# Has your GSD been reactive at one point towards other dogs?



## GermanShepherd<3 (Jan 16, 2011)

A behaviorist told me she sees the most GSD's out of all the dogs she works with. She also said even the best of socialized pups usually have some bit of reaction towards other dogs..
What do you think about this? She said it is very common in GSDs and that it's not necessarily because of bad training, but I don't see how it's possible if you have a very active dog, in dog classes, goes with you in dog environments, and has a big emphasis on dog socialization at a young age.
Would do you think?


----------



## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

I have one. Requires constant vigiliant. For some it is nerve issues others are just agressive. Honestly I think her issues are she is a female agressive little bitch.

I had another one who was weak nerved and I was able to work it out of him.

I have another one I would not trade for his weight in gold. Just today a shibu inu charged him and nipped him on the nose.....and he just turned his head and ignored it.

All of these dogs were well socialized.


----------



## BGSD (Mar 24, 2011)

Mine is 17 weeks. He's afraid of big adult dogs (whimpers a bit and tries to run), he's friendly and inquisitive towards dogs his own size, and he barks at smaller dogs.


----------



## missmychance (Jan 20, 2011)

Frodo is extremely reactive and has fear issues at 3 years. He had lots of socialization around dogs of all sizes and at obedience class plus he went everywhere with me when he was younger. His parents also had model behaviors. I have no idea where things took a turn for the worse but he has a forever home with us and we'll just keep working on his problems.


----------



## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

GSDs are a dominant breed. they dont take any nonsense from other dogs easily if at all. Even the best socialized dog can have some aggression issues with other dogs sometimes. Zena.... bitch aggressive. She'll tolerate them but prefers being the only female unless she can be the boss. Riley is reactive to some other dogs because of a couple bad experiences so he gets anxious when he see's other dogs and it occassionally leads to aggression. Shasta so far hasnt any issues. She'd rather just play or ignore. Shelby was a run and hide kinda dog.


----------



## CaseysGSD (Oct 15, 2010)

I have a 4 month old male that will test any other dog no matter the size... He is trained and around dogs and people everyday. Super social with people, was told ahead of time that it's in his blood... Has some very serious/aggressive dogs in his backround..(I work to nip his dog aggression in the bud)
Achilles von der Staatsmacht - working-dog.eu


----------



## Caitydid255 (Aug 28, 2010)

Freyja lived her life with being exposed to friendly dog's at Petco and seeing dogs at my future Father-in-law's veterinary clinic. She had no problems with dogs or any other animal (cats, dogs, cows, horses, etc...) This all changed within a 4 hour span where she was attacked by two small dogs in separate incidents (one latched onto her throat). Since that day I have worked with her, posted on this forum which led to some ideas, and thank G*d she is finally semi ignoring other dogs again. If one barks at her she will hackle and bark back, but we are slowly working from that, So yes, we have been through that. Patience and a calm temperment can help the situation.


----------



## Pattycakes (Sep 8, 2010)

Uschi will bark and act like she wants to be agressive with some dogs...but mostly she is friendly and curious. And she has been socialized since she was about 9 weeks old, OB classes, and doggie daycare for about 6 months.


----------



## koda girl (Feb 15, 2010)

My 18 month old female has gone to the dog park every day since she was 3 months old. We use to spend so much time there while she played with every other dog that came, and there were many. We still go everyday but there are only a few dogs I can let her off leash with. When we see another dog I have to put her on leash right away or she attacks. Like I said she has always been around other dogs. We still go to obideance classes every week, she is well socialized. We have done nothing to make her like this, I guess it is just her. I am still hoping she might grow out of it. lol. We will see.


----------



## Caledon (Nov 10, 2008)

What I'm finding with my dog is that she does not like it when other dogs are not behaving properly. As an example, during obedience class she beame upset when a young Wheaten Terrier started to spin, and spin and spin. Finally she just gave a big bark at the dog. Dakota rarely barks so when she does I notice it. 

She used to react when other dogs would growl and lunge at her, but I'm noticing that the reaction has not happened for a long time now.

I socialized her. Got her at 11 weeks though and the breeder said she was working on it with her, but you never know. Next dog I get will be at 8 weeks and I will take better care about selecting a breeder.


