My dog hates our next door neighbour's dog!

ponyparty

ponyparty

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Soooo, today Frank decided that he REALLY doesn't like a certain dog... Who just happens to be our next door neighbour's 😩 a chocolate lab called Dexter they rehomed a few months ago.
First time they met they played nicely, then didn't see each other for ages. We saw Dexter in the park about 2 months ago and Frank started chasing him. Normal - except Dexter didn't turn round to play or chase Frank back, he just kept running faster and faster! Frank's chase instinct kicked in, I think, and he got this almost scary look about him, hell bent on catching Dexter, until he managed to bite his tail! At which point they ran back to us and I somehow managed to grab Frank, the slippery otter.
We bumped into Dexter in our shared back alley a few weeks ago, and they barked at each other, a lot.
But then a week later we saw him again in the park and they played really nicely.
But TODAY... Frank saw Dexter and like an arrow from a bow FLEW at him, no chance of a recall he was deaf to everything else; he was chasing poor Dexter, growling, snarling, teeth bared, managed to catch up with him and bite his side (hasn't broken the skin 🙈) and the only way I could stop him was by putting my foot out as they ran past so Frank ran into it, breaking his concentration on this never ending chase. Cue putting on lead very quickly, and marching him back home.
WHY has he taken such a dislike to this dog?! He is so good with all other dogs, with bigger dogs he's actually quite submissive at first - until he finds his feet, and then he tries to hump them until they tell him off sufficiently for him to take notice.
Dexter's owner is lovely, apparently though he got attacked and bitten by another dog in the park TWICE yesterday! I feel awful, poor thing must have been terrified! Is there just something about him that makes dogs want to attack him?! Absolutely bizarre.
Not even sure I'm asking for advice here, just wanted to vent really. Although any ideas will be gladly received! Don't want to have to keep him on the lead really, he's never done anything like it to another dog before and has good recall, loves playing fetch etc. Argh!
 
sorry but you will have to keep him on a lead if you cannot control him.

perhaps you could get together with your neighbour and practice getting your dogs attention a distance from the other dog at first ?

here is a link to someone who pops up on my youtube with good ideas.i hope this helps.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmWVD-pjIu4
 
Thanks Cahill, will check the link out at work.
That's what I was thinking (not letting off lead) but he seriously NEEDS free running to burn off energy. I'm just baffled as to why he does it this particular dog, yet NEVER to any other, even my mum's dog aggressive one - he just wags his tail at him..!

Alec - their dog is neutered, but Frank is only 8 months old and I won't be having him done until around 18 months (and then only if necessary).

Idea from breed club - walk them together (on lead) to get used to each other. Will be trying this today as we tend to walk around the same time during the week.

We live in a terraced house, thy are right next door and can hear each other barking, and both use the same alley to enter and exit the house. Could this be anything to do with it? It's just so out of character I'm trying to make sense of it!
 
here is another useful vid...
i think watching someone work with a dog can be better than trying to explain in writing.
i would try to aviod the situations you discribe as it becomes learned behaviour. learning the `watch me` command and using it,consistance and persiverance IMO

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGL92O5tB_M
 
Parallel walking will definitely help, but make sure that Dexter is happy too.

Dexter sounds a bit frightened and some dogs will pick up on that and pick on them. Your lad is just entering his teenage phase, so it is really important that he does not get to practice chasing/playing around with other dogs, unless the play is mutual.
 
Teaselmeg said:
Parallel walking will definitely help, but make sure that Dexter is happy too.

Dexter sounds a bit frightened and some dogs will pick up on that and pick on them. Your lad is just entering his teenage phase, so it is really important that he does not get to practice chasing/playing around with other dogs, unless the play is mutual.
Click to expand...

Absolutely agree, I do not want Frank to start doing this regularly, so need to nip it in the bud ASAP.

Will need to speak to Dexter's owner and see how she thinks Dexter would cope with the parallel walking - will probably see her today so will have the conversation and see what agreement we can come to.

Thankfully they are lovely next door, we're on good terms and they've invited us round for drinks this Friday (I don't think the invite extends to Frank though haha!)... So plenty of scope for us to work together and fix this problem :)
 
Cahill said:
here is another useful vid...
i think watching someone work with a dog can be better than trying to explain in writing.
i would try to aviod the situations you discribe as it becomes learned behaviour. learning the `watch me` command and using it,consistance and persiverance IMO

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGL92O5tB_M
Click to expand...

Agreed - we do not want to be making a habit of this! I shall be keeping him on his extending lead around the areas of the park where Dexter is likely to be, and try to solve this by working together with his owner.

Need to get round to watching those vids - I'm at work at the moment and then going straight to walk Frank, run some errands and then to the yard to clip my loan pony and ride. I WILL get round to it, honest, just probably much later this evening!

