My Gordon Setter dog is 20 months old and a complete softie, he has always been extremely soppy and extremely friendly with people and dogs, but recently he has taken a HUGE dislike to a Weimeraner where we live - if he sees it way in the distance he starts dancing and jumping around, if we have to walk near it he goes beserk barking and pulling and jumping - there has never been any history between them, they have never had any contact, so I cant understand it. He also does the same thing with two other dogs, both of which however have barked and lunged at him in the past when he was smaller. I am thinking this is his age - testosterone and all that, could this be the case? if so how do I correct it? I cant spend every time we go out avoiding these dogs as we often see them out.

Why are you jumping to the conclusion that your dog dislikes this/these dogs if they have never had any contact.

Your dog may be demonstrating the urge to play and his barking, jumping and lunging is frustration.

Many people confuse "excitement" with aggression.............

Thanks for the reply, but I know my dog!!! I know when he is saying he wants to play and when he isnt - and its totally different to this recent behaviour - the way he barks and jumps is nothing like when he wants to play, and like I said, 2 out of the 3 have gone for him in the past.

Thanks anyway!

"2 out of the 3 have gone for him in the past"

sorry I did not realise they had "gone for him" as in your original post you just mentioned that they had barked and lunged at him which, to me, is not necessarily the same thing.......

Hi,

My 8 month old lab does this, but he just wants to play. He thinks all dogs are there to be played with.

I always walk him on the opposite side to where the other dog is, and keep a very tight hold on his lead. All the time talking and encouraging him to be calm. And if we stop to talk. I amke him sit. But if he spies a lapse in my concentration. He will make a lunge at the other dog. It can, I suppose look aggressive. But hes not. Hes a baby. He just wants to play. I just basically have to take control. And keeping telling him sit, stay leave etc.

I know it does, hurt your hands and arms though when they lunge like that. And you feel out of control. 

Alix

Thanks for your reply also, but again, I know the difference in my dog!  he is completely different with these 3 dogs, there are ALOT of dogs where I live and he happily plays with and walks past, even ignores them sometimes! - he is extremely well behaved on and off the lead, very sociable, but this is totally different - its nothing like when he sees a friend to play with or a dog he has seen before or not. I dont need to keep him on a tight lead near them, he will happily trot past and if I stop to chat to the owner he will either play with the other dog, sniff around a bit and just sit and ignore it whilst I chat! I dont need to calm him or distract him - he is and always has been extremely friendly and well behaved. This is definately completely different behaviour and is limited to these 3 dogs - I dont know if they are dogs or bitches, but as I said, 2 of the 3 have gone for him when he was younger, and the way he reacts when he sees them is definately not playing!

I know exactly where you are coming from.

I have an entire dog with no known problems whatsoever, has never be attacked and has never attacked.
But at training class he went for a boxer and it definitely wasn't wanting to play. Both dogs are entire and one reason given was because my dog couldn't read the boxers body language and vice versa (both dogs are just 1yrs)
To combat this we had to walk side by side (safe distance) in the hall not in lunging distance and reward each time they looked at us. They soon realised they were of no threat to each other.

Hope that helps.

thanks ever so - someone who knows what I'm getting at!! glad you were able to sort your dog out, but I dont know any of the owners, and 2 of them ( the owners of the ones who went for my dog ) apologised at the time, and since then wont  come near enough for me to ask for their help - they seem happy to have loony dogs that go for others, and keep their heads down as they walk by at a distance with their dogs straining to get at mine - the owners of the weimeraner look at my boy like he is a killer dog and scowl at me when he goes nuts jumping around, they dont realise how soft he actually is, and as they have a baby in a pushchair with them everytime I guess they're being cautious, so dont think what helped you will be any good for me - thanks anyhow!! Think I'll try having some treats in my pocket and if I see any of them coming will try and distract him, see if that works.

Thats a shame that they have dogs like that, but please by all means be choosy, i certainly don't let my danes associate with badly behaved dogs. It can have a detrimental effect on them.

In some ways i think dogs can be like us with people they are not going to like every single dog they meet.

My youngest Anton is petrified of large dogs and he will try and attack first.  I put this down to all being my fault.  He was friendly with a year old Spanish as a young pup who played rough with him, used to throw him onto the ground etc.  Anton always seemed to love his playtime with him so I never thought anything of it as his tail was always wagging and he was up for the what I now think was "tough" playing.

I am certain that this is what sparks the aggression now with large dogs.  I can control him in most circumstances but when he's off lead he suddenly goes deaf.  Luckily the other dogs that he's had a go at have been fine and once he realises that they are not going to hurt him he's fine and wants to play.

This has made me realise that from now on you have to be careful with how your pups are socialised and how the other dogs "play" with them.

My dobe does the same thing - he is fine with any and all dogs except for one border collie down the road - he goes nuts at it, lunges, barks, hackles up, the works - but they've never met either, and the BC has never threatened him - he's actually a friendly dog if other dogs are friendly to him!

Like you, I don't have the option of working with the other owner - I have to work with the situation as it is.  So, whenever I see BC boy coming, I get tasty treats (cheerios at the mo), and start click/treating for good behaviour - at the moment, just no barking, later it will be sitting/standing still and no barking, then walking nicely, then ignoring the dog, but I have to build up to that of course.  We've had progress - a couple weeks back, we ran into BC boy on a walk, across the road - Remy went nuts as usual, but I clicked and treated when he stopped for a second, and after a few goes he started to get better - I even got some sits out of him too.  As soon as we moved he started up again, but it is progress, and I'm confident we'll get there - I'm sure if Remy could meet him he'd see he isn't a threat, but I'm not willing to risk it at the mo!

good luck with yours!

I've been trying your method when we see one of the "offending" dogs approach, and it works!!! I make him sit, and treat him when he does, then talk to him as the dog passes us by, and if he stays calm I treat him again - he's a way to go, but its helping - thank you!!! I need now to work on when we pass them when they are out in their gardens - sometihng I cant predict because of fences, but its all progress!  I also agree with harveydog, re the growing up and growling / barking back at dogs that have done it to him in the past - hopefully he'll grow out of it too!!!

Thanks all for your replies!

I think that with Boxers it's the way that they breath that puts off most dogs.  One of mine doesn't like any of the short nosed breeds.

<Both dogs are entire and one reason given was because my dog couldn't read the boxers body language and vice versa (both dogs are just 1yrs)>

Just a thought - I know the aggression was made by separate dogs but perhaps it may be that the boxer was docked and the perhaps the Weim (sorry cant spell it) aswell. I am no behavier expert but others on here are and may be able to shed some more light on this but may it be the lack of tail confusing the dogs coz they cant read the body language like the dogs with tails.

Sorry if it doesnt make too much sense !!!

Aimix

Dogs often do not like Weimaraners because of their light eyes, most dogs have dark ones, rather than the tail issue.

A lot of dogs do not like Boxers because of they way they are built, they carry their weight on their forehand and their assertive posture causes other dogs to react.

It is not because either individual dog/breed is particularly aggressive it is that other dogs react to their body language/eye colour neither of which can be helped as they are breed characteristics/build etc.

Hi,

I have a bull mastiff that has started, what I can only call standing up for himself.  He has never went for another dog, but he now growls back at dogs that growl or go for him.  I think it may be just the growing up process, although I am no expert. I'm sorry I cant help you anymore that this but I think its all in the process of getting older