----------



## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

Hondo acts as though he is the King of all he sees, and all others are peasants, not worth his time.


----------



## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

No issues here.

My GSD loves other dogs, we've never had a problem.


----------



## bianca (Mar 28, 2010)

Ack my nearly 18 month old has been socialised up the wazoo and is now reactive on leash  We were doing agility and have had to drop it to try and work on her issues. We go to OB training once a week still. I am currently working her through Click To Calm before going the behaviourist route - my trainer thinks she is fearful.


----------



## GSD MOM (Apr 21, 2010)

Nellie is too good. She doesn't give two craps about other dogs. Stuck up I tell ya... 

Ace.... well, that's another story.


----------



## DJEtzel (Feb 11, 2010)

I have a very anxious, dog reactive dog. 

He was socialized extensively and training/raised around other dogs and puppies as a puppy, he went everywhere with us, etc. Still anxious and reactive.


----------



## CarrieJ (Feb 22, 2011)

Alice is pretty good...better with my other half than me. It really depends on the situation.

She definitely does't do well on the leash when dog pulling it's owner down the street with very alert/dominant body language approaches. She's gotten better. She'll do fine with some dogs, and badly with others. 

She absolutely hates the angry Yorkie that is barrier aggressive and left out in the front yard behind a chain link fence. She does react aggressively to it. We just keep working her there. On the other hand she met a Doodle the other day on the creek trail, and was very calm. She even played with him when the leashes came off.


----------



## Greydusk (Mar 26, 2010)

My 6 year old recently became reactive after both of us got attacked by a pair of bully type breeds. He has gotten slightly better over the last few months.


----------



## MKSWEET (Mar 12, 2011)

I have had Hendrix since he was 8 weeks and he is now 16 weeks and is getting better everyday with other dogs. He used to be reactive even with strangers, but he has completely grown out of that. Now he just raises his hackles when he sees another dog/dogs and I have been workign with him and socializing him to get him to the point where he won't bark anymore. Occasionally he will let out a single bark still, but he gets along with every dog...he is just more interested in his family- the people/dogs he already knows & loves


----------



## 4TheDawgies (Apr 2, 2011)

KZoppa said:


> *GSDs are a dominant breed. they dont take any nonsense from other dogs easily if at all. Even the best socialized dog can have some aggression issues with other dogs sometimes.*


This is exactly what I was going to say. They are a dominant breed. all of my dogs are dominant and don't take crap from other dogs.

Their reactivity is not a problem for me as they understand what I expect of them. but its very obviously there.


----------



## Good_Karma (Jun 28, 2009)

I have a dog reactive male. He has never liked any dog other than Rosa.


----------



## MicheleMarie (Mar 29, 2011)

My puppy is reactive but we are working on that with treats.
my older shepherd mix absolutely loathes other dogs. but she doesn't "react" really anymore. Instead she is passive. At a dog park she will keep her distance from every other dog by at least 10 feet unless they are ignoring her too. The only time she switches gears is if another dog starts it first. She won't bare teeth or anything unless another dog does it to her first.


----------



## gsdraven (Jul 8, 2009)

Raven has never been reactive to other dogs (have had her since 3 months). She doesn't put up with rude behavior and won't let intact males get behind her but she's only ever growled at one dog for seemingly no reason and it really caught everyone off guard because she never acts like that.

Kaiser can be reactive if he is allowed to focus on a dog for too long but it's more frustration. 

I've had a couple dog reactive fosters and one dog aggressive foster who all got along with Raven just fine when introduced properly.


----------



## CLARKE-DUNCAN (Apr 8, 2011)

Nero reacts to other dogs usually his yorkshire terrier freind, he sometimes meets at the park! His reactions are usually nice ones as he just wants a game of chsae me, chase me!!


----------



## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

Masi will react if a dog comes charging up in her face. Otherwise she has no interest in dogs that isn't in her circle of doggie friends.


----------



## Melgrj7 (Jul 5, 2009)

Nash will perk his ears and sometimes want to go see another dog. Most of the time he ignores other dogs, if the other dog reacts to him he will raise his hackles sometimes and his tail will go up a little. He definitely likes to be in charge when it comes to other dogs and would not back down from a challenge which I think is why he reacts a bit when another dog barks at him. If he is off leash he will play with another dog as long as they are more submissive, if we are on a hike or something and pass other dogs he will usually just go by them.

