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Dog freaks out around other dogs (help!) K9acad10
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Dog freaks out around other dogs (help!) K9acad10
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 Dog freaks out around other dogs (help!)

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Pepper
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PostSubject: Dog freaks out around other dogs (help!)   Dog freaks out around other dogs (help!) Icon_minitimeWed Jan 26, 2011 6:25 pm

My lab/dalmatian/something Luna is super sweet to people, but she attacks almost every dog she sees. We'll be walking and another person will pass us walking their dogs, and Luna will freak out. She'll give these high-pitched barks and "Play bow" (she never learned to play-bow and only bows when she's frustrated, so she's definatly not playful) at the other dog. Sometimes she crouches or even lies down, but this is rare and I'm pretty sure she only does it for male dogs.

Anyways, if she actually meets the other dog she gets all tense as they sniff eachother and then she attacks them and they get in a fight. She doesn't hurt the other dogs, as far as I know, but it's really mbarrassing to have her freak out and/or attack every dog she sees. And although her barks are high pitched, when she actually meets the dogs she acts very dominant.

A little while ago I had her meet my aunt's two dogs, Luv (lab) and Annie (A golden retriever). Luna was barking her head off at them and growling and running in circles around them. After awhile, she would be running and circles and barking, but this time looking at me. I went inside and INSTANTLY she calmed down, grew quiet, left the other dogs alone. When I came back out the barking started again.

I tried ignoring her and playing with Luv and Annie and she really exploded. Her barks grew higher and higher in pitch, as did her growls. She kept running around us but didn't actually attack either dog. Her eyes looked desperate and scared, but other wise she had a dominant body posture and was pushing on the other dogs.

What's going on with her? Is she jealous? Does she think she's supposed to protect me? (she does bark at strange people passing our house or at sometimes at people who creep me out on walks. But when she does this, her barks are deep, not high pitched. And I've always encouraged her barking at people because she's never actually attacked and it makes me feel safer. I've never encouraged barking at/ attacking another dog.)

Any advice would really be appreciated because I can't take Luna many places because of her problem and she could do a lot more and have a lot of doggy friends if she wasn't so.... whatever she is.
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Steven_L
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Steven_L

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Location : Southern California, USA

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PostSubject: Re: Dog freaks out around other dogs (help!)   Dog freaks out around other dogs (help!) Icon_minitimeTue Feb 01, 2011 10:02 pm

Huh...its really strange that it would happen like this only when you are around...although I'm sure I've heard of something similar once or twice.

Because we aren't entirely sure what the cause of the problem (although it might be some sort of resource guarding, you being the resource), but when a dog is reaching a bark/attack threshold its always good to follow through with the same steps of desensitizing the dog to whatever causes the reaction, in this cause other dogs.

You slowly work your way until finally you are able to pass by other dogs and not get such a reactive response.

I've written in more detail how you can do this here: http://k9domain.org/fearful.aspx, there's a whole section for how to deal with fearful dog-dog reaction.

Even though this might not be outright fear, the steps for curing the behavior is basically the same Wink
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AnnSmith
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PostSubject: Re: Dog freaks out around other dogs (help!)   Dog freaks out around other dogs (help!) Icon_minitimeFri Mar 11, 2011 11:11 am

Hey Steven, the link you posted is very helpful! I learned a lot on your Skin and Coat Care section. I actually use oatmeal soap and it reduced the irritation my Poodle and Lab got from the last shampoo I used for them.
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Steven_L
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Steven_L

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Dog freaks out around other dogs (help!) Vide
PostSubject: Re: Dog freaks out around other dogs (help!)   Dog freaks out around other dogs (help!) Icon_minitimeFri Mar 11, 2011 8:36 pm

AnnSmith wrote:
Hey Steven, the link you posted is very helpful! I learned a lot on your Skin and Coat Care section. I actually use oatmeal soap and it reduced the irritation my Poodle and Lab got from the last shampoo I used for them.

I'm glad that you found it so helpful!! Oatmeal shampoo also helped my pooch get over itchy dry skin after baths, I hear there are other great shampoos to use that don't dry out skin, but its something I need to research more. study
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melindaregner
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Join date : 2011-04-21
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Dog freaks out around other dogs (help!) Vide
PostSubject: Re: Dog freaks out around other dogs (help!)   Dog freaks out around other dogs (help!) Icon_minitimeThu Apr 21, 2011 2:57 am

Steven_L wrote:
Huh...its really strange that it would happen like this only when you are around...although I'm sure I've heard of something similar once or twice.

Because we aren't entirely sure what the cause of the problem (although it might be some sort of resource guarding, you being the resource), but when a dog is reaching a bark/attack threshold its always good to follow through with the same steps of desensitizing the dog to whatever causes the reaction, in this cause other dogs.

You slowly work your way until finally you are able to pass by other dogs and not get such a reactive response.

I've written in more detail how you can do this here: http://k9domain.org/fearful.aspx, there's a whole section for how to deal with fearful dog-dog reaction.

Even though this might not be outright fear, the steps for curing the behavior is basically the same Wink

Thanks for sharing your thought and some links here..
Very beneficial.. Smile
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