I have just been reading the board re a dog with fear aggression.  My own GSP who is 20 mths was aggressive to most dogs we met on walks.  She been going to an excellent training school for a few mnths and is now fine with all the dogs there, even new ones and whether she is on or off lead.  Walking the other day she just circled a feisy Yorkie and when I called her way she came away. Walking through woods I saw a lady with a Lab approaching so I put my dog on lead and the Lab trotted over tail wagging and they went nose to nose for about 3 seconds when my dog went for the Lab.  On an open field when I call she looks like approaching other dogs I call her away and she responds well but on the same walk a young Lab approached her playfully and again my dog went for her and started to chase.  What is going on?

When she is meeting them when she is next to you or on her lead she is snapping to protect you (i.e the dog thinks she is the leader so much protect you from the unwelcome stranger) She is probably OK with the ones she meets in the middle of fields or when you are not with her as she only has herself to look after and doesnt have protecting you on her mind.  Is she any worse on a lead because sometimes they feel more threatened if they know a lead is restricting them.

As a quick solution allow her to leave your side when meeting other dogs or distract her in a game but maybe joining a different doggy socialisation class would be good as the dogs at her class now are no longer strangers so she neets to meet more and more unfamiliar dogs.

Is she the leader of the household under normal circumstances? If so the home situation will need to be altered to put you back in charge - Leadership of the household and agression towards other dogs are often closely linked.  (if you'd like any more help as i have 2 GSP's myself email me)

Dog -dog aggression is nothing to do with the dog being pack leader or not, very fearful dogs can be aggressive don't forget ;)

It sounds as if the dog is fine but perhaps took a dislike to the other dog for some reason, some dogs will be worse on leads; take a peek at www.apdt.co.uk, www.ukrcb.co.uk and www.apbc.org.uk also, www.dog-partnership.co.uk for ideas and possible help.

Lindsay
x

Thanks so much for your replies.  The school that we go to does have dogs that she doesn't know as there are about 4 different classes going on separately in a field. We recently changed times and all the dogs were different to her and she was fine and this is what made me confused.  We train the dogs on and off lead in various scenarios such as walking close to each other, stopping, shaking hands also do agility, send aways, retrieves etc so plenty of opportunity for her to break away but she doesn't (worst she does is catch scents of the ground & eat rabbit poo)  Spoke to trainer today and he thinks it's definitely guarding because although I insist that I walk through doorways before her, she eats after everyone else in the family, she is not allowed in certain rooms, upstairs or on 'our' furniture she does rush in front of me and lead me everywhere.  As soon as I move she is up and moving, i.e. as soon as I pick up the laundry basket she's at the door waiting to check the garden out before I get into it and she lies across the threshold of the room I am in that she's not allowed in.  He suggested that I crate her for short periods during the day and make her lie where I want her to, to try and break the behaviour and reinforce my dominance.  Phew - not easy training them is it? but am always up for the challenge!

I was sure I posted on this thread, but it seems to have disappeared :(

IT seems to me that your dog is sufficiently relaxed in classes to not perceive other dogs as a threat, but dogs in the outside world may well be approaching her in a totally different way - excited, aroused, not maybe as polite in dog manners as they could be? A wagging tail isn't always a sign of 'friendship' - especially if it's held high and wagging quickly - a truly friendly dog would be holding it's tail almost horizontal and wagging rather slowly. I'd suggest she's not dominant in any way that you, as a human can alter - you can try and alter your behaviour so she expects different things from you, but you won't alter her personal level of dominance over other dogs.

What you need to do is teach her that a) you can take charge of the situation, read her body language and ask another owner to recall their dog if she is getting stressed b) a 'coping' stratagy, such as maintaining eye contact with you until the other dog moves away (hopefully because the owner has recalled it......)

I'm not sure why your trainer thinks your dog is 'guarding' you if she goes out to the garden with you when you hang out the washing, or she lies at the doorway of the room you're in. I'd have said she's got a good bond with you and wants to be with you! One of mine is incredibly subservient, but she's the one who wants to be in front of me wherever I go, but is always looking over her shoulder to make sure she's going the right way! She may be in front, but I'm the one who's deciding the route!

I think he thinks it is guarding because I told him she carries her tail very high when she checks out the garden.  She actually sweeps around the washing area with her nose high and actually will make a sort of half hearted growling noise.  She doesn't do this anywhere else.  Lying across the doorways suggests to him that she is doing couple of things, not letting me out of her sight and also putting herself between me and anyone else.  She does this to other members of the family as well.  It's nice you think it might be a strong bond as there was a time when I thought that would never happen.  She was a real stubborn puppy and up to a year old was always trying to assert her dominance on us.  She has changed a lot as she has matured and I think perhaps I am worrying too much.  I think she is absolutely adorable, funny and beautiful and I suppose I want everyone else to think the same.

She's carrying her tail high because it's *her* safe place, a truly dominant dog would do this everywhere (think about it ;))  She may be placing herself in doorways because, far from being 'dominant' she sees herself in a watch dog role (not 'gaurd' the watch dog alerts the rest of the pack rather than sacrifice itself) - the dominant dog in the pack would be snoozing somewhere in a safe place.  Her reactions are far from 'dominant' from what you have described to us.  Stubborness is often a symptom of misunderstanding - the pup doesn't know/understand what you want or the reward offered isn't of high enough value for them to come away from what they are doing.

You might find it useful to get hold of a book called 'Dominance - Fact or Fiction' - see this link: http://www.barry.eaton.clara.net/factorfiction.htm

I have taken all you have said on board, it all makes sense to me.  Interestingly enough she is currently snoozing in another room instead of laying across the doorway but I am not going to read too much into that now, it's where the rest of the family were before they went out.  I have to say though where the stubborness is concerned she certainly did understand what was expected because she would never attempt to jump on the settee until left her in the living room on her own and when I would tell her to get off she would not move a muscle and then when I would go to lift her off she would turn to bite me - thank goodness we got over those trying times.

Thanks for all the advice.  It good to get different perspectives.

Hi, dogs on leads can be less sociable than when off because they cannot control interaction ie to leave, to continue etc and their body language is interfered with by being held on a lead.

Also do not forget that not all dogs like all dogs; just like us ;)

I doubt very much if your GSP is "guarding" you in terms of protecting you, although she may indeed see you as a resource which she does not like to share with others, which is a totally different thing.

If your dog is perfectly sociable with other dogs off lead bar the odd one or two, then I would not worry.

Remember, dogs do not like their space invaded any more than we do...........

HTH

You know I think I am feeling more relaxed about this 'problem'.  My GSP is not trying to take chunks out of other dogs, more like asserting her position whether that is dislike, guarding or whatever and I do put her on a lead if we have to pass strangers closely so I suppose really the responsibility is on the other owners to do the same.  Given lots of space whether on or off the lead she is not bothered by other dogs and if she does seem to be looking to check them out I can recall her easily. Does anyone know what it means for dogs to go nose to nose as my dog doesn't seem to like it?  We went training yesterday and two people remarked on how she has calmed down as anyone who has GSP knows they are very bouncy and slow to mature, she's not 2 yrs yet,  so perhaps she will just keep getting better.

p.s. forgot to say thanks to everyone for their advice