On lead aggression

[Kerrieburn]

I have a 14 month old shih poo called Suki. She is super smart learns new tricks in minutes, is great in the house very obedient and extremely loving and cuddly. However she doesn't like a lot of dogs. I have a 9 year old lab which she is fine with. She is fine off her lead with other dogs. On her lead she will approach other dogs and sniff noses etc then 80% of the time she with all of a sudden snap at them. She never bites them it's more like she is telling them off or something. She seems to be better with older calmer dogs but bouncy playful dogs she doesn't like at all. She is never aggressive to people children included she is also well behaved at the groomers I just don't understand why she is like this with other dogs as she was extremely well socialised when young and still is. I hope someone can shed some light as other than this she is the perfect dog

 

[gypsysmum2]

It might be an older bitch thing now that she has matured. Many older bitches do not tolerate what they see as "bad manners" from other dogs. This is normal dog behaviour and other dog owners should respect it and keep their dogs under more control. You could ask the other owners to keep their dogs away while she gets to know them in her own time. You can get yellow jackets and ribbons that say things like "I need space".

It could also be that she feels trapped on lead, she is fearful of them and tries to drive them away. If she could outrun them "flee" she would but she can't so she "fights". This is more a confidence thing and may improve with time but may need you to work on building her confidence around other dogs by socialising her some more. Try to identify if it is certain types of dog and concentrate on those by bringing out lovely treats when you see them.

 

[Kerrieburn]

Thanks for the reply it does seem to be more jumpy dogs she doesn't like. If they are calm and quiet she is ok. She is fine with all dogs off lead so probably doesn't like the fact she can't get away if the other dog gets too excited. I never tell her off for it because the other dog must make her feel threatened in some way that isn't visible to us meagre humans. When she has a good encounter with a dog on her lead I make a huge fuss and she gets a really high value treat. I also stroke the other dog to see if it is because she is guarding me but she is fine with me stroking the other dog. She is fantastic with people she has never so much as growled at a person adult or child. I just I hope I can replace this because I don't want her to feel threatened or anxious she is such a fantastic little buddy in every other way

 

[gypsysmum2]

You are doing all the right things when you meet the other dogs.

Our dogs do not "guard" us. They are a bit more selfish than that. They are guarding their territory or their own personal space and we just happen to share it

 

[Kerrieburn]

Is this something that can be rectified eventually or will she always be like this when she's on her lead?

 

[gypsysmum2]

It all depends on how much time and energy you can put in to helping her cope with the attentions of other dogs. The anxiety can be helped by giving her positive experiences around other dogs. Feeding treats to her while they are nearby but she is ignoring them is a good method. Do not wait for her to react just get the treats out and reward good, calm behaviour.

If she has "grumpy older bitch syndrome " then I would just warn other dog owners that she will not tolerate bumptious behaviour from their boisterous dog. It should be up to them to respect her wishes. It can be good for young, boisterous dogs to be walked with older bitches as they teach them manners.

My rescue dog can push his luck with his doggy friends sometimes and I tell him it serves him right if they "correct" his exuberant behaviour.

 

[Kerrieburn]

Sounds like she's a grumpy old bitch then. My sisters dog is the same age and she will tolerate him until he gets too hyper then she will tell him off