Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Jane Christensen on August 26, 2009 at 3:14pm

No ideas but I would like to know also as two of mine do this...not bad but they will growl...at least if they picked on someone their own size...but oh no we have to take on the danes,retrievers etc...

Permalink Reply by Linsey & Grissom on August 26, 2009 at 3:22pm

Ahh a classic case of "small dog syndrome." The real root of the problem is a confidence and insecurity issue. You may want to go back to basic obedience using extreme positive reinforcement to build confidence.
Also look at how you react when the big dogs are on the prowel. If you get nervous or excited, they can sense that (they can smell adreneline [sp?]) and they react the same way "she's nervous when i'm aound the big dogs. They must be bad, I better be nervous, too" If he's on a leash do you tighten the lead in anticipation? Could you describe in a little more detail the kind of scenarios that happen? I've worked with a lot of dogs that display this behavior, and you need to know more specifics to recommend a path to move forward with.

Permalink Reply by Debby on August 26, 2009 at 3:37pm

At home in the front yard, Cody is on a leash and Tyson, the American Bull, is not. Tyson is very loveable and playful and I love him, so if any fear is showing it is would be tension on my part, but I don't think I am showing it. More exasperation and disappointment that they don't get along. Cody starts growling even when Tyson is just sitting in his driveway. He goes after him, when Tyson approaches. We have never gotten to the smelling stage with either of the dogs. He doesn't like the other two neighbor dogs either which are big dogs. One (Kita)I don't like either, but Montana has always been good with me, but she is the aggressive one with Cody. I really don't care if Cody gets along with those two, but I do with Tyson. Tyson's family also has a small dog, Buster. Buster and Cody are fine together.

At the dog park Cody is off leash, Cody is fine for awhile and will allow some dogs to come up and smell. He has no interest in smelling them. He just goes along his business although I see him tense when they come up to him. Last week, however, he just decided to growl and go after them for no apparent reason. I removed him from the park as I did not want an incident. In either cases he has not bit but growled and shown teeth as he ran after each dog.

As a background, I adopted Cody 2 months ago. He is 4 years old and was a puppy mill dog. He has never shown aggression with me. He likes children and small dogs, but does not like to be hugged tightly, so is watched carefully when around children.
Cody listens well at the park and stopped chasing the dog when I said his name and come here. I put on his leash and we left.

With Tyson, he will not listen when I speak.

Permalink Reply by Jane Christensen on August 26, 2009 at 6:43pm

Now that you say this...I know with mine I have occasionally been in a hurry running through the pet store or a little nervous...so that is a good point and I am aware of this and I have to remember to be calm...I did figure this out earlier but I sometimes forget...very good point...Also I have been ignoring the big dogs and mine that do this now need to be "down" if someone is at an end isle walking past at a distance! Thanks!

Permalink Reply by christy fry on August 26, 2009 at 3:38pm

Jordan goes to doggy day care every monday and plays with the big boys because his girls (he loves his girls) say he's to much for the little ones, his best friend is Apollo a goofy golden =) but on regular leashe walks he'll FREAK out at some,not all can't figure out what sets him off, big dogs. and it's not a good scene, I had a owner of a great dane reccomend day care for socilization one day. LOL I try and keep treats with me and the second I see him perk his ears I'll start waving treats till we moved past the object of ire.... Jordans always a sucker for treats....Sorry I don't have a good solution because even with a social pup I have issuse's also sigh..........

Permalink Reply by Derek on August 26, 2009 at 3:52pm

I had this issue with Miranda. She was bit by a black lab and she lunged at any large dog that showed any interest in her after that. It took months of introducing her to large CALM dogs she could just sit in the area with and they would ignore her. Every once in a while she puts a large dog in there place, but mostly she just sits and ignores them now. I would recommend you make some freinds or just approach people with larger dogs who act calm. Explain what you would like to do, allow the dogs to be within 5 feet of eachother and see where it goes from there. Just don't act all tense and nervous, the dogs hate that.

PS. our dog park allows anyone to go into the small dog area, as long as they are the only ones. That way you would not have to deal with multiple dogs at once. Perhaps you can do the same at your dog park.

Permalink Reply by Elaine on August 26, 2009 at 4:47pm

No suggestion, but a possible explanation. I was joking with a friend as to why Sable seems to hate big dogs (even a poster of a Golden at the vet, LOL), but her corgi prefers to play with the big dogs.

She said that maybe it's because Sable's breeder also raised Jack Russells (it seems common that corgi breeders also often breed Jack Russells) that he hates large dogs; her corgi's breeder, however, also bred German Shepherds, which may be why he prefers to hang out with the big boys and girls!

Permalink Reply by Denise Hawkins on August 26, 2009 at 6:48pm

Our Basil was exactly the same, but we always thought it was because he thought he was a big dog and saw them as his equal!! Archie is much better around all dogs as we socialised him early, although he hated Reggie when he was here!