Is Atlas being protective of his sister?
I'm not sure what is exactly going on with Atlas.
He has always loved the dog park, and still does (as indicated by the fact that he runs like a maniac to the gate everytime we go). Last saturday a dog that used to play with him all the time as a puppy came up and tried to wrestle with him, Atlas got very snappy, and I had to pull him back from the dog.
Is he feeling protective of his sister? He lets her play with other dogs, but he follows her around the park nonstop.
Also, he did something he has NEVER done before about a month ago. We were at the pet store, and we had both him and Scout on their leashes, and a few dogs walked by and Atlas started baring his teeth and growling, this also happened in a similar situation when we were at another pet store.
Before Scout was in the picture Atlas would literally lunge in excitement at other dogs (in the playful way).
A similar situation happened to my friends golden retriever after they got a new dog. The golden actually ended up attacking a german shepherd that wandered into their yard that he used to play with all the time before a new dog was in the picture.
We already make sure that the dogs aren't always together. I frequently take Atlas or Scout on a walk by themself and Meg will walk the other dog. I'm also going to start taking Atlas to the park by himself sometimes.
He has always loved the dog park, and still does (as indicated by the fact that he runs like a maniac to the gate everytime we go). Last saturday a dog that used to play with him all the time as a puppy came up and tried to wrestle with him, Atlas got very snappy, and I had to pull him back from the dog.
Is he feeling protective of his sister? He lets her play with other dogs, but he follows her around the park nonstop.
Also, he did something he has NEVER done before about a month ago. We were at the pet store, and we had both him and Scout on their leashes, and a few dogs walked by and Atlas started baring his teeth and growling, this also happened in a similar situation when we were at another pet store.
Before Scout was in the picture Atlas would literally lunge in excitement at other dogs (in the playful way).
A similar situation happened to my friends golden retriever after they got a new dog. The golden actually ended up attacking a german shepherd that wandered into their yard that he used to play with all the time before a new dog was in the picture.
We already make sure that the dogs aren't always together. I frequently take Atlas or Scout on a walk by themself and Meg will walk the other dog. I'm also going to start taking Atlas to the park by himself sometimes.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by MagnoliaFly on
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I know no one wants to hear this answer but you really should speak to a dog trainer about this. He is becoming reactive on leash to other dogs and from what you're saying, he may have already been reactive before and you mistook it as "excitement".
Is he neutered?
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Permalink Reply by Ross on
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He is fixed, and his growling is definitely different from the "excitement" he had before Scout. Before it was pulling on the leash, tail wagging, and usually dive onto his back to start playing with other dogs.
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Permalink Reply by Sam on
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This sounds very natural to me actually and is one of the reasons why I was asking for other people's experiences to see if anyone had mishaps like this. Ein was actually bitten by one of my uncles dogs because he had a boy/girl pair from a litter. The boy was incredibly apprehensive and snarling at Ein while the girl was kind of hiding. When they insisted that they let them sniff each other (the girl and Ein) the girl gave him a good bite on the nose. I of course was very very angry at myself for going along with it and knew before hand that I shouldn't but I was trying to be nice.
IMO, this sounds like the male dog is simply trying to pick up a protective role that he feels is otherwise not filled (that was created when you got his sister like you said). You just have to make him understand that it is your job and not his to protect both of them. When he doesn't have to worry about it he should return to his happy go lucky un-worrying self most likely but of course will always protect his sister if something was to go wrong.
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Permalink Reply by Sam on
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We may be looking at a dog that is maturing. Even when they are neutered they do mature and you may see some changes in behavior. Puppies are generally more then ready to run and play with whoever will have them. Their body language generally tells other dogs they are young and inexperienced. As they age and have more interactions with other dogs it is typical to see some changes in interactions. I have always noticed when I add a new dog to my home that whoever is currently the youngest seems to mature overnight.
I do not think this is a case of leash aggression as he is showing this behavior while off lead at the park. It may be interesting to see how he does behave there when not with the newcomer. This will tell you pretty quickly if it is merely a case of growing up or perhaps in reaction to the new dog. Generally if they are being protective of the new dog they stay very close and are much more reactive to dogs that approach the dog they are "possessing"
I also think you would do well to find an obedience class. I suspect there are many signals there that you just do not see. These classes will help with his behavior in the company of other dogs as well as help you learn a bit more about behavior and instituting some good solid commands for your boy. Good luck
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Is it possible that he is this way around females in general?
I used to pretty much be the only one that took Atlas to the dog park in the summer and fall (which was fine with me because I love being outside). I remember the few times Meg came with me, she thought it was boring because mostly Atlas would just stand by us the whole time.
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That seems very possible. I know I've heard plenty of stories about dogs just not liking men when they only have female owners and have run into a couple myself. I actually have a somewhat amusing story of a jack russell that belonged to an ex-girlfriend hanging from the croch of my pants because I started walking too fast inside lol...
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