Tank growling at another dog

[Julie Fred]

Every afternoon Tank and I walk to school to pick up my daughters. She has a few friends up there that she briefly gets to play with. One of them is a dog named Finn. Finn is one month younger than her and they have played together a few times each week since September . Twice last week when Finn approached Tank, she growled and snapped at him. My first thought is maybe she was not quite out of her heat cycle. Yesterday I realized that during Tank's heat cycle(when she was not allowed to go to the school pick up) Finn starting wearing a gentle lead. I tried a gentle lead on Tank months ago. She absolutely hated it. So I asked Finn's owner if she would take the nose part of the lead off Finn. When she did Tank was fine and played with Finn, but as soon as the nose lead went back on his nose she was not.
You should see people jump backwards when Tank growls. But as soon as she has made her point and Finn retreats, she just sits down and chills. I have to say last week when she first did it, I thought it was Finn growling bc I had never heard her growl before.
Any ideas as to why Tank does not like Finn when he wears the gentle lead?

 

[lacey9875]

Maybe it just looks different? Maggie reacted that way at the grocery store this past weekend to a kid that had on a puffy coat and hat. She was sitting in the front seat, and he just kind of appeared at her window and she growled and leaped into my lap. I'd ask Finn's Mom to put it on him again, and walk her there but not close to him so she can get used to seeing it, and see how she does.