Help, I took both my (girls) shopping the other day (pets at home)new collars and the rest.As i was at the checkout a couple walked in with a young lab,i would say about 12mths and not hyper,just friendly,the lab was on a long leash so obviously approached my dogs, I did not pull mine away as they are very friendly with all people and other dogs,my oldest girl who is just 2 just grabbed the lab by the side of it's face and would not let go, as you can imagine all hell broke loose,i cannot repeat what was said but i stood my dogs defence as any owner would,she is certainly not a nasty girl in fact she is too friendly,she has never done this before and it is totally out of character for her,probably banned from the store now but what the hell ! i know my own dogs behaviour.The following evening our friend turned up at our house with their dog and as soon as my 2yr old saw them through the gate she had an issue and was not letting them any were near.They did come through the gate and again she just flew at the dog wanting to attack it(and this is a dog she has grown up with).Why this sudden change of attitude ? totally out of character for her and the breed.

i would check her out at the vet first. is she near a season?

I would definatly get her checked out at the vet she could be feeling sore or be in some pain somewhere, which would cause her to act out of character.
I take my JRT to PAH quite often if I go as he loves all dogs and people but if he done that however out of character I would be mortified and wouldn't have been able to stop apologising and would have checked thier dog was ok.  I definatly wouldn't have been argueing with them.
If the rolls had been reversed I think you would expect them to be apologetic etc not be supporting thier dog for its actions.

This question is possibly irrelevenat, but has she recently been in kennels?

I am at present working with a friend whose very laid back male 4 year old has just come out of kennels and has twice now gone for other male dogs on his walks when he was always previously a pussycat, it is very out of character for him and we are investigating his behaviour change at present.

It may well be as already indicated that your girl is as already said coming up to her season, bitches can often get quite grouchy at this time and show behaviour changes, even if they haven't done it previously, however the behaviour should disipate once her season is over with.

We know that the lab was a male, what about the visiting dog was that a dog or bitch? How is she with your other female is she tetchy with her too?

A trainer I have used always said this type of situation needed immediate vet care. She may well be in pain or ill..

How upsetting for you. It shocks you does it not when your calm beautiful animal reacts so out of character. It does reinforce the fact that no dog can ever be 100% trusted.

Let us know the out come..

i cannot repeat what was said but i stood my dogs defence as any owner would,she is certainly not a nasty girl in fact she is too friendly,

I agree with others that if she is close to coming into season that could account for a LOT -hormones can od so much to a bitch. When one of mine was mated up she would attack any of my other large dogs (but not the toys) that came near her from that day onwards, it took until the pups were 4 weeks old before she went back to normal again, but then she WAS entirely normal again, happily mixing with her usual friends.

Having said that, and I say this in a friendly tone and not accusatory, I do hope you apologised to the Labrador owners -I can't see how you could defend your dog in this situation (as you say you don't know WHY it happened) nor would I agree that anyone WOULD defend their dog in that situation -I'd have been mortified and really apologised and explained that it had never happened before and was out of character.

my oldest girl who is just 2 just grabbed the lab by the side of it's face and would not let go, as you can imagine all hell broke loose,i cannot repeat what was said but i stood my dogs defence as any owner would

can only echo what everyone else has already said.

must confess that when i read the above comment my first reaction was what an odd thing to say -
as most people would apologise if their dog attacked another, not be defensive.

Ditto. Get her to the vet asap to check her out. She may be being grumpy because she isn't feeling too well.

I would have been absolutely mortified if one of mine attacked another in public, and I certainly wouldn't be defending her unless the lab did something to provoke her. I hope you apologised to the lab and its owner.

Also, if your dog had an issue the moment your friend and their dog arrived at the house and "wasn't letting them anywhere near", why on earth did you allow their dog to come through the gate? Your dog only has a limited ability to communicate her feelings, and if she was sending out signals that she really wasn't happy then you and your friend should have respected that and kept them apart. If she made it clear she had an issue, and she was ignored, I'm not surprised she reacted like that.

Sorry if it sounds like I'm having a go, but it sounds like your girl was giving all the right signals and was just being ignored.

I agree with getting her checked by the vet, but you are not alone with your dog acting like this, I ,or rather my dog has always been on the recieving end of dogs that have always been friendly - untill they meet him.

