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#1
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Dog goes after certain dogs???
I have been having a problem with my dog Jake... Jake is a neutered 5 year old Boxer/Lab/Chow mix. Every so often, when we are at the park, a new dog will come in and they will both sniff for a few seconds, and than Jake will immediately pin the other dog down while snarling in the other dogs face, this only lasts a few seconds. He has done this about a dozen or more times already over the last couple years and not once has he even left a scratch on the other dog. He has done this to old dogs, females, males, older puppies, it doesnt seem to matter he just doesnt like them for some reason. He even did this to a really old dog once which really embarrassed me. He has also done this unleashed and leashed so the leash doesnt seem to be the problem. Jake has about 15 or so dogs he regularly plays with (although he is becoming less playful) on a regular basis with no problems so I know he can get along with other dogs. He is now also ignoring the other dogs more often, just doesnt seem as interested. He is also with my brothers dog almost every day and they get on very well although Jake doesnt really want to play anymore but he is not mean about it at all. Just for the record also, Jake is no longer allowed to say hi to strange dogs until I figure out how to handle this.
Today really confused me, we were at the local park off leash when a friend I haven't seen in several months showed up with her male neutered Rottweiler, well Jake and the Rottweiler sniffed for a few seconds and Jake went into attack mode, no injuries, but his usual pin down with alot of noise. I thought for sure they would get along since Jake new this Rottweiler since he was a puppy (the Rottweiler) and they got along fine. Is something wrong with him? and is there any way to change this behavior??? I really don't care if he doesnt want to play with the other dogs, I just don't want him to pin these dogs on the ground and snarl and growl at them, it really scares me and the other owners. Does anyone know why he does this and what it means? |
#2
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jakesmama wrote in
: I have been having a problem with my dog Jake... Jake is a neutered 5 year old Boxer/Lab/Chow mix. Every so often, when we are at the park, a new dog will come in and they will both sniff for a few seconds, and than Jake will immediately pin the other dog down while snarling in the other dogs face, this only lasts a few seconds. He has done this about a dozen or more times already over the last couple years and not once has he even left a scratch on the other dog. He has done this to old dogs, females, males, older puppies, it doesnt seem to matter he just doesnt like them for some reason. He even did this to a really old dog once which really embarrassed me. He has also done this unleashed and leashed so the leash doesnt seem to be the problem. Jake has about 15 or so dogs he regularly plays with (although he is becoming less playful) on a regular basis with no problems so I know he can get along with other dogs. He is now also ignoring the other dogs more often, just doesnt seem as interested. He is also with my brothers dog almost every day and they get on very well although Jake doesnt really want to play anymore but he is not mean about it at all. Just for the record also, Jake is no longer allowed to say hi to strange dogs until I figure out how to handle this. Today really confused me, we were at the local park off leash when a friend I haven't seen in several months showed up with her male neutered Rottweiler, well Jake and the Rottweiler sniffed for a few seconds and Jake went into attack mode, no injuries, but his usual pin down with alot of noise. I thought for sure they would get along since Jake new this Rottweiler since he was a puppy (the Rottweiler) and they got along fine. Is something wrong with him? and is there any way to change this behavior??? I really don't care if he doesnt want to play with the other dogs, I just don't want him to pin these dogs on the ground and snarl and growl at them, it really scares me and the other owners. Does anyone know why he does this and what it means? This is about dominance. When the Rottweiler was a puppy, Jake didn't have to be dominant; who was Top Dog isn't an issue. Jake is telling other dogs that he's Top Dog. Dogs who live together form a pack, a social group in which one dog is the Top Dog, or alpha. The Boss Dog. That dog will eat first (even if there are multiple dog bowls), sometimes "hump" the other dogs regardless of sex, be first in line for treats or petting. In my exp., this is often done without overt fighting but with body language. That's what Jake is doing - telling those other dogs that he's the alpha, and the other dogs are saying, oh, okay. Unfortunately, he may run into a dog that doesn't accept Jake's statement, and then there will be a fight. It's my opinion that "dog parks" and other doggie group play areas go against a dog's basic nature. It simply isn't in a dog's nature to automatically get along with every dog it meets and play nice. I'd keep him on leash at all times, unless he's in a securely fenced area alone, or with another dog that you know he gets along with *now* (not in the past when the other dog was a puppy). There are people in this group who frequent "dog parks" and whose dogs are apparently well-socialized enough to get along with most any dog they meet. I think that's great. But many dog owners - and I'm one of them - don't have the time or the means to do this type of dog-on-dog socialization, esp. when the dog is very young and it makes the most difference. Now, obedience training can go a long way. If Jake will get away from another dog and come when called reliably, you can de-fuse or avoid such situations. That might be something to work on. Think about what's going to happen if Jake pins down a macho little Poodle, and the small dog decides to argue. Before you or the other owner can intervene, that little dog's gonna be seriously hurt or dead. And you're gonna be in trouble, and Jake might have to be put down. Dogs aren't people, and there are limits to how much their instinctive behavior can be altered, IMO. flick 100785 |
#3
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Jake is pretty well trained... When I am walking him, he knows to make eye-contact with me when he sees another dog the problem is when someone is being walked by their dog who "just wants to say hello", dashes toward Jake. I have to literally yell at these IMO irresponsible people and tell them Jake doesnt like other dogs, and they still don't believe me because since Jake is not lunging or barking at the end of the leash he must be friendly... I can tell by his body language exactly what he has in mind though! I adopted Jake 2 years ago from an animal shelter so I am not so sure what his socialization history is. Alot of times, Jake trys to ignore the other dog and gives many warnings that the other dogs don't seem to pick up, and speaking of little dogs, shortly after adopting Jake, not knowing his attitude towards other dogs (his first few encounters seemed ok), I brought him to my friends house. Well, my friend has a Minature Pinscher who was following Jake around with his nose in Jakes butt... Apparently, Jake got offended and turned around and did the pinning, snarly thing to the little guy. Thank god he didn't hurt that little thing and the other dog didn't fight back either although he learned fast to give Jake his space! Also, my brothers dog humps Jake, jumps on top of him, steals his bones and toys, etc, and Jake has NEVER had a problem with him. I am trying to pin-point a pattern in the dogs he is doing this to and can't seem to do that. Also, he is the most laid-back dog I have ever met until certain dogs get in his personal space. I guess I need to start realizing that Mr Jake doesn't want to be social with outsiders. I do really want to get a second dog prob within the next year, would this be unwise with a dog like Jake? I am thinking maybe a female would fit in our household best and start off with a puppy...
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