I think a lot of herding breeds tend to be a bit reactive.


----------



## DTS (Oct 19, 2010)

jasmine is 14 months old and we have had her since 4 months. we brought her everywhere. socialized her with all sorts of people, places, dogs, etc about 2 or 3x a week. started doing socializing on a daily basis at 7 months. shes been to dog parks before but we dont go much now. pet stores and weve been in OB classes every week since dec. she has gotten better about barking at people. she no longer raises her hackles. but if the person makes eye contact, talks to her or sticks their hand in her face she will bark. shes never been beaten or had a bad experiences with people. wont take treats from them. but shes getting into the stage where she will think if its a threat or not, but hasnt fully gotten to the stage where she will think, and realize that someone talking to her or wanting to pet her is a threat. we have tried everything. she is a slow mental progressor. but we do what we can not to set her up for failure and we hope she will fully grow out of it with more socializing and OB classes. 
she used to bark at everyone in petsmart. we went last weekend on a sat. morning and the place was packed. she barked 3x. once at a dog, once at a worker because she got in her face, and once in the checkout line. still needs work but we are progressing. 
i have no clue as to what caused it


----------



## JKlatsky (Apr 21, 2007)

I don't think so much that it's reactivity as a breed that we see in Shepherds (although certainly some are) but rather these are dogs that are very strongly pack oriented. We often hear that GSDs are not dog park dogs (which I firmly believe to be true now) and that they bond very closely with their family and that they are aloof with strangers. All of this points to a dog that will likely not take much pleasure in extensive interactions with strangers- human or canine- that are not part of their family. That is not to say that they should be unapproachable, but rather that this is not a Lab or a Golden- friendly and gregarious to all. 

I only have 1 dog that is reactive and that is the dog that I most extensively socialized at dog parks with other dogs when he was young. All of my other dogs I raised with minimal strange dog socialization. They saw and sniffed other dogs at training classes but I did no off leash play with strange dogs. As they matured they are polite in passing other dogs and not reactive or aggressive...however I can see that they are not fond of other dogs who are impolite or challenging and that given time or opportunity there could be a problem. Additionally GSDs are thinking dogs and often proactive dogs in their own defense. Allowed too often to be accosted by other dogs and not protected by their leader and made to feel uncomfortable it doesn't seem to take long for them to make the jump to forward aggression to chase off that which bothers them- hence the reactivity.


----------



## GermanShepherd<3 (Jan 16, 2011)

Wow so many responses, I didn't think I would get this many on this thread. It is really interesting to hear what you all have to say with your dogs. One thing I noticed even when German Shepherds do go to dog parks, they usually just hang around the owners, and barely play with the dogs, and if they run a bit with a dog, they quickly run back without going far. But then I have seen other GSDs who LOVE other dogs, but it seems more GSDs are more reactive or aggressive than actually liking to play with other dogs..


----------



## CarrieJ (Feb 22, 2011)

> Wow so many responses, I didn't think I would get this many on this thread. It is really interesting to hear what you all have to say with your dogs. One thing I noticed even when German Shepherds do go to dog parks, they usually just hang around the owners, and barely play with the dogs, and if they run a bit with a dog, they quickly run back without going far. But then I have seen other GSDs who LOVE other dogs, but it seems more GSDs are more reactive or aggressive than actually liking to play with other dogs..


 
That's pretty much Alice at the dog park. Not aggressive or reactive, but focuses on me and the ball. I will actually walk around for about ten minutes when I first get there and ignore her. She follows me around stays close but will go out and sniff more butts than if I just go and start tossing the ball right away.
She actually likes to play with other dogs; preferrably standard poodles or labradoodles (sheesh..no accounting for taste) She settled for a 15 month Viszla the other day. She misses her day of daycare she used to do. 

But, in the car she's a holy terror...I will pull over and correct the situation if my timing is bad with the leave it. I really don't want to crate her in the car. I don't think that will help the reactivity in the car.


