Hi Biff, I have a 6mo old female shepard/lab mix that is great with other dogs she meets off-leash in the dog park. She usually approaches with her ears back and tail wagging. When she sees another dog on leash, she starts barking/growling with her hackles raised. I can usually make her stop by telling her "that's enough" but i am wondering why she is barking in the 1st place. I have a same problem when she is in the car and sees another dog outside. Any suggestions?
Thanks!
- Mike

Hi mike, on leash she is being protective of you and in the car she is protecting the vehicle. When you try to correct this behavior with a jerk on the leash you could actually be reinforcing or aggravating the behavior, making the problem worse. She needs leash training on a slack leash and supervised introductions on leash (possibly in the dog park, where she is comfortable). Training with a good group class would be very helpful.

return to Question Topic: Possession Aggression

go to top of the page