Dog reactive? aggressive? Whatever he is being a jerk.

[Fran101]

Well, guess it's time to face the music Merlin is growing up and he is not mr.party guy anymore. It used to be only at the dog store where I work but now he is snarking on walks if we stop to say hi, and at the park (any park)

At first it was only in your face dogs/other males/etc.., but now we can stop to say hi, everybody is sniffing and polite and it's fine and then WHAM he is growling and air snapping and barking. Male, females, puppies...whatever.

He doesn't care walking by them, being around them etc... it's just meeting and interacting.
Although he does sometimes bark when we pass other dogs but it just seems he WANTS to go meet them which is so frustrating because I know he is just going to go over there and snap

I am kind of at a loss as to what to do. He has friends who he LOVES but everybody else it's like...ugh. He needs to be ok off leash at the park, he doesn't need to play but I need him to not take offense when other dogs sniff him. We aren't in a situation where we have private land for him to play, other dogs will be and are a part of his life.

Is there a way to teach him to remove himself from the situation instead of being a jerk? He does do this sometimes (will come to me/remove himself and I do reward him and get him out of there) but sometimes he will be OFF LEASH and go sniff and then take offense and snap at another dog WHO IS ON LEASH. And it's so horrible because he will snap more than once and bark at them and it's so horrible because he's such a **** bully!! LIKE JUST WALK AWAY!!! THEN DON'T GO OVER THERE THEN IF YOU ARE GONNA GET MAD!!

There haven't been any real fights. Just loud barking/growling/snapping and the occasional nip...but I just need him to relax and have more of a tolerance for others.

He is neutered and 1 and a half.

Any advice?
We are moving to another country, I would like for him to have dog friends HE LOVES THE FRIENDS THAT HE HAS... it's just expanding his circle that is a problem since he can be so an asshole.

So frustrating!

 

[Dizzy]

I guess a lot of it is avoiding situations you know he's going to be an ass. For instance, don't allow him to go and sniff other dogs, at ALL.

If your dog came over to my on lead dog and sniffed it, then snapped at it, I'd be really annoyed. I'd be kind of annoyed if your off lead dog came over to my on lead dog full stop, and if it sniffed Bodhi she'd probably take it's head off.

Bodhi is reactive, and is getting worse with age. I don't even tempt fate, if I see another dog, she goes on the lead. Simple as that. She'd never SEEK out a dog, or a fight and is fine with other dogs introduced to her that we walk together with etc, but she is so less tolerant of dogs coming up to her when we are out walking. So it's about managing the situation. She WILL react and she will scrap.

Fred's friendly and actively likes other dogs, but not with all other males. So again, I limit any contact with other loose dogs, as I don't want ANY bad experiences for him to develop reactivity. He meets other dogs at training etc, and that's just fine for him.

Personally if it was me, I'd probably walk him off lead in public places where I could see where other dogs where, but not allow him to interact with them at all, and put him on a lead if they get too close. You need to be super vigilant and not allow any snapping. It's just reinforcing the behaviour for him.

If you're desperate for him to interact well with them, I'd suggest professional help.

 

[Dizzy]

In terms of him having dog friends, we find that very structured introductions work best. If I introduce Fred to another male, I walk them on lead, side by side, with owners walking on the inside. No introductory sniffs, no eye balling, just brisk walk, side by side, human barrier.

Progress from there really. As they relax into the walk, allow a little more relaxation on the lead, let them get closer if they're not paying any attention. Eventually when you see they want to play, or are giving off positive signals, let them have a few mins off lead, then back on.

If he's reactive, he will make friends he's obviously not being aggressive, and can play nicely!

 

[Fran101]

I will certainly try structured interactions. I am going to try to limit dog park time, it's hard because it's our only off leash option but I get up early to jog and am going to try to take him when nobody is there. I never thought about it reinforcing the behavior, he just always seems friendly so I keep allowing on leash meetings. I'm going to stop that.

