Hi!!

OK, so I have two labrador girls, one is 6yrs (Rhana) and the other 3yrs (Keena). Rhana is the one I'm concerned about. In the last year or so she's become gradually more hostile towards other dogs we meet on walks. She's always run towards other dogs but when she was younger it would simply be due to excitement, she'd have a sniff and come away. Then she started sort of lunging and barking at small dogs when we met them and now she's taken to barking and gnashing her teeth at any breed or size of dog. She's never attacked another dog, just makes lots of noise and bares her teeth in a very intimidating way.
She's absolutely fine however with dogs she knows or has seen a few times before, it seems to just be with unfamiliar or strange dogs that she exhibits this kind of behavior.
As extra information, she was spayed 2 years ago and is not related to our other dog, Keena, although does act in a motherly way towards her. Keena is absolutely fine with strange dogs, very submissive, almost polar opposite to Rhana.
Any help would be greatly appreciated
x

Hi,

Is Rhana like this on her own without Keena being there or does it happen regardless if Keena is there or not?

Does anyone else walk the dogs for you?

Does Rhana do this if she off leash, on leash, off leash and other dog on leash, off leash and other dog off leash also or is it just all the time with strange dogs?

I don't know how she'd react on her own, they're always walked together. We split them up when we go on holidays, one stays with one friend and the other with another friend and the couple who look after Rhana don't experience this problem when they walk her with their dog which makes me think it could be a protective thing towards Keena??
My partner also walks the dogs when I don't have the chance but I walk them a majority of the time.
She acts this way to all strange dogs when she is off the leash, when she's put on the leash (which I've been doing more and more when we meet strange dogs) she strains on it when we meet small dogs but tends to ignore larger dogs.
I haven't noticed any difference in her behavior depending on whether the other dogs is on or off leash.

This is too difficult to assess without seeing the dogs in action as there could be many causes.

I would want to see the dogs walked on their own and then together before I even contemplated giving any suggestion of a reason for the behaviour let alone any advice on the management of it.

Ask a local trainer, but get someone recommended to you rather than off the internet or from the phone book.

Good luck

Nick