[NutChusty]

I feel like I've posted a million times today but I've been very curious about something. Baloo was always fine around other dogs until we went to obedience class which is also around when he turned one. The first week was fine just very interested in the other dogs. The second week he started growling(growling is also part of his everyday language. Playing, asking for attention, etc.). So I just assumed he became dog aggressive. (Note: he was abandoned as a puppy and spent a lot of his life in the pound. I got him at around 8 months old in March) But twice today we've been run up on by stray dogs and he was kind of cool with it. The first instance it was two dogs off leash in their yard. They got to about 10 ft of us and Baloo looked at them and I told him to come and he ignored them and came. Second time was just now when two people had their dogs (husky and lab) off leash and they ran up on Baloo while we were walking to his pee spot. Of course, I had a heart attack and immediately grabbed his muzzle. He didn't growl or try to bark he just followed me as I was hurrying away and I was telling these dogs to go on but they were just following smelling him and all up in his face. I didn't want him to do anything so I even picked up his front and walked him on two legs for a little bit then their owners finally reigned them in but they were right in front of my door and they were apologizing. But once the dogs got on their leashes, he starts barking at them. ?? I just don't know. I almost want a calm older dog to come meet him while he's in his crate or something just to see if he actually doesn't like the dogs or is just maybe leash frustration.

[johnbeller]

I havent seen anything like it first hand..but I have a neighbor who tells me to never allow my pit to be on leash in the yard if her dog is outside. For some reason her dog is selectively aggressive to leashed dogs. I just avoid her and her strange lab mix cause I follow the leash laws around here.

[DJkillos]

So wait, is Baloo off leash when these off leash dogs run up to him? How does that work?? Is your yard not fenced? But then how were the dogs in THEIR yard with you walking by, calling him to you? Do you walk him off leash?

A lot of dogs are dog selective. They might not like leashed dogs, or dogs that look a certain way. Their tolerance of other dogs can also depend on their mood. Dog aggression is not black and white - there are MANY forms of it, with different terms for parts of it (like, dog selectivity). Each dog reacts differently, and based on their level of socialization their reactions may or may not be worsened. For example, my boy Ruger was heavily socialized as a puppy. He can be approached by strange dogs - but if they are in his face, even in a friendly manner, for more than 20 seconds (you can literally count it to the second), he will get all puffy and try to start shit. However, he's not dog aggressive - he's just trying to be a dominant jerk, and he makes dog friends easily when introduced properly.

Just pay attention to your dog, and to be on the safe side I would limit his encounters with other dogs.

[NutChusty]

I'm sorry I should have clarified. We live in an apartment. The first group was while we were on a walk through a neighborhood. The second group were other people that live in this apartment complex. He is on-leash at all times. The other dogs were not.

[Abebpabeniemo]

Maybe he knows they can't approach him so he's trying to look like a bad ass.

[horaAppagob]

He sounds like a social dog who doesnt know how to really interact with other dogs.

How much exercise and mental stimulation is he getting? What is his barking like? Is he whining as well?

http://www.nativeremedies.com/petali...arks-mean.html

[NutChusty]

See, that was kind of my theory. He's socially awkward. He just learned how to play bow a few weeks ago and I saw him try it once with my mom's boxer but not again since with another dog but he's started doing it when we play. And his barking is like a howl.. loud and long like a hound dog. Which now that I think about it, is the same way he barks at people he likes when he sees them out of windows. If he sees someone he recognizes and likes, he just howls at them, but he's got the low swinging/helicopter tail the whole time. And I've never thought to look at his tail when he barks at other dogs...I've always been worried about his mouth..ha.

[Avaindimik]

Have you any friends who are reasonably dog savvy and own goofy and playful dogs? If he were mine I would arrange play time with some really friendly, socially adept, goofy dogs and let them teach him how to socially interact with other dogs.

[MIBgirlsXXL]

Seems like he just need to be socialized gradually. Normally DA dogs if they will really attack.. their body becomes stiff like a rock, they will not wag their tail too much and if you pay close attention.. they are licking their lips as if they want to eat (well that's with apbt). If their hair rise up in a scarecrow stance as I call it they will just scare away and will avoid fight.

What I normally do with that situation is I'll hold him on a leash on one hand and I'll pet another dog then after a minute I'll pet him back. If he's wagging tail and barking.. most likely he just want to play. So I'll slowly bring him over to the other dog on a leash

[Andromino]

licking their lips? LOL i have yet to see that.

