growling at other dogs

[sarah]

hi all,wonder if anyone has any suggestions.have had my greyhound for about 6 months now.she used to be fine going for walks but just lately has started having a go at any dog she sees,doesn't matter what size/colour they are at all although she seems to particularly dislike collie type dogs.as soon as she sees another dog she starts growling.she seems to behave better off lead although she does sometimes look like she is stalking them.she has had to start wearing a muzzle again to go out.not sure if its just a socialization thing or something more.would really appreciate any ideas,hints/tips.thanks

[bluelou]

I'm no expert with dog behaviour though I spend enough time looking into it - Lou's a bit off with other dogs though she is getting better (using a random mix of measures to improve her behaviour)..

If it's worse on the lead then it may be something called 'lead frustration' which tends to be worse around other dogs that are NOT on leads.

I'm sure others will give you good advice but I can recommend the following:

1 Go to a dog training class - the Billericay Dog School is really excellent (if you can get there) - they do a greyhound only class which was great www.bdts.org.uk/

2. Contact Battersea Dogs Home for a factsheet or ring their advice line - they're really good and helped us a lot when Blue started guarding the house when we first got Lou. Your dog doesn't have to come from Battersea for you to use the service - www.battersea.org.uk/help_advice/behaviour_advice/index.html

Hope that helps - dog ownership is a bit of an adventure and once you think you've got everything under control they come up with something new - it's what makes it so interesting!

[Ian]

You could maybe try halting the walk and trying to get her quiet, then when she's quiet, and only then she gets a treat - you would need to try this with the muzzle off. Again I'm no expert but I'm thinking that positive reinforcement idea where something good happens when they're doing what you want them to. Presumably she doesn't do it when there are people passing or approaching without a dog? If they do it with strangers it's usually because they think they have to protect you or that's what I've read. The mother in laws springer is like that, so you have to be on your guard with people coming close or that want to greet her.

[kris]

its often nerves and stress rather than aggression.
My big lad charlie is quite tricky.
I use conditioning training with him ...dog coming .best treats ever arrive ... dog leaving..nothing!
It does work.
Buy or make some treats that are scrummy (or buy the a la bark baking cookbook and make some )
These treats are only to be used for the training to make them 'special'
Off you go on a walk - and everytime a dog is coming ..out come the treats. Use a phrase that you will remember ..like 'what do I have?'.. and the dog must focus on you.
If your dogs 'loses it' - stop the treats as you cannot reward bad behaviour.
I started with stooge dogs ..friends locally. We met on a road and walked towards each other - charlie getting treats - we didnt push it too close for a few days but closer each day.
Then as they pass or turn away - treats go away and no praise . as we do not praise or reward for a dog going away.
It has helped charlie no end - although agressive dogs will start him off - or loose dogs that run headlong at him to play
Dog training classes are good - but often dont help this problem as the dogs dont approach, are on lead and .hopefully . under control.
Charlie never loses it at training - only when out and about
Wot a numpty - but wouldnt have him any other way
good luck

[sarah]

hi,thanks for advice.does tend to be worse when she is on lead.have noticed today out walking if I am between her and other dog she's fine.Will be contacting battersea for their info sheet,unfortunately dont drive so Billericay bit too far to travel to,have been looking into socialisation classes in Leigh area though.She is fine with just people approaching her,she loves a fuss from strangers,and she is fantastic with my 7 year old.She has a couple of male dogs we see a lot and she is fine with those ,she can run around off lead with them no problems.life with a grey most def interesting,she certainly a character

[andyips]

Jan 18, 2010 21:38:37 GMT sarah said:

hi all,wonder if anyone has any suggestions.have had my greyhound for about 6 months now.she used to be fine going for walks but just lately has started having a go at any dog she sees,doesn't matter what size/colour they are at all although she seems to particularly dislike collie type dogs.as soon as she sees another dog she starts growling.she seems to behave better off lead although she does sometimes look like she is stalking them.she has had to start wearing a muzzle again to go out.not sure if its just a socialization thing or something more.would really appreciate any ideas,hints/tips.thanks

A very interesting thread, Sarah, and thanks for posting. Interesting that this has only suddenly started occuring? This is purely my opinion. When we first get our greys it takes some while for them to settle in, and become one of the pack. The territory we walk them in on a daily basis, assuming you are walking the same route, or within the same area? then becomes, 'Theirs' so any other dog/wolf (bearing in mind their ancestry), they come across is encroaching on Their territory, and they want to keep it as their own, as that is where they would hunt and get their food from. However, as said, domestic dogs have come a long way since then, yet it is still in their make-up. Also a lot of apparent 'dog aggression' is not that at all. My Jet can appear aggressive to other dogs, but she is not, and as said is purely protecting her (and our - her pack's) territory, but there is never any fights/injury etc. She is just warding them off, and she is Alpha female in our own particular pack. However, i've noticed that if she is ever on a lead and another dogs approaches, she will bark. Something she never does normally, ie bark. But again it is nothing vicious, just that she is restrained and can't do what a natural alpha female would do. Hope that make sense?

However, as said, a lot of apparent aggression is rare, and not what it seems. It often just a case of thinking wolf and pack.

