I have a 2 year old retriever that I bred, who has just started being seriously aggressive to dogs.  He is a very laid back, willing, friendly, obedient boy, who went to obedience training from as soon as he could after his jabs and has been ever since, so I thought he was well socialized.  He goes to gundog classes as well once a month in the summer and I have taken him out training with a friend and her dogs regularly since a pup, he only very occasionally growled at other dogs if they ran up into his face but mostly there was never a problem.  Other than that he has always been sociable until a few weeks ago, and a lot of the time he still is but he has started to show aggression to dogs that either show too much energy or have come into his personal space and not left it soon enough.  He never runs up to a dog to attack, he is not interested in other dogs much and I can call him back without any trouble, he seems to dislike having his personal space invaded.  Most of the time the other dogs have squeaked and backed off, but one day he snapped at another dog who made something of it and there was a fight.  They had been happily milling around, as dogs do, as I chatted to the owner of the other dog for quite a while when it all suddenly blew up.  I stepped in and pulled them apart, which wasn't difficult, but it was a horrible experience, and he has gone on to be a real grouch at these times, he had a go at a friend's dog yesterday out gundog training, everything had been fine for a good while until he needed to be held on lead while I worked his mum as he was responding to my commands for her, I don't normally train them together.  Fortunately my friend is a good dog man and wasn't too bothered, but I was.

He still wags his tail at other dogs most of the time and will play, but often he runs around with his hackles up for a bit.  If left alone he is fine, but a couple of times in the last week he has gone for his mum when she has been hoovering up after food near him, which has really spooked me, though last night for some reason she told him off and took a bit of hair off his nose and there was no retalliation.  At training class last week a BC had a go at him and he just stood and looked at her (they had never before met), she apparantly had been stroppy all evening!  So it is a weird situation, you'd expect him to return the compliments.

Both his parents have fabulous, kind natures, and until recently he has been fine, his brothers and sisters all have lovely temperaments, and I had his litter sister, who was very playful, until a few months ago.

I am so worried as it is such a liabilty, and other people don't always take any notice when you warn them not to get too close when he growls, then look at you daggers when he snaps.  The rest of the time he is the most delightful companion, I live alone and my animals are my only company but I am not sentimental or soft towards them.  I do wonder if I should stop showing him affection in case I have caused him to think he is top dog, but he doesn't actually challenge me, quite the reverse.  The only time he doesn't listen and come is if there is water about, but after the initial splash or roll in the puddle he will come!  I'm working on it.

In the past I have muzzled him very briefly for a completely different reason, he was so unhappy he wouldn't move off the spot and I never did it again so I don't want to do that, I think it will make him feel more vulnerable.

He is fit and well and enjoys his excercise times.  He loves his training and does really well, I can work him off lead around other dogs without any trouble and it is difficult to know exactly what triggers the behaviour because there is a period when he will not mind close encounters before he turns, unless a dog is being boisterous nearby, although sometimes one can just be walking towards him when he will growl.  It might be when he's on lead he is worse, but the fight happened when they were all off lead so who knows?

Any suggestions as to what is going on here?  Unfortunately, at the moment I am in financial difficulties so paying for anything not 100% essential is out for the time being, so behaviourist help is beyond me until I get things straight, they have vet's insurance but that's all, so I'd appreciate some initial advice.

> they have vet's insurance but that's all, so I'd appreciate some initial advice. <

I can't offer much advice but can sympathise as I have one from a litter of Dobes I bred nearly 5 years ago that from what you've described is far worse than your boy. I have tried everything with her, at a quite considerable cost, but really there has been very little improvement, and I've just accepted she is who she is. It isn't pleasant having a dog like her and when I've been at the end of my tether I have serioiusly thought about putting her to sleep.

Regarding your financial situation, does your insurance cover behavioural problems? I think your first port of call should be your Vet anyway to check there aren't any underlying health issues - he may look OK on the outside but there could be something hormonal going on that could only be checked by blood/urine tests.

I hope you manage to sort something out.

Karen

It may just be a 'laddish' faze that i have had with my previous Flatties and am currently going through with my 20 month old one. He is fine with his own pack and with most other dogs but if they show any aggression towards him, growling or posturing he tries to get in there first.
We don't meet many other dogs where we are but if they are playful and friendly with him he enjoys running around with them.
My now 6 year old was the very same at that age and I had to watch when I was showing him as he used to get stroppy if another dog growled at him in the ring. Now he doesn't bother and stands and wags his tail.
Otis will take a telling from our older dogs and not try and push them too far but doesn't take it from others, except for bitches.
Not much help to you but just to show you are not alone and that, hopefully it will pass as he matures and concentrates his mind on other matters.

>He still wags his tail at other dogs most of the time and will play, but often he runs around with his hackles up for a bit<

My Heidi is nothing like being what I would call 'dog aggressive' yet she sometimes raises her hackles when having been playing with other dogs. i believe she does this because the other dog is too lively and, having been bullied by one of our other bitches [now re-homed], she is insecure about overly excitable dogs. The bitch we had re-homed would play energetically then 'flip' and attack heidi.  Majorly I think it's an inability to read body language and insecurity coming frm this.

Is he actually making contact or warning the other dog off, having a spat if they won't? 

If that is all he is doing I would say he is entitled to deal with other dogs rudeness, but it may be wise on your part to pre-empt these situations by ensuring the other dog does nto get a chance to annoy him into reacting. 

He will then know that you will sort thigns out for him, so he can relax about it more.

Brainless  [url=]">he is entitled to deal with other dogs rudeness, but it may be wise on your part to pre-empt these situations by ensuring the other dog does nto get a chance to annoy him into reacting.<[/url]
Pre-empting, or at least stopping as soon as it starts, has worked for Heidi and me.  I encourage playing but am aware that there can be 'too  much of a good thing' so, at any signs of discomfort I calm or stop the play.

Thanks for all your comments.

His sister was not a bully but insisted on rough play a lot, and I think this has a lot to do with it.  He didn't seem to mind too much but I wonder if he thinks they are coming to rough him up like she did and he doesn't want it, although her posture was cheeky and in the main these dogs are quiet.

He has made contact once (except in the fight when he was bleeding a little at the mouth), I think that  then it might have been a mistake, but it is horrifying.  I do try to stand between him and other dogs or just keep him away.

I took him obedience training tonight and we did a lot of work off lead working in a line or the four corners, I was a bit worried as he was close to the other dogs and they were all asked to pass each other, I nearly said I would pass those excercises but he didn't put a foot wrong and seemed very comfortable, his attention was on me so I guess that's why.  It just makes it harder to know what to do and how far to go when they are so inconsistent. He does so enjoy his training that I want to allow him to do these things, whilst at the same time feeling quite anxious and turning his head away the moment he is head on with another dog.

He doesn't actually sound as if he's doing anything wrong. If you can though, take him for a vet check as sometimes an alteration in behaviour, if sudden, can be due to a medical reason that isn't obvious.

Other than that, how about a trainer who may do one to ones? they are much cheaper than a b. and may be of help. Try www.apdt.co.uk for one who may come out to you :)

Continue to give him affection - hey, that's partly why we have dogs! and it does not cause dominance problems, in fact dominance is more or less debunked now!

http://www.dogwelfarecampaign.org/why-not-dominance.php

Have you had his eyes checked recently?