I have a 6 year old rescue Springer spaniel who we adopted 15 months ago. We only know a little about his history and what we do know is that he has been cruelly mentally and physically treated and after recent Xrays found old fractures that had been left to heal on their own leaving him with a bow back leg that kicks outwards when walking and I have to limit his running which is very hard has he loves to chase his ball and Frisbee. Unfortunately due to his past and probably his condition (even though the vet thinks at the moment does not seem to be in pain) any dog that gets to close he will tell them in his own doggie language to *off, because of this I have to limit his off lead walks even though his recall is excellent but if another off lead dog runs up to him he will snap at them but I’m scared it could one day be more than a snap or the other dog could turn on him! Being a Springer he loves the water but again only if no other dogs are about which is at very few times so again I have to limit him to having fun. My Dog does not lunge at other dogs while out walking, is happy to walk close side by side other dogs but any dog that comes up close to his face or bum sniff he will snap! I have paid hundreds of pounds on trainers and I also go to weekly training school but have still not solved this problem, I’m thinking of maybe using a muzzle so that he can have off lead fun and play in the lakes and rivers and even learn to socialise, I have spoken to my trainer who said no as this will not correct him but nothing else is working and I don’t want my dog to hurt another dog or him to get hurt, but i want him to have fun and when he is jumping in and out of the water and off lead his tail is going mad like a normal happy Springer and it’s so rare to see his tail wagging like this as his tail is normally down or between his legs when his on lead. What should I do?
I don't like those people who think "all dogs should be friendly to other dogs".
I have one of those dogs named Noah who is totally lovable to people but doesn't like other big dogs, especially dogs that are too friendly and playful, AND that don't read his expressions of "Stay Away from me" and ignore his calming signals. To me, the problem is with those dogs, not mine.
I don't think snapping is bad. I even think that dogs ignoring snapping is the dog needs to learn how to respect other dogs. Dogs never miss biting if they want to bite. Snapping is just a warning. Other dogs should not ignore the warning.
However, it is possible that your dog's snapping can start a fight, if the other dog ignores and if the other dog's owner doesn't call his/her dog back, and if the dog is not well socialized either.
I foster dogs and sometimes Noah snaps at my foster dogs. I let him do that so that the foster dog knows where he/she stands in my family. All smart dogs will learn how to live in harmony when there is a grumpy old guy. Pushing him too far won't work, leaving him alone is the best thing to do. However, if I ever see him snapping at his sisters (my other dogs that he has been living for years) I correct him because it is a rude thing since he should totally trust them and respect them.
If you feel more comfortable with muzzling your dog, you should do that. I don't because I can pretty much control Noah. When I see other off leash dogs are coming closer to him in a park, I call Noah to me, or have him walk away from the dog with me. I also warn the owner of the dog saying "Would you please keep your dog away from mine since he doesn't like other dogs very much. He might snap at your dog." Noah is also a rescued dog so I know nothing about his past. All I know is he failed the temperament test at the shelter since he was so fearful and he was going to be euthanized if the Border Collie rescue foster family didn't take him. I would encourage fearful dogs to learn to be more confident but I don't force them to put up with other dogs when they are not comfortable. To me muzzling doesn't let your dog learn to be friendly but it will definitely prevent possible fights. I feel for you but it is your choice.
My own doofus dog doesn't aways pick up on social hints and cues at the river where we walk off lead. He tends to bound up to any dog (though I am training him out of this habit) and get either directly in their face to say hello, or go straight to the other end to check 'em out He's been snapped at a few times, and my opinion is rather like MHN's, if he cant pick up on the other dogs signals to go away, he deserves a snap. He's never been injured by another dog, just a few hurt feelings , and he always just bounds away again afterward. So, you could just see how it goes and let other dogs and their owners pick up a few appropriate social behaviours.
As MHN said, if you are more comfortable muzzling your dog, go for it! Theres no real harm in it, it might just take a few tries for him to get used to the feeling. But if it puts your mind more at peace, then give a go. There are dogs where I take Jackson that have muzzles on, it can generally make the walking experience less stressful for owner and dog alike, so I'm not against it.
If you're still a bit hesitant to muzzle him, have you tried being on the lookout for approaching dogs and getting your own on a lead before they come near? That is, call him over and put his lead on before the other dog is close enough to upset yours? It'll take a bit of diligence on your part, but should be doable for the most part. Once he's on lead it sounds like he's generally more well behaved (not lunging, etc), so if you could work it and then move on from the place if the other dog sticks around you might be able to bypass the hassle here
Thank you for your quick response, when Duke is off lead I’m always looking out for other dogs off lead and if seen will recall Duke back to me. It becomes difficult when other owners don’t recall their dogs even after hearing me calling my dog or I have Duke on lead, it’s nearly always the same response “it’s ok! My dogs friendly “ but when I say my dog may snap I’m often made to feel I have a devil dog and irresponsible for taking him out! Duke is such a gentle boy, loves people and children and is also a registered therapy dog and visits elderly victims of crime but since becoming a dog owner (Duke Is my first dog) my god have I seen a very unpleasant side to some people and i pray that nothing happens to their dogs through illness or a victim from a dog on dog attack that changes how their dogs are like around other dogs that they may find more compassion and understanding from other dog owners/walkers that they lack in themselves (sorry rant over).. I have just loaned from our local library a book called Click to calm from Karen Pryor which has made some interesting reading! After reading a couple of chapters I’m thinking of trying muzzle while in controlled situations, like on lead walks and using the clicker for when he greets nicely or allows to be sniffed but not on off lead situations as my concerns if he is attacked he would not be able to defend himself and hopefully I can completely lose the muzzle has I’m also aware that I also have much to learn about dog body language and recognising the signs to correct before they accelerate. Again many thanks
Let us know what you think of the book after reading the whole book. I don't use a clicker but I do praise and treat Noah when he didn't react to other dogs. In his case, leashing him when meeting other dogs never works. He gets more nerveous since he cannot flight (run away) but fight. And many owners with friendly dogs expect their dogs meet Noah face to face, which Noah really hates. He sometimes gets interested in meeting other dogs but he has to sniff their butt first, then face to face but not too close. You can see most of calming signals on the following link. Please refer No. 8.
