Dog aggression issue

Evac101

I suspect that this is going to end with me getting some behaviourist sessions but I'll ask anyhow.

I have two wonderful dogs, mostly. Both are neutered and until recently I would have said both were well adjusted and socialised. The older, male dog is about 18 months old now and has, over the last couple of months, begun to react badly to some specific situations. If an unfamiliar intact dog starts sniffing him too enthusiastically or attempts to mount him he will turn and snap at them, even so far as standing over them growling in some cases if he can physically intimidate them into a 'submissive' posture. Up until now it's all been 'bark' and no 'bite' but I'm not entirely confident that if I don't address this in a timely manner that it won't escalate beyond no harm.

Any advice?

andreac

To be honest, id bark or growl too if someone tried to mount me that i didnt know,lol.

All joking aside, your dog is maturing now and not a puppy anymore, so hes learning to stand up for himself. Most males will not tolerate another male trying to hump them and will tell them off, which is what your dog is doing. Its only natural for a dog to warn a strange dog away so i really wouldnt be overly concerned about that.

It would be different if he was going looking for fights and being aggressive with everything that he came into contact with.

**Vai**

Yeah I dont see the problem OP. My dogs have done that too, they sort it out amongst themselves even with strange dogs. Dont be so worried because your dog growls, its not always aggressive.

Evac101

Honestly, this had been my attitude but two recent incidents where the owners of the other dogs had reacted with such disdain and disgust for my casualness regarding the incidents had made me question whether this was something I should be addressing.

**Vai**

Thats the dog owners problem, not yours. They need educating about when a dog is being aggressive and when a dog is being a dog.

andreac

Not every dog likes being approached by strange dogs and certainly wont take too lightly to a dog jumping all over them, same as a person wouldnt like it if a stranger came up and was being physical with them, they wouldnt take too kindly to it would they?

These are just normal behavioural signs/warnings that dogs give to others to let them know they arent happy about the situation, its the only way a dog can communicate if it doesnt like something.

DBB

Evac, would this be happening when your dog is interacting freely with other dogs, or is he on lead, or both?
I don't know if I'd be overly casual about it either way, because your fella may become worse. I don't think you need to race out to get a behaviourist in, but I do think you should try to intervene before it gets to the stage that other dogs are taking liberties with your fella. Let them say hello, and have a sniff, but try to call your lad away then and reward him. Also, whilst he is interacting up close with other dogs, talk to him in a nice, light-hearted way to lower his tension.
If you give him the opportunity to practise breaking away from rude dogs early, and reward him for it, then he'll start to do it more, rather than falling back on aggression.
Like Andreac, I can fully understand why he gets peed off with other dogs mounting him! Is this something that happens regularly? Or is it the same dogs that do it all the time?

kylith

The other dogs' owners just don't understand what is going on between the dogs. Presumably your dog is calm until the other dog goes too far, then he's just telling them to back off. The other dogs are being rude and invading your guy's space. It might be an idea to, if possible, tell the other owner that your dog is injured, and isn't too good with boisterousness at the moment, it's just a little white lie.

This site explains it pretty well.

My Rani is the same; she's fine with strange dogs having a sniff, but if they get too pushy or try jump on her she'll tell them it's unacceptable in no uncertain terms, but she never goes looking for a fight.

Evac101

DBB wrote: »

Evac, would this be happening when your dog is interacting freely with other dogs, or is he on lead, or both?
.....

Is this something that happens regularly? Or is it the same dogs that do it all the time?

It happens only with unfamiliar, intact dogs and mostly if he's off lead, as it seems other dogs are less likely to take these 'liberties' if he's close to my wife or myself.

DBB

Evac101 wrote: »

DBB wrote: »

Evac, would this be happening when your dog is interacting freely with other dogs, or is he on lead, or both?
.....

Is this something that happens regularly? Or is it the same dogs that do it all the time?

It happens only with unfamiliar, intact dogs and mostly if he's off lead, as it seems other dogs are less likely to take these 'liberties' if he's close to my wife or myself.

I was wondering about how easy it would be for you to intervene should you see another dog getting, ahem, too personal with your fella. If he's on lead, obviously you have more control, but do you think he's likely to come when you call him if he's off lead?
I'm also wondering if getting humped is a regular occurrence for your dog? If so, there may be an underlying medical issue. But if it's, say, the same dog who always humps him, or it is only very infrequent, then it's probably just rudeness on the part of the other dog.

Assassins Creed

More like rudeness on the part of the other dogs owners!

In all fairness your dog is only issuing a warning. What do these owners expect. I wouldnt be bothered about the looks of disgust they throw at you.
Walk on as if nothing happened calling your dog enthustically, they'll soon learn their dogs are not welcome approaching your dog in that way. Hopefully they might even see the problem is their dogs.

The problem is with the other dogs not yours.

DBB

Whilst I agree that the problem is with the other dogs, the reality is that it could become a problem for the OP. Rude dogs can often cause nice dogs to become aggressive to other dogs, first directed at the rude dog, but often quickly generalizing onto other not-so-rude dogs.
There isn't much OP can do about the level if rudeness of other people's dogs, but there is something he can do with his own dog. I think a good way of dealing with it is to control and limit his interactions with rude dogs, so that he's not given a reason to learn to become defensive when other dogs are around him.

Assassins Creed

I agree the situation has the potential to cause problems when interacting with other dogs.
In this situation all dogs are off lead, which leaves the op very limited with options. Aversion, whereby the op just avoids the place, not always practical, but probably best at least whilst these dogs are around. Putting the dog on a lead when these dogs are around, could work but it can cause problems if not timed so that the dog doesn't equate it with the other dogs. But if the dogs still approach, the op could fastrack agression in their own dog by doing this. Redirection/distance training is very hard with other dogs off lead and takes work, time, patience and knowledge.

The reaction of the other owners whose dogs are instigating this see the ops dog as agressive, judging by their reactions. Let the dogs run riot, turn a blind eye and scold any owner whose dogs react.

I'd be hoping that the owners in their belief that the ops dog is agressive, they leash their own dogs solving the ops problem, without even knowing it. Lets face it most owners avoid or countermeasure a dog coming towards them that they fear could cause their own dog harm, and instinctively give the owner dirty looks.