Guest Iluvmygrey Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 My grey has been with me for 3 months now. She is great! But just one issue she has, she doesn't like to be sniffed from the back or the front by any other dogs (including other greys), she'll give a growl and then snap. I tell her no, a give a pull back on the leash. Any thoughts, will she always be like this? Any ideas of how to help her get over her fear? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christinepi Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 How is she off leash? There's can be a huge psychological difference for many dogs between off leash/on leash. My grey is great off leash, but quite leash reactive. This can be worked on, and I'm sure you'll get good advice from much more knowledgeable people on this forum. If she's just as reactive off leash, then that could be another issue altogether, I believe. Here's a link to the thread I started on leash reactivity with my dog to which I got good input. Maybe some of it will be applicable. http://forum.greytalk.com/index.php/topic/265474-leash-reactivity/page__pid__4778558#entry4778558 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Iluvmygrey Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 It's anytime she is on leash (I have never had her off leash around any other dogs). So for example today we were walking at the park and she is fine, doesn't even look at the other dogs passing. I stopped to talk to someone and a dog (on leash) came up from behind us and sniffed her and she turned and snapped. The woman I was talking to had a dog and they approached each other and they sniffed for a second she growled and snapped at the other dog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest june Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 I would continue to correct her for unacceptable behavior and reward the behavior you want. Some dogs really don't care for the sniffing though they still need to behave. Also, asking others to not let their dogs sniff is perfectly acceptable. I discourage my dogs from the sniffing greeting for just that reason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetcitywoman Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 I'm not sure about how to correct that, hopefully the really experienced people here will chime in on that. But for now, I think you need to do two things. She's only been with you for three months, so she probably doesn't feel like you're her new "pack leader" yet. And by pack leader I only mean protector. She probably doesn't realize yet that you'll protect her so she thinks she can't trust you to protect her. Jerking the leash and scolding her for protecting herself is going to cause it to take even longer for her to learn that you're trustworthy, or at worst, actually damage the budding relationship between you. So I would advise you to be more proactive. See things from her perspective for right now. She doesn't like dogs coming too close to her, so it's your job to make sure they don't. Prevent the situation before she feels like she has to growl and snap. That will show her that you will protect her no matter what. After that point, you can teach her that dogs getting too close isn't necessarily a bad thing, and this is where the other Greytalker's advice will kick in. Quote Sharon, Loki, Freyja, Capri (bridge angel and most beloved heart dog), Ajax (bridge angel) and Sweetie Pie (cat) Visit Hound-Safe.com by Something Special Pet Supplies for muzzles and other dog safety products Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Wasserbuffel Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 My Jayne is pretty leash reactive when it comes to being sniffed too. What I do is work on rewarding her for allowing another dog to sniff without reacting, chicken jerky really helps. I'll hold a piece in my hand and let her try to take it when the other dog approaches. If she lets them sniff without growling or snapping, she gets the treat. If she reacts, we walk away for a bit then come back to the group to try again. The crazy little thing she is she sometimes gets all excited to meet a dog and will be pulling on the leash to greet them, but growling for them to get away at the same time. Idiot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christinepi Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 If you haven't read it yet, get Patricia McConnell's "The other end of the leash". I love her writing and her insightfulness. Here's a link to her website (she's got a dvd on leash reactivity): http://www.patriciamcconnell.com/product/dog-dog-reactivity-dvd, and her blog is great, too. Then there is Dr Sophia Yin: http://drsophiayin.com/resources/video_full/podees_aggressive_to_other_dogs. I really like her approach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sambuca Posted September 3, 2011 Share Posted September 3, 2011 I had a foster that didn't like her butt being sniffed by new dogs. She would pretty much attack a new dog that went right for her rear. When we met new dogs I made sure she was muzzled and I would explain to the owner the problem. WE would let the dogs sniff nose to nose for a brief second. More of a hello than a sniff, then we'd go for a walk together being careful to keep the dog away from her rear. After a walk my foster was much better with the new dogs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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