Aggression
Abused Malinois Explodes with Aggressive Barking at People
He has attacked a couple of people and only didn’t cause injury because he was wearing the muzzle at the time. On both occasions, to his humans, it seemed without warning.
Walks, walking and other dogs
Dog Reactive on Lead. Head Halter Making Walks Worse
Why would a dog be friendly off lead but reactive and uncomfortable when walked on a head halter? Beautiful Golden Retriever, Monty, really is the perfect family pet despite having a sad start to life. He’s now five. My visit was triggered by his attacking another dog on a walk Read more
Aggression
Trigger Stacking in Dogs.
It was the perfect storm. Why can a normally friendly dog suddenly react far more intensely than expected? It was a clear example of trigger stacking. The day had been over-exciting. There had been lots of people in the house. The dogs had had too many treats. They will have done Read more
Fear
Nervous Dog on Walks. Work Begins at Home
Why would a nervous dog react more to other dogs near home than further away? The story of Indie, a nervous dog I met yesterday, is a very common one. Her behaviour illustrates my belief that reactivity due to fearfulness out on walks has roots at home too. Concentrating solely Read more
Aggression
Paz the Rescue Dog. One Dog Encounter Changed Everything
The chance dog to dog encounter was simply at the wrong time and in the wrong place.
This has set off a chain reaction leading to Paz now barking at other dogs she sees and her anxious owner’s walks ruined.
Rescue dog
Trigger Stacking in Rescue Dogs
Why did Sassy suddenly react aggressively after coping well with the other dogs? Sassy was fetched on Sunday and on Wednesday I was there with her, the couple and their two children. Forward planning. They had done some perfect forward planning in advance of getting their rescue dog home from Read more
Aggression
Did Poppy Really Attack Another Dog Out of the Blue?
When a dog suddenly attacks another dog, is it ever really ‘out of the blue’? Poppy attacked a Whippet for ‘no reason’. Out of the blue. It usually takes a crisis of some sort to make us face up to a gradually worsening problem. Monty the Vizsla is four, and Read more