Bedlam
Well-Known Member
I'm hoping someone in here will be able to give me some insight on this.......? I have 2 dogs - a completely pointless working pointer who is now a bit senile at 15 yrs old but has never really had more than 2 brain cells to rub together, and a feisty, self opinionated little hitler of a lakeland terrier who's 5 yrs old now.
The terrier has always needed a policeman's helmet on - he's always on the lokout for something that's not right, and if he deems it to be anything even remotely out of order he'll go in and sort it out with force......for example - if the pointer is 'misbehaving' in his eyes by not going out or coming in the door fast enough he'll have a go at her - which she accepts because she's by nature completely submissive.
The thing is I accept that he's not had enough dog on dog socialising. He's a super dog with people - very friendly, very intelligent and fun to be with. He's just a real no go with other dogs because he always seems to be on guard ready to take it on himself to correct their misbehaviour (in his eyes). I've always thought it was just him, but in the last few months my husband has been taking him out a lot - walking and mountain biking. He tells me that there are some dogs that he meets that just attack our terrier without provocation. I've always thought that our dog starts things, but I'm told that that's no longer the case - that he seems to bring out the worst in pretty much every dog he meets. My husband tells me that today he met a very well behaved setter. Our terrier is always on the lead (unreliable recall) and that he hadn't even seen the setter. The setter had been called to heel and made to sit by its owner whilst my husband and our 2 dogs went past. From quite a distance away and without warning or provocation the setter suddenly ran at our terrier and knocked him to the ground really having a go, snarling and snapping. Suprisingly the terrier didn't do anything back.
The setter owner was mortified and apologised profusely saying the dog had never done anything like that before. There was no harm done, so no worries, but my husband says that there are many dogs on that walk that 'hate' our terrier and go for him without provocation and the owners all say that he's the only dog they meet that provokes that reaction.
Do certain dogs attract bad feeling from other dogs? Is there anything I can do to change this?
When I picked him up from the breeder as a puppy I was told (after I had paid and he was in the crate in the car) that the whole litter had to be separated or they would have fought to the death...normally there would have been a pecking order established, but in this litter not one of them would give any ground........
Advise please from all you dog gurus........!?!
The terrier has always needed a policeman's helmet on - he's always on the lokout for something that's not right, and if he deems it to be anything even remotely out of order he'll go in and sort it out with force......for example - if the pointer is 'misbehaving' in his eyes by not going out or coming in the door fast enough he'll have a go at her - which she accepts because she's by nature completely submissive.
The thing is I accept that he's not had enough dog on dog socialising. He's a super dog with people - very friendly, very intelligent and fun to be with. He's just a real no go with other dogs because he always seems to be on guard ready to take it on himself to correct their misbehaviour (in his eyes). I've always thought it was just him, but in the last few months my husband has been taking him out a lot - walking and mountain biking. He tells me that there are some dogs that he meets that just attack our terrier without provocation. I've always thought that our dog starts things, but I'm told that that's no longer the case - that he seems to bring out the worst in pretty much every dog he meets. My husband tells me that today he met a very well behaved setter. Our terrier is always on the lead (unreliable recall) and that he hadn't even seen the setter. The setter had been called to heel and made to sit by its owner whilst my husband and our 2 dogs went past. From quite a distance away and without warning or provocation the setter suddenly ran at our terrier and knocked him to the ground really having a go, snarling and snapping. Suprisingly the terrier didn't do anything back.
The setter owner was mortified and apologised profusely saying the dog had never done anything like that before. There was no harm done, so no worries, but my husband says that there are many dogs on that walk that 'hate' our terrier and go for him without provocation and the owners all say that he's the only dog they meet that provokes that reaction.
Do certain dogs attract bad feeling from other dogs? Is there anything I can do to change this?
When I picked him up from the breeder as a puppy I was told (after I had paid and he was in the crate in the car) that the whole litter had to be separated or they would have fought to the death...normally there would have been a pecking order established, but in this litter not one of them would give any ground........
Advise please from all you dog gurus........!?!