Aggresive or not??

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Aggresive or not??

Posted : 5/2/2015 5:17:18 PM

Hey eveyone. I need urgent help. I have a border collie mix. She generally gets along with dogs especially at the beach. My biggest fear is that my dog will ever become aggressive, because then I have failed her. Small things make me worry ie. She growls and barks at dogs in the car when we pass owners with their dogs. Also one day, we live on a farm and usually walk without a leash. Recently more people have brought their dogs to the farm. We went for a walk and came accross two poodles who was playing, thinking that she would play she ran up to them and the dogs started barking at her like crazy. She then turned around and chased them nipping at their bum. Is this behaviour mean that she is aggressive or is it a out of the ordinary experience? any help will be appreciated. Thank you.

Anmarie

LylasMom

Posted : 5/19/2015 10:54:00 AM

The chasing/nipping sounds like typical herding behavior, which is common in collies. Herding dogs like collies and corgis will often try to herd small dogs, children and even vehicles. I have a Border collie mix as well and she sometimes exhibits the same behavior. My dog also growls/barks at strange dogs when looking out the car window (though she is very polite when on the leash). These sound like "normal" behaviors for your dog (that doesn't mean they can't be corrected) and I wouldn't worry too much. In fact it seems you worry too much already. I know its impossible to just stop worrying just because someone tells you to, so I would suggest doing something to boost your confidence in her. That means A LOT to a dog as they are REALLY in tune to you and will either feed off your fears/worries OR your confidence/leadership. I would suggest maybe taking some basic obedience classes, discuss your fears with a certified trainer. Also maybe ask yourself a few questions about what might be triggering YOUR fear. Bad experience with a previous dog? Lack of confidence in yourself? Are you afraid that if your dog becomes aggressive, you won't be able to handle her? If you take some training sessions with a reputable trainer, it might help you to realize that you CAN overcome ANY problems your dog has TOGETHER. And remember, a good trainer doesn't just train your dog. They train YOU to train your dog.

*I'm not a certified dog trainer, just my advice from my experience working with and owning dogs. I also do not mean to come off as being rude or blaming you for your dogs behaviors :)