----------



## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

GermanShepherd<3 said:


> Wow so many responses, I didn't think I would get this many on this thread. It is really interesting to hear what you all have to say with your dogs. One thing I noticed even when German Shepherds do go to dog parks, they usually just hang around the owners, and barely play with the dogs, and if they run a bit with a dog, they quickly run back without going far. But then I have seen other GSDs who LOVE other dogs, but it seems more GSDs are more reactive or aggressive than actually liking to play with other dogs..


 
when we would go to the dog park back home all the time, i noticed that my dogs would run and run but check in with me. They werent interested in playing with other dogs.... unless another shepherd came in. BUT then they would all run around, in a way, ganging up on other dogs that got in their running path. They're good with other dogs (with the exception of Riley and his saint bernard issue) but they certainly dont seek to be friends all the time. Shelby was a very sweet and VERY tolerant girl but she didnt give a rats behind about other dogs at all. They could go up in flames and she still wouldnt have cared about them. Shasta is interested because she's still at the stage where she wants to play with everyone but i've noticed thats disappearing recently. She's only interested in playing with dogs she knows which consists of Riley and our friends smaller mixed thing (thing because they dont actually know what the heck she is other than some sort of dog) and the beagle down the street. Beyond that, she's good with a sniff and moving on. Riley is a mixed box of reactions. He can be friendly, unsure or downright nasty tempered. I think a lot of it goes into how they were socialized but more importantly how the general temperment is. Some dogs can be socialized like crazy and still end up being dog aggressive. sometimes there just may be too many factors we dont realize that go into it. Does that make sense? It might not. i'm kinda tired lol.


----------



## goatdude (Mar 3, 2009)

Ruby from the start has always been reactive towards small dogs even though she has been through over a year of dog training classes and lives in the same house with a Pomeranian. Ruby has never hurt the Pom but does herd him around. With large dogs and especially males she is fine, even looking forward to playing with them. Have something like a Yorkie approach her and you better have good control or there could be a dead Yorkie. She has bitten a toy Poodle when she was 7 months old. Once fully introduced to a dog she will be great, like with my brothers French Bulldog. If it's a strange dog - watch out.


----------



## Stosh (Jun 26, 2010)

I agree with KZoppa too- Stosh has always been a very friendly dog, socialized from day one, lots of training, etc. He's never met a dog he didn't want to play with until recently. He's now 15 mos old, still intact and has gotten more selective. Like another poster said, if he sees a dog behaving badly he wants to take care of it.


----------



## GermanShepherd<3 (Jan 16, 2011)

The theory is that males are usually the ones to be more aggressive or reactive right? And that's why they say if you neuter them young you can bring that down somewhat, as well as decreasing the chance of having a reactive dog. 
So for everyone whose dogs are said to be aggressive/reactive, what's different with your dog? Are the neutered/spayed or not? Do you believe letting them go unfixed until older can make a great chance of becoming more reactive/aggressive? 
I really want to hear your opinions on this, and so far I thank all of you for not making this a nasty thread where there is fights all over the place, and I really hope my new discussion won't trigger anything. I just hope we can all continue to be respectful and possibly even take a thing or two from others.


----------



## CarrieJ (Feb 22, 2011)

> The theory is that males are usually the ones to be more aggressive or reactive right? And that's why they say if you neuter them young you can bring that down somewhat, as well as decreasing the chance of having a reactive dog.


I don't think that I agree with this theory. Females tend to be territorial.
I think it really comes down to breeding the temprament (you need a good foundation) and then exposure to the outside world.

I'm only basing this on my female's reactivity and the fact that I had her spayed young. (6 month old) She's still quick to react to a dog pulling their owner down the street approaching her with dominant body language. 

Someone here mentioned that males fight for breeding rights and females fight for breathing rights. That made sense to me.