My Mastiff is 15 months old now, since he was small, a lot of dogs that he meets will bark/lunge/growl/snap at him, most of the time the other dogs owners are honsetly suprised at thier dogs behavior as thier dogs have never done that before. One time I was at the vets and was chatting to a woman who was waiting to pick up her 9yr old champion male boxer, she was very proud of her dogs fantastic temperment and wanted me to wait for him to come out so she could show him off, as soon as he saw my dog he 'puffed up' and flew to the end of his lead growling and snapping. The woman was completely shocked by this, you could see it actually shook her up, she quickly grabbed her dog and bundled him out of the vets, appologising and repeating that he's never done this before and how sorry she was. My dog did nothing (that I could see) to warrent this behaviour, but he is very self-confident around other dogs, he is not in the slightest bit worried (and thankfully doesn't even feel the need to defend himslef in these situations), he was being calm, respecting the other dogs space while sniffing towards the other dog with a gentle tail wag (not OTT exited behaviour).
Funnily enough, Labs are the breed that stand out as the dogs that have never growled at my dog, whenever he meets a younger lab they both (the lab & my dog) immediately show signs that they want to go play with one another. Rotties are also a breed that we've met a few times and they have been mildly interested in greeting my dog but showed no signs of being frightened/agressive. All I can think of is that Labs are confident dogs and when they see my huge Mastiff they just see big play-mate that they can rough & tumble with.
I'm sure that all the dogs that are 'anti-social' with my dog are not like this with others, there is just something about my Mastiff that get other dogs on the defensive and i am sure it is simply his confidence that makes other dogs feel threatened, obviously some dogs do get intimidated by his sheer size now, but when he was shorter than some adult dogs he met somthing about him still caused some dogs to have a go at him, and he really is very friendly, I've never seen the slightest hint of unfriendlyness towards other dogs in him.

I wonder if as 'all helll broke loose' when your girl grabbed the Lab, that she now has a negative association with dogs and is feeling the need to go on the defensive/attack ?

I don't want to go off the point, but I just wondered how others felt about letting dogs meet and interact on lead in general?

Others may disagree, but I tend not to allow my dog to interact with other dogs when he is on the lead. Of course, all dogs must learn to be calm on the lead when around other dogs but I do wonder if actually letting them meet and greet is taking too much of a risk? Nine times out of ten it'll be fine but sometimes a smaller dog can feel loomed over by a perfectly nice larger dog and because they feel constricted and/or close to their owner, they decide to "deal" with the other dog (could this be an explanation for you mastifflover?). Something they probably wouldn't do off lead.

I just feel that when dogs are on the lead, they are more likely to meet head on which isn't always great, and their repertoire of doggy signals is much more limited and things get misconstrued. Because of the proximity of their owner they may, for various reasons, take liberties with another dog that they wouldn't offlead. Plus a dog going forward to greet another dog on the lead may well get tension on the lead, if the owner isn't concentrating, and that too can create problems.

Just some thoughts. Wonder what others think?

Actually what you say does make a lot of sense, thinking about it if your dog is on the lead and you're approaching somebody with their dog on a lead then both dogs have had the decision made for them that they will meet, and maybe if un-leashed they may have chosen just to give one another a wide berth.

I also wonder if sometimes when leashed dogs meet if one or other of the owners is unsure of the meeting, do they pass their nervousness on to the dog which causes it to react in a way alien to it's normal nature?

There's more goes on in a dogs mind than we'll probably ever know :)

>> Others may disagree, but I tend not to allow my dog to interact with other dogs when he is on the lead.

I am the opposite now and generally only let mine interact on the lead until I am sure that she will be ok with the other dog.  Mine can be pretty intolerant of other dogs and she doesn't like them sniffing her bum, trying to hump her, licking at her mouth, putting paws on her etc etc i.e. pretty much most dog interactions. 

If she is on the lead it makes it easier for me to intervene when I see the signals that she is getting hacked off with the other dog.  Until I hear the dreaded words...."it's ok, mine only wants to play" aaaaargh!

> Nine times out of ten it'll be fine but sometimes a smaller dog can feel loomed over by a perfectly nice larger dog and because they feel constricted and/or close to their owner, they decide to "deal" with the other dog (could this be an explanation for you mastifflover?).

All of the dogs that have lunged/snapped/growled at Buster have been on-lead (so has Buster as I don't let him off-lead). It's also common for dogs the other side of the road to bark at him as they are passing though, bless him, not many dogs want to meet him :(

There is an off-lead, small terrier type (escuse my ignorance I don't know what breed it is) that will run up to see Buster (damn owner just walks off and leaves her dog to do what he likes, including poop everywhere without it being picked up GRRRRR), this little dog seems to just want to play, if his owner is out of sight he will reluctantly follow her, but if she still has a bit of a treck before she leaves the field then the little dog will do loop-the-loop around Busters legs trying to get him to play - Buster thinks it's great fun, but I don't as it's hard to get his attention, he's just jumping 'round like an idiot trying to play.

>I don't want to go off the point, but I just wondered how others felt about letting dogs meet and interact on lead in general?

I know that it's not ideal for dogs to be meeting on-lead, but I'd much rather have the controll over my dog. If he was smaller then maybe I would think differently, but I worry so much about him playing with another dog and hurting it by accident that I'd rather him be on-lead so if it looked like he was too exited or in danger of landing on the other dog (he still does fantastic play-bows!!!!) I can move him out of the way.

