Grumpy dog

[Autumn31]

Hello
Just wondering if anyone has any advice, my 3 year old neutered female dog has started barking at some dogs when on lead. She will walk past and even greet some without issue but others will bark at them either after a quick greet or as they get close. Walks are becoming unpredictable and difficult with toddlers in tow. Has anyone experienced similar?

It sounds likely that she is developing a degree of reactivity. Take it from someone with a reactive dog - this is something where you really do need to get a professional in asap, before the behaviours become ingrained and / or escalate and become harder to fix.

You need to source a behaviourist (not trainer) who is appropriately qualified. Quite literally anyone can call themselves a behaviourist, and some of those will make your dog irretrievably worse. So, you need someone either CCAB or APBC accredited - they are the two main reputable accreditation schemes. Lists are on their websites. Depending on your insurer, you may find that behaviourists are covered.

As it is a recent change, I'd also recommend a trip to the vet to check for pain. Pain can make dogs and humans alike very grouchy, and many cases of aggression have pain as a significant factor.