Agrressive dog.. is it nerves?

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Grey_Eventer

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our 2 year old Lab is becming aggressive towards other dogs, not biting, just growling at them, shes never gone through with any of this, has never hurt anything but does have a good gorwl, hackles up etc etc. i think it is because when she was a puppy we took her to puppy training classes and she was VERY nervous to meet the other dogs, to the extent that shed sit under our legs and wouldnt play, when she became bigger then the other dogs she was more happy to play but still fairly nervous. do you think this agressiveness could be caused by the fact that really she is nervous of meeting new dogs. shes a very sensitive puppy and is a very kind dog, would never hurt anyone or anything.... also any ways to help her overcome this? we have another dog who she gets on so so well with, has never even thought of growling at him, but its just with new dogs she seems to get agressive. i personally think its fear as when she is truely scared she sticks to my leg like glue- theres a pack of about 6 dogs at the yard who have killed a deer and a monkjack recently and are very agressive, she will not go anywhere near them... is this just her trying to be top dog and trying to overcome her fear?
 
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Do you think this aggressiveness could be caused by the fact that really she is nervous of meeting new dogs.

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Short answer : Yes.





Long answer : By your description I would think that she is a scared dog that has found a new way to try and solve the situation herself, by scaring other dogs before they get a chance to scare her! If I'm correct, then to me it has nothing to do with any top dog issue at all.

I don't know how you treat your dog but I want to mention that the worst thing you can do with a sensitive puppy/dog, is to treat it like a sensitive puppy/dog or even worse let them get away with things because after all "poor XX is only scared..."
It's like a dog that is scared of garbage trucks, if you allow that dog to pull you away from the situation so fast your shoes are burning, you teach that dog that yes garbage trucks are monsters and it is only that dogs swift reactions that saves you every time you meet a garbage truck. End result is a dog 100% convinced that garbage trucks are dangerous. If you don't want that result, you should walk calmly and confident past the garbage truck and demand that your sensitive dog follows you (=dragging if necessary). End result might still be a dog secretly scared of garbage trucks but convinced their owner is a superhero that knows better than them.

If you allow your dog to growl towards other dogs, you're sort of telling her that she is allowed to solve the situation herself, just like the dog in my first example with the garbage truck, that was allowed to solve the situation itself. Your dog is doing something unacceptable, you're the human, you know that all other dogs are not out to get her and you need to stop this. After all it doesn't matter why she does it, if you're unlucky, one day she can end up making another dog scared of unfamiliar dogs.


Personally I think the most important thing is that whenever she growls and whatever you choose to do when it happens, remember to stand in a steady position and use a low, calm voice, so that your body language tells her that you can deal with the situation for her.
Other than that, f.ex. next time she starts growling or just focusing on another dog in a way that tells you she soon will start to growl, step in and demand to get her attention, maybe do some basic obedience training/throw out some treats on the ground and let her find them (unless she's to stressed to eat). Whether you want to tell her that she's not allowed to growl before demanding her attention, is up to you.

She may never become a dog that loves all other dogs she sees and wants to play with them but she should be able to learn that you can take care of any problems and that she's not allowed to growl at strange dogs.
 
She sounds insecure and that is likely to be the root of the aggression.

Agree with everything FLH has said - you need to check your dog BEFORE she growls.
Check her on the 'look' - you know the look I mean - before she even raises her hackles.
With my dog it was a matter of letting him know that he did not have to defend me or himself against other dogs.
 
thanks, we do tell her off for growling and it does seem to be that she reacts like this with certain dogs. i am trying to help her not be like this by calling her to heal as soon as we see other dogs and i do let her meet them but if she starts to growl i call her to my heal and make her sit, obviously having told her off for it. the thing is i dont want her to not meet new dogs but i dont want her to growl at them.
when she meets the pack of dogs at the yard she sticks to me like glue, so i know she knows that we are safety and she doesnt need to protect herself as we will help her if need be, but it just seems that if they come over to her she reacts in this way!
thanks for your suggestions
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How is she when she's not right with you? If she's walking off lead and meets another dog does she come right back to you and then start the growling or does she growl at the dog when she's not close to you?

In between now and puppy school has she met many other dogs? Have they been good experiences? Did anything happen around the time she started this behaviour?

Do you walk with other dogs? When my older one was a puppy and an only dog I spent quite a lot of time being a stalker in the areas we walked, trying to get other people to let him socialise with their dogs by walking along with them, not just meeting and standing in one place, or just always playing. Now my two do the same for other people, acting as agreeable dogs to socialise and to practice recall etc. A surprising number of people have said their dogs are a problem but mine are so chilled (mostly because the older one is, in part because I took him everywhere when he was a puppy because he had very little socialisation) they get on well with everyone. Perhaps you have to organise a few "meets" with reliable dogs to help yours get her confidence up and to work on the above advice without having to explain yourself or feel under pressure from other owners.
 
I have this problem with my dog. If he's off the lead, he ignores the other dog, and no matter how far away he is he will sit on command and stay put. If the other dog is off the lead and comes over while he is on the lead, he's quiet but alert and usually gives a couple of barks and then all is fine. If they are both on the lead, he goes nuts, it's like 'it can't get me so I will make out I want to kill it!!' If the other person carries on (they usually do) then he gets all cocky until I tell him off, but if the other person stops, he will shut up and sit and ignore the other dog. When he's really mouthing off, there is not much I can do to get his attention accept really shout at him. I'm sure it's not proper aggression as there are no hackles plus if he actually is right with the dog, he doesn't try to bite. If they keep coming after him, he hides behind me, so he's a wimp really, but he sounds awful. At the vets, every dog is his friend!!!
 
she has had plenty of chances to meet new dogs, and if shes just walking along with other dogs shes fine.. its just when shes enar me, on on off the lead she gets agressive in this way. shes been trained and therefore is easy to get her back to me and walk to heel etc. but it really seems to happen when shes near me and the other dog comes over to us... as im writing this it sounds a bit more like protection of me?
shes not really agressive she just growls, and i know she wont go through with anything as tbh shes a wimp underneath it all, but id prefer her not to growl as it makes her appear nasty! i walk her reguarly with dogs from the village- just because we meet them on walks and shes fine then.. doesnt even think of growling, its more when were standding around etc....
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She might be doing it to protect you, it might also be something she only feels confident enough to do when you're close. Maybe you could start with just doing some hissing sound or similar to get her attention or when you see that she intends to begin and growl, you hastily move away from her (so she loses her feeling of your support).

And if you know it usually happens when you're sort of standing still, try and find a spacious place where lots of dogs are likely to pass and go there specifically with the intention of training anti-growling. Don't wait for the training opportunity to come to you, think through what things/ideas you want to try and find a place where you can get lots of practise at one time.
 
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