I have a two year old dog who is displaying dominant and aggressive behavior toward other male dogs. Do you think the DVD on dominance and aggression is a good place to start?

Dear Cindy,

I have a two year old, intact male Labrador Retriever (Tucker) who is displaying dominant and aggressive behavior toward other male dogs. Not all male dogs but most. This behavior first showed signs with mounting at 10/11months, he finally stopped because of the training/correction or his hormone's leveling-out I am not sure. It then manifested to the current behavior; he becomes hyper vigilante when he sees another dog, if he obeys the "leave it and Look" command and an introduction is welcomed by the other owner, we approach (on leash) slowly to see how both initially receive one another. When Tucker is within 2-3 feet he rushes & assumes a challenging pose (tail and head erect) he usually does not look directly at the dog but will look from the side or at an angle. If it is a female he will wag his tail, I then allow closer interaction, smelling etc. and he becomes playful even if the female is not receptive or even aggressive. If it is a male, it will usually escalate to guttural growls (Tuck does not bear teeth) either by the other dog or Tuck; If it is Tuck growling, I then correct with a tug on the leash, "leave it " , take a step back "right here-sit" command(s) which usually defuses the situation but does not stop the tension he feels. There were three incidents of dog fights over the past year, no broken skin, mostly no contact but aggressive scuffles non the less. We have stopped going to dog parks and hiking in off leash areas because I was unable to control his behavior off leash during these incidents and it is obviously dangerous. He is obedient and friendly with people (children, babies, young, old and strangers-only time he really barks is when there is a knock at the door). He earned his Good Canine Citizenship (13months-just before the aggression arose) and had highest marks in his obedience class graduation test. I would like to continue with training but confused what is appropriate for him at this point.

Unfortunately, I cannot go into another class when he has this problem with other dogs. We are considering neutering him but with all of the medical research and studies I have read there is no guarantee that it will change this behavior (even though I am sure it will help with the way other dogs react to him) and despite what most commercial websites and veterinarians preach, I do not think that altering animals is good for their health in the long run. It has been a very difficult decision for us.

I was interested in the DVD on dominance and aggression, do you think this is a good place to start? I know it is very difficult for you to evaluate just from my email but where does this behavior come from?

Insecurity, time of life & hormones? What did I do wrong? Any insight, advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Sorry for the long email!!

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
Patricia

FYI Our Schedule:

7:30 - 10 min potty walk
8:00 - Breakfast
8:30 - 1hr walk (45min walk, 15 min puppy play/soccer, 10 min training brush up-long distance comes, healing off leash etc.)
12:00 lunch
12:30 10 min walk
4:00 Dinner
4:30 1 hr walk
9:00 10 min potty walk

eats raw-organic/ bones two xs a week