Syd has this problem behavior which in the past never really caused a problem, but i noticed yesterday and today it seems to be getting worse, so i need to try and fix this.
This is the problem. If I am sitting next to Sydney, and another dog comes up to us and sniffs us she growls and snaps. This usually happens if some part of me is touching Syd. Like if we are on the couch and she is lying next to me and i got my hand lightly resting on her back. Or if im holding her. This also happens at the park, but only when i touch her. Sometimes at the park all the dogs will get all riled up and chase eachother, sometimes Syd gets too worked up and i have to grab her, if i do grab her and there is a dog near us, syd goes crazy! I know now not to touch her if there is a dog next to us or near us, but sometimes at the park i have to touch her if she is doing something she isnt suppose to. How can i correct this?
It only happens with me, or so i think, i will see if she does this with my boyfriend too, but she has done this all her life. Now with this puppy here that im baby sitting I have noticed it has gotten a little worse. She has never hurt another dog and she wont attack them, just growl like crazy and snap at them. But at the park people always look at her like she is an evil dog when she does this,and she really isnt. she has just always been my baby, and she is spoiled, my fault.
Sounds like she is just really protective of you. I guess if you're worried that she could attack another dog (she wouldn't attack a human right? Just dogs?) then I would muzzle her when you are in public so that if she does get that way, she can't harm another dog or person.
If you don't feel comfortable doing that, I would bring a squirt bottle with vinegar and water in it, and spritz her in the face and say "NO!" in a stern voice when she does it. I think the main thing is that you have to assert that you are the one in control and you won't tolerate her acting territorial around you. If you don't want her to ever act protective, this way might help. But it could also scare her to where she won't protect you when you would really need it.
In a way, it's nice that she wants to protect you, but at the same time, you don't want her hurting innocent dogs that aren't trying to do anything to you either. I don't know about where you live, but where I live there is a course you can take with your dog that teaches a protective dog the appropriate times to be protective. Kind of like police dogs, how they will only act on command....Maybe check into something like that, so that she learns the appropriate times to be protective (like if another dog was attacking you or someone was trying to hurt you) instead of just when someone comes up to you.
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-The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all
I know exactly how you feel. The feeling is like a double edged sword, on one hand its great she loves you so much she will protect, on the other hands it gets embarrassing if people don't know what its all about.
My first poodle (eldest) Sasha has always snarled and snapped at anything that came near us while she sat on my lap. If she were on the ground she just completely ignored the other dogs. They want to come sniff her, and she growls and snaps only for them to move away. Never ever has she acted like she would do anything worse than that. She only wants to be left alone and she lets them know it. They understand the do lingo. Then comes along my pup, Sasha got annoyed when she wanted on my lap too, but being we had Rufus already she was used to me telling her to stop the harrassing. I would put her to my side and allow Rufus some lovin too. She came to understand she was not being pushed away. She allows Lilly to sitwith me as long as her face is not near hers. What she does not have to look at does not bother her.
The thing the shocked the heck out of me was taking my 4 1/2 month old pup to the dog park for some socialization,(she was afraid of all dogs except ours) she did the same exact things as sasha did. I always thought Sasha did that becuase she was abused, neglected. Boy was I shocked to see this pup doing the same. She really had not seen Sasha in that sort of action. But I kept bringing her and she got better with the others and actually played with them. Still though she will snarl at them if they come too close.
This was funny to me. I was petting a sweet boston terrier pup, I was squatting down and Lilly came running over to me got right under me and started snapping and snarling, as if to tell that pup, back off b*itch she's mine. Usually it would happen when I'm seated on the bench. But that was different. I will have to take her again. She has allowed some dogs to be near me though, so there is hope. I know not alot of help for you, but I'm lettin you know I hear ya sister. LOL