----------



## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

GermanShepherd<3 said:


> The theory is that males are usually the ones to be more aggressive or reactive right? And that's why they say if you neuter them young you can bring that down somewhat, as well as decreasing the chance of having a reactive dog.
> So for everyone whose dogs are said to be aggressive/reactive, what's different with your dog? Are the neutered/spayed or not? Do you believe letting them go unfixed until older can make a great chance of becoming more reactive/aggressive?
> I really want to hear your opinions on this, and so far I thank all of you for not making this a nasty thread where there is fights all over the place, and I really hope my new discussion won't trigger anything. I just hope we can all continue to be respectful and possibly even take a thing or two from others.


 
honestly i think it depends on the dog. Riley is fixed only because that was a requirement of his adoption. I think he would still be the way he is had be not been altered. Zena on the other hand is just a dominant personality and Shasta is more laid back (though i'm seeing some dominance come out from her sometimes recently). As far as GSDs go, i've heard any number of things but the most common is that females tend to be more serious and quick to judge and definitely less forgiving of other dogs who make them mad while the males tend to be more laid back and dont seem to be interested in arguements like the females do. Some males can be perfectly fine going through life with no issues remaining intact while other males, being altered really does help tone them down. i think the same applies to females. Riley was 6 months old when he was fixed and he's now 6 years old. Given his general personality, i think had we been able to keep him intact he would still be like he is today.... just with a little more lol. Shasta.... well she turns a year old on May 5th and i think over the next year we'll start seeing more of her permanent personality and attitude as she continues to mature.


----------



## GSDElsa (Jul 22, 2009)

GermanShepherd<3 said:


> The theory is that males are usually the ones to be more aggressive or reactive right?


I've never heard of such a theory. 

The problem, I think, lies in the OWNERS of these dogs. GSDs are not dog park dogs for the most part. They like to be in control and have a tendancy to be dominant. And they also like to play rough. Couple all these things together and it generally does not equal fun times with a bunch of strange does.

I think reactivity often occurs or is brought to the surface when owners try to push something on their dogs that is simply not compatible with who they are.


----------



## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

GSDElsa said:


> I've never heard of such a theory.
> 
> The problem, I think, lies in the OWNERS of these dogs. GSDs are not dog park dogs for the most part. They like to be in control and have a tendancy to be dominant. And they also like to play rough. Couple all these things together and it generally does not equal fun times with a bunch of strange does.
> 
> I think reactivity often occurs or is brought to the surface when owners try to push something on their dogs that is simply not compatible with who they are.


 
agreed.


----------



## GermanShepherd<3 (Jan 16, 2011)

Well don't most vets say oh no it is really time you should consider getting your dog neutered as it will most likely develop aggressive or reactive behaviors, and a lot of vets try to push it to neuter around six months, when research now shows that is not always the best case, and there were some studies used just for German Shepherds. I'll try to find it. I mean when your dog gets to that age, I haven't heard from anyone that their vet didn't say anything about a dog being at a higher risk of picking bad behaviors..
Breeding of course does also make the hugest factor in this I agree, because temperament is inherited, and that's the whole part of breeding, getting dogs to the correct temperament to the breed along with other things behind it such as conformation and anatomy. There will always be some nut who claims to be a breeder, and it shows why so many German Shepherds IMO are becoming so messed up and abandoned.


----------



## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

GermanShepherd<3 said:


> Well don't most vets say oh no it is really time you should consider getting your dog neutered as it will most likely develop aggressive or reactive behaviors, and a lot of vets try to push it to neuter around six months, when research now shows that is not always the best case, and there were some studies used just for German Shepherds. I'll try to find it. I mean when your dog gets to that age, I haven't heard from anyone that their vet didn't say anything about a dog being at a higher risk of picking bad behaviors..
> Breeding of course does also make the hugest factor in this I agree, because temperament is inherited, and that's the whole part of breeding, getting dogs to the correct temperament to the breed along with other things behind it such as conformation and anatomy. There will always be some nut who claims to be a breeder, and it shows why so many German Shepherds IMO are becoming so messed up and abandoned.


 
keep in mind vets are going off older studies and not newer studies. They've had it drilled into their heads that dogs HAVE to be fixed by a certain age otherwise it can cause behavorial issues for life. More often than not, the behavior issues are a result of bad breeding and/or poor training. Think of it similar to vets pushing foods on people for their dogs that arent really good foods. They push things on people that isnt always the best course of action. some vets have an open mind and some even encourage people to not alter their dogs younger than a year old. I had a base vet verbally attack me one night while i was walking Shasta demanding to know why she'd not been fixed yet when she was about 7 months old. He asked me if she was altered and when i said no, i was waiting until she was about 2 years old, thats when he started laying into me. I dont care about the studies HE has. I've looked up my own studies and come to my own conclusions regarding MY dogs. Riley was ONLY altered because we adopted him and that was part of the condition he stayed with us. Otherwise, he would still be intact. and the ONLY reason shasta will be fixed when she's about 2 years old is because i dont want to deal with doggie periods. My males, if possible, will remain intact.


