dogs and doesn't instigate or attack, but when he meets new dogs he always snaps at them and growls when they try to sniff him too long. Is there something I am doing wrong? I usually hold his leash a little bit taught in case they fight so I can pull him off, could that be the problem? He generally settles down if they have a chance to hang out, so am I just reading too far into this? Its pretty funny to watch him sometimes, especially when he meets big working dogs, but I don't want him to get hurt.
Thanks.
2007-11-28 06:16:43 · 6 answers · asked by Hans B 5 in Pets ➔ Dogs
Holding the leash taut and your attitude can definitely affect him. You are sending a signal down the leash that he should be wary of other dogs.
At 4 months, I'd enroll in puppy class to teach him basic obedience and to socialize him with other dogs. He's the perfect age for this and it may head off some dog aggression problems later that can't be fixed once he's fully grown.
2007-11-28 06:25:47 · answer #1 · answered by ? 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Snapping at another dog when one is simply smelling the other, regardless of the duration, is anti-social doggy behavior. It's the same as if we met and I extended my hand and you shrugged your shoulders and walked away. Dogs sniff eachother as the only way they learn about eachother. They can't talk so they smell.
You should control your dog with the leash but only use a correction when he is anti-social; otherwise leave the leash loose so he doesn't feel tension. He's nipping likely because he's uncomfortable with the other dogs being so close. But regardless of the reason it must be corrected. Adding tension to a leash when a dog is alreay uncomfortable won't help but only add to the problem.
Watch your dog closeloy when it interacts with other dogs and give a quick and firm correction the moment the dog misbehaves. Watchout for early signs of fearful aggression such as frozen looks, hair standing up, tail high and gowling. All of those need to be corrected the moment they happen to help stop the dog from becoming more aggressive. Nip it in the bud. Good luck. In time, if you socailize your dog properly, he'll stop the anti-social behavior.
2007-11-28 06:29:43 · answer #2 · answered by PackLeader22 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You holding the leash tight tells him to beware of the other dogs. Use a loose leash, if you find it funny will you find it funny when your dog gets killed because YOU taught it to fight bigger dogs? My Aunt trained her Weim to attack other dogs by shortening the leash whenever a dog came by. He turned into a uncontrolable monster which she could barely walk. When he was walked on a training collar on a loose leash and made to heel if a dog showed up he was fine. I was able to train him when I was 15 because I had worked with dogs for many years but she was never able to relax enough to walk him properly. And she got bitten by a dog when her dog attacked a loose dog and she tried to break up the fight. No one knew which dog was the biter but her allergies were so bad she could take preventive rabies shots. Fortunatly she didn't get rabies.
2007-11-28 06:38:03 · answer #3 · answered by ginbark 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
the taut leash does send a signal to your dog that there is something to be worried about. relax the leash a bit and just be ready to move away if someone gets too agitated. and relax your own mind (breathe) so he isn't picking up on your tension.
2007-11-28 06:24:55 · answer #4 · answered by no qf 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I watch the Dog Whisperer a lot, and from what Cesar Millan says, when dogs are smelling other dogs, the dogs that are being smelt are being put in a situation that makes the other dogs dominant and the dogs being smelt submissive. Your dog may be trying to be dominant and when the other dogs smell him, he doesn't feel dominant. He suggests correcting when the dogs snap at the other dogs.
2007-11-28 06:24:19 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
Pull him away and tell him no. Probably a Napoleon complex.
2007-11-28 06:21:19 · answer #6 · answered by Freckles... 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