Puppy injured after Resource guarding towards another dog

[PeteThePig95]

@tanza agreed I don't like toys there but they were there when some owner threw a ball. I know my little guy has the issue because with any other dog he grabs the balls and keeps away even if it includes growling. Thankfully no attacking though only body language and vocalizations

[bsla11]

First time posting but I have been reading the forum for the last year.

I have a 34 lb well exercised boy named Zeke that loves the dog park so much I can't imagine ever taking that away from him. The current routine is a 2-3 mile walk in the morning and then 1.5 mile walk to the dog park (stay ~45 min) then walk home. Non dog park days we do a 4-6 mile hike.

I nick named him the instigator. He is always looking to play with German Shepards, Huskys and Pit bulls.

I have found that sometimes when Zeke is too rested he can get a little too rough. Never biting or growling at another dog but if the other dog doesn't seem interested and he persists I give Zeke the hook and we head home. I suggest you exercise him before going next time and see how he does.

I can't control the other dogs but I'm vigilant at all time when I'm there. Looking for signs that things might be escalating and I just leave if they are. Sometimes I'm only there for a few minutes but that's ok. It's worth it to me if you could see the look he gives me everyday about 5 pm. I swear he knows how to read a clock.

The other thing is not all dog parks are the same. We have been to at least 30 in the past year (We have a RV) and some are much better than others as far as attentive owners.

[JENGOSMonkey]

I really like the first time posters! YAY! Way to go @PeteThePig95 @bsla11

When we brought Jengo home I had to leash train him. We took him to the dog park and he avoided other dogs 90% of the time and got growly the the other 10%. If any dog ever came up behind him he wouldn't tolerate it. He would also never back down from any other dog regardless of size. I watched him put a German Shepherd on its back with his mouth around it's throat. We left quickly. Very disconcerting.

My solution for you... leave. I had to become adept at reading not only Jengo, but the other dogs at the dog park, always. I had to learn to read the behaviors other dogs might exhibit in advance of them doing so that might set Jengo off. In some cases I could distract him. In others I just had to hook him up and leave.

Jengo loved the dog park. Loved it. But, it was rarely relaxing for me. My head was always on a swivel constantly looking for, anticipating and trying to avoid trouble.

I never stopped taking him until his stroke. He loved it so much. But, I tried hard to make sure he was by my side, or I was by his. And, I was never afraid or embarrassed to leave.

[Alibobo]

@PeteThePig95 thanks for sharing. Your boy sounds a lot like mine except for the resource guarding. It can be very disheartening on walks etc when he gets snappy with other dogs, but I genuinely don't believe it's aggression, more like extreme assertion Anyway I have always found the advice from people on this forum very helpful and reassuring, so you are in the right place.

[JKent]

I have an 11 month old female and noticed a difference in dog parks after her first season at Christmas - she's become a little selective towards
other dogs and intolerant of annoying behaviour, at times getting aggressive in response to it

If her recall was better I would still take her and call her back at the first hint of trouble, but she won't come back when called if distracted (despite lots of practice) so we have stopped going.

She goes out for walks on the lead a couple of times a day and greets other dogs, occasionally getting a chance to play when on the lead and we hire a private dog walking field weekly for off lead exercise and recall practice. We also have a big garden.

It would be nice to have been able to continue with the dog parks, as when it's going well she gets so much out of it but I don't want to be responsible for an injury when I can't reliably call her back yet.

[Pawla]

I've encountered a few people (with their dogs on leash) who, upon first approach, reach down and swing their dog's butt toward my dog so he can smell. Then, I do the same for their dog. After that, the dogs are fine - it's quite nice to encounter dog savvy people!

[PeteThePig95]

@alibobo yea that's how I'd word it too actually extreme assertion because he doesn't really injure anyone but just maintains his place

[elbrant]

@pawla said in Puppy injured after Resource guarding towards another dog:

reach down and swing their dog's butt toward my dog

seriously? the two dogs don't just do this naturally?

[PeteThePig95]

@elbrant this just sounds too funny

[tanza]

@elbrant - Pretty normal elbrant to do this when the dogs are on lead....

[bernadette]

Bliss has not been to a park in a very long time.
Park shutdowns ,then winter and now recovery.
That said, she does enjoy the park, though more often then not, after visiting with all the people, unless the whippet is there, she just moves into the middle of the
park, sits down and observes. There have been occasions where other dogs have been aggressive and she mostly ignores them.
When at home and another dog is here, she shares everything.
Her dog pals often go home her bone.

Now, having said all that, when I took her for her first short walk after two months of confinement she growled and lunged at the first dog we encountered.
Told her tsktsk and sit and that was that. But, I'm a bit concerned.
Will she continue to be so magnanimous?
Time will tell.

[elbrant]

@bernadette My doodle seemed to have some slight personality disorders this spring as well. I didn't consider that it was related to getting back to normal after Covid. I do think it may have been related to the typical mating season. Now that the season has passed and all of the canine hormones have settled down, doodle has as well. I'll keep an eye out to see if the behavior pattern repeats this fall.