@DebraDownSouth Thanks Debra, you've given me a lot to think about. I think I'll start immediately with the "leave it" training at home and then get in touch with some trainers/behaviorists in my area. I'm not expecting any miracles here but, like you said, even just learning to ignore other dogs would make such a difference.
Growling at the dog park
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I would absolutely NOT leash her in an offleash park. That is the absolute worst thing you can do to prevent aggression. Once the leash is on the dog has no choice but to fight if a dog continues to approach when your dog is giving distance increasing signals. And the distance increasing signals will escalate, picture someone screaming profanity that would make a sailor blush.
If you can't redirect then it is time to leave for the day.
I totally agree… which is what I said before... I would never leash a dog in an off leash park....
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I would absolutely NOT leash her in an offleash park. That is the absolute worst thing you can do to prevent aggression. Once the leash is on the dog has no choice but to fight if a dog continues to approach when your dog is giving distance increasing signals. And the distance increasing signals will escalate, picture someone screaming profanity that would make a sailor blush.
If you can't redirect then it is time to leave for the day.
To clarify: Leash walking outside the dogpark (it's part of a larger park).
Should have said that earlier.
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That's fine and the she still gets a nice stimulating walk. I have seen so many people bring on leash dogs to the off leash dog park with awful results that I just had to say something. What is worse than the dog's cursing sometimes is the owner's since they seem to think that there shouldn't be any problem with the situation.
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Dog parks are a tricky situation. You don't know who's going to be there and the temperament of that dog they bring. Some days are really good and some days are bad and you have to get your B outta there. And then you have people bring balls and some dogs get possessive and well you know what that means.
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Yeah, when there is a bad situation, it's better to just leave and have a nice walk. When the dog park is good, it's great! When it's not good, better to be elsewhere.
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Update: We've had better luck of late. There's still a few growling incidents but based on the situation we've been putting her down until she calms down or letting it slide if the growl was "justified". So we're kind of handling it on a case by case basis.
And she's become more playful at the park - getting involved in group chases/runs, being more sociable, actually letting other dogs sniff her, etc.
Our new hurdle is when people bring in treats to train their dogs.
All of a sudden they have more than just She-Ra commanding their attention. I'm thinking of bringing some of our own just to keep her attention away from the poor guys who are just trying to train their dogs. -
That is great that things are going better. The treats are good thing. Have fun at the park and enjoy.
Rita Jean
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Groan! Our park has a "no food or treats" and we gently point that out to people. The park is "play time" not class-time! We tell them that our Nicky is the "training tool" for the 'no treats in the park' rule.
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being a frequent dog park person, I would say leave the treats at home. I'm not sure about the parks in your area but it always causes a problem and is normally posted on the rule's bored. I know its frustrating when people bring treats thank goodness down here in my area its rare. I remember one time I was in the bay area CA and a man brought a big raw hide bone!
As for the growling, I would say keep moving while you are at the park or you could hang out in the area's that are less crowded like the back corner. Try going to the park during the slow hours of the day when she will not be overwhelmed. It also depends how long she has been going to the dog park. The more often you go the more confident you will both be. It takes time but well worth it. Good Luck -
The treat issues haven't been too horrible. Most of the time the people who bring them quickly learn the downside of it and don't do it again.
She's been doing a lot better, and I've been determining when it's okay to discipline and when not. If she's doing a "give me space" where three or four dogs are sniffing her at once, I hold back, but occasionally she's gone after just one dog and I put her down for that. Next thing you know she's just playing with the dog, chasing or whatever. So it seems to be working.
She's gotten a lot better at coming on command as well, even from across the park. It's tough to break that ADD that most 'Senji's have :), but of late she's gotten really good at breaking away from what she's doing if I call her.
Who knows…we may make a dog out of this "cat-dog" yet!