I didn't even think dogs have these problems until I got Noah. I am so grateful that he came to me because he really opened my eyes to the dogs' world. We, humans, misunderstand and mistreat dogs quite often.
Every dog is different and Noah needs more personal space and time to get to know other dogs. The interesting thing is that he doesn't play fight with no other dogs, but Holly, who was already with us when he came to us, so like a big sister to him. He plays chases with Daisy, who came to us 2 years later, so she is like his little sister. He would not trust any other dogs. I am attaching a picture of Holly, Noah and Daisy. You can see him between Holly and Daisy and totally comfortable.
Your Duke sounds like a very nice dog and you must be proud of him. I am sure he will learn not to react as he gets more confident around other dogs.
Let us know what you think of the book after reading the whole book. I don't use a clicker but I do praise and treat Noah when he didn't react to other dogs. In his case, leashing him when meeting other dogs never works. He gets more nerveous since he cannot flight (run away) but fight. And many owners with friendly dogs expect their dogs meet Noah face to face, which Noah really hates. He sometimes gets interested in meeting other dogs but he has to sniff their butt first, then face to face but not too close. You can see most of calming signals on the following link. Please refer No. 8.
I didn't even think dogs have these problems until I got Noah. I am so grateful that he came to me because he really opened my eyes to the dogs' world. We, humans, misunderstand and mistreat dogs quite often.
Every dog is different and Noah needs more personal space and time to get to know other dogs. The interesting thing is that he doesn't play fight with no other dogs, but Holly, who was already with us when he came to us, so like a big sister to him. He plays chases with Daisy, who came to us 2 years later, so she is like his little sister. He would not trust any other dogs. I am attaching a picture of Holly, Noah and Daisy. You can see him between Holly and Daisy and totally comfortable. .[ATTACH]104[/ATTACH]
Your Duke sounds like a very nice dog and you must be proud of him. I am sure he will learn not to react as he gets more confident around other dogs
such lovely photo of the three of them together one day i would love to add to our family!
Hated Hated! the muzzel the looks we got was so upsetting and half way round the lake in the bin it went! when a dog came up to us i made Duke sit and thankfully the dog returned to his owner when called and i treated Duke for being a good boy. How do you deal with a fast bouncy dog that only wants to play and is off lead but is in the face of your dog and does not return to owner when called, would it be ok to shoot it with water to stop him in his tracks or is this a no no?
So glad youre finding inspiration! A friend of mine uses a clicker to train and has had such success with it, I hope it goes well for you too. Good observation about your body language, its definitely something dogs pick up on, so remember to stay calm in dog on dog situations
As far as spraying other dogs with water, its a bit of a personal thing. While water obviously doesn't hurt a dog, some people might be offended by you spraying their dog. However, it might be better than the reactions you've been getting by trying to be upfront about the possibility of a snap (ps - you are not the owner of a devil dog! Way to go for being honest with people about the situation). You can always try it and see what happens, remembering it might not phase all dogs and you might still be harassed.
I am glad that you got rid of the muzzle. It might give a wrong impression to people as if you are saying "My dog is dangerous and I cannot trust my dog. I have given up training him".
In my opinion, those owners of the playful dogs should control their dogs better but unfortunately there is a consensus "friendly and playful dog is a good dog" (even if they are out of control).
When I see a fast bouncy dog coming this way, I shout to the owner asking him/her to keep the dog away from us as I walk in the opposite direction with Noah (and my other two dogs). It doesn't not happen very often since I don't go to the dog parks and regualr parks when they are crowded. Also, I am not walking on a trail with my dogs so it is more like an open space and I can manage to get all my dogs away from those bouncy ones.
I don't know this is universal or not but wearing a red bandana means that the dog is not dog-friendly. You might want to try that (at least it is more attractive than a muzzle).
Duke is such a handsome dog! He looks so happy in the photo
Let us know how he progresses. What you did was exactly what I would do.
what a fantastic idea with wearing a red bandana! I volunteer (Duke is mascot) For Dogwatch [url]www.dogwatchmk.co.uk[/url] where i live in Milton keynes England I know many people who have rescue dogs who's dogs are not dog friendly for many reasons and they say the big problem they have is also off lead dogs running up to them which is very worrying for the Staffy owners.....may i steal the red bandana idea as if other dog owners see the bandanas hopfully they would put their dog back on lead until they have walked by. Duke was found hanging with his back legs broken and will always have back problems so understandably he does not like dogs sniffing his butt so you have given me an idea why stop at red bandanas, different colours for other reasons .......a colour for dog who have just had an injury,opperation, eye sight or hearing are not to good these bandanas can be worn to be just a friendly warning to other dog owners... the click to calm book really makes a good read and will start using today and i will keep a diary and let you know how we get on...again many thanks