I am meeting with a trainer next weekend who can see the behavior up close.

Oh clarification that's at an off leash enclosed dog park, dogs aren't supposed to be on leash anyway per the rules. It's messed up either way but I usually am quick to catch him if somebody has a dog on-leash because it always causes problems at large. He isn't allowed off leash in general parks because he once went up to another dog and then got defensive which is so frikin rude

I am going to hopefully move and find some dog friendly people willing to work with us. He is such a great guy once he knows other dogs but strange dogs are tough, I need to work on slow intros

 

[Shakou]

I completely understand how frustrating it is to be in a situation where you are so limited to where you can let your dog off leash, but if he's causing problems like this, I'd keep him leashed until you can work something out. If he had approached Charlotte while she was on leash, and did something like this, there would of been a dog fight, no questions asked, and I'd have been pissed to say the least.

 

[Fran101]

I completely understand how frustrating it is to be in a situation where you are so limited to where you can let your dog off leash, but if he's causing problems like this, I'd keep him leashed until you can work something out. If he had approached Charlotte while she was on leash, and did something like this, there would of been a dog fight, no questions asked, and I'd have been pissed to say the least.

The dog park has double gates where it specifically says to unleash your dog before coming in. He isn't allowed off leash at regular parks where he would approach an on leash dog on a walk. And to be fair, when people come in and their dog is on leash against the rules it usually starts a fight 9/10 anyway
but regardless he hasn't been to the dog park since his incidents became more frequent

On leash he just ignores or excited barks rarely and is easy to redirect
And 90% of the time at off leash parks he finds a friend or plays with me and it's fine, it's just his lowering tolerance that concerns me

Either way just to be clear we are avoiding situations that would put him in the situation. He has never been in a fight, but I fear he will set the wrong dog off and it will be a fight.

 

[Shakou]

I gotcha. And I agree, walking into a dog park with a leashed dog is a recipe for trouble, regardless as to who's there.

I'd try to find other areas to take him for now (unused ball fields, etc.) but if that's not an option, maybe just go to the dog park during times when there's few people there, learn his body language and recognize when he's about to be a jerk, and call him back.

 

[Linds]

Fran, nothing really constructive to add, just wanted to say both Traveler and Didgie are pretty dog friendly but I still never let them great almost all dogs on leash because it just amps up the arousal. And there is nothing I hate worse than someone coming into the dog park with a leashed dog, just such a bad combo.

Boy dogs mature, and herders overall aren't known for the complete dog joy. Even dogs that love other dogs like Merlin does mature and gets more picky and more they're put in that situation more they seem to feel the need to react. I think really limiting his interaction with leashed dogs when possible, up to body blocking if need be to show him you can deal with them, he doesn't need to will help.

Also, I know it's a long shot but are there places you can take him off leash where it's more like a hike? I feel like the dogs that grow up in those dog parks where the whole thing is interacting with other dogs tend to get more and more reactive as time goes on. Not all of course but I really think it's hard on them mentally. I know Traveler and Didgie don't really like those situations at all but are absolutely fine with greeting dogs and moving on while off leash or sticking with one group of known dogs.

Might help Merlin learn the greet and move on appropriately.

 

[skittledoo]

Fran, nothing really constructive to add, just wanted to say both Traveler and Didgie are pretty dog friendly but I still never let them great almost all dogs on leash because it just amps up the arousal. And there is nothing I hate worse than someone coming into the dog park with a leashed dog, just such a bad combo.

Boy dogs mature, and herders overall aren't known for the complete dog joy. Even dogs that love other dogs like Merlin does mature and gets more picky and more they're put in that situation more they seem to feel the need to react. I think really limiting his interaction with leashed dogs when possible, up to body blocking if need be to show him you can deal with them, he doesn't need to will help.

