I am well and truely stumped with this one so any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Logan is neutered, will be 2 next month, we have had him from an 8 week old puppy and he has attended weekly training classes from 11 weeks old progressing to pass his Kennel Club Good Citizens Gold award in January this year. He has mixed with dogs of various breeds both at training and at home, he mixes with family dogs and friends dogs on a weekly basis. As some of you will know Piper joined our family as an 8 week old puppy last summer and that has gone extremely well and they are the best of friends.

However Logan has started showing aggression towards other dogs, which seems to be happening more frequently. The common themes seem to be black labrodors (very weird as his best dog buddy is a black lab) and puppies although he has gone for a couple of other dogs that fall out of these categories. He has never had a bad experience with another dog and it is so hit and miss. Take yesterday for instance, he met a yellow and black lab and didn't bat an eyelid, met a young black lab and went for him, then met a german shepheard who was barking and just walked past without even looking at it.

It's starting to get us down a bit because Logan is one of the softest boys I know, but these instances are becoming more frequent and I would hate for something really bad to happen. It sounds like more noise than anything and everytime bar once he was on his lead, but he does this regardless of whether it is me or my other half holding the lead. He also does it after Piper has greeted them and been fine, but has also done it to a dog in training class when Piper was home so not a protection thing on her behalf.

This started when Piper was a small puppy so we put it down to protecting his baby because it seemed to peeter off as she got bigger, but has started up again the past couple of months

Yesterday I was so embarressed when the owners of the black lab he went for made a comment that they had heard Dalmatians were agressive, and the way Logan was acting I didn't feel I had a leg to stand on to argue back because their dog did absolutely nothing wrong to provoke the situation

__________________

32 views and not 1 idea........ hhhmm I get it!

__________________

Hi Gillie,
I'm not sure to be honest,as you know my bitch can be dog aggressive but this is usually down to the way in which the other dog approachs her.

Does he have a problem with black dogs of any other breed ?

No just seems to be labs either black or choc, but not all of them, because as I've said, his bestest dog bud is a black lab

__________________

has he had a bad experience with a black dog?

No bad experiences ever. Had him from 8 weeks old, done all the socilising, weekly training classes for nearly 2 years, mixing with other dogs most days, lives with another dog.

__________________

This is a difficult one to answer without seeing what is happening. The black dog thing could be a red herring except that black dogs are more difficult to read. The fact that you have added a puppy and he may be trying to protect her is probably also a red herring. More likely is that at 18 months of age he is now maturing and he is bolder.

What did the trainer say when it happened in class? Did they see what happened? do they have any 'real' experience in behaviour? I would be careful as many trainers say they understand canine behaviour, but it is very basic. personally, I think the best thing would be to look on the apdt website and find a local trainer who also does behaviour and get help. He's still very young and it has only happened a few times so can be dealt with. The last thing you want is him practising the behaviour and it becoming a habit.

Our trainers are behaviourists too.

We did manage to get Logan walking around the dog he had taken a dislike to with no problems as we were taken to 1 side to work on. The difference there that we were expecting it so was easier to deal with. In "real life" they happen so few and far between that they catch you unawares

He passed gold in January and we haven't been back at training since because my girl is in the gold class so was just taking her, but I'm going to alternate weeks and take him back and go back to basics with him so that any idea's of grandeur he may be getting will hopefully get nipped in the bud.

__________________

This is key. With any problem, you need to be on your guard all the time. I don't mean tense and worried, but you have to be thinking two steps ahead and anticipating... keeping an eye out for dogs long before they get near. Watch his body language long before anything may happen. It may sound like a chore, but actually it can it be fascinating, but will teach you a great deal. You will learn to 'read' your dog.

If your trainers are behaviourists too, then I would start with them. What did they get you to do around the dog in class?

Hi Gillie, i no this might sound silly but did you say he was 2 years, cos at this stage even with children they get to terrible 2, and at 18 months old they are full of them self maybe he is at that stage and he trying it on but i would keep an eye on him but dont tense if a dog comes to you or he will feel it, good ,luck hun x

__________________