scraps

    • Bronze

    scraps

     I wouldn't call Tillie aggressive...She's quite social and gets on with other dogs, but there are these two dogs she meets on her walk, who, when they first met her, came up and barked aggressively as her. I think she enjoys annoying them, because she is a lurcher and they are quite small, so she isn't scared of them anymore, so now it's her who run up to them and barks. Last time, she got into a bit of a scrap, and ended up with a bloody nose. It's not that serious, but I am worried things might turn nasty.

    How do I stop her from hating these dogs?

    • Gold Top Dog

    I doubt that you can.  I'd avoid the two dogs who are a problem.

    • Gold Top Dog

     Are you walking her on a leash? Are the other dogs on a leash? If the answer to both is yes, then its simple. Don't let either dog get in the other's personal space. Rather then teach her to like them, why not just teach her to ignore them?

    I don't like every person I meet, I don't expect my dogs to like every dog they meet. My mom taught me manners, I work on teaching them manners.

    Others will come along and give you specific training methods. Good luck!

    • Gold Top Dog

    coco x
    when they first met her, came up and barked aggressively as her.

    She associates those dogs with that first impression. My dog is also sociable but hates a little dog that always barks at him when we walk by. I dont blame my dog for not liking that rude little animal.

    I dont have any intentions of socializing my dog to him since his owner is also very rude. Now if you really really want them to get along you could ask their owner to walk those 2 dogs with you and your dog. The ritual of walking as a pack all together brings them closer. I have done it and Cesar Millan and Victoria Stilwell recommed it too

    • Gold Top Dog

     

    How do I stop her from hating these dogs?

    You really can't.  Dogs pick who they like and don't like.  What you can do is teach Tillie to look at you, rather than at the dogs, as you walk by them.  There are some good instructions on teaching attention here: http://www.clickerlessons.com/attention.htm

    Frontal approaches between dogs that are on leash can be problematic, since a frontal approach is considered threatening.  Most of the time, smaller dogs and lurchers aren't a really good match as pals.  Lurchers are hunters, and can cross into predatory drift and decide to attack a smaller animal.  Not that Tillie will, but the fact is that many lurchers do, and the small dogs usually don't fare well.  Even if the dogs are friendly, the size difference can cause unintentional injury to smaller dogs.  This article may seem over the top, but there's a reason that organizations that deal routinely with lurchers and sighthounds make these comments: http://www.dogbehaviour.com/articles/dogs/predatorygreyh.htm

    In this case, I don't see the need for them to be friends and I think that the others have given you good advice.  Even therapy dogs aren't expected to meet other dogs on leash any closer than two feet apart;-)

    • Gold Top Dog

    espencer

    coco x
    when they first met her, came up and barked aggressively as her.

    She associates those dogs with that first impression. My dog is also sociable but hates a little dog that always barks at him when we walk by. I dont blame my dog for not liking that rude little animal.

    I dont have any intentions of socializing my dog to him since his owner is also very rude. Now if you really really want them to get along you could ask their owner to walk those 2 dogs with you and your dog. The ritual of walking as a pack all together brings them closer. I have done it and Cesar Millan and Victoria Stilwell recommed it too

     

    Why do you characterize the dog as "rude"?  Most of the time, when a little dog is barking at a larger one, it's because he is fearful (or frustrated at not being able to get to the dog).  Even dogs that lunge out to the end of the leash, and thus appear rude or aggressive, might really be just mounting a good offense as the best defense.  In any case, it's usually the owners that are rude, rather than the dogs, because they do nothing to either remove the dog from an anxiety producing situation, or train an incompatible behavior for the dog to do.

    • Puppy

     A coach once said that girls soccer team are hardest to coach, why? The hardest kick ball from one girl is a revenge for the one she got from last year lol...which means that unlike guys, girls still hold grudges. So this may be also the case with your dog. She is still holding grudges from the first experience with the two dogs.

    In this article I read, it says -  There is almost always a root cause of aggression in dogs, which means that there is almost always a way to correct the behavior and mold your scary housemate into a good canine citizen.

    "There are several types of aggression: dominance (most common), predatory, territorial, defensive, intra-sexual, redirected or maternal. A dog may display more than one type."

    At least you know the reason for your dog's aggression and he is not an aggressive dog either, just haven't gotten over her grudge.

    So best to seek a trainor's advice.

     

     

    • Bronze

     The other dogs started it.  It sounds more territorial with these two ruffians and under other circumstances the dogs might all get along fine.  If they are loose there isn't much you can do to keep your dog from them, she's gotta defend her self.  You could try tossing treats for the other dogs and get them to move away from you and yours, which will diffuse the situation.  The dogs will also learn to focus more on you as giver of good things than on your dog, who comes into their territory and soon leaves.

    • Gold Top Dog

    Since 80% of aggression is rooted in fear, it's also possible that the two dogs, rather than just being "ruffians", were simply employing inappropriate distance increasing signals.  Also, dogs on lead often react differently than dogs off lead.  In any case, treats might cause a fight (and may keep them coming back for more, which is not what you want), so I think it might be better if you used something like "Spray Shield" on unleashed dogs that come too close - it's harmless, makes the point, and lets them know that your dog has "back up."  Teaching your dog to look at you also keeps her from making eye contact with the other dogs, which is often a precursor to boorish behavior between dogs;-)