My 10 month old black lab is a gorgeous cheeky little girl...she steals and chews which drives me nuts but what I can't stand is that she's started showing aggression to smaller dogs. She's really quite submissive with larger dogs regardless of being male or female. In the past 2 weeks she has started posturing and being very aggressive with smaller breeds. She pins them down and tries to grab their scruff. I'm hoping this is a hormonal phase where she's trying to assert her dominance? She's been well socialised since she was 12 weeks old and lives with our older 10 year old lab. One of the dogs we regularly walk with its a large greyhound, who grabs her scruff and pulls her ears. He does this in play but could she be copying him? I need to do something before she injures another animal. Any suggestions very very welcome as I'm seriously thinking about a muzzle!!
Sorry I'm not very experienced as I've got an 11 month old who is my first dog but I didn't want to just read and pass by. I'm sure someone else will give you some advice soon. Has she had her first season yet? Is there anything that you can think of that happens before the posturing? What's her name? At 10 months she's still very much a puppy and still learning but hitting those teenage years, adult size with puppy brain. If you can give as much information as possible it will help the more experienced members when they wake up in the morning and read it or for those that are still awake like me. Although other members it will be daytime now. Welcome to the forum from me and Dexter
Hi Nicola, welcome to the Forum, I feel your pain,Dexter is my first dog and I spent hours watching videos of dogs at play worrying about my boy. We I live in Dubai,three years ago when we got Dexter off lead opportunities for dogs weren't great and as we headed into the heat Summer I had one friend that was willing to get up at 5 am every morning with her puppy that was the same age and sneak into one of the parks to give the dogs a play.......I regret it so much as the other dog was only socialised with Dexter.He was a really rough player,he used to chase Dexter down and try and grab him by the scruff and if he caught him he would pin him and not let him up.....I eventually stopped it when Dexter got bitten on the neck ,I hate that I let it go on for so long. I feel Dexter did learn bad habits from this dog ,when he hits what we call his 'booster jet ' button he he can sometimes lose his marbles and his chase instinct cranks up and he goes to grab at the scruff...at this point he might not let a dog up if he catches up so I trained 'enough' and I interrupt him....as I'm writing this im realising that I haven't had to use it for a long time,his play is pretty appropriate now.although still energetic..... I can't really comment on the aggression issue that you are describing ,it's really hard without seeing it.Play can look rough and noisey but still be appropriate .....Pinning can even be play....what you usually see though is one dog lets the other up and they have a bit of a shake and then start again....sorry I'm not really helping am I? Dexter is out first dog so I can only really relate from him and his style....I'm also probably a bit over zealous on the manners thing.....I used to get told by a lot of owners ,'don't worry they are only playing ' but I didn't want Dexter to practice bad habits .....
I'm probably making comparisons to my older dog Maisie, who's always been a sweetheart (apart from eating the occasional sofa)! The little one, Sanna, is a complete lunatic!! I'm convinced it's aggression rather than rough play, as she rough & tumbles with Maisie...but what she does to the smaller dogs is much more vicious. Will try distraction technique and see if that's successful.
Hi there, my wee girl is called Sanna and she hasn't had her first season yet which is why I'm considering hormones as a possible factor in her behaviour. She's used to rough n tumble play with our older lab Maisie...but her behaviour with the small dogs is very different. I'm not normally a worrier and believe dogs need to find their own place in the pack hierarchy, but this worries me so much that I do need to intervene. I think I'll stop walking her with the greyhound for a while and see if that helps? Will also try distracting her when we meet a small dog. What I don't want to do is stop isolating her or avoid places with other dogs. Feel we have a bit of a journey ahead of us!
Hi Nicola, welcome to the forum. Sorry to her that you are currently having problems with Sanna. Without actually seeing what is happening when Sanna sees the dogs and what body language is happening its not possible for any of us to really say whether the 'play' is appropriate or not. It is possible that because she has been on he receiving end of similar style play she is now doing the same to other dogs. I would doubt that she is being aggressive though unless she has a reason to fear small dogs, for example if she has been attacked by one, and it has nothing to do with 'pack dominance'. My advice would be to perhaps have a session with a good behaviourist who would be able to assess Sanna and her doggy interactions, and advise on training to move forward most positively.
Thanks MaccieD! I was out this afternoon with her and a spotted a mini schnauzer...her whole body went still and she was entirely focused...tail straight out almost in a stalking stance. Think a behaviourist a good next move.
It's good that you have watched for Sanna's body language, and it would seem that there is some sort of issue around a small dog, somit's brst to get it sorted sooner rather than later. A behaviourist will want lots of information on what's happening when etc, etc. so it would be a good idea to jot down everything you can think of relating to these incidents -whether Sanna was off lead, onlead, the other dog off lead or onlead, how was the other dog reacting (if you can remember). Are you walking Sanna with your other dog or alone? Is the reaction the same with or without a walking buddy? Finding a good behaviourist is a mine field, a bit like finding a good trainer, so if you don't know one (like most of us) it may be a good idea to ask at your vets to see if they can recommend someone. If you get stuck trying to find one, pop back and no doubt members can point you towards the better organisations to research from.
Lovely name, It may be a factor but I have no experience with female dogs. I did the same with Dexter and stopped meeting up with a group as one dog would always pin him down by the throat. This dog isn't aggressive but it was too much for me and I got fed up with, not much fun for Dexter either as all one sided. I felt it could turn either one of them aggressive it was to continue. Dexter was very young at the time too.
