spiritdogs
Posted : 8/14/2009 6:49:40 AM
You don't label it without some more information;-) Some male dogs, altered or not, do not like other males. Some dogs will not react badly until another dog acts rudely. All normal dogs go through a greeting ritual, after which they decide --- fight or play. Also, it seems that the dogs he is reacting to are not conspecifics - in other words, he doesn't regard them as part of HIS social group. Perfectly normal for some adult dogs to decide that they aren't going to be friends with dogs outside their own circle. Breed may play a part in this. Labs are sometimes everyone's playmates for life, and some of the herders decide that they won't play with anyone once they hit age 3 or so. A dog approaching and sniffing rudely from the rear (normal greeting behavior dictates a face sniff first) and right at your door could be interpreted as a threat - dogs that will defend their home turf aren't necessarily dog aggressive, although they certainly can be. Another possibility is that, because he has been used to females, puppies, and small dogs, he wasn't adequately socialized with larger males. Fear becomes the issue in that context. Sometimes, it isn't your dog - it's the other one freezing or staring, which can cause your dog to react. Lots of variables - so don't be so quick to label it aggression or dominance. 80% of aggression stems from fear or under-socialization anyway. If you really want to know, post a video or have a good trainer/behaviorist observe your dog (keeping everyone safe of course).