For various reasons my dog walking times have had to change over the last few weeks so we've been meeting a lot of dogs we've never come across before and many of them seem to feel the need to bark, snarl and run at my dog and the owners do nothing about it. She's a small breed and in the main they have been big dogs.
She's always been a bit wary of large dogs after a large dog had a go at her when she was a puppy so this is just more of the same, and it seems every time we go out yet another dog acts aggressively towards her - it isn't play, which she tends to ignore as she likes to do her own thing - and results in her screaming in fear and cowering on the ground or trying to jump into my arms.
The result is that every time as we leave the house now she barks hysterically - she's always been a bit barky when leaving the house in an establishing her territory kind of way, but that was excitement, this is aggression - and when we pass another dog, especially large dogs, even if it's completely ignoring her she'll start growling and barking and will often lung towards it.
She's never behaved like this before. Normally she would ignore other dogs, walking quietly beside me or sniffing something interesting while passing them without even acknowledging them most of the time.
I feel so angry that other people's inability to socialise and control their dogs properly has resulted in my dog's training and behaviour being undermined. But most of all I feel so sad for her that every time she goes out she feels she needs to be on high alert in case something nasty might happen to her.
How do I get her back to her old happy self? Is it just a question of going back to basics and just offering her reassurance and treats for calm behaviour when we pass other dogs, or is there more I have to do?
I'm at a loss really as to how to start to deal with this and would be very grateful for some doghouse wisdom?
Sorry this is so long.
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Please help me. How can I deal with my dog's newly reactive behaviour?
10 replies
pigsDOfly · 23/10/2014 14:00
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