Change of Behavior on Walks

[JaneE]

Hi I have a mini called Harry who has just turned 2. He is a happy friendly little dog, who is loving and friendly with everybody and best friends with my young granddaughter! However, in the last 2-3 months his behavior on walks has changed he has started to throaty growl and tries to lurch at passing dogs. Not all dogs I might add! Female dogs definitely not and some male dogs he's ok with. He is very random with the dogs he chooses!
Everybody knows Harry on his walks and have noticed the change in him. I am getting nervous about meeting dogs now as I don't want people to think he is viscous, which he is not but the throaty growl is not nice. Any ideas?

[zeta1454]

Hi Jane and welcome to the Forum

Has anything happened in the last few months that may have affected Harry - this could be anything from changes in your household, different routines, or any actual interaction with another dog which has unsettled him? Any changes, sometimes quite small and insignificant to us can make a deep impression on a dog and lead them to become less confident in the presence of other dogs as a result. If the behaviour is really random and only occasional it is difficult to suggest why that should be. It is not unusual for dogs generally to prefer some dogs more than others and even to react in a hostile or anxious way with certain individuals and it may be hard to determine why. It is similar to people who may instinctively feel uneasy or uncomfortable with some individuals for a known or unknown reason.

However,, if Harry used to be friendly towards the same dogs that he is now uneasy being near that may mean something else has caused his change in behaviour. Male dogs are more likely to be reactive with other males whether entire or neutered and this can be aggravated if there is a bitch in season in the vicinity. You may be best advised to try and find a good canine behaviourist who may be able to offer some professional guidance and maybe able to watch Harry’s interactions and make a judgement on why he is doing this.

[JaneE]

Hi there thank you for your suggestions, I'll have a think as to whether anything has changed and will monitor the dogs it happens with to see if any clue!