Is my dog the problem?

[acfjanine]

Background:

My 2.5 y/o Aussie has been great around other dogs since his adoption at 6 months old. I have a 11 y/o very well behaved Spaniel as well, and he is not territorial with toys/food/beds with her (or other dogs for that matter). We haven’t been to a dog park in ~5 months, but before that he would go 2-3 times per week to hang out with his closest doggy friends. They would play, take turns being submissive, and share toys. I feel like I’ve done a lot right with him… with room to improve, of course.

The incidents:

The last 2 times I have taken him to the park, he has snapped at another dog.

The first incident was as he was laying down submissively while playing. A larger dog came up and playfully but aggresively jumped directly on his belly somewhat near his boy-parts. I didn’t see exactly what happened, but since my Aussie is pretty boisterous when he plays, I imagine it had to be something painful for him to lose it like he did. My dog jumped up and kept snapping at the other dog so hard that they got into a short lived but heated fight. Neither dog was hurt. Took him home immediately and so did the other dog’s owner.

The second incident was the following week with another dog that wouldn’t stop following and trying to hump him. He growled at that dog very briefly within a few minutes of entering the park, but after ~15 minutes of it continuously happening after that he lost it. Fortunately a loud shout was enough to separate them but the other dog wasn’t even trying to fight back. It seemed like my once sweet boy was straight up trying to maim that dog.

My question:

Is he becoming too aggressive or retaliatory? Is he justified in defending himself? What should a “good, well trained” dog even do when it’s pissed off?

Before anyone says it - yes, I’m done with bringing him to the dog park after these last two visits. Too much risk and stress. Fortunately in either incident the other dogs’ owner and I were calm and just agreed the dogs were done for the day and took them home. We were all shook, of course, but nobody there was specifically taking either dog’s side during each of the fights. Seemed like everyone thought it was just unfortunate how it played out.

I’m okay with being in the wrong here for taking him to the park, I’d just like to have others’ opinions.

 

[childman]

@acfjanine I don't think your dog is really the problem, I think he's just an Aussie that has reached maturity.

Aussies are bossy by nature and can be controlling, and they're usually pretty physical about it. It makes them great herding dogs, especially when they are working with larger livestock, but it tends to make them not great candidates for dog parks or playdates with unknown dogs. It's a feature, not a bug.

I guess ideally a "well-trained" dog would walk away from a heated situation, but that won't always be the case - different breeds and even different lines of breeds will respond to stressors differently. I don't think your dog was out of line, but I also don't think the dog park is the place for him. I would just limit his play to dogs you know he can get along with, and be aware that there are some dogs he may not like, and he'll be picky about what other dogs do.

 

[heathershaver]

@childman This. My Aussie/ACD mix is so bossy with other dogs, I call her the fun police. She has fits if they're having fun where she can see them.

 

[acfjanine]

@childman Thank you for explaining that about the herding behavior. My mixed Spaniel is the only other dog I’ve ever had and she’s a cat in a dog’s body. That didn’t really help much to prepare me for an Aussie... I read into the typical behaviors like excessive barking, circling, nipping, etc. and worked those out of him as a puppy. It’s good to know that he’s just wired that way and that the lasting bossy personality isn’t because of bad ownership.

As for the park - yeah, never going back. I’m glad he got the socialization as a pup but – like you said – it doesn’t seem like a good fit anymore. Fortunately he and I spend most of our time biking/running on trails where he gets his mental and physical stimulation from the exercise + running around with other dogs he meets.

 

[obadimu]

@acfjanine I mean the other dogs were pretty rude in this case. He warned the second dog for 15 minutes it sounds like. Wouldn’t you be upset too if someone harassed you and you told them to stop for that long?

Dog parks are always great until they’re not. Your dog has matured into a dog with less tolerance than you would like, but that doesn’t really make him the problem. The dog park environment creates these kinds of problems by allowing dogs that don’t mesh to come and go, and owners don’t intervene til too late.

 

[raeeldri]

@obadimu

and owners don’t intervene til too late.

Definitely something I've noticed. Watching the behavior of your dogs and the dogs they are interacting with inside the park is an actual endeavor. Sitting down and phone diddling on the other side of the park is not "watching". More than a few times, GF and I have been able to correct behavior in our dogs before it lead to a fight. Or call our dogs to us if it seemed like a scuffle was about to break out.

With a known group of dogs, maybe you can worry less and dick around. But a public dog park really requires a dog that can handle it and a human who is physically and mentally present.

 

[richard1970]

@acfjanine I agree with the other posters. Your dog was not the problem in either of these instances. He was reacting appropriately to other dogs behaving inappropriately.

Some dogs are more tolerant of others misbehaving, but there isn’t anything wrong with one who won’t. They’re allowed to have reasonable boundaries. He was letting his be known. My youngest dog is a sensitive little man. I can’t take any of my dogs to my local dog parks, because people in my area won’t control their dogs.

I agree with the person who recommended play dates. There are often breed-specific meetup groups for Aussies. You could look for one in your area (check Facebook, as much as I hate Facebook) and ask if anyone has a dog who plays gently that might want a friend.

 

[edychristian28]

@acfjanine It wasn't your dog's fault. The other dog jumping on his belly probably hurt (and was pretty mean of the other dog). And 15 minutes of another dog following and trying to hump would have pissed off any dogs (and humans).

I would recommend setting up playdates with dogs you know play nice. Dogs do get more dog selective as they become adults, and he doesn't need to play with every dog.

 

[acfjanine]

@edychristian28 Thanks, that’s what I was hoping for. It’s crazy but unsurprising that lots of people at dog parks don’t see trends in their pet’s behavior and take them home. Even though it’s been a couple years, I’m still learning my dog’s behaviors since I’m new to the breed. Bad dog owners at the park who claim to know everything about dogs or “have had dogs their entire life” just gaslight me into thinking I’m doing something wrong. I appreciate your input. Definitely going the play-date route from here onwards.

 

[surrenderedgirl]

@acfjanine While it can seem scary to humans, snapping is a normal way for dogs to correct rude/inappropriate behavior from other dogs. If neither dog got hurt, and if they were able to be separated, it likely wasn't an actual fight, but more of a ritualized aggression or a scuffle; dogs are capable of inflicting severe injuries to each other within literal seconds, if your dog genuinely intended to hurt or maim the other dogs, chances are he would have done so. If his behavior is appropriate outside of the dog park, I don't see any need for treatment or intervention as long as you don't go back.