I’m having a bit of a problem with Svenn, my 2-year-old Husky. He’s always been lovely and playful with people. He’s never shown any signs of aggression towards them, whether they're adults or children, no matter the situation.
With other dogs around his own size, let’s just say he can be a bit selective. He gets on well with all females. With males, he’s sometimes aggressive (more on the offensive in my opinion, he just growls a bit), sometimes playful, or more rarely, he’s just not interested in a greeting.
The problem, however, is small dogs.
When I come across one, whether it’s on a lead or not, Svenn becomes uncontrollable. He growls really loudly and looks like he wants to kill them. He HATES small dogs.
Last time, he spotted a small dog while my girlfriend was holding him on his lead. He ran so fast and with so much power that she couldn't hold onto him, and because of the tension, she ended up dropping the lead. My dog then attacked the small dog very violently, even though the little one hadn't even barked. It ended up with injuries and puncture wounds all over its body and had to go to the vet for observation.
I think this behaviour is partly explained by the fact that he’s had quite a lot of trouble with small dogs since he was a puppy. He’s been attacked four times by yappy little dogs.
These reactions are still very worrying though, and I wouldn’t want my dog to become ultra-aggressive and antisocial with other dogs just because of a few bad encounters.
I’m going to book an appointment with a behaviourist and I’ve already started putting a muzzle on him while we wait to address this bad behaviour.
In the meantime, does anyone have any advice or things I could look into to find a solution to my problem? Has anyone else been in this situation and how did they resolve the issue?
Thanks in advance for your replies! :)
Translated from French
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It’s already a great first step to book an appointment with a behaviourist and to keep Svenn safe with a muzzle in the meantime. The situation you’re describing is certainly worrying, but it’s definitely something you can work on with patience and consistency.
Svenn’s aggressive behaviour towards small dogs could be linked to his past experiences, especially those bad encounters where he was attacked, which might have created a negative association. It’s important to build up his confidence and help him change that perception. As soon as he spots a small dog, you ideally want to look out for early warning signs like body tension or a fixed stare, so you can step in before he gets out of hand. By increasing the distance from the other dog and distracting him with other activities, he’ll gradually be able to relax.
Positive reinforcement is also key. Every time he stays calm or ignores another dog, he should be rewarded with a high-value treat or some fuss if he’s motivated by that. Over time, he’ll start to associate the presence of a small dog with something positive. It might also be worth working on his lead walking and using a proper harness to help manage his strength and keep things under control.
This kind of reactivity can often hide underlying fear or a struggle to manage emotions. That’s why a behaviourist will be able to help you pinpoint exactly what’s causing the issue and give you a tailored plan of action. It might also be a good idea to have a chat with your vet to make sure there aren’t any medical or hormonal issues contributing to his behaviour.
With patience, regular training sessions, and the right support, things can definitely improve. I’m here if you want to chat again after your appointment or if you need any more info. Best of luck to you and Svenn—you make a great team! 😊
At my local rescue centre, we’ve seen four dogs come through in the space of three years that were dog-killers: two German Shepherds, a Bull Terrier, and a Great Dane. My neighbour’s Husky, on the other hand, isn't bothered by other dogs, but he goes absolutely mental when he sees deer, rabbits, weasels, etc.—even goats. That’s why he used to keep running off when he was younger, but his owner told me he’s settled down a bit now... (Mind you, all dogs have a prey drive, some just more than others.)
Stopping the group walks has definitely made matters worse.
In the end, you don’t enjoy walking with other people, and well, neither does he—he’s just lost interest in seeing anyone else 😉.
But seriously, for a pack animal, if they lose that social contact, it’s bