Can anyone help

[Whinpin]

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Hello everyone, I am sorry I have not been on for a while life got in the way.

I posted on here when I needed help with my young whippet Rosie and you all got me through some rough times with her. Well I am in need of help again.
Rosie is now 2 yes old and I walk her everyday sometimes twice depending on the mood she is in. I have always introduced her other dog from a young age. Sometimes we walk with other people and their dogs and she is fine.
Ok that is the background, now here is the issue. When other dogs are bigger than her and new to the area where we walk she become aggressive by aggressive I mean barking and lunging at the other dog. Which is generally not in her nature she is normally a timid plotter.
I am confused, upset has to why she does this and how do I stop it. It tends to be German shepherds and husks. She is ok with the German shepherd next door but they are both the same age a grown up together.

Can you please help and tell me what to do?

 

[JudyN]

You say she's normally timid - this may just be an age thing, as she's mature and has decided to be a bit more proactive about her concerns. My dog was always slightly wary of GSDs, and when much younger would hide behind a bush if he saw a husky type, thought he hadn't had any bad experiences with either. He ended up being fine with huskies, though always slightly wary of GSDs.

The best thing is to try to keep enough distance between her and these breeds that she feels comfortable. If you bump into one, walk the other way and reassure her that everything's fine. She needs to know that she won't be put into a situation where she feels she can't cope. This article should help, though it's geared for general reactivity rather than breed-specific: Dog Reactivity

If her behaviour does seem to deteriorate and become more generalised, it would be worth getting a vet check in case there's anything making her physically uncomfortable. And if she's unneutered, consider whether this could be linked to her cycle.

 

[Whinpin]

Thank you Judy N that all makes sense cos she does cowers down even when she meets dogs she knows but once she knows who they are she is ok. I have been trying to cross to the other side of the road. I have also tried to keep her to the inside if of the pavement if that makes sense.

 

[JudyN]

If you have no choice but to come close to a dog on a pavement (do you need to walk on pavements?), you could try to distract her with a really high-value treat. You might end up with her looking at you in hope every time you pass a dog, but turning her anxious attitude into a happy one is always worth it.

 

[Hemlock]

And get your body between her and the other dog well before you meet. It's a great 'protector' for her to be the other side of you. Practice so you get really slick at changing sides, and always change her behind you not in front.

Dogs' body language can be very subtle until we are used to it, and it could well be that the other dogs are staring her down well before you actually meet.

 

[excuseme]

Just out of interest, has she been spayed, and at what age

 

[Whinpin]

Hi everyone just to let you know this morning we stopped and I held her between my legs and made her sit and was talking to her all the time until the dog passed and it seemed to reassure her. Hopefully this was not a one off I am definitely going to try it again. She has not been spayed and she is 2 yes old.

 

[JudyN]

That's good - I would consider not asking her to sit - it is often not a comfortable position for sighthounds, and could also make her feel more vulnerable.

Do you know when her next season is due?

 

[excuseme]

"She has not been spayed and she is 2 years old".
Thank you @Whinpin that has answered any further thoughts I may have had .
.

 

[Victoria Salter]

Hello everyone, I am sorry I have not been on for a while life got in the way.

I posted on here when I needed help with my young whippet Rosie and you all got me through some rough times with her. Well I am in need of help again.
Rosie is now 2 yes old and I walk her everyday sometimes twice depending on the mood she is in. I have always introduced her other dog from a young age. Sometimes we walk with other people and their dogs and she is fine.
Ok that is the background, now here is the issue. When other dogs are bigger than her and new to the area where we walk she become aggressive by aggressive I mean barking and lunging at the other dog. Which is generally not in her nature she is normally a timid plotter.
I am confused, upset has to why she does this and how do I stop it. It tends to be German shepherds and husks. She is ok with the German shepherd next door but they are both the same age a grown up together.

Can you please help and tell me what to do?

Maybe a verbal/sound-based correction (not scolding or shouting or abuse) when she lunges and acts aggressively, and then giving her a treat and some praise when she is good and calm, could work? It would also be a good idea to ask a professional, humane dog behaviourist (please only seek the advice of a good, positive reinforcement-based, humane trainer/behaviourist who truly loves and cares about dogs, not one who uses cruel methods - even for advice, I would not trust those types). You may not even have to pay just for them to send you reply via email or messenger or something and give you some advice over the internet/even over the phone. If she is suddenly aggressive when she is normally of a non-aggressive temperament, this may also be worth kindly consulting your vet - sudden behaviour changes in dogs can sometimes have a medical cause. I don’t want to worry you though. If she seems fine otherwise, she is probably physically okay.
Do you mind if I ask if she had any kind of trauma that could have caused this?

 

[JoanneF]

Maybe a verbal/sound-based correction (not scolding or shouting or abuse)

I'm struggling to understand what a sound based correction would sound like, if it wasn't scolding.

But the important thing here I think, is to remember this behaviour stems from insecurity. So a correction would be like punishing the emotion, which isn't good - the dog isn't choosing to feel this way.

 

[Hemlock]

I agree. As a retired behaviourist, I would caution against expecting to get something for nothing. "Advice" for nothing is generally worth just that. Although the industry is unregulated (such a pity) many of us have studied and worked very hard to acquire the dog-sense we have.

It isn't vital to have qualifications, but common sense and a lot of experience, plus a flair for analysing behaviour, is necessary as well.

 

[Victoria Salter]

I'm struggling to understand what a sound based correction would sound like, if it wasn't scolding.

But the important thing here I think, is to remember this behaviour stems from insecurity. So a correction would be like punishing the emotion, which isn't good - the dog isn't choosing to feel this way.

That could be just clapping your hands or an ah-ah.

 

[JudyN]

That could be just clapping your hands or an ah-ah.

It can only possibly work if it seen by the dog as a negative, though - and again, it isn't addressing the dog's emotions, it's trying to get them to suppress them. The dog doesn't react 'just for fun' - the situation makes him genuinely uncomfortable.

 

[JoanneF]

And, it's an interrupter that leaves a behaviour vacuum. The dog might stop, even guess you weren't happy but he wouldn't know why, or what to do instead.