Also, I know it's a long shot but are there places you can take him off leash where it's more like a hike? I feel like the dogs that grow up in those dog parks where the whole thing is interacting with other dogs tend to get more and more reactive as time goes on. Not all of course but I really think it's hard on them mentally. I know Traveler and Didgie don't really like those situations at all but are absolutely fine with greeting dogs and moving on while off leash or sticking with one group of known dogs.

Might help Merlin learn the greet and move on appropriately.

The bolded is what I was going to suggest as well. Cricket can get a little snarky with dogs in dog parks that are smallish where it's strictly all about dog-dog interaction. She does much better at the parks we go to where we can keep walking. She can greet, move on and if she does want to play with a dog she might for a few minutes, but then we continue moving along. She doesn't feel pressured to interact with the dogs and that helps tremendously.

 

[Locke]

That is really frustrating!

Could Merlin be going through an adolescent "pushing the boundaries" phase?

Smiley went through a snarky phase where he would posture and snark if the other dog smelled him too long or wanted to sniff face to face.

What helped us is what was suggested above: No dog interactions on leash, and limited controlled meetings off leash. Now Smiley will ignore and avoid dogs that he feels uncomfortable around. Trail walks are going particularly well.

Good luck with Merlin.

 

[JacksonsMom]

The bolded is what I was going to suggest as well. Cricket can get a little snarky with dogs in dog parks that are smallish where it's strictly all about dog-dog interaction. She does much better at the parks we go to where we can keep walking. She can greet, move on and if she does want to play with a dog she might for a few minutes, but then we continue moving along. She doesn't feel pressured to interact with the dogs and that helps tremendously.

Jackson is like this too. When he was 2 and under, he LIVED for the dog park. Now, he just doesn't really care for it. He gets his off leash exercise in other ways. We're lucky to have my dads fenced in yard, but we also go to big parks with empty baseball fields, etc, and if there's no fence, I just let him drag a 50ft line and play fetch with him. I used to think he NEEDED dog friends but really he's actually happier just being outside playing and not really having to worry about other dogs.

That's not to say I don't want him to be friendly or tolerant because I do, and 99% of the time he is, but yeah the whole 'dog park setting' he's gotten a bit more snarky and less tolerant with as he ages.

I think he loves Cricket so much actually because they both seem to have a mutual understanding of each other, lol. They enjoy each other company but don't necessarily have to play or be in each others faces.

But yeah I do agree it sucks when you are actually following the rules ... i.e. taking your dogs leash off inside the off-leash dog park. It also annoys me when people walk in with their dogs on leashes. It ALWAYS gets the other dogs overly curious and then makes the leashed dog feel threatened and cornered and then the owner thinks all the ohter dogs are being big meanies.

 

[Zhucca]

I have a similar situation with Duke, and made a thread awhile ago about this. Duke is different where he doesn't have any inclination to go and say Hi, and is happy as a clam until the dog comes up to him. He'll give signals that he's not interested, and if the dog persists he'll snap. I know that my situation is also different because you're training Merlin as a service dog.

Since I'm not really that great of a writer, I'll just highlight the posts from my thread that I found very helpful in understanding Duke's behaviour. http://www.chazhound.com/forums/showthread.php?t=248281

Honestly, he sounds like a typical, rather well adjusted adult dog to me. Perhaps not what one generally goes seeking when they get a lab, however.

He doesn't sound ornery to me at all, or even reactive. He sounds like he's not a big fan of physical play with dogs he doesn't know, and he's starting to get a bit defensive because dogs often slam into him and try to play when he's clearly giving "No thanks" signals. The dogs approach him, he ignores them or makes it clear he doesn't want to play (gets stiff). It often ends there, but if the dog persists (follows him when he returns to you at your call or slams into him), he will give a stronger warning (snapping but never makes contact or takes it farther than that). It doesn't sound at all like over-reaction to me; he sounds like a really well-adjusted dog who doesn't enjoy playing with strangers.

I have a dog who is similar - although not quite as well-adjusted as it sounds Duke is. She'll be a bit more defensive. What was really hard for me to accept (but which made all the difference in the world for us) is that she doesn't need to want to play and it is my job as her owner to make sure she feels comfortable and safe. She doesn't like strange dogs getting in her space, so I make it my job to be on the offense. I don't take her to places where I expect a lot of dogs to be loose and hanging around. She can easily handle hiking around other dogs, because everyone is moving and doing their own thing. We can pass other dogs on the trail, and if they are really pushy, she may growl. And that is okay. The same way that, if I was hiking, and someone started walking right next to me and putting their arm over my shoulder and asking me personal questions, it would be within my rights to tell them to back off. I don't have to accept that behavior, neither does my dog. The more I've been careful about not putting her into situations where she is uncomfortable, the less she feels she needs to be on the look-out all the time for potential issues.

If you haven't read this article (or haven't read it lately - it took a while for it to really sink in for me), I highly highly recommend it. It really did change the way I felt about and reacted to my dog's reactions to other dogs.
http://www.suzanneclothier.com/the-articles/he-just-wants-say-hi

After that, go give Duke a cookie He sounds like a really good boy to me!

I have to agree with Boston. I don't react particularly well to a stranger jumping all over me, either. It's not unheard of for labs to be this way. From the other side, my dog is the sort who thinks everyone else is his BESTEST FRIEND the moment he spots them. But I've taught him to listen if other dogs tell him they don't necessarily want to get married before they shake hands. People frequently don't think to teach their dogs manners when it comes to other dogs.

Something that may help is to walk him on-lead for a while, maybe even in the doggy park, and if one of *those* dogs comes barreling for him, put him in a stay and just step in front of him. Stand straight, don't smile, and put your weight into your toes. Let the dog barrel into you instead. Your dog will appreciate the gesture, which says that you've heard him loud and clear. It will probably also help his confidence; he's no longer on his own when it comes to interacting with strangers. You're telling him, "It's okay, I'll deal with this because I know it makes you uncomfortable." A well-executed body block should take the steam out of the oncoming dog, although they can be pretty oblivious. Unless they're especially committed, they should decide it's not worth it to have to push you down to get to your dog, and they'll go do other, more entertaining things instead.

I think the thing to watch for here is that your pooch doesn't decide to be snippy with dogs who are perfectly polite. As long as they're respecting his space, you shouldn't see these reactions. If you do, we've got something else going on.

BostonBarker is right on the money! There are many, many dogs that outgrow being social with strange dogs. This is a normal dog behavior.

Typically, what you see are people that make a real effort to socialize their dogs when young, hang out successfully until the pup is 18 months or so, then stop coming. You'll see very few dogs that keep going to dog parks after about 2.5 years.

I am personally not a fan of dog parks, especially if they are small fenced area as it is hit and miss who attends them. There are also many dogs who should not be at them but are. This creates trauma for those who have carefully socialized their dogs.

Quite frankly adult dogs don't need to be social with every dog they meet. All they need to be able politely meet and greet unknown dogs and move on while on or off leash. Or behave politely while the pet parents stop to talk (sit or lay down while waiting-no need to expect continued interaction with the other dog).

Walking with a group of dogs can also help as if they keep moving, they tend to interact less as they are more focussed on the environment than each other and it is more comfortable for them in both leashed and unleashed situations.

You will find once you remove the expectation to socialize with unknown dogs, that your dog may relax and be more comfortable to interact briefly.

It is up to you to intervene to prevent greetings to go on too long for your dog's comfort.You can simply get your dog's attention and turn and move away. Hopefully the other pet parent will take the cue and leave in the other direction.

There many rude dogs out there.

Good luck!

 

[GipsyQueen]

Is there a chance that he's blocking off other dogs from you?

Zora is rather well adjusted and LOVES other dogs. Until I want to greet them. Shes about 13 months old, and is testing her boundries - she's started protecting our yard, from EVERYONE. (We're working on it, the neighbours are not dangerous. )
Anyway, we were at a dog event on Saturday and I greeted her sister and she wanted to cuddle. Zora growled and snarked at her. Otherwise they were fine. She's done this before a few times. It is in her Breed to protect (her sheep) and not like everyone, like a labrador.

 

[Sekah]

I see something similar with Cohen. I tend to describe her as selective (or bitchy) when talking to other people. She's happy to coexist around other dogs, but if they get into her space she gets uncomfortable and will snark. If the other dog snarks back she'll do the same and it escalates quickly. It arose from general Aussie intolerance as well as a healthy dollop of resource guarding.

For the most part, I try to avoid letting dogs approach her. Hikes and places where people are moving as opposed to standing around are wonderful. A big thing for me was teaching Cohen a "be good" cue, which was basically, a 'I know this sucks but bear with it a sec and I'll get you out of here' cue.

I'm not too sure how to go about teaching it specifically since it arose fairly organically for me & Cohen. But I really, really swear by asking her to exercise some self control for half a second and then, when the other dog has been removed/called away/whatever, rewarding with copious food and other good stuff. I offer eye contact and my attention, and ask for the same back. Now, Cohen may not even acknowledge the stranger sniffing her butt when dogs approach her. She'll just stare at me and wait it out.

If he's approaching other dogs first, then I'd be working to keep him with you when you're out and off leash. Don't let him wander and get into trouble. Ask for his focus by giving him 100% of yours. It may require you to build up his self control before you can ask him to stay with you in the face of dog distractions. For Cohen, a long time ago I began conditioning her to expect a small treat each time she saw a dog in the distance, or a dog approaching on a path (or a bike, skateboard, etc) so now her default behaviour when she sees a distraction is to stop, look back at me and wait to see if she gets a treat. Offering the treat acts as a recall, then I cue her close and we move past whoever was approaching.

Basically, snarkiness sucks, but it's not too hard to work through. I don't even think about it when I'm out with the dogs anymore and to the layman, it's imperceptible.

If you or Merlin slips up and lashes out, leash up and head home immediately. Work on replacement behaviours and conditioning emotional responses, but if things go haywire you need to a) get out of there and b) offer a consequence for poor behaviour.

 

[FG167]

I see something similar with Cohen. I tend to describe her as selective (or bitchy) when talking to other people. She's happy to coexist around other dogs, but if they get into her space she gets uncomfortable and will snark. If the other dog snarks back she'll do the same and it escalates quickly. It arose from general Aussie intolerance as well as a healthy dollop of resource guarding.

For the most part, I try to avoid letting dogs approach her. Hikes and places where people are moving as opposed to standing around are wonderful. A big thing for me was teaching Cohen a "be good" cue, which was basically, a 'I know this sucks but bear with it a sec and I'll get you out of here' cue.

I'm not too sure how to go about teaching it specifically since it arose fairly organically for me & Cohen. But I really, really swear by asking her to exercise some self control for half a second and then, when the other dog has been removed/called away/whatever, rewarding with copious food and other good stuff. I offer eye contact and my attention, and ask for the same back. Now, Cohen may not even acknowledge the stranger sniffing her butt when dogs approach her. She'll just stare at me and wait it out.

If he's approaching other dogs first, then I'd be working to keep him with you when you're out and off leash. Don't let him wander and get into trouble. Ask for his focus by giving him 100% of yours. It may require you to build up his self control before you can ask him to stay with you in the face of dog distractions. For Cohen, a long time ago I began conditioning her to expect a small treat each time she saw a dog in the distance, or a dog approaching on a path (or a bike, skateboard, etc) so now her default behaviour when she sees a distraction is to stop, look back at me and wait to see if she gets a treat. Offering the treat acts as a recall, then I cue her close and we move past whoever was approaching.

Basically, snarkiness sucks, but it's not too hard to work through. I don't even think about it when I'm out with the dogs anymore and to the layman, it's imperceptible.

