I am cross and fed up!

[JaxTellerIsMyFriend]

This is probably too long and too rambly, apologies.

So, we (DH & I) were out walking the dogs earlier (2 GSDs) quite happy, playing ball, no problems at all. A man comes in and makes a beeline for where we are in the hills with his whippy X - starts chatting, no issues, his dog and my bitch are playing chase and having fun. My male dog not interested - only has eyes for his ball. We continue to chat with the man, his dog continues to play/annoy my bitch and wont fetch his ball. My dogs fetch his dogs ball and bring it back to him... he asks about my dogs, asks if we are going to breed (WTF) or if we are going to Xbreed - knowing that my 2 are brother and sister! (AGAIN WTF)

Anyway, we wander off down to the water trough, walk down the hill and back up, my dogs are happy playing, his dog is off in the other direction. When we get back near the gate to leave, his dog runs over to mine, instigating a chase game which my bitch happily plays. His dog then nips underneath somewhere on bitch, runs underneath her and growls and bites her. She takes great umbrage to this and snaps back. A small mouthy fight starts, his dog nipping mine, but mine only pinning his down and slobbering on it.

DH grabs our dog and removes her (my male dog is put in a down and told to leave it - which he does, he is a placid big thing) the other owner says to me "That level of aggression needs sorting out!" to which I replied "My dog was retaliating after being nipped twice by yours!" "Oh" he said.

I checked his dog over, no bites, just slobber and the man said "No harm done, some socialisation and yours will be fine, she is young, she needs to learn".

But of course because my dog is a dark GSD and his is smaller it is automatically my dogs fault. I am cross with myself, cross with my dog and I just needed to get it out.

My bitch is socialised with all sorts of animals and people, she wasnt bothering with this dog - it came to her. She didnt bother with the 15 or so teen school boys on a nature trip that stomped past us calling the dogs to them, screeching and generally being unruly.

So, why did she react this way? Of course she is allowed to tell another dog to stop bothering her, but imo she was OTT. DH thinks so as do I.

We removed the dogs, put her on a lead and walked back to the car.

We have dog club tonight and I worry that she will be all arsey later.

What you described was a very well socialized dog! She and new friend were playing, new friend got a bit overexcited or frustrated or something and she told him in very friendly terms (to me" "knock it off, dingdong!" even when new friend nips more, she responds pretty soft, by just mouthing him. I think that's totally appropriate, and I'm very impressed with your dog. She didn't escalate or anything, she just kept playing and chnaged the rules to include mouth.

I wouldn't worry about it, it's the same way my neighbor's GSD ascts with my dog, they both return from a romp panting and wet from slobber. She's a good dog.

sorry toxic - she did escalate after the dog nipped her a couple of times. She went from 'play' mode to teeth, growling and air snapping. This was in a nano second.

She only 'mouth plays' with my other GSD, that is one of the ways they play together, it looks awful and there is lots of noise, but mouths never touch each other. My neighbour is fascinated by it!

But this wasnt playing after she got bit/nipped - she meant to tell this dog off, other dog went back for my girl and she continued... DH pulled her off him and while there was only slobber on the other dog, it scares me a bit to think she could have really damaged it. I know she's a dog and a bit one at that - but I cant let her behave like that and I feel like an absolute twit.

I pride myself on knowing my dogs, have always had GSDs (mostly boys) and always make sure that my dogs are well behaved and well trained. IF you asked anyone who knows us in the area they will tell you what lovely dogs I usually have.

My younger dog would react in the same way to another dog aggressively nipping him (a growl/lunge showing teeth, pinning to the ground). He has done, in fact.

I'm not sure what the answer is. It's a lot to expect a dog not to retaliate to aggression or biting from another dog. But I have big dogs too (Rotties) so I understand the worry about the damage they could do.

Actually my older boy would not retaliate, but that's not due to anything I've done differently, it's just the way he is, I think.

I don't think there's a problem here at all - the bloke should have left you well alone in the first place and called his dog off before the play escalated to a level with which your bitch was unhappy.

Maybe I'm a little more sensitive to this kind of thing because my dogs are always on leads when out and I am totally sick of being pestered by strange dogs - the newest rescue still has dog ishoos and, rather like your situation, being a certain type of dog (Siberian huskies) it would always be their fault if anything happened. If I want to chat, socialise and let my dogs play I meet up with likeminded friends whose dogs I know well or at the training club after a lesson, not random numpties and their unknown dogs.

I don't think your dog did anything wrong either, Jax. Sounds as though she just got fed up, and nipping was over-the-top play and provoked her.

How old is she, out of interest? How old was the whippy x? My lab x is coming up towards 1, and like all adolescents is a bit more dramatic about showing off/proving himself than he used to be - could be a bit of that?

As for the owner, he sounds like someone who Does Not Like Admitting When He Is Wrong

Ignore, and have a lovely time at dog club - bet she'll be fine.

Thanks all. To answer some questions - she is nearly 17 months old and she is a totally different kettle of fish (4dogs) than my boy. Same parentage, same way they have been trained/socialised etc etc but she is much feistier than him. He is so laid back, as have my other male shepherds. She is also due a season end Feb/March time and she gets a bit strange around that time, clingy towards me and loving to a point where she is a pest.

The whippyX was at least 4, he was a 'fallen angel' from a place nearby, who originally came from Ireland... according to his owner. Thing is, I volunteer for the place the man got the dog from, so I can find out exactly who he is and what dogs history is if I really wanted to.

Anyway, took girlie out to do a little street walking/heel work around the houses here and we were up and down the street doing sit, heel, watch me, close etc and she was bloody fantastic. Didnt care about the cars/vans/school buses going past on the busy end near the main road - didnt bother with the people walking along the street. Its just this, so we will see.

cant decide whether to take girlie with me tonight, or just pop up and have a chat...