sudden aggression towrds small dogs

[renee]

I have a 5 year old german shp male who has EPI and I take him to the dog park on a regular basis he usually just plays ball with me and once in a while he will play with another dog . About 3 days ago he started getting aggressive with a boston terrier he used to play with.this boston never hurt him or anything.I don't know if this is relevant but since tango got diagnosed with epi I changed his diet to raw and kibble. Does he think the smaller dogs are meals on wheels? How do I correct his behavior? I usually grab his collor pull him back with a firm no and make him sit in a time out.any suggestions why and how to fix it?

[DelsMum]

I don't know anything about EPI but I do raw feed and no it wont make your dog think small ones are now his next meal but how raw effects EPI I can't say but someone else will be along soon I'm sure.

Has anything else changed or spooked him in the last couple of days? ie
Is he entire and could their have a been a bitch in season around? Its odd how little things can have an effect.

Are you sure he was being aggressive and not just boisterous play? its hard to tell sometimes! If yes, are you sure your dog 'started it' as dogs don't usually just turn for no reason.

Do you have a good 'leave it' command? I find invaluable to stop my gobby boy getting stuck in. He would very much like to but knows once I've said it, he's not allowed and that is the final word on the matter.

[renee]

He hasn't been spooked and what usually happens is the little ones run towrds him or they are being chased and try to hide under the bench I am sitting on and tango pounes on grabs their neck and growls there is no tail wagging from him and even when the dog is on his back and crys he won't let them up I have to step in I tell him no leave it but sometimes it doesn't work and I have to grab him and make him sit .there are two areas for the dogs at the park one for big dogs one for small. But the people with the small dogs insist on leaving them with the big ones. If I was able to walk for more than 15 to 20 min ( I was in a car wreck ) I would walk him but the park 2 times a day playing ball is all the excercise he's getting rightnow. He doesn't do this with big dogs even when they charge at us he just avoids them.

[Sassysmum]

This is gonna sound mad but I would make the little dog the most rewarding thing when your dog is around it. So many people create more negativity in these situations by telling their dog off time and time again and therefore your dog then associates the other dog with being told off so wants to get rid even quicker, if you make the other dog a rewarding thing to have around it's in your dogs interest not to get rid

I would start at a distance that I knew my dog would not be reactive and if he looked at the other dog without being reactive and remained relaxed and calm then I would praise and reward him with a treat or his favourite toy. I would make sure he'd had some running exercise and bit of "brain" work prior to meeting up with the little dog too so his arousal and energy levels were lower. I wouldn't let him meet or play with the other dog while he was in an excitable state. If your dog is toy orientated get him a fav toy that he only gets around this little dog providing of course the other dog is not in to toys or your dog toy possesive

Aah just read your other post, not so easy if the other dog is loose and running up to you, I would ask the other dog owner if they could keep theirs on lead and just walk together but doing the above - or do the above whenever he sees a small dog providing he is behaving and calm.

[DelsMum]

Originally Posted by renee

He hasn't been spooked and what usually happens is the little ones run towrds him or they are being chased and try to hide under the bench I am sitting on and tango pounes on grabs their neck and growls there is no tail wagging from him and even when the dog is on his back and crys he won't let them up I have to step in I tell him no leave it but sometimes it doesn't work and I have to grab him and make him sit .there are two areas for the dogs at the park one for big dogs one for small. But the people with the small dogs insist on leaving them with the big ones. If I was able to walk for more than 15 to 20 min ( I was in a car wreck ) I would walk him but the park 2 times a day playing ball is all the excercise he's getting rightnow. He doesn't do this with big dogs even when they charge at us he just avoids them.

Aha. This sounds to me like he is guarding you and your bench. I bet of he was away from you and your bench he wouldn't care about the other dogs.
It's funny he only does it with the little ones, maybe he is more confident about pinning them as he knows he can? I don't know.

I'm no expert trainer but all I can say is that if I were you I would try 2 things. 1 is practice the leave it command and reinforce it as it sounds like you already have the beginnings of it and 2 try and make friends with a few owners of the smaller dogs and encourage him to socialise with them so they become the norm.

[renee]

Thanks for all the advice , the only other time he does it when the little dog gets cornered by other dogs then tango jumps in and pins him growls and I have to walk over and grab him . The people there keep saying oh don't worry he be fine they're just playing but I KNOW tango. The only thing I find weird is his tail wags at first than once pinned he just growls no wagging but his tail is down and his hair is down.so I am not sure what to think. He loves his tennis ball so I been just grabbing him making him sit than play ball with him . But once in a while he drops the ball after a few runs and goes after the small dog again .

[Ricky]

My GSD in 13 months now and I dont know if this is a hormonal change or whether he is just losing his patience.
But round my way there are quite a few people with tiny little dogs, some are fine but some seem very nervous, nervous aggresive.

When they 'attack' my dog he usually just trots past them but it has happened twice in the last two days. Both of these times he retaliated a little. Nothing major just a snap and show of teeth, I calmed it down pretty quick.
But I wonder if he losing his patience with them.

He loves other dogs and plays for ages with them up the local field, all shapes and sizes and ages. But I feel if this carries on, it might negatively affect him.

9 times out of 10 its some pipsqueak dog (the aggressor)

[Stuart]

A snap back in this way, is a dog telling another to back off, its not aggression, and I personaly wouldnt worry about it,..if thats all it is, if he was loosing his patience I would guess you would be having more of a problem

Its a bit like continualy haveing some guy picking on you, at some point you are going to turn around and tell him to back off.... no different for a dog

[LOVEGSD]

I would be careful though, Diesel was snapped at by JRT on quite a few occasions without retaliating then it seemed like every small dog we met had to have a go and Diesel eventually got fed up and went back.....this was the start of his fear aggressive stage