tenofwolves

Oh no, this was definitely not play. I've had dogs that play bitey-face forever and it definitely did not appear playful. He made a noise during the lunge that sounded similar to a growl, but did not show any signs of aggression or discomfort before the lunge. I am super confused by it

Hello, So I know this is a Greyhound forum, but I have an Afghan. I brought my Afghan home 3 weeks ago. We live in an apartment in Houston, TX. He is an intact 18 month old male. AKC champion. He has had no prior negative interactions with humans or other animals. He is completely neutral to other dogs while out on walks, even dogs that are barking or lunging. He can pass a fence of angrily barking dogs with little reaction. He did not react to a Yorkie that he met off-leash through a chain link fence, even after it began barking at him. But today, he bit another dog. I had just groomed him at a self-wash station at the pet store and was in line at checkout. A family's kids wanted to pet him, which he was fine with, since he likes kids. The family's dog (appeared to be a border collie mix) was interested in him, so I let them meet at face-sniffing distance. They sniffed neutrally for a few seconds. Suddenly, my dog launched like a cobra and bit the dog in the face for no apparent reason. He did not growl or posture or raise his hackles before the bite. The other dog did nothing to provoke him. I immediately pulled him back and he disengaged and was no longer aggressive. The other dog had a very small cut from the bite under his eye. I was mortified. I will absolutely not be allowing him to come that close to another dog while on leash again. Is there anything I can do to help him overcome this apparent leash reactivity? It came to me as a complete surprise. His behavior is quite calm and neutral otherwise, and he is much better behaved than a lot of the dogs I encounter. Is it due to him adjusting to his new home/owner? I have ordered a muzzle and am considering a behaviorist. Thank you!