hi H
my dogs go for the back legs to be a 'wind up
when a dog means buisness its usually the throat and or belly area that is aimed for...seen the results a few times (not with my dogs!!)

hi H

my dogs go for the back legs to be a 'wind up'

ime dogs thet mean 'buisness' tend to aim for the throat and/or belly area..seen the results a few times sadly (not with my dogs i may add!!)

Back legs, no. Not in my experience. They either go to incapacitate by breaking the front legs or go for the throat.
Happily these `real` fights are very rare.
The reason we need to let our dogs socialise is so they can learn the signals that signify that they don`t want trouble, from looking away, to the full scale roll on back and wave the belly. Dogs have impressive weapons, and do their best to avoid a real confrontation.
I find many people see a display of force - yowling, growling, barging and posturing - as a fight when in fact it is quite the opposite - it`s an attempt to head off a proper battle which could leave both dogs disabled.
Unfortunately, many people get worried by play-fighting, which admittedly is loud and scary. But this is where a young dog learns the boundaries.

Persoannaly I would leave a trailing on on him (additional control) and when he is around other dogs and being ok lot and lots of praise. If he displays any aggression give a sharp verbal reprimand and move him away with the line, first sign of aggression is generaly tension in the body. This is what I would look at countering.

Adam

I just want to say that I fully agree with the aproach suggested by Lotsadogs... There is a huge difference between a telling off and real agression, even when a telling off sounds very nasty... and a dog should be allowed to tell another dog off for unwanted behaviour... with Tess for example... She hates a cold nose under her tail... Let alone a dog trying to ride her... And she will loudly tell any dog who tries off with loads of growling an if necessary snapping in the air to make her point... After doing this she will very happily play with said dog for hours on end.... I've actually been thanked by many a dog owner for allowing it to happen with the play session afterward simply for the reason that their dog is being taught that some behavior is unacceptable, but that that doesn't mean that they can't be friends... I may even go so far as to think that if you punish a dog for a telling off, you may be cutting off a means of communication which a dog needs in order to be properly socialised... Take this away and he will have to find a different way of dealing with unwanted behavior... one way could be the avoidence of other dogs... another could be simply attacking any other dog before it has a chance to show whether or not it's friendly... Give me a dog that's allowed to tell another dog off anyday...

Of course, it is important to realise that if you cease via punishment the first sign of "aggression" as Adam puts it, then you run the risk of the dog not performing that act, and skipping straight to the next level, or indeed missing out several or all of the "information" signals and escalating far beyond what is necessary simply as communication.

Adam also neglects to point out that pressure on the neck (such as using a line to pull away) when a dog is already tense or aroused, is highly likely to invoke a raised level of response or escalation of behaviour. Its rudimentary dog behaviour - I am stunned that Adam isn't aware of it with all the experience he says he has.

Absolutely correct in my experience Cintvelt.

If you where harrasing me, but I was not alloweed to use words to stop you, becasue my mum had told me not to, then how could I get you to stop - only with physical interraction! or if I where too scared of my mum to do that, then I would just have to suffer your harrasment and those that harrased me would learn that that was ok and go on to harrass others.

Ceasing early, controlled, sophisticated, communication such as freezing, snarling, snapping, growling, starring and all other non contact communication, is in my experience a recipe for escalating disaster! Not advised under any scenario, unless you are wiling to physically, manage all parties involved, yourself.

Thing is we don't know excatly whats going on, but the owner seems pretty distressed by it and I've suggetsed a way that ime will help manage and resolve it.

Btw hi Dm

Adam

And I have pointed out that you are wrong and the advice you have given, in my experience, is potentially dangerous. We have already established that your experience and mine are polls apart.

I am saddened that you have found your way on to so many forums giving such poor advice.

I am trully stunned at your naivety on these couple of threads.

BTW hi back to you Sherlock, from Denise Mcleod

The idea is your teaching an incompatible behaviour.
Atm the dog feels uncomfortable aggresses and other dog goes away.
Using the longe line the dog feels uncomfortable, is moved away and feels more comfortable becuase distance between him and other dog is increased and you additional discomfort (verbal reprimand) ceases.
Its about teaching avoidance as opposed to conflict.

Adam