----------



## DJEtzel (Feb 11, 2010)

GermanShepherd<3 said:


> The theory is that males are usually the ones to be more aggressive or reactive right? And that's why they say if you neuter them young you can bring that down somewhat, as well as decreasing the chance of having a reactive dog.
> So for everyone whose dogs are said to be aggressive/reactive, what's different with your dog? Are the neutered/spayed or not? Do you believe letting them go unfixed until older can make a great chance of becoming more reactive/aggressive?
> I really want to hear your opinions on this, and so far I thank all of you for not making this a nasty thread where there is fights all over the place, and I really hope my new discussion won't trigger anything. I just hope we can all continue to be respectful and possibly even take a thing or two from others.


My male is more AGGRESSIVE with other dogs (male) now than he was before he was neutered. When he was intact, he never had an issue with dominance or being dominated and never acted out towards another dog. Now he's very iffy with young males and will posture, chase, etc. I don't like it, so we leave, but he never would have done that before the surgery.


----------



## JKlatsky (Apr 21, 2007)

Reactivity is NOT the same as aggression. Reactivity has a lot to do with nerve strength and IME (generalization) females are a good deal more reactive than males. Females I've known are more likely to react to a stimulus than males who are more likely to be doofy. What we're talking about is actually more like over-reactivity. The dog reacts to a stimulus in a pronounced and inappropriate way. On one end a dog that is frightened by a loud/unexpected noise may panic and run or cower tail tucked at the other end you get the dog that goes full force aggression. Both dogs are reactive just one chooses flight and the other chooses fight (which is where aggression comes in)

In regards to early neutering...I look at litter mates Cade (intact) and Beau (neutered at 5-6 months). Neither one is reactive towards other dogs, both generally like other dogs...but Beau still acts like a giant puppy. He doesn't act like a 2 year old dog, he's goofy, he still bounds like a puppy. He hasn't matured and I believe that's what early neutering gets you. I think _early_ neutering does reduce dominance aggression...however...it won't have any impact on aggression resulting from fear, discomfort, etc. Those kinds of aggression are not hormonally influenced IMO.


----------



## Daisy (Jan 4, 2009)

Yes! But there is no rhyme or reason to it. We can walk and pass other dogs with no problems. Or she can see one she dislikes and go on alert. At ScH training, she wants to "eat" every one of them if any of them get near her. Recently, we were in the car and stopped at a gas station. She ignored the people passing by my car. We arrived at our destination and there was a dog walking in the middle of the street. She jumped up barking and hackling, and would have gone through the window if she could have. A few weeks ago, she met some strange dogs up close, and bared her teeth and fussed, but after she got to know them, she was fine and could hang out with them, although remained aloof. Strange with people too. Come into my home, she's like a lab and welcomes you. Out of the house, she *might* greet you with a sniff, then you become invisible.


----------



## Daisy&Lucky's Mom (Apr 24, 2011)

I was reading the posts,should have joined when Daisy was 2 9She's 11 now. Daisy reacted to females,she was altered i rthink she became more aggressive but then i didn't socialize enough (1st shepherd)daisy loves male dogs can play with any male till she has enough and will leave or when yolunger use her chest to push them back.A friend of mine who trained in the prison dog program said one day when i was upset daisy didn't like other females,"you wnt a lab get a lab You have a shepherd who are meant to work one on one or in a pair. If I would have been a member here I would have asked questions and maybe not made some dumb mistakes.


----------



## rebelsgirl (May 19, 2005)

I have a reactive GSD who is 17 months old. She took 3 sessions of obedience and we tried an agility class that didn't work out. She also had several private classes. She is worked and exercised at home. She will bark and lunge at other dogs, in class, on walks anywhere there is another dog she can react to. She stays home now and is a very good house dog.

I was told it was genetic. We didn't get her from the best breeder. hindsight is 20/20.