We went to puppy training classes but then for various reasons didn't continue to the next level straight away. I have now booked him onto a fun sounding obedience course - based outdoors, in a park with lots of other dogs around, so plenty of distractions. It's all very well them being well behaved in a little church hall at classes, or in the house, but when out and about it can be a different story! I'm looking forward to some support with training "in the field" so to speak!

For info - Frank is a Manchester Terrier :)
 
Sounds like a variety of factors....age, the fact that he's going to be a game type of dog, body language and fear emanating from other dog and the entry and exit issue - can often be a flashpoint between dogs. I'd be controlling all their interactions so that he doesn't become a bully. He sounds like a lot of fun.
 
Without negating the other advice, there are some dogs who seem to give off the wrong signals and keep getting randomly attacked. A friend had a lovely choc lab bitch, bouncy, not a mean bone yet she was forever being attacked, by dogs who had no history of this. My eldest Stafford bitch went for her and meant it having been one of the easiest dogs with new dogs ever. I had to always keep mine on a lead when my friends dog was around - contact wasn't made but I knew my dog well enough to know that she meant business. We did try but finally accepted that mine did not like my friends dog.
 
good luck ,i think you have the right idea with working with the neighbour and classes.

be on the ball and get in 1st with the treats and eye contact before the naughtyness has a chance to happen.

one other thing-some people think flexi-leads are the work of the devil and a lunge line would be better. :)
 
flexi leads give a false sense of control and can do serious damage to dogs/other walkers and the person holding the lead-google flexi lead injuries.
dogs going at speed can and have had their necks broken as well as other neck and back injuries, owners have had disks slipped and everyone can get very bad rope burns from them. I have been injured by a dog winding itself around my legs whilst on one and my last lurcher was injured the same way a couple of times too.
apart from the flexilead your plan sounds perfect.
 
Luci07 said:
Without negating the other advice, there are some dogs who seem to give off the wrong signals and keep getting randomly attacked. A friend had a lovely choc lab bitch, bouncy, not a mean bone yet she was forever being attacked, by dogs who had no history of this. My eldest Stafford bitch went for her and meant it having been one of the easiest dogs with new dogs ever. I had to always keep mine on a lead when my friends dog was around - contact wasn't made but I knew my dog well enough to know that she meant business. We did try but finally accepted that mine did not like my friends dog.
Click to expand...

I do agree with you, we have a black lab who is a bit timid and every passing dog attacks her (I exaggerate, you understand!), my cocky lurcher and mad bouncy lab are fine and other dogs always like them.
 
ponyparty said:
Thanks Cahill, will check the link out at work.
That's what I was thinking (not letting off lead) but he seriously NEEDS free running to burn off energy.
Click to expand...

Trick train him, it will help tire him out as it expends mental energy. I have a welsh sheepdog who is very energetic (!) and had to have a major op at 18 months old and was on short lead walks for 6 weeks. Like you I was worried about not being able to let him run off his energy but the trick training really helped keep a lid on him :)
 
Mince Pie said:
Trick train him, i. Like you I was worried about not being able to let him run off his energy but the trick training really helped keep a lid on him :)
Click to expand...

yes,my dog is just as tired when he comes home after an hour obediance as after doing an hour agility training.
 
Cahill said:
here is another useful vid...
i think watching someone work with a dog can be better than trying to explain in writing.
i would try to aviod the situations you discribe as it becomes learned behaviour. learning the `watch me` command and using it,consistance and persiverance IMO

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGL92O5tB_M
Click to expand...

Sorry it's taken so long to respond! Watched the vid and we actually do everything in it already! Including the distraction/making him stay when throwing a toy (which he finds so difficult bless him!. We used a long line for a good while with him when younger, but had felt prior to the Dexter incident that he didn't need it any more.
We have only seen Dexter once since - his owners work strange shifts on the railways and in a restaurant, so there's no guarantee we can walk them at the same time - my routine is very rigid due to work/horses/dog training classes. Anyway, we saw them, and they were absolutely fine and played nicely. I will be always be cautious with Dexter, but Frank mixes so well with all other dogs - even today, when started on by a rogue JRT, he was very passive and removed himself from the situation when I called him away from potential ground for trouble (irritatingly, JRT owner sat on bench and did nothing... I witnessed the little darling do it to another 2 dogs, and later in the park 2 ladies with 2 springers and a GSD said they'd had to have a word with said owner as it was STILL running loose causing havoc, snarling at any dog near it!).
In park training starts next Sunday anyway so looking forward to that, plenty of distractions and new exciting dogs to challenge us!
Thanks - Cahill and everyone else - for all the advice :)
 
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