If you or Merlin slips up and lashes out, leash up and head home immediately. Work on replacement behaviours and conditioning emotional responses, but if things go haywire you need to a) get out of there and b) offer a consequence for poor behaviour.

This pretty much describes Limit...and how I handled it. I was trying to think how to describe what I have now (which is largely that he ignores EVERYONE knowing that something good will make it worthwhile), but this is a better description than anything I had going.

 

[Laurelin]

This seems pretty normal dog behavior to me. To be honest most aussies, particularly males are not super dog friendly. Jerk is a good word for many of the ones I know. Love them but they're jerks.

My two dogs are this way. They're fine in close quarters with other dogs but don't want to meet other dogs. They don't want to sniff and if sniffing occurs they will snap. Summer seems to just want to lay down some rules first but Mia takes a long time to be okay with other dogs. It has gotten worse the older she gets.

WE don't do dog parks. She does have doggy friends BUT they are introduced slowly over time and carefully. I don't think dogs like this are missing out at all without the dog park. And I wouldn't worry about him NEVER accepting other dogs- it's just going to take more time. Mia adores some of her dog friends but I could not let her go at a dog park or she'd be miserable.

 

[Shakou]

To be honest most aussies, particularly males are not super dog friendly. Jerk is a good word for many of the ones I know. Love them but they're jerks.

Agreed, and in fact I see it in a lot of herding breeds for some reason.

 

[BostonBanker]

I agree with what everyone has said (and what I said in that quoted post), but I understand that "find somewhere else to have him off-leash" isn't such an easy answer in the middle of the city without a car.

I think substituting jogging for some dog park time is a great idea; does he get play-time with some of the dogs you work with outside the park? I know that for me, knowing I'm getting my dogs some "fun time" with their own species makes me feel good, so I do try to plan to get them around dogs they know and like (and that I trust) on a regular basis.

If going to the dog park is definitely the only running time he can get, I wonder if you moving constantly (as in walking the perimeter yourself the entire time, rather than standing and talking, or throwing a ball, or whatever else one may do at a dog park) would help? When my dogs look like they are about to have an uncomfortable greeting with another dog, just calling them to me doesn't always work (who wants to turn their back on the dog that is potentially worrying?), but if I'm walking off the other way and calling "This way!", they will either come along immediately, or quickly greet and race after me. I don't know if it would work as well in a park, and I bet the size of the park would make a difference.

I would definitely stop on-leash greetings, even if it looks like he's happy and friendly prior to the contact. There's just too much potential for things to get tense. Like others said, lots of treats for just focusing on you when dogs are nearby. I've been able to pretty much eliminate Meg's reactions to "loose" dogs on invisible fencing by handling it like Sekah described. "I know, this sucks, he's rude, just leave it and and come with me and I will reward you".

 

[Linds]

If going to the dog park is definitely the only running time he can get, I wonder if you moving constantly (as in walking the perimeter yourself the entire time, rather than standing and talking, or throwing a ball, or whatever else one may do at a dog park) would help? When my dogs look like they are about to have an uncomfortable greeting with another dog, just calling them to me doesn't always work (who wants to turn their back on the dog that is potentially worrying?), but if I'm walking off the other way and calling "This way!", they will either come along immediately, or quickly greet and race after me. I don't know if it would work as well in a park, and I bet the size of the park would make a difference.

I was thinking about this yesterday and coming on here to suggest that, especially the bolded.

I use a "Lets go!" instead of a straight out recall when things get tense be it at the dog park, on leash or whatever. It developed at the dog park when I wanted to end a greeting I would start to walk briskly in the direction we were going with a really peppy "Lets go!". It's really evolved into one of my most used cues. I use it if a dog starts posturing and they start reacting on leash to get them focused on moving forward and away and I use it all the time at the dog park.

 

[katielou]

Sounds similar to Abe.

Sometimes he's just a dick and for no other reason than he wants to be a dick!

I do not allow on leash interactions at all and monitor his off leash interactions closely!