Other Dog With Personal Vendetta Against My Dog

[Guest melomart]

I've had my grey Minnow for about 6 months. She had a fairly successful racing career (110 races and won 1/4 of them) She is low prey drive, doesn't even want to look at our cat. She is still fearful and unsure about something (loud trucks, vacuums, etc..) On walks if she sees another dog she freezes and locks onto the dog and just stays where she is or tensely walks forward in a way that seems kind of intense and unfriendly to the other dog and owner. She looks like she is locked on and stalking! She freezes and lets other dogs sniff her first though. So I cant really tell if she is shy or not?

 

At the dog park she does not like rough play or dogs barking in her face and gives warning growls, but is happy to get sniffs and run along side other dogs. She walks around the dog park very confidently though, tail high. There is a very dominant loud dog we run into at the dog park with a negligible owner. The dog b-lines towards Minnow staring her down and barking and will not let her be, blocking and circling when she tries to walk away. I can tell it is escalating so I leave before anything has happened. But one time while walking by the dog park,the other owner who was just leaving dropped their leash (the dog is too large and strong for the owner) and he came charging over. It was very scary! Luckily my boyfriend was with me and restrained the other dog.

 

Why does this dog have a personal vendetta against Minnow? Is it a size thing ?Minnow is kind of a scaredy cat about lots of things but maybe she is actually a dominant dog? The dog park I go to seems to have medium to smaller sized dogs, Minnow is normally one of the bigger dogs there.

 

 

[JohnF]

Dog parks are seriously challenging places and, if you can make play dates with friends' dogs, best avoided. I think its a case of baffling body-language signals.... or calming signals. The nasty dominant dog isn't seeing what it requires to see and so it views it as a challenge or a threat. Minnow may not have had the opportunity to learn pet dog body language and may be struggling really hard not to react badly.

 

Have a read of this:

 

OH... and welcome to GT I've just seen it's your first post!

Edited February 19, 2016 by JohnF

[Guest melomart]

Thanks for the read, it was so interesting! I always see stuff on distress signals but never what comes before. Minnow definitely is doing the moving slowly on walks. And I have seen a lot of the splitting and averting at the dog park, she normally ends up giving a warning growl or airsnap because the rough play style dog is relentless in following her as she tries to trot away and avert eyes from them. So far every dog has gotten her warning signal. The one very aggressive dog was like 0 to 60 in being in her face and not letting her escape at all vs other dogs just pestering her before figuring out she wasnt their style. She was trying to walk over to me and was looking at me like mom help!

[greysmom]

Most greyhounds don't communicate or play in the same way as other breeds of dogs. It's one reason why dog parks aren't great places for them. They usually don't play, and they usually don't get any exercise beyond a walk-n-sniff (which can be done much more safely elsewhere). And unless your girl has spent significant time in close contact with other dogs, she probably doesn't know how to react to them when she sees them on walks. They just don't even seem to recognize other breeds are dogs just like them.

 

If she's shy/timid in new situations, it's also likely that she's very anxious when you have her away from the comfort zone of her house and home territory. Coupled with her unfamiliarity with other dogs, walks are going to be stressful for her.

 

Some greyhounds can walk right into your home, settle down on a bed and it's all good for them. Others seem to take their own time - it can be a day, a week, a couple months, or even a couple years. Time and patience will be your best tools with those that take longer.

[mansbestfriend]

I've learned that most greyhounds understand other dogs' behaviour very well, but their own natural behaviour can be supressed because of various reasons.

 

It sounds like your dog is doing OK, but would benefit from a nice break away from dog parks, and from random meetings with other dogs in general for a while.

 

We tend not to visit dog parks unless they're empty, because of those impolite dogs that won't take "No" for an answer.

[Ragsysmum]

Sounds like an accident waiting to happen. I'd steer well clear of the dog parks and avoid possible trouble.

[GeorgeofNE]

I only go to greyhound-only play dates. Neither of my hounds has had any interest in socialising with "regular" dogs. Dog parks are frequent sights of injury and even a minor skirmish can put a greyhound in the hospital beause of their fragile skin.

 

Not worth it on so many levels.

[Guest Amber]

We don't have 'dog only' dog parks here in the UK but general parks where all types of on / off lead dogs can be found. For the most part, off lead dogs in the popular places are pretty good. Yes, you do get pests of course too.

 

It sounds like maybe your dog is not really 'ready' for dog parks. I know my dog Fey would react very much like yours and would not like being 'bullied' or singled out by an 'in your face' off leash dog. I do however (after 2 years) take her to the park and let her play with other dogs both those we vaguely know and those we don't, as she enjoys chasing a ball with other dogs and I feel it gets her general confidence up. If another dog is being annoying, then we leave quickly. She doesn't tolerate other dogs putting their paws on her and tells them off, but as soon as they stop she is fine. This is all just dog communication and the dogs we tend to see are of reasonable temperament and social skills so it has never come to blows. I don't like dogs that will try to bully her though and will take action - for example in a situation where the dog will not heed her warnings and leave her alone I would physically restrain it myself by taking its collar, or, in bad cases where I don't like what I see unfolding, ward the dog off with my chuck-it stick , like a barrier.

 

I can see it is a bit awkward to do that in USA dog parks, because it's a designated off leash area, doubtless some owners and dogs see it as a 'free for all' where their dog can behave as badly as it likes. However, I would not accept that; clearly that dog has poor social skills and has no business being off leash in a dog park if it bullies other dogs. If the owner will not take action to leash it up and leave or cannot even hold it on a leash, they should not be taking it to the park! Can you complain to a park manager? Or at the least, be brave and assertive and let the owner know that their dog's behaviour is unacceptable and not sociable. In the last resort, I would physically try to make the dog back down by one means or another....might get the point across...

 

Maybe a break from dog parks or a different park/different time when it is quiet or meeting up with known dog friends would be beneficial

Edited March 4, 2016 by Amber