Help me with my grumpy dog please

[pastypirate]

Ddog is a show cocker. He's developed issue with other dogs and it's time I sorted it.

He doesn't like being approached on the lead specifically and will growl and sometimes snap. He doesn't like small dogs or puppies. He can tell if larger puppies are still puppies. He especially doesn't like fluffy toy dogs like bichons or cockerpoos. Why???

If we are approached by labs and above he just plays fine - met a rottie this week and I felt quite relaxed - it's like he can judge when it's not worth squaring up to bigger dogs.

He's done this the last couple of years and he's 6 now. He also hates being taken by surprise so if we are in a field and he's happy sniffing nose down and a dog comes up behind him he will be growling. We thought he was deaf at one point but he isn't - his recall isn't perfect but it's reasonable.

Any wisdom?

Many dogs do not like greeting other dogs on lead. They can feel restricted or frustrated, especially where they're trapped into a face to face situation with a dog that is actually behaving rudely, and this includes puppies still learning social skills.

They can't fall back on the more polite body language available to them off the lead (things like approaching in a curving arc, nose to bum rather than face to face, head turning, moving away if they're uncomfortable) and so resort to snap, go away.

Honestly his reaction seems pretty proportionate, he's telling you he's uncomfortable so it might be time to advocate for him a little more by avoiding most on lead greetings where you can, with a breezy 'this way' and keep moving. It's ok not to greet, like or play with every dog you pass.

@currahee

Many dogs do not like greeting other dogs on lead. They can feel restricted or frustrated, especially where they're trapped into a face to face situation with a dog that is actually behaving rudely, and this includes puppies still learning social skills.

They can't fall back on the more polite body language available to them off the lead (things like approaching in a curving arc, nose to bum rather than face to face, head turning, moving away if they're uncomfortable) and so resort to snap, go away.

Honestly his reaction seems pretty proportionate, he's telling you he's uncomfortable so it might be time to advocate for him a little more by avoiding most on lead greetings where you can, with a breezy 'this way' and keep moving. It's ok not to greet, like or play with every dog you pass.

Thank you that is what we do - move him along and not pause with the other dog. I'm getting frustrated like another thread op that people watch me shorten the lead abs March him on and still let their dogs bound all over him.

He's never grumpy at home and he loves all humans he meets. Children ask to pat him quite often and I always agree though I supervise closely but he's great with small children and seems to enjoy the fuss and have a good flirt.

Shout at them to call their dogs back. It's completely unreasonable to allow a dog to meet another on lead dog without asking (from a distance) first. Say it's got a highly contagious disease or something if they persist!
If you want your dog to feel better about them though look up under threshold training - so keeping your dog at a distance so it would take treats (if they won't he's too worried) and feed yummy thing whilst he's watching the dog. Over time this should translate to see dog, look at you for treat, walk on. Not to be confused with distracting with treats.