----------



## Heagler870 (Jun 27, 2009)

Riley is extremely reactive to dogs. It's not an aggressive reaction although at training one day another shepherd, a 7 mo old puppy, ran up to him and I and he tried to bite her. Luckily I was able to choke up quick enough and turn him around. This dog reactivity he has is the main problem I have with Riley. His behavior is great except in this department. All focus on me or a high value toy or treat is gone when he sees another dog. We can be in a total calm state and he sees a dog and his breathing gets very heavy, panting heavily, starts to low huffing growl and whining and then barking. I usually say "no" and if he continues which he ALWAYS does I choke up until he stops and this is when he will finally shut up and then I praise him after he is calm and watching the dog. I have noticed when I get him calm he shows a lot of interest towards the dog and wants to play with it. I just cannot for the life of me get him to be calm when he sees another dog without the physical correction


----------



## 2manyqs (May 1, 2011)

My Riley (a female) is fixed but I have no clue when as she was a surrender at the shelter and came to them that way. She's not dominant and edges towards aggression (with some dogs) and is definitely reactive to other dogs (initially on leash and now it's starting up with just seeing other dogs when she can't get to them - she's in the car and they are not, she's on my deck and they are walking by.) As with the other Riley, this is really her only negative trait - great with people, children, cars, etc even when on leash.

We're working the positive reinforcement route learning self-control and to increase her frustration level. The first private trainer was into negative reinforcement so we're moving on to some who goes the positive route. If we get in a situation that I completely lose all of her focus, all I can do is get her out of the situation (generally by pulling her along). And while we're working on the desensitization, I try to only walk her when I know there won't be many dogs out and about ready to pop around the next corner or behind the next fence.


----------



## Carryingon (Aug 28, 2004)

I'm encountering this with my five month old boy.
He gets all attentive when he sees another dog in the distance. I try to redirect and it usually works, until the dog is close. Then - like today - he hackles, whines, barks, and eventually screeches while lunging and I cannot get his focus. Meanwhile, the other dog owner and his/her geriatric poodle or friendly lab are horrified that this 55-lb, doesn't-look -like-a-puppy but does, perhaps, look like a wolf to an average joe, is behaving this way toward them, and I don't blame them. 

My previous dog was very reactive dog aggressive, but it was a direct result from a serious attack from another dog when he was about six months old (a neighbor's pit bull dug under my fence and set about trying to kill my dog the first day they moved in.) He, however, ignored other dogs completely unless they came within a few inches of him; then he snapped and that was only to get them to go away. Then he was fine again. Before that attack happened, he could be pushy and puppy-obnoxious with other dogs, but not aggressive.

So, this is our main challenge, and I think it's a great big pain! :help:


----------



## King&Skylar (Jun 3, 2010)

Skylar was reactive from 4-7 months. She was fear reactive towards other dogs. I socialized the heck out of her, and she is "all better" now- she is the "walking buddy" with the dogs at my mom's boarding kennel, and we compete in rally and go to dog events with no issue, so she wasn't really too reactive, i just didn't know how to deal with it right away.


----------



## NewbieShepherdGirl (Jan 7, 2011)

Sasha really likes other dogs, but does not appreciate dogs with bad doggy manners. She's very much a lets sniff each other first then we can play kinda girl. She's not a huge fan when dogs just jump on her right off the bat. She doesn't bite, but she won't play with dogs that act like that; she walks away.


----------



## SamTheDog (Apr 4, 2011)

My pup is 18 weeks old. I have another dog, 4 year old american bulldog, who he loves. I have been socializing him alot, and even though he doesn't dislike other dogs, he always spends 15 minutes of barking at them and showing sort of dominance when he meets them.. then get gets on to playing.


----------



## JoannahK (Jan 5, 2022)

koda girl said:


> My 18 month old female has gone to the dog park every day since she was 3 months old. We use to spend so much time there while she played with every other dog that came, and there were many. We still go everyday but there are only a few dogs I can let her off leash with. When we see another dog I have to put her on leash right away or she attacks. Like I said she has always been around other dogs. We still go to obideance classes every week, she is well socialized. We have done nothing to make her like this, I guess it is just her. I am still hoping she might grow out of it. lol. We will see.


Did she ever grow out of it?


----------



## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

JoannahK said:


> Did she ever grow out of it?


This thread is from 2011. That person hasn’t been around for over 3 years and is unlikely to see your question.


----------

