Helpful comments only please feeling really stressed!

[sandi_84]

Ok sorry this might be another of my usual epic saga posts so please bear with me...
I have recently been thinking about taking my dog to the yard on days i'm there (another post so i won't bore you) but today I've totally changed my mind because of what happened whilst doing the afternoon walk.
Poppy is what we call a "people person" she loves her humans, strangers and especially children and is fantastic with them, no complaints there.
She is easily trainable and picks things up really quickly so things like recall etc are really good usually.
We have had a problem with her and other dogs tho, she is fine to walk past them on and off the lead but if they get up close and personal for a sniff she obviously feels threatened and tends to snap and bark at them to push them away. I want to stress this - SHE DOES NOT "ATTACK" OTHER DOGS, she is not out to do damage she just wants to scare them off and she NEVER ACTUALLY BITES! She is a lot more comfortable off the lead as she doesn't feel so trapped and that has helped I also make sure she is on the side of the path with the most room because if she is on the other side she presses herself against a bush and leaves herself no room to "run away" from the other dog. Recently she has been really good about this and we have had no problems although I always keep an eye on her just in case. The other thing is when she does have a go at another dog shouting "NO!" at her makes no difference nor will she come back to me till the "threat" has backed off.
Anyway today she was back to the old ways and had a go at a spaniel and a bloody rotwieler of all things!
I really don't know how to conter this and would greatly appreciate any HELPFUL comments. Please don't have a go at me or be negative in anyway because i'm already quite mad (at myself more than the dog for not being able to control her) and I don't want to shout at anyone.
Again sorry for the huge post! Congratulations, i'm finished! Have yourself a cuppa and a choccy biscuit on me!

 

[ChesnutsRoasting]

Ok, so she doesn't appreciate strange dogs sniffing her nether regions. I can understand that. if you want to take her to your yard, take her and introduce her to any others in a civilised manner i.e on leads and individually. I can't see this as being a big deal. I may get shot down, but after initial introductions, sometimes you've just got to let the dogs get on with it.

 

[Toffee44]

First off dont be prejudice against the rottweilers


Secondly she sounds exactly like my Teal (springer x lab). I just dont let him go up to other dogs. If he does I run away, hide and hes more bothered by the that fact that mum has gone out of view. He is doing it to warn me of other dogs, as once introduced on a lead he is fine. I know its more money but what really helped us was using obedience walks, we used to meet up late so he had to approach the group to heel if he barked I hid, eventually he stopped being so protective, as I was basically saying I am boss here, I dont care about the other dogs.

Another thing you need to teach is a stop command so you can stop her and then recall her off from other dogs. I have never known Teal to attack but having a dog running at you and your dog barking is not polite nor is it nice. I just keep him on the lead if I see other dogs now. And only let him off with dogs I know as I dont 100% trust him. He has got used to my yard as it has regular dogs that come up, so he barks, they bark back and then normally go off hunting pheasant together. Has really helped him actually.

Hope that help is a helpful comment.

 

[gunnergundog]

OK.....I would suggest a two pronged attack here, assuming of course that you are reading your dog correctly.

Firstly, I would be working on her on-lead socialisation with other dogs......getting her to focus on you and ignore them until she becomes more relaxed as they get closer and closer to her. You may have to start with the other dog some distance away at first to discover where her comfort zone stops......try and recruit a friend with a non-reactive dog and set up the situation so that you can repeat and repeat. Once you have her able to relax on a lead whilst you have a conversation with someonelse then you can move on to training the same off lead.

Secondly, in the meantime whilst the above is work in progress, I would do my best to avoid others. I know this isn't always possible so if a situation occurs YOU need to take charge and she needs to learn that YOU will protect her so that she doesn't feel the need to drive the other dog away.....that is now YOUR job! So, if another dog rudely runs up train her to stand behind you, make yourself big (posture, body language, etc) and body block the offending dog. I usually carry a big beating stick with me when I walk as it is useful a) to make myself appear bigger and b) to keep recalcitrant hounds at a distance. If the other dog doesn't take the hint and the owner is doing bugger all about it, walk into it and slide a slip lead over its head and return it to its owner, smiling sweetly whilst muttering under your breath! (It's the last part that I can't do.....'fraid I normally give a piece of advice that they'ld rather not hear.)

 

[sandi_84]

First off dont be prejudice against the rottweilers


Secondly she sounds exactly like my Teal (springer x lab). I just dont let him go up to other dogs. If he does I run away, hide and hes more bothered by the that fact that mum has gone out of view. He is doing it to warn me of other dogs, as once introduced on a lead he is fine. I know its more money but what really helped us was using obedience walks, we used to meet up late so he had to approach the group to heel if he barked I hid, eventually he stopped being so protective, as I was basically saying I am boss here, I dont care about the other dogs.

