Dog Aggressive??

[Sunseeker32]

Hi to all my newf friends. Sorry I have not been posting lately as this is my first year teaching kindergarten! Whew! Those kids keep me busy.

Now to my question/problem:

I took Scout to the groomer's this morning, and when I went to pick him up the girl asked me if I knew that he was dog aggressive? This totally took me by surprise because he is always friendly around other dogs. He goes to obedience school and we go to the park and he plays and socializes well. He turned one in June and I have noticed that he is becoming more vocal during play, but not aggressive. She told me he was tied to the table and there was a cocker in the cage near him. Whenever the cocker would move Scout would growl and try to get at the dog. This is not like him. The groomer moved the cocker away and he was fine. After Scout was finished he was able to move around the area and was totally fine with other dogs. How concerned should I be? Do you think he was just pissed off that he was tied up and getting groomed? Ideas anyone? Thanks.

Megan & Scout

 

[victoria1140]

could it be a scared reaction.Merlin suffers with this problem, off lead great but restrained in any way and he sees a dog and he goes off on one if not reprimanded or refocused.

Has he been to this groomers before, and if he has then have you always left him.
Also just because we dont always notice it other dogs can give off signals that some dogs will react to

 

[Jorge's mum]

I would agree that maybe he was stressed, was the cocker barking at him ? I wouldn't worry about it sometimes things can be mis-interpreted by people who don't know the dog, I would just see how he is now with other dogs and take it from there

 

[jane]

Stressed, tied up, feeding off the cocker & other dog's energy...That all could add up as to why.

 

[Sunseeker32]

Thanks for the encouraging words. Ya know, come to think of it, the girl who usually grooms him was not there and a new girl groomed him. Maybe she had a vibe about her, too...

Megan & Scout

 

[Ohana Mom]

I wouldn't jump to the conclusion of dog-agression yet. This was a stressful situation.... If he just turned one - hormones are starting to kick in (if he's not neutered) and he'll start to "test his place"... not agression but more trying to show who is boss....

 

[Prdmary]

And, you really don't know what vibes the cocker was sending to him.......but just pay more attention to what you say is "more vocal".....he may be showing signs that you haven't picked up on yet. You want to address any issues he might have early. And as Jennifer mentioned....those hormones are starting to take front and center right now! Ha!

 

[Largo]

Yes, it could have been any number of things going on at that particular moment. Do observe him closer going forward. His body language as well, to get a better idea on if he is actually dog aggressive or not. If you are not sure what to watch out for besides the obvious displays of aggression, work with a trainer or behaviorist.

 

[lacey9875]

Can I ask what the signs of agression are? I am sure Maggie is not, since she play bows to everyone and thing, but I don't think she can tell the difference and would like to be able to notice any subtle changes from another dog. ( besides the obvious lunging,growling,snapping)

 

[Newfobsessed]

All these suggestions are wonderful. I just want to put your mind at ease a bit... my Gabe, who welcomes other non neutered males, started growling at a female St Bernard in our training class. I was concerned, as he should not do this, esp with a female!!! After class I asked the instructor about the St., and she told me that she was very dog aggressive, and had gotten the owner's golden retriever by the throat during a tug of war game. Your baby probably senses something off from the Cocker or the new stylist or maybe a combination of both! Just watch and be very aware of your surroundings and your baby's response to them.

 

[Pipelineozzy]

Groomers are great and SOME of them have vast experience with dogs...but many don't. So YOUR experiences with your dog are what count, not hers, and though the incident needs to be kept in the back of your mind, I wouldn't spend a lot of time worrying about it. Some cockers are VERY dominant, and you have no idea what the cocker was "saying" to your dog.