Infrequent, unpredictable aggression!
My perfect, darling Al has, on 4-5 occasions with 4 different dogs, suddenly and seemingly capriciously snapped at and pursued another dog. I've had to intervene to break it up. No actual biting as far as I can tell, but it sure looked like he was trying to do actual damage. I have been unable to identify antecedents except in one case where I had him on his back in my lap, checking his paws, and my partner's dog approached (perhaps out of mere curiosity, a very nonaggressive beta dog), and Al may have felt threatened in his vulnerable position. Another time, a much larger dog was sniffing Al (not his butt, I think, more like his penis) and perhaps the other was getting too up-close and personal. In some cases, a lot of things were happening, play and activity, but I did not see the actual start of the incidents. It was very fast.
Can any experts offer advice? What should I look for?
How should I respond? I each case, I've tried to correct him severely, manhandled him a bit, remonstrating loudly and getting right in-his-face, then letting him know we're still buddies maybe 5 min. later.
Can any experts offer advice? What should I look for?
How should I respond? I each case, I've tried to correct him severely, manhandled him a bit, remonstrating loudly and getting right in-his-face, then letting him know we're still buddies maybe 5 min. later.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by John Wolff on
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I think you're close. I suspect that this is some kind of "personal space" thing. It is very rare; usually he's fine with other dogs. One was definitely a personal boundary thing, when he was upside-down in my lap. Another time, I think a water bowl was inlolved.
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Permalink Reply by Beth on
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Let's see: so one time we had a leashed dog upside down in your lap and another dog came over to say "Hi". You had Al in a very submissive posture, when he was not feeling submissive. Jack won't even do a "down" if there are certain other dogs around, and I generally won't ask him unless we are in a highly controlled scenario where every other dog within eye-sight is leashed and under control (such as a training class, or a therapy visit) because it seems to upset Jack when I even ask him, though if I am very stern I can "force" him to comply.
One involved a water bowl; resource guarding can be very common. I had a dog go after Jack once when he innocently went to get a drink of water from it's portable bowl, when we were out. You can control that by only offering your dog water right in front of you when you are out, and making sure you warn away other dogs ("He's a bit possessive of his water, so if you can kindly keep your dog away til he's through" should suffice.)
Once you say was in the backseat of a car. Again, we have a confinement scenario, similar in a way to the time he was on your lap. Dog's can react strangely when they feel trapped.
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When I was looking into Corgis, the dog breed book I was looking at did say that Corgis, especially males, can be aggressive with other dogs; apparently part of their job back in farming days was to chase off strays.
http://www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/reviews/pembrokewelshcorgis.html
"Chasing other animals. One of the Pembroke Welsh Corgi's responsibilities was to drive away strange dogs from their owner's farm and flock. Many Pembroke Welsh Corgis are dominant or aggressive toward dogs and cats they don't know."
We were wary of this and made sure to extensively socialize Jack from puppyhood straight through adolescence and into adulthood, but of course sometimes all the socialization in the world won't help. Jack is peaceful with and afraid of our own cat, but he barks to raise the dead when a stray cat walks through the yard, and judging by his bark I'm quite confident he means business.
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Permalink Reply by Ross on
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Calmy seperate him from the dog and avert his attention elsewhere, you don't want to reprimand him too severly because this could be seen in his eyes as some aggression on your part, and this will only in-turn fuel his aggression futher.
Atlas and another dog got into it at the dog park the other week. I stood over Atlas, calmy pinned him with my left hand, and pushed the other dog off, I then asked Atlas "Who's here?' which causes him to look over at the gate, and he was over it.
How long have you had your dog? I think a fight is pretty much inevitable, especially with such a bold breed like the corgi.
Atlas is just awesome around other dogs, but he has gotten in a few scuffles in his day.
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Permalink Reply by Bev Levy on
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I have had this happen with Sparty a few times over the years. I think each situation is a little different but a very good dog trainer we went to told me that when a dog goes after another dog and doesn't actually hurt the other dog that is exactly what they intended to do. They may look like they mean business but it is actually a warning. She raised and trained police dogs and Jack Russells which are much more aggressive than corgis so I decided to make sure Sparty knew I did not think the behavior was acceptable but did not punish him. He is ten now and I think now I do recognize when he is getting a little too focused on another dog and I then distract him with something. How old is Al?
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Al is almost 3 y.o. What you suggest fits: in each case, he looked ferocious but broke no skin. In each case, I don't think Al was focussed on the other dog at all; it was some intrusion, real or imagined, by the other:
sniffed when Al was upside-down in my lap while I checked his feet.
sniffed a bit too up-close-and-personal (near his penis) after he'd already been sniffed extensively near his butt, as usual.
2 possible resource-guarding incidents.
2 encounters during busy play, I don't think it was ball-guarding but my have been some kind of interruption or perceived intrusion.
If it happens again, I don't know quite how to deal with it, because I want to give the mixed message that No this is not OK, but Yes you can defend your space.
I guess the rule is, "No bloodshed, knives or guns."
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Our trainer said that typically a dog doesn't bite for real until they are three. I think you are right about his reasons. Corgis will not put up with any situation like some breeds.
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