[sarah]

hi andyips,yes we are generally walking in same area every day.i think she does like to be the boss with other dogs.we had walk today and had no problems at all,she passed other dogs with no problem as i got her to focus on me(thanks kris!!).she is a very quiet dog indoors,its really rare to hear her bark unless theres foxes or cats in the garden:).when we met her greyhound friend today he started barking and she started growling,but that was from excitement at seeing him i think as she loves him to bits and they cuddle up together whenever they get chance.yes does make sense,maybe i just need to learn her playful growl and when its something more?

[hamptonfamily]

George is the same on his own territory. Goes loopy, rearing up in a let me at them type pose - tend to hang onto a short lead and put myself between him and the other dog. Have even been known to cross the road just to avoid the problem. But when we take him away or in a different environment he just ignores other dogs and completely a different dog.

[sarah]

thanks,might try walking her somewhere different to see how she reacts

[andyips]

Jan 20, 2010 20:35:15 GMT sarah said:

hi andyips,yes we are generally walking in same area every day.i think she does like to be the boss with other dogs.we had walk today and had no problems at all,she passed other dogs with no problem as i got her to focus on me(thanks kris!!).she is a very quiet dog indoors,its really rare to hear her bark unless theres foxes or cats in the garden:).when we met her greyhound friend today he started barking and she started growling,but that was from excitement at seeing him i think as she loves him to bits and they cuddle up together whenever they get chance.yes does make sense,maybe i just need to learn her playful growl and when its something more?

On our walks in local familiar areas, over the years, we have met various other dog owners, and the majority of which Jetty now accepts, but only because i have gone up to the dogs (As Alpha male) and stroked and fussed over it. However, as said, initially she will do her Alpha female bit. A few times she has had a stand off with such breeds as a Rottweiler ;D but again there was a lot of growling, but no viciousness, and once i had stroked it, status quo continued Another time a male Weimaraner tried to get dominant with Sonny (on their perceived territory) Jet and Kristin were there in an instant to back him (their fellow pack member), but again, no fights or injury took place. As far as they were concerned, the Rottie and the Weimaraner were on their territory. Over the years as said we have met and know various familiar other dog walkers on our daily walks, and our three just sniff and pass them by now. However, there is one, a beautiful golden lab called Sadie, who always go into the submission pose, straight on her back, when my three approach. They have never had any fights, but again thinking wolf, she is out numbered when she see these other four wolves (including myself) coming towards her, and is giving a signal, 'I mean no harm.' At the end of the day, they are all wolves. They have their own social etiquette.

[funwaydaisy]

Hi Sarah, Maybe its quite simple and she just doesnt like other dogs.
My Abbey just doesnt like other dogs she will always try and have a nip of them yet a grey hound comes along she is licking there teeth eyes sniffing bring another dog along she is hostile, Daisy is really friendly she has been a bit funny since the sausage dog incident and i do trust her with small dogs same as sean he is very dog friendly.
I don't know why she's like that as far as i know she has come straight for racing in kennels i think less then a week and hasnt been in contact with any other dogs apart from greyhounds
she is really a sweet hound who is very good with Daisy and Sean always grooming them, and very good with my son,
Verna

[andyips]

Jan 20, 2010 21:04:22 GMT hamptonfamily said:

George is the same on his own territory. Goes loopy, rearing up in a let me at them type pose - tend to hang onto a short lead and put myself between him and the other dog. Have even been known to cross the road just to avoid the problem. But when we take him away or in a different environment he just ignores other dogs and completely a different dog.

Honestly, that is one of the worst mistakes, ie putting them on a short lead. And you would be surprised how many people does it. What that does is put your dog on a dominant position (often, and probably always, against their choice, and they're probably thinking 'Please release the lead, you might be nervous, but i'm not, and i mean no harm, but you are making me appear aggressive!') and any approaching dog/wolf see them as also on their territory, bearing in mind we all take similar pathways with our hounds, but they don't know that, and see the approaching dog/wolf, on the short lead, as being challenging to their territory. That is when you can expect nasty confrontations.

[andyips]

Jan 20, 2010 22:47:15 GMT funwaydaisy said:

Hi Sarah, Maybe its quite simple and she just doesnt like other dogs

Somehow i don't think so?.... but i'll agree to disagree.

[Marina]

I think it's definitely a territorial thing. Living in a small village, we don't meet other dogs on our walks as often as we would, say, in a more built up area and so when we do, Dudley gets very excited and pulls, lurches and barks at any that approach, on the lead or off. (He never did this when we first got him - it started a few weeks in, I guess once he felt at home). Yet when we went to the Suffolk Dog Day at Hintlesham Hall last summer, there were hundreds of dogs there of all shapes and sizes and Dudley just walked past them all, quite unconcerned. He behaved impeccably because it was neutral territory.

[sarah]

think you may be right,we went for a long walk today at a nature reserve we only go to once a week,she was off lead and unmuzzled and she behaved so well!!we met quite a few other dogs,couple of greys and other breeds and she let them come to her with no growling whatsoever.she was even wagging her tail at them!!.just waiting to see how she is on lead later when we go on school run!!!fingers crossed!!!