Your dog does not sound unstable. I consider it a less than intelligent idea to initiate intense roughhousing with a dog when other people's dogs (i.e. non-pack mates) are hanging around ... that is an invitation to trouble as you've seen. I can keep my dogs under control in a situation like that (as a result of training), but I would have to actively control them. I'm pretty sure that most dogs would get pretty riled up in a situation like that, for one reason or another depending on the dog.

I also do not like dog parks. I used to go frequently when I was in undergrad, and during that time I witnessed fights that could've been avoided had the owners had any sense of canine behavior, saw tensions between owners develop over time, and numerous other issues that I decided I no longer wanted to expose my dogs to.

I supply my dogs with everything fun and we have a great pack relationship as a result We do occasionally meet up with friends and co-workers with their dogs at some of the local trails in Athens. I'm lucky in that I've helped a lot of my friends out with small issues with their dogs so I can get away with directing the canine introductions each time (for starters, we all go for a long walk together before we let the dogs run free on the trails).

More often the not, however, it's just me and my dogs hiking, swimming, cycling or training and they all seem to get as much (if not more) out of these activities than they ever got out of a dog park.

Interesting to hear everyone's thoughts on dog parks! It is a place that usually involves a lot of poorly-trained dogs in high drive situations. Admittedly, one reason I liked to go was because my dogs were always well-behaved and ambassadors for training your dog. Perhaps part of this was because most people who work with their dogs as much as I do don't take theirs to dog parks!

Dogs parks are a BAD idea.

And as far as you having control to a degree - it should be complete. They should be able to wrestle and kill each other and unless your dog gets the command FROM YOU to intervene he should stay calm and aloof.

JMHO.

Well, the only way I know to duplicate her reaction is to duplicate the event -which my friend might be willing to do. Would you try that?

That might be asking for trouble.

 Quote: Chip Bridges

Well, the only way I know to duplicate her reaction is to duplicate the event -which my friend might be willing to do. Would you try that?

Are you confident in your ability to control the situation 110% and prevent injury to all parties?

Yes, provided I had her on leash and expected it this time -which I would in this scenario. Last time I grabbed her collar, physically restrained her and reprimanded -getting her calmed down took a minute or three. Should I have them wrestle more easily and calm her during that or go more the route of "let her see and hear man vs. dog" full-on and out of the blue? I tend to think if I get her focus on me with a slow start, she won't react. I might get her over *this* situation, but it's addressing the unbridled drive at the heart of my goal.

Have you been put off dog parks Chip?
Good.

Short circuiting inborn drives is a little trickier and will take more then one retriggering of the instantance to accomplish, imho.
It does all come down to OB. There is nothing else really that keeps the highly driven dogs of any breed from going off to do their own thing, be it herding sheep or bringing down a fleeing criminal.
One can absolutely step on their dog....personally I think that kills the spirit.
I perfer to work in small increments with a combo of marks/rewards and corrections when I'm double crossed on known commands. It does take time.
If you want to recreate the scenerio, ask your friend to start it while you're out of sight (he'll need to keep it up for awhile), walk into view and walk toward them on the heel(watching your dog), as soon as he alerts do a 180 continueing to heel. Then go back. Do this three or four times, call it a day on the last uie.
Do another session a couple of days later, etc until you can walk right by them without a nod from your dog.

But the bottom line is being aware at ALL times of your dog and your surroundings. That way you can tell the dog how he needs to react.
You can't over come what any one dog is, you can only control it.

If my dog isn't learning, I'm doing something wrong.
Randy

I am with Randy and Tanith and others who recommend ob and focus work.

I might re-think the choice to spend a lot of time with someone who makes comment after comment about my dog's "psycho"-ness and instability. This would not be good for me or for my state of mind around him -- and ultimately would not be good for my dog. Also, Kacie makes a very insightful point here: I consider it a less than intelligent idea to initiate intense roughhousing with a dog when other people's dogs (i.e. non-pack mates) are hanging around ...

I probably wouldn't recreate, either. That kind of smacks of setting the dog up to be "stepped on" (as Randy put it) instead of gradually working on the dog's focus on me as the source of info about a new situation and how to act during it.

So that situation would be one of several distraction scenarios, but at a low level of intensity. And the intensity would be increased only gradually.

JMO.