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.