Hi,
Used to be logged on as TracyL. Been in the back of beyond for ages due to cookie thingy, but back with new screen name now. Have to get this one off my chest as I'm so upset about it.

Sparky is now 2, Busby 1 (birthday party last week:)). Some of you might remember I had problems last year with Sparky giving out the wrong vibes and being attacked on a number of occasions (usually by GSDs). This was solved thanks to a very patient chap I met at the park with 2 lovely GSDs who has helped Sparky get over the fear of GSDs - we meet up with regularly, and Sparky now loves to play with his dogs, and doesn't seem worried by GSDs at all anymore. I've also trained him to sit and watch me when strange dogs go past so that he doesn't upset other dogs by staring at them. Everything's was going well until a young rottweiler decided to join him in the river yesterday for a swim. It was very big and bouncy, and Sparky started to look a bit stressed, so I called him out, but when he was trying to get to me, the rotty kept "blocking" him, face to face. It didn't seem to be intent on trouble, it was a young dog and probably only wanted to play, but next minute Sparky started baring his teeth, the other dog didn't back off, and Sparky snapped. I was so upset. He usually plays so well with other dogs, and this was really out of character. Ten minutes later and he was fine again, bouncing around with a couple of setters he knows and playing nicely. The other owner was OK about it, but understandably left quickly, saying "he only wanted to play" - I felt awful.
It was my own fault for not calling him out of the river earlier, and I'm so cross with myself, I just caught off guard. :( I'll know better next time.

Don't beat yourself up. Sparky sounds as though he's very normal in his 'telling-off' routine, starting with the mild warnings, and if they're ignored, gradually getting more serious. It could be the young rott hasn't been adequately socialised with older dogs (and disciplined by them when he gets too bumptious), and doesn't understand the rules. That's not your fault.

As I understand it, 'blocking' like that is a serious display of canine dominance ("I can control exactly where you go and when"), so that rott might need watching in the future.

Good luck - you've done great things getting Sparky able to play with so many different breeds.
:)

Don't berate yourself! Honestly :)

This to me sounds as if your dog actually read the situation well. It sounds as if he thought the rottie was rather rude, plus being a cheeky adolescent (young dogs of this age are often told off by older dogs) and was simply told off by Sparky. I take it Sparky didn't actually hurt him or draw blood?

In this case, from what you have written on here, I would trust your dog :) as i believe he behaved well under the circumstances, esp. if he was a bit stressed.

Remember too that a snap or warning isn't necessarily "aggression" as we understand it. It's often the only way 2 dogs can communicate.

Lindsay
x

Thanks for responding so quickly, and for the reassurance. Sparky is my first ever dog, so I've no experience of older dogs other than having been on the receiving end when Sparky was younger. I've calmed down a bit now - maybe I'm just an over-fussy mum finding it hard to accept her baby is growing up! :)

PS - And no, Lindsay, thankfully he didn't draw blood :)

Your doing really well and as the other replys have said it sounds completely normal and i dont blame Sparky for snapping when the dog wouldn't get out of his way when he was trying to get back to you.  Good luck

Warm regards Susan

My collie is exaclt like this, she goves out warnings when she is uncomfortable and other dogs just don't pay any attention. Thats their problem. They are being rude, and the owner of the other dog should realise it. If megan is pushed to the point where she has to snap (SHe has never hurt anyother dog, its alll show) the other dogs owner looks at me in discust, but what they don't realise is that their dog is at fault. I wouldn't ever let my dogs behave like this rottie. I'm suure sparky was probably panicking at not being able to get to you. DOn't worry it should like your doing fine.Think about it this way, if you walking down the street in a hurry, and someone comes up infront of you, and everytime you try to go past he is standing in front of you, to start with you would probably say, excuse me. If he isgnores you you might shout a little. Eventually you might get so annoyed that you slap him. (Unless you are extremely mild mannered!! ;-) ) This is basically what your dog was doing and i don't blame him. 

That's a great way of putting it, lucyandmeg - I hadn't thought of it like that before :) and yes, I suppose the other owner should have known that her dog was being "rude". I suppose it's just knowing where I should draw a line between Sparky tolerating younger dogs (he takes a daily pounding from Busby before putting him in his place ;) ) and being a grumpy so-and-so. Collies can have such a bad name for being snappy can't they, and I'm so pleased with the temperament of my lads that I do tend to get a bit uptight about things like this.