AliciaB Posted October 9, 2011 Report Share Posted October 9, 2011 Okay, so I posted on here along time ago. My dog, Sage, was away from me for about a year with my ex boyfriend. He lived with another dog Fae who now has a new home. He is now with me in Texas. Sage is now 3 years old and a great dog. I socialized him when he was a puppy A LOT with other dogs--we would go to the dog park everyday. Everyone loved him. He loved to play and was always very friendly. I read a lot of dog training books and did everything I was supposed to. Well, since he has been with my ex (for 1 year) he has now seemed to change. He loved my ex boyfriend very much and he was good to Sage, but now when I take him to the dog park he is aggressive toward other dogs when they come up to him just wanting to play. He is very focused on the ball that I'm throwing, but even when he looses focus and is sniffing around, if another dog comes up to him he has a very stiff stance with his tail perked up. If the dog moves, he attacks (sort of). It scares me and although he hasn't hurt another dog, it makes me nervous. I don't want to be the lady at the dog park with the most hated dog. I used to think the people with aggressive dogs did not train their dogs, but now I am realizing that isn't always true. Any advice? Should I never go to the dog park anymore? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmsgyay Posted October 9, 2011 Report Share Posted October 9, 2011 Some dogs just become much less tolerant of other dogs when they grow up and mature mentally. For example my dog used to tolerate all sorts of dogs jumping and pawing at her, mouthing, etc. whereas now at almost 3 years old (starting from about 1.5 yrs old) she snarks quite easily if another dog is in her face, trying to be too pushy, etc. Especially puppies jumping all over her. Also some Border Collies just weren't meant to be dog park dogs. The majority of Border Collies I know don't enjoy it much. They'd much rather play fetch in an area not so full of nosy dogs and puppies or play frisbee or something. I think I only know 2 or 3 Border Collies that actually enjoy the dog park. All the other ones either snark at other dogs, or other dogs don't like them because they glare too much and the circling and eyeing seem to bother some other dogs so they end up being picked on. I would think if Sage doesn't enjoy the dog park then don't go especially if he could start a fight. Also in dog parks there are a lot of dogs that may not be as well behaved as you have your dog and some could just charge up and try to bounce all over him and I wouldn't risk the situation and it's dangerous to both your dog and other people's dogs and I think it's irresponsible.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urge to herd Posted October 9, 2011 Report Share Posted October 9, 2011 I echo what cmsgyay posted. Border collies have a real sense of personal space, that a lot of other dogs just don't get. Labs, boxers, and huskies are all bouncy/in your face/let's wrestle types. My border collies have never liked that from stranger dogs! I take Gibbs to the park in the wee hours, before there is anybody else there. We're also getting to know a select group of excellent dogs/owners. These dogs are all well mannered, know how to greet and how to take a mild 'back off, please' signal. The humans pay attention to their dogs, rather than standing around chatting and ignoring what's happening. This is a great thing for both Gibbs and me. See if you can go to the park at low usage times. See if there's a doggy play group you can observe, then join if it seems suitable for you and Sage. It's really pretty normal, just a part of growing up border collie. Ruth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AliciaB Posted October 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 10, 2011 Thanks you all--I appreciate this. I'll probably just take him when no one is there or not at all. He just doesn't like strange dogs, I guess. When I think about it, I haven't seen many purebred BCs in dog parks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack & Co. Posted October 10, 2011 Report Share Posted October 10, 2011 I echo what cmsgyay posted. Border collies have a real sense of personal space, that a lot of other dogs just don't get. Labs, boxers, and huskies are all bouncy/in your face/let's wrestle types. My border collies have never liked that from stranger dogs! It's really pretty normal, just a part of growing up border collie. Ruth Ruth expressed my thoughts very well----my dog does not appreciate strange dogs in his face and he detests Labs and other dogs who don't respect his "boundaries". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BCjetta Posted October 11, 2011 Report Share Posted October 11, 2011 My aussie is the same way. When he was young he loved meeting and playing with ALL dogs. Once he matured he turned into a bit of a jerk. Now whenever he greets dogs he's very upright and stiff and will growl/snarl at any dog that is at all hyper or in his face. He will do the same to any intact male dog or any adolescent male dog. He will then get very pushy with them, almost blocking them from moving and being a bit of a bully to them. My old border collie is generally intolerant. If she is fixating on a toy, if another dog comes up into her space she will snap at it. If the toy is gone, she's ok as long as the dog isn't hyper or in her face. My pup is 8 months old and I can see she will be worse than my old dog. She's more posessive of the toy than my old dog and gets uncomfortable if other dogs come near her if she has a toy or if I have one that she's fixating on. I can see that potentially turning into being snappy and going after other dogs if they come too close. She has a couple dogs she loves playing with and will play rough with, but they are friends that she trusts. With all my dogs, me and a toy is a lot more desirable than playing with new dogs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manasquan_jim Posted October 23, 2011 Report Share Posted October 23, 2011 My 2 yr fixed BC turned into a jerk too about a year ago. He got better after being fixed, but still is unpredictable at the dog park especially around boxers and huskies. There are alot of huskies around here and we usually try to avoid them. He is making progress though. Our last confrontations with huskies have been good. As the husky was nose to nose,I kept him on a tight lease, petted him, told him he was a good boy and it really calmed him down. We usually go to the dog park when it's less crowded. He doesnt like to run with a pack like most do. He's likes people more than dogs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BorderlineCrazy(: Posted October 26, 2011 Report Share Posted October 26, 2011 Ruth expressed my thoughts very well----my dog does not appreciate strange dogs in his face and he detests Labs and other dogs who don't respect his "boundaries". As does mine. It must be a Border Collie thing. She loves the dog park, and everyone there gets a kick out of the way she herds other dogs. They're city people, they've probably never more than heard the word "herding" before, they love watching it actually happen. Her nickname there is "the stalker dog". But she doesn't like it when she's laying down in the shade and a dog gets in her face. She will give all the warning signs, and if they don't listen then she will whip around and nip them. I also think that people shouldn't bring dogs like that to the dog park - the ones that don't listen to another dogs warnings. That is just flat out bad manners. Adri Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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