Another thing you need to teach is a stop command so you can stop her and then recall her off from other dogs. I have never known Teal to attack but having a dog running at you and your dog barking is not polite nor is it nice. I just keep him on the lead if I see other dogs now. And only let him off with dogs I know as I dont 100% trust him. He has got used to my yard as it has regular dogs that come up, so he barks, they bark back and then normally go off hunting pheasant together. Has really helped him actually.

Hope that help is a helpful comment.

Hee hee no i love rottweilers! I know they are big softies really but I also know they could do serious damage if they were so inclined and my border is smaller than average and fine boned so I just don't want her to get hurt. Mind you the rottie she had a go at today is a wimp, we see her and her owner out a lot and she's just soft as butter (but with a big bark) ha ha!

OK.....I would suggest a two pronged attack here, assuming of course that you are reading your dog correctly.

Firstly, I would be working on her on-lead socialisation with other dogs......getting her to focus on you and ignore them until she becomes more relaxed as they get closer and closer to her. You may have to start with the other dog some distance away at first to discover where her comfort zone stops......try and recruit a friend with a non-reactive dog and set up the situation so that you can repeat and repeat. Once you have her able to relax on a lead whilst you have a conversation with someonelse then you can move on to training the same off lead.

Secondly, in the meantime whilst the above is work in progress, I would do my best to avoid others. I know this isn't always possible so if a situation occurs YOU need to take charge and she needs to learn that YOU will protect her so that she doesn't feel the need to drive the other dog away.....that is now YOUR job! So, if another dog rudely runs up train her to stand behind you, make yourself big (posture, body language, etc) and body block the offending dog. I usually carry a big beating stick with me when I walk as it is useful a) to make myself appear bigger and b) to keep recalcitrant hounds at a distance. If the other dog doesn't take the hint and the owner is doing bugger all about it, walk into it and slide a slip lead over its head and return it to its owner, smiling sweetly whilst muttering under your breath! (It's the last part that I can't do.....'fraid I normally give a piece of advice that they'ld rather not hear.)

She's definately not trying to protect me, i'm definately the pack leader and if she sees another dog she squishes in right close or behind me and then as they get closer she tries to move away from them or crouches/ lies down like she's trying to make herself invisible. I know this is totally our fault for not socialising her better when she was a pup hence why i was pretty angry at myself earlier. She is fine with dogs from a distance and the only time she gets to the point of snapping is when they are actually touching her and not just the bum region its if they come (slowly) up to her face, sides and bum It wouldn't be a problem for me if it weren't for the attitude she takes because most of the people and dogs we meet out are regular walkers with lovely attitudes. I see no problem in letting other dogs have a sniff and a play except that poppy obviously doesn't like it
Strangely there are a few dogs that she takes an instant like to and will run around and play with in a civilised manner but I don't know what makes them different from other dogs
I understand that there has to be a certain amount of snappish behaviour when sorting out the pecking order with dogs and if it were a dog we would meet and walk with on a daily basis (like we do with my sister's dog) i'd just let them sort it out themselves. Luckily like I say the owners have all been really nice about this unladylike behaviour but it still makes me feel pretty bad

 

[gunnergundog]

She's definately not trying to protect me, i'm definately the pack leader and if she sees another dog she squishes in right close or behind me and then as they get closer she tries to move away from them or crouches/ lies down like she's trying to make herself invisible.

Oops! Obviously didn't make myself clear! She most definately is NOT trying to protect YOU....I would suggest that she wants YOU to protect HER!!! You may be 'pack leader' in your mind, but in the situation you have described you are not instilling enough confidence into your bitch and 'leading', being in charge of the situation such that she is comfortable with what is going on.

Just my opinion anyway, but hey....unless you see it first hand, hard to tell.

 

[sandi_84]

Oops! Obviously didn't make myself clear! She most definately is NOT trying to protect YOU....I would suggest that she wants YOU to protect HER!!! You may be 'pack leader' in your mind, but in the situation you have described you are not instilling enough confidence into your bitch and 'leading', being in charge of the situation such that she is comfortable with what is going on.

Just my opinion anyway, but hey....unless you see it first hand, hard to tell.

Sorry, i misunderstood hee hee! Apart from this particular thing i'm definately the boss but yeah I totally agree i'm not doing the right thing with this and it's leading to "bad behaviour" I'm very much of the opinion that it is usually the owners fault and not the that the dog is bad. So... bad me!

 

[sandi_84]

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