies]

Rita just needs to be continually socialized. It is obviously going to take longer than you expect but you just need to hang in there and keep up the hard work.

I can only tell you to get professional help if this persists. I'm sure she will come through for you.

[BC_MoM]

Hey Sarah....Molly's having the same problem. Except once she gets up to the dogs, she's fine and happy again...she's fine offleash... But being far away, onleash by other dogs drives her nuts unless she can go up to them. It's very embarassing and everyone thinks she's vicious now.

[k9krazee]

Jack was very much the same way...

The thing that helped us TREMENDOUSLY was going to obedience classes. We've been through 1 obedience class and 3 agility classes and I can see the difference. Set up play dates with dogs you know are friendly and constantly expose her to different people and dogs. I know how frustrating it can be...good luck!

[Tollers-n-Dobes]

Hey Sarah....Molly's having the same problem. Except once she gets up to the dogs, she's fine and happy again...she's fine offleash... But being far away, onleash by other dogs drives her nuts unless she can go up to them. It's very embarassing and everyone thinks she's vicious now.

That's exactly how Tango was too.

Obedience classes helped tremendously because I had/have a great trainer. Tango and I are on our third set of group classes to help with her behaviour and I am also able to go in on weekends to get one on one help. Now, I can take Tango for a walk and while she reacts a bit, she calms down almost instantly. I'd definitely recommend anyone with this sort of problem to look into finding a great trainer and go to obedience classes if it is possible. I can't really explain how I control her through just typing it down, it's something I'd have to demonstrate to you...which is obviously not possible. I wish I could be of more help, but like I said, obedience classes should really help.

[buttercup132]

Hey Sarah....Molly's having the same problem. Except once she gets up to the dogs, she's fine and happy again...she's fine offleash... But being far away, onleash by other dogs drives her nuts unless she can go up to them. It's very embarassing and everyone thinks she's vicious now.

I saw this problem once on the Dog Whisperer (with Ceasar) he said its because the dog dog is on a leash and so it dose something to them to make them lunge out and attack, its like its because its restraining them to the other dog. If I remember right when another dog passed he would make the dog sit and kept just saying shhh really fast and giving a tug of the choke chain (or that collar/leash thing he always uses) as soon as the dog calmed down he continued walking, and when the dog was walking he would make it stay at his side so that he could lengthen the leash so the dog would feel less attached to something. But he had to also train the dog to always stay in a heel right beside him.

Also, it doesn't sound like you can necessarily handle both Rita and Sadie at once. I suggest walking them separately so that situations like the one aforementioned NEVER has to repeat itself. Additionally, do you tense up once Rita sees a strange dog? If you tense up, pull on the lead, and speak to her in angry tones, she is going to instinctively associate negative connotations with strange dogs.

I agree , and if you get all tense she can sense that and it makes matters worse.
Always think of something to just clear your mind and be calm.

[wombat2u2004]

I am sorry... but this is just plain CRUEL . let me ask you one question... how would you like someone elses dog to attack yours ???? I do not think you would like that AT ALL. Your dogs do not deserve to live with you AT ALL.

[Lescoop77]

I am sorry... but this is just plain CRUEL . let me ask you one question... how would you like someone elses dog to attack yours ???? I do not think you would like that AT ALL. Your dogs do not deserve to live with you AT ALL.

What kind of comment is this????? Of course noone wants a strange dog to attack our own - but they are animals -and sometimes you have to find the source of the problem before you treat it and it sounds like this is exactly what she did. Don't listen to this comment! This person doesn't know what they're talking about.

[wombat2u2004]

"What kind of comment is this????? Of course noone wants a strange dog to attack our own - but they are animals -and sometimes you have to find the source of the problem before you treat it and it sounds like this is exactly what she did. Don't listen to this comment! This person doesn't know what they're talking about."
__________________

How VERY right you are !!!!!!

[*LabLoverKEB*]

Okay, whatever... you are extremly immature!

don't feed the trolls!

[cloverfdx]

Obedience training, socialisation.. perhaps a muzzle for safety measures if she ever slips her lead again.

[fionapap]

I suspect that many dogs react aggressively because they feel trapped by their leash.

Bobbie, my 4 year old, always confuses me with her reaction to other dogs. For the most time, she is quite friendly with other dogs. There are times though when she will bark when seeing one from a distance. There are also times when they approach each other in a friendly manner, tails wagging, only to start barking at the other dog for no apparent reason.

She is a very sociable and loving dog. We take her out 2-3 times a day and let her loose whenever the surrounding area is safe of cars. We try to have come in contact with as many dogs as possible as we believe it is essential to her behaviour.

On many occasions she is approached by stray dogs which are an enormous problem in Greece. The dogs are not dangerous to the people as they circulate in heavily populated areas but do get aggressive if another dog enters their territory. My husband and I are both on alert, reading both dogs body language for any aggressiveness, and are ready to scoop Bobbie into our arms in case of an attack. Most times they play wonderfully and she returns home happy and content.

On one occasion though, she was attacked by 2 strays while crossing a traffic light. She yelped quite a few times as they tangled around my legs and I managed to pull her up into my arms while my husband tried to keep the dogs off us. Fortunately none of us were hurt.

Another attack came while sniffing a husky which was on a mechanical leash. They both looked quite happy sniffing each other until one of them, I am not quite sure who started it, barked. From then on, the husky was biting Bobbie, and they were playing May pole with my legs until they threw me down. It was my fault for not having kept my distance so I could have pulled her back. The huskies owner did nothing to reel in the leash but sit there and look impassively at the whole mess.

I gave her a piece of my mind but backed off as she got very offensive and started coming for me.

I now let Bobbie approach another dog but keep back and ready to pull her in if need be. I have also started carrying a small can of spray in case I need to ward off a stray.