So, Conrad. He's my dog with issues (when talking about how I want Marlowe to be a therapy dog, I always have to mention that in contrast, Conrad
needs therapy). Generally he's very good, non-aggressive, plays well at the dog park (if a bit rough, but he'll alwyas alter his play style if the other dog makes it clear that they don't like it rough), fairly well-trained. But he's always been a bit squirrelly.
So I want to try to figure out what is behind the behavior that bothers me the most, which is his occaisional leash and barrier frustration. I don't really want to call it aggression because I've never actually seen him aggress towards another dog if they meet on-leash. And it doesn't happen with every dog we meet by a long shot. But he vibes off whatever the other dog is doing and behaves in kind. If the other dog is ignoring him, he ignores the other dog. If the other dog is just casting a glance, he just glances. But if the other dog is raising holy hell, he raises holy hell right on back. Sometimes he just whines like he's offended that the other dog doesn't like him and goes on his way, but other times he really behaves like a freak, jumping around, barking, grumbling, whining, trying to back out of his collar (yay martingale!), or lunging forward, very very confident. And nothing I can do at these times can refocus his attention. Did I mention that I only outweigh him by 50 lbs?
But if we ever wind up meeting with these other dogs, it's all smiles and wags from Conrad (if not the other dog). And all the other dogs we meet on our walks (and we meet a lot, being in the city), it's again all smiles and wags.
He also has what I think is barrier frustration and is a bit watchdoggy on our property. But if we're at the park in the run-down batting cage that I've appropriated as our own private dog park, and someone walks by too close, he jumps around and growls (his loud posturing growl, not the one that he uses when he really means business), tail high and again, very very confident. It freaks me out because all of a sudden, that's not my dog! Conrad when meeting new people under normal circumstances is reserved, a little bit shy (unless they have treats, in which case he'll sit pretty right in front of them and give them the sad hound eyes for as long as it takes), and otherwise a model good doggy. He is a bit hand-shy at first but warms right up if he sees that I'm comfortable with the person.
So I would like some possible opions as to what the motivation is behind these behaviors, so I can begin to work on them. It's one of those things that is totally unpredictable and takes me by surprise when it happens, and it only happens maybe once a week at the very most. If I can figure out why he does it, I can start to work to address the root of it. I am not afraid of him hurting another dog because he's never gotten into a fight with a strange dog, either on-leash or off, despite many opportunities and even a few dogs that started to try to mix it up with him first--he just kind of backs up, startled, when that happens. But he is BIG and he looks incredibly scary when he does this, and it shows me that something is bothering him and I want him to be happy.
Any thoughts?