I am very carefull about trying to keep no tension on the lead if Buster sees another dog. I do think that they can interpret a tense lead as there being something to be wary of and then cause them to get defensive.
If there is a loose dog about I'll drop the slack in the long-line so Buster doesn't feel trapped, but I really don't think he feels threatened by other dogs, it's all the poor other dogs that feel threatened by him :)  Ohhhh and there's another thought, most people that see Buster will yank thier dogs towards them as if Bust is some great big nasty monster they need to protect thier dogs from - no-wonder the dogs think they need to go on the defensive!!!

I guess we do agree though because I would never allow my dog to try to mount or put his paws on another dog when on the lead and I watch his behaviour carefully off lead. I think it's fair for a bitch or castrated male to tell him off for too much interest if not in the mood (a growl and snap, nothing serious) and will call him away or distract him with a ball game if they look fed up.  If I see any strutting beginning around another male, I also call my dog away. I have eyes in the back of my head for dogs I don't know and certain entire male dogs I do (an Akita and American Bulldog being two). If I see either, mine goes back on the lead.

I do, however, live in the city and the park is chock full of dogs of all breeds and sizes, so the pressures are greater on both dogs and owners. Thus far I've escaped any trouble, but the possibility is always lurking in the back of my mind.

From what you say I imagine you allow your dog to be around other dogs on lead so she can get used to them and you can monitor reactions- very wise. I suppose what I'm getting at is people who just allow their dog to barge up to another dog when both are on lead or allow their off lead dog to barge up to another that is on lead. I think it's about the dog's space and some need much more than others. I don't think the space issue is just about socialisation, I also think its about gender, rank and breed type.

"Mine only wants to play".. precisely the sort of person that lets their off lead dog charge up to one on lead. Also a pet hate of mine.

mastifflover,
Added this 'cos just read your post. I think what you do on lead is most likely in a park or similar? But would you encourage interaction if you were in a shop or in the street. I think this is where I tend to keep a critical distance, unless I'm really, really sure of the other dog and know it etc.. Even then, I'd have a relaxed chat with the owner before I allowed the dogs to say hello, as it were.

Finally, I agree that Dogue should have apologised unreservedly for her dog's behaviour, but, I don't feel comfortable about someone having a dog on a long lead and letting it just wander up to other dogs, either. This was in a shop and the situation was not being monitored or controlled.

im sorry but if any of my dogs did this to another dog id be mortified to , id be at the vets having my dog checked and paying vets bills for the other ,we have how dogs and there how responsiblty ,reguardless if this is out of character for your dog .ive had my dogs atacked by other dogs for no reson and this is not acseptable !!!!

I agree with what everyone else has said about taking your girlie to the vets to be checked out.

Also agree with the fact that females can sometimes get a little hormonal around the time of their seasons which will cause them to behave out of character.

Just a thought, has there been any change in your normal routine that can be causing your girlie to be feeling unsettled?  Have you been unwell or not been yourself or have been feeling less confident or stressed which could cause your girl to feel that she has to be protective of you. Females can be very sensitive and can pick up on things and behave accordingly which could identify why her behaviour has suddenly changed. If this is the first time she has done this, it is important for you to identify the root cause so that you can nip it in the bud straight away, otherwise things could become a vicious circle without you realising it.

> don't want to go off the point, but I just wondered how others felt about letting dogs meet and interact on lead in general?

I don't really like it... my GSP has been attacked by other dogs enough that he panics if he is approached whilst on a short lead. If I was walking him where I knew everyone just let dogs off and I didn't want him off lead I put him on a flexi + harness - gave him freedom to move & express body language so he didn't panic. But if a dog is at all anxious a short lead takes away the 'flight' option which can make them worse.

And to the OP - I would agree - vet check first and is it round season time?

And yes freelancer - agree with your lead points. :-)

i have two boxers a male and a female,we mated them at 18 month older nad had a small litter, they ate,slept done every thing together, until we had her lined again and then life changed,she hateshim being anywhere near and they will fight, she starts it but he being the bigger dog gets the better of her,we have to break them up,so we have had to seperate them one stays locked in and the other locked out,we have come to the conclusion that because im the one in charge my bitch(we had her from a baby and got the dog a year later) thinks she has to keep the dog away from me,as in protecting me from him(he slobbers and trys to jump on you,so is allways getting shouted at)thus the fighting starts.she thinks shes a person,likes baths etc(start a bath and you have to step round her to get in it)

> he slobbers and trys to jump on you,so is allways getting shouted at

shouting at a dog that is jumping up often adds more exitement and makes the dogs worse, you will find it easier to stop your boy jumping up if you fold your arms and slowly turn away from him or even slowly walk away, if your dog knows what 'down'/ 'off' means then say this once - this method was highly effective for my sisters Boxer who turns into a kangaroo whenever they have visitors.
Not to sure what to say about the slobber, my dog slobbers everything and everyone but he's never been shouted at for it, it's not something he can control.

> he slobbers

um...he's a boxer. its what they do.