[peakyesno]

Licking lips is a SUPER last warning before a bite. Whether it be a dog or a human. I have seen several dogs do it. Also, look at some vids of snarling wolves, they do it too! Weird I know but it's true!

[Andromino]

ive never seen any one of mine nor the ones ive seen lick lips. they just get serious.

[GennadiyRom]

see Goren is kinda like this, he was not too socialized (we don't have anyone around here that has social dogs to have him interact with) accept his OB classes well he is fine if a dog does social behaviors most of the time (like if they don't directly walk to his face and are pushy, if they are not trying to dominate but be equal or even submissive) and even that it takes a few meetings for him to warm up, he is flat out scared of yorkies and most small dogs and lets me know it with his body language. He is scared of dogs on chain spots but when they are behind a fence barrier he feels more confidant go figure lol. If a dog is off leash he does everything he can to not make the dog come to him (without him being aggressive, its kinda weird the turn around) like submissive gestures and such.

I wish I could just walk him without any reaction lol but at least I can manage the reactions he has (they are WAY WAY WAY worse now because I can't walk him due to being pregnant)

[gghrdfffhfyj]

Don't forget dogs pick up on our body signal. Your nervousness could also be making him nervous.

And for what it's worth, Odin makes tons of noise when he's playing with people or other dogs. He sounds like he's in all out attack mode, but when he's excited, but makes growls, grunts and other assorted noises. Each dog is different and you have to look at their body language as a whole.

Also, leash aggression is not uncommon. I have a friend whose English Mastiff is fine with other dogs as long as they are both unleashed. If he is on leash or the other dog is on leash, he goes into attack mode.

[ReneCM]

Amen..and tails waggin the whole time. Was replying to brindlepits

[Avaindimik]

ive never seen any one of mine nor the ones ive seen lick lips. they just get serious.

I have seen it both ways. I have seen my any one of mine get real still and quiet like they are just waiting for something so they can explode into action and I have seen them be screaming, lunging and then lip licking almost obsessively. For mine, the lip licking seems to be tied to super excitement in situations where they are close to the dog they want to have a go at and think they are actually going to get a shot at it. I never thought about it til Silent mentioned it, but I've seen humans doing it, too, right before a fight in the shit talking stage.

[johnbeller]

I have to agree as well..lip licking IS common. I notice that my grandma's old husky Hank would do that any time something went near his chain except my grandparents. He was their guard dog..they would tie him at 6am and at 10pm they would come out and untie him and close the gates. That dog was DA,HA and just freaking life aggressive.

[MIBgirlsXXL]

Also, leash aggression is not uncommon. I have a friend whose English Mastiff is fine with other dogs as long as they are both unleashed. If he is on leash or the other dog is on leash, he goes into attack mode.

Just an info for the apbt that got box experience.. it's different. They are more calmer on leash (not too calm though because they know its walking time) But when you took the collar or the leash out. Alot of them scream their heads off and looks around for trouble because they know something is gonna happen.

[NutChusty]

Update: Twice today loose dogs have run up to us, and instead of turning and trying to escape, I stuck around to get to the bottom of if my dog is DA or not. And both times, he was a little growly when the dog was far away, but once it was close, Baloo got super friendly with helicopter tail being perfectly well behaved. The first dog turned out to not be that nice but Baloo didn't get defensive we just walked away. And the second one started to act all dominanty and Baloo didn't react and it's owner called him back. So I guess that makes me feel a good bit better. He's still not allowed to play or be off leash with any other dogs because he plays super rough and other dogs get mad. He likes to bulldoze anything with a pulse.

So I guess he just needs to work on his body language and judging of other dogs. Which I guess will help with calm, supervised meeting of more dogs. He's still more barky with leashed dogs though. But I think I've realized that it's more of a frustrated/excited bark? Who knows.

[dmoiknlasd]

Licking lips is a SUPER last warning before a bite. Whether it be a dog or a human. I have seen several dogs do it. Also, look at some vids of snarling wolves, they do it too! Weird I know but it's true!

very true. When i was a groomer this was a clear sign to me that it was time to stop whatever I was doing and get a muzzle. I think it looks very specific when that is the reason for the lip licking, i would never say it looked like a dog that wanted to eat, it is similar to an uneasy dog flicking it's tongue combined with a stiff frozen look. that might be a bad description, but after a few sets of stiches i remembered what it meant,