SmolMuttt wrote:Puppo
So, this is my dog, Sadie. We really don't know what breed she is but she appears to have some Blue Heeler along with a few other breeds mixed in there. We don't really care what breed she is but her genes may help us figure out why she acts the way she does towards other dogs.
Yesterday, me and my family went out hiking and invited a few other people along. One of the people along brought their huge golden lab with. When they met, Sadie started showing her teeth at him everytime he tried to sniff her or generally be friendly to her. She has done this in the past with other dogs aswell. I'm not sure if this has to do with her genetics or if she wasn't exposed to her littermates enough when she was a puppy. She is a rescue dog so we know nothing of her past and are trying to peice together the reasons for why she behaves like this.
It could be one or both of those things, also lack of or improper socialization by her pervious owners (or bad experiences if she was a stray) could play a part as well.
Dog aggression is not uncommon. You can help her learn how deal with dogs through proper positive reinforcement training but ultimately management will play a big part in this. Keep her on leash and don't allow her to approach other dogs as well as try to keep other dogs from approaching her. This latter can be difficult but you can at least avoid places that are designated off leash.
The fact that a fight didn't break out is good. She was telling the other dog she didn't want to be approached, this is your signal to get her out of that situation in case the other dog is not respectful of her boundaries. She is showing bit inhibition, which is a good thing, but it's unfair and dangerous to push it. If she doesn't want another dog in her face, respect that and remove her. Ask the other owner to do the same with their dog.
Sometimes a more careful introduction between two dogs is helpful. Parallel on leash walking followed by a quick greeting can go a long way. Take it slow. Some dogs are picky about how they meet other dogs, or which dogs they like. And some will never befriend any other dogs. You may have to accept the fact that Sadie just may not want other dog friends, and that's okay. As long as she isn't lunging to get at other dogs and attack them, and as long as you can control her it shouldn't be a problem.
If you can afford/have access to a positive reinforcement trainer you might want to look into one as well. Perhaps a behaviorist too.
Sadie is a beautiful dog.
