I need advice - my dog is getting an attitude with other dogs

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LOZHUG

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I have a almost 3 year old king charles spaniel dog whom is still whole not had him done so to speak. He is full of energy always has been, doesnt stop waging his tale and is a nice dog to have around he is excellent with my young nieces and nephews. (sorry am doing this on my phone and dont know how to return to start a new sentence). We have been out for walks a few times and other dogs have tried to go for him so not sure if this is related. Anyhow long story short he has started getting cocky with other dogs out walking but has always been fine with both sexes. Tonight took him for a walk and there was an old dog same breed, my dog started going mad barking growling and showing his teeth which is out of character. What do you think it is making him like this?would it be worth getting him done? Thanks in advance.
 
To be honest, unless you intend to breed from him then yes, I would have him castrated. We had our dog done when he was about 6 or 8 years old - had always had entired dogs until then (mainly because of my dad and him being typical of men, not wanting the dogs 'done'). Ours just got worse and worse as he got older, wanting to get out and get his 'fix'. He ended up fathering one litter of puppies and finally my dad saw sense and we had him done. He was never really aggressive with other dogs but would pick ones he didn't like for no particular reason. I think having him done reduced all this anxiety and aggression. It didn't change him personality wise though other than the fact he stopped howking incessantly on an evening if a bitch in the area was on heat!
 
If any dog is not intended for breeding I would certainly neuter, it makes them more socialable but will not cure him of going for other dogs only training will do that.

Has he been attacked by another dog prior to this and did he have access to other dogs off lead to run and hoon about with.

What I have practised with mine is look at me, you can be sat in a chair with some nice treats and a clicker, say look at me pointing to your eyes, everytime he looks at you click and treat. Just keep practising this command and try to hold the look as long as possible, then when you go outside and see another dog ask for look at me and click and treat. If he is not treat orientated use a squeeky toy or ball anything you know he likes.
 
Thanks ladyt25. I was thinking about breeding him but if he is going to continue being cocky towards other dogs/bitches just walking past them whilst on a walk then he is off to the vets for an op. My last one wasn't done we had no problems with him but they are not all the same. He doesnt try and get out of the garden its just this cockyness all of a sudden.
 
D - he has had what I would say as 3 close encounters of attack from other dogs I dont know if they were dogs or bitches. Each time this has happened he has been on his flexi lead but the other dogs have been loose and just left their owners sides ran over and tried to attack him but I pick him up as they have been much larger dogs. (i know I probably shouldnt pick him up but having a labrador and another large dog going for him could end up nasty. He wasn't being cocky when these incidents happened we were just mooching along and boom they were trying to attack him). As for mixing with other dogs and bitches he meets all sorts on his walks and never had a problem and also he gets on just fine with an irish wolf hound who is loose and whole where we walk no probs either side.
 
Picking the dog does not mean he will not get attacked, it means you are putting yourself at risk of getting bitten too, you are just moving the target up.

Don't LET him run out to the end of a flexi lead and gob off at other dogs.
Get him neutered and get yourselves to a good training class.
 
Don't pick him up this will only increase the problem in the long run. If you are having doubts about breeding then get him castrated. I have found over the years that entire dogs (no matter how placid themselves) can attract unwanted attention from other males.
 
Thank you for your replies. I understand picking him up isn't going to stop another dog attacking him and I myself may get bitten but my dog v two larger dogs = my dog coming off worst in my opinion and thus why I pick him up.

Since he has started doing this in the past week or two we bring him right in on the lead and have him on as short as it will go comfortably so like a normal lead length but the problem seems to be the other dog owners and their dogs not being on leads running at us flat out as soon as they spot us, followed by them trying to attack my dog. Which ends in oh I am sorry, they have never done that before!

The problem seems to be males and females but one thing I have noticed its ones that are not normally around every day which are the problem (the ones he doesnt know shall I say) he has 2/3 walks to the lighthouse every day and always has since being allowed out as a puppy. He gets on fine with the whole male Irish wolf hound who isn't on a lead and just wonders down the lane, he also gets on fine with a female GSD and two other dogs that are quite large but not sure of the breeding.

But will contact the vet to see when I can get him done as this will be the best thing for him.

Thanks again
 
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