I've written recently about my dog behaving more aggressively on leash and received good advice. I spoke also of taking my dog to a dog park where she has enjoyed being with other dogs, but after reading through various posts I am finding that the overall opinion is that dog parks pose certain problems. Well, I am finding that with my dog, now that she is a year and a half old. Where she used to just be super playful with other dogs, now she is fine with the one's she knows, but is really weird with new dogs. One new, goofy lab tried to approach me and my dog deflected her approach and "told her off". Another new dog, a male dalmation, has been coming down and isn't playful, salivates profusely and tends to want to sniff my dog's rear which sends her into a tizzy and she aggressively wards him off. Everyone sees her as the "Prickly" one and views her rebuffs as her fault. I realize this is not a great environment and have since stopped taking her there. She still wants to go to the park and I instead take her for long walks at the beach or near our home. She has never been interested in fetching and chasing a ball and her play has been pretty much confined to interaction with other dogs. Now that I am staying away from the dog park, I need advice on what to do to keep her active, to encourage fetching, etc. Also, the issue with the other dogs: a trainer recently told me she is "conflicted", displaying both aggressive and anxious/fear-based behavior. I have been working on methods of training her to focus on me while we are out. Is there more I need to know? Is it typical for a dog that is in her second year to suddenly become alot more discerning in regard to new dogs in the dog park and to dog's she already knows who maybe don't behave the way she expects and she jumps on them - ie:fights them. Instead of playing keep-away with a stick as in the past, now there is a certain dog that she will jump on if the dog takes her stick away. I am conflicted now as to what to do for her. I would like a happy, relaxed dog - she is around us at home and on walks, but when strangers come into our home or with other dogs now, she seems to be very volatile. The obedience training has worked in that she is very obedient regarding commands, but I am still working on the issue of her listening when she is "jazzed" up about something. Help!

Kimberly Sounds like she hasn't been socailized properly when she was a pup. This can still be done by slowly setting up an introduction with another dog both on leash. Starting at a distance of 10 yrds away slowly progressing to 3yrds almost face to face both dogs in a sit or down.

The two human conversing and acting like nothings going on. Correct when she tries to lunge, growl or bark, praise when she acts like you want (build to this, stay silent in a sit/down) they can ignore each other, and get praised

A routine to keep her busy, try setup scenarios like you are trying to teach play air scenting.

Here how I taught this to a 9 month pup he loved it, you go to your back yard take cut up pieces of weiners and place them in different areas of the yard start out at ground level. Start out making a trails of weiners leading to a pile or three peices, about three feet apart. I'd put her in a sit on leash bring her outside let her smell your hand with the weiner scent on it, then releash her after give a command it can be any command, like "s-e-a-rch" or "find it", you can use your finger to point the way. Maybe guide her to the 1st couple peices. Then it should be on, when she find it praise her with a "Good girl" and a two hand rub down. Then contine the search.

As she gets good at this start hiding them on middle rail of the stockade fence, on top of the dog house, in low tree branches so has to stand and to reach it, hide them under boards, inside old tennis shoes, inside her dog house.

Start with the food item at ground level after she gets it purposely try to trick her make her work for it. You get to the point where you can hide food item give the command and leave her outside she will find them and bark at the window when she through. Since you are not teaching tracking/air scenting seriouly just a routine you can be as imaginative as you want.

If she won't play fetch or don't have prey drive, use what she has. Most dogs like food.

Reguardless of how much you socialized her or not in the past, this is not something I would consider unusual. I have had dogs that I socialized the hooey out of that didn't play well with others as adults, then it becomes an issue of control and containment.

A good article to read in your situation would be He just wants to say HI! a lot of these situations simply come from our own ideas of what a dog should have to tolerate from another dog.

My young male is not a bully type dog, but is more than willing to talk back if someone else 'pushes' him. When I walk with him in places I may run into another dog, I give him something to carry. He can't 'talk' as quick with a kong in his mouth. It also cuts down on the sniffing along the way.

Obedience with dog distractions like Don mentioned will give you more control, but will not alleviate her reactions in off leash situations. You need to accept that the dog is safer with you in situations you can control.

Would you leave a toddler at a day care where they let other kids with knives run around? That is what some dog parks are like. Not everyone who attends has control of their dogs.

Originally posted by Deanna Thompson:

A good article to read in your situation would be He just wants to say HI! a lot of these situations simply come from our own ideas of what a dog should have to tolerate from another dog.
I just read the article, really good!

Great article!