Hi, New to this forum – sorry the post is rather long. We have a two-year-old retriever. As a young dog, he was friendly but quite submissive around other dogs. If approached he would always roll over. At around a year old, we noticed some male dogs would have a bit of a grumble at him when he went into this submissive pose. We were often told this was because he was entire and their dogs did not like entire males. On two occasions, he was attacked quite aggressively by other male dogs – he made no attempt to retaliate and no physical harm was done. As he has grown up, he appears more confident around other dogs but will quickly move away if he is ever growled at and usually avoids approaching other entire males. A few months ago, while playing with a dog he has known since he was a puppy, another dog ran over and attacked. My friend and I were a little unnerved to see both our dogs retaliate, as this was the first time either had shown aggression towards another dog. Luckily, the situation was quickly diffused; however, it left me a little wary when on walks. I was just beginning to relax again when a similar situation occurred today. A dog lunged at him. It wasn’t just a snarl or grumble, but quite an aggressive attack. Again, my dog retaliated and began to fight with the other dog. Again, he came away quickly when called and calmed down straight away. These two incidents have left me a little shaken. Should I be worried about dog-aggression in my dog or is this just a natural ‘fight or flight’ response?
Hi and welcome! It sounds to me that your dog was merely defending himself, not being aggressive at all - especially since you could recall him from the situation. Don't worry, stay calm yourself in situations with other dogs, and make plenty of opportunities for him to meet friendly male dogs, so that he learns that aggressive dogs are the exception, not the rule.
Hi. My girl is nearly 4 and was always really chilled with other dogs until she was attacked several times when she was 2. Unfortunately it did make her more defensive and she will now retaliate. It shook me up for a while, but I made sure she had really positive interactions with other dogs I knew. She isn't the aggressor, but will stick up for herself, but like your boy, will recall 90% of the time. When on walks I'm very aware of who is around and will pop her on lead if I see a dog I don't know (especially collies). She has improved over the past year and will usually come to me if another dog growls at her. I found if I was hesitant or anxious she would pick up on it. I did spend several weeks walking with someone I knew as I was worried, but we have both learned to relax and keep an eye out. Hope your boy is ok.
Thank you for the advice and reassurance. I think it was a bit of a shock to see my usually calm and gentle dog change so quickly. I realise I need to stay alert to other dog interactions, but will also try to relax and have a little more faith in him!
