Hi everyone, I need some advice on my 7mth old pup.
I have just started showing her and have completed 3 shows, when we are at these shows she is an angel - sleeps in her cage, no barking, no fretting and when she is walked round the show before or after her class again she is lovely. No barking or lunging at people. Now when we are out on a normal walk with my other dogs she is a hooligan! anyone we meet she barks at them from the minute she sees them and if she's on a lead she's pulling and lunging towards them like a possessed animal. I'm sure people think she's really aggressive but if she does get up close and personal she stops baking but if they just carry on walking past she's crazy. If off the lead she runs up to them barking like mad but will stop once she's sniffed them, obviously it can seem very frighting to people esp when little children are with them.

My husband came to a show with us and was very anxious about how Mabel would be but I reassurred him she wasn't like it at shows - he couldn't believe her calmness and non barking behaviour when there was hundreds of people and dogs about.

any ideas of what could be her problem? In between showing she is on the same lead and collar as her normal daily walk.

Lorri

Is she at shows alone or with the other dogs, and does she behave like this when walked on her own?

Also at shows there are lots of people and dogs all around, and maybe in the park it is a lone dog or person that makes her react?

It could just be pure excitement as at a show there are so many people and dogs it is mentally tiring.  On a walk you are all alone till someone appears.
I would start trying to teach a look command with reward.  Or try clicker training.  I am not up on that but I am sure someone could help you and I have heard it works well in that situation.

At shows she is with myself only, on her everyday walk she is with my 4 other dogs (none which do this!) myself and my husband. I am not out on every walk due to work but my husband says she is the same even if i'm not there. We live in the new forest so are meeting other walkers quite a lot with and with out dogs.
Dont do a lot of road walking on her own but i think she is fine, maybe with the odd bark oh and a definite wanting to get at cars! though this has improved a little.

When she does it i hold the lead firmly and restrain her and give the 'leave command', she has no intention of letting up until the people are virtually out of sight. we carry on walking and she is just constanlty turning round to see if they gone or where they have gone until out of sight. If she is off lead she keeps stopping and looking back at them. often she just sits and watches them, catches up with us then sits and looks at them again.

Its like i have two different dogs - one for shows and one as a pet.

How does she behave on her 'home' walks if she's taken out on her own without the other dogs?

only ever walked her on her own round the village roads not over the forest so dont know the answer to this one. She is only really walked on her own to keep her clean haha before a show. We take her on her own sometimes down to the pub with us and she's fine - quiet little mouse who goes to sleep on the floor when we're there.

It'd be worth finding out how she behaves in the forest when she doesn't have the rest of her gang with her as back-up. If she's better on her own (and many dogs are) then that's your way forward. It means more walks for you but it'll get her out of her bad habits.

well have for the past week done the forest walk on her own for the first part and then meet up with my husband and the rest of the gang .
She is much better when on her own and is quite quiet when we meet other dogs and people. It must be a pack thing i think. She is a little more nervous on her own and seems very alert, always checking behind her and around her. when back with the others the monster returns!

Lorri

It sounds like she needs to become more confident around strange dogs.  she behaves badly when she has the back up of her pals, because she is frightened, but on her own is too afraid to put on a 'clear off' threat display and opts for making herself inconspicuous.

I think lots of socialisation with laid back sensible dogs would be most helpful.

At shows so you tend to only keep her on the bench/cage and among her own breed?  Entering variety classes would help her as she would be among other dogs in a controlled way, building her confidence.