 Barked: Sun Oct 28, '12 8:47am PST |
 | |  | | ###Her ears are always up and tail is always up as well. The only thing that makes it seem more aggression or protectiveness then play is the way she growls and lunges at the other dogs...simply because she never used to do that. She would normally just want to smell the other dogs and whatnot, then completely changed!###
From what you say she is on high allert, she isn't protecting you she is trying to protect herself, what is she like when off the lead?
When a dog is on a lead if they are anxious they can't run away which most dogs prefer to do so they have to make themselves bigger which ears and tail up usually is, I suspect she also stands taller as well.
Barking and growling is communication, it is like us talking and shouting when we are anxious, she could be telling the other dog to go away.
While she is in this mode her brain has shut down, she is in survivla mode and no matter what you do she won't learn, she needs to be calm to learn. BAT won't work if a dog is anxious only if calm and you need to find the distance from the other dog were she starts to tense up, go inside that area and she won't learn anything but practice the behaviour you don't want, the more she practices it the worse it will get.
I have solved this behaviour myself with several dogs and many more owners have, we just kept our dogs outside the area were they reacted, it is important that they see the other dog but not close enough to react. Gradually this distance will get smaller and smaller as she realises that she has nothing to fear and eventually she will be able to walk past other dogs without any problems. By working this way you will also be using BAT at times.
I was put off BAT when I offered Bonnie for a demonstration at a workshop, she barks and leaps around when she sees another dog when she is on the lead. No questions were asked about her, all I said what I have just said about her but was told she wasn't suitable, if it isn't suitable for this behaviour what is it suitable for? I do know why Bonnie behaves like this, she wasn't socialised as a puppy, she was 8 months old when I got her, she came into a house with 3 other dogs but hadn't learnt how to introduce herself to other dogs. I was going to go to this workshop but didn't see much point. |  |  | |  |
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So its getting harder to socialize her with other dogs now, im afraid that will make it worse!?! And the dog park is over an hour away so we cant go there every single day, but we do as often as possible...if anyone could help, i would really appreciate it
LOL
