# Aggressive to Other Dogs



## MarkF (Nov 9, 2009)

My almost 2 year old havanese used to be a friendly dog to other dogs. Our neighbor got a German Shepard pup and during a play date, the GS beat up my havanese. Ever since, Sammy my havanese has become very aggressive to any dog he sees on the street. Agressive until the other dog takes a stop towards him, then he runs away.

Any suggestions on what I can do. I try to walk him over to meet the other dogs but he is just too scared.

Thanks


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

Hi Mark,
Sorry to hear that happened.  if he was friendly before the incident, then there is certainly hope he can get back to that place of not being afraid. I would shoot for playdates and interactions with dogs that you know are friendly (and he's liked and played with before) and just keep the positive reinforcement of good behavior. Although, I do think fear of a great magnitude won't be conquered overnight, heck, I know humans who are ruled by their fear..so I know its not always easy or quick, but possible.

Does he have regular exposure to the neighbor's dog?

Kara


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Better than play dates, which are largely unstructured, I'd STRONGLY suggest that you enroll your dog in some classes at a good, positive training center. There, he will be exposed to other dogs, all on leash, with the guidance of a trainer to help you get over his fears.

In fact, some training centers offer "reactive dog" classes specifically for dogs who have issues like yours.


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## marlowe'sgirl (Jun 17, 2010)

I've got a bit of an opposite concern. My Hav loves everybody and doesn't seem to get it when another dog doesn't like him or acts aggressive. I've got new neighbors who have a very leash-reactive lab mix (which we discovered a few days ago). They were sitting on their front stoop with their dog on a leash and I walked by with Marlowe. My Mars loves to go say hi to everyone. A couple of friendly sniffs and he's on his way, maybe a play bow if they're up for it. Well as soon as Mars approached, this dog went nuts - barking, pulling on his leash, acting like he was going to attack. My Hav just stays there with his goofy grin and tail wagging acting completely unaware that something was wrong. I tell him to "let's go" and he trots away, a little confused if anything that I didn't let him say hi. Is it worrisome that my dog doesn't "get" aggression? It's definitely a behavior my pup has never exhibited, which I know is great - but shouldn't he at least recognize when another dog isn't friendly?


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

marlowe'sgirl said:


> I've got a bit of an opposite concern. My Hav loves everybody and doesn't seem to get it when another dog doesn't like him or acts aggressive. I've got new neighbors who have a very leash-reactive lab mix (which we discovered a few days ago). They were sitting on their front stoop with their dog on a leash and I walked by with Marlowe. My Mars loves to go say hi to everyone. A couple of friendly sniffs and he's on his way, maybe a play bow if they're up for it. Well as soon as Mars approached, this dog went nuts - barking, pulling on his leash, acting like he was going to attack. My Hav just stays there with his goofy grin and tail wagging acting completely unaware that something was wrong. I tell him to "let's go" and he trots away, a little confused if anything that I didn't let him say hi. Is it worrisome that my dog doesn't "get" aggression? It's definitely a behavior my pup has never exhibited, which I know is great - but shouldn't he at least recognize when another dog isn't friendly?


I think that just like with small children, it's our responsibility to keep small dogs out of harm's way. Really, what difference would it have made if Marlowe ran away when this dog acted aggressively? He can't POSSIBLY run fast enough to get away from a larger dog who wants to hurt him. It's up to us to protect our little ones in these situations. I NEVER let Kodi approach a strange dog, large OR small, without first checking with the owner whether the dog is friendly. It's not only the only way to keep Kodi safe, but it's the polite thing to do for the other dog too.


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## marlowe'sgirl (Jun 17, 2010)

Good point Karen. I never let him get close enough because we'd have a few scares. I just love when owner's say of course my dog is friendly and then their dog lunges at mine.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

marlowe'sgirl said:


> Good point Karen. I never let him get close enough because we'd have a few scares. I just love when owner's say of course my dog is friendly and then their dog lunges at mine.


Yeah, there's always that... I still am cautious, even when people SAY their dog is friendly... especially if it's substantially bigger.

Als, don't let your little dog stare at a big dog EVER. Young dogs, in particular, have no sense of their own size. Sometimes owners are not aware that their little dog is challenging the big dog with its body language. Even a friendly dog may lunge at another dog that gives it a direct challenge... if the challenging dog is little, it can be bad news.

I've corrected Kodi enough at this point that he doesn't ever challenge another dog. But for the few months around his neuter, (between approximately 6-12 months) there were a number of times where he started giving MUCH bigger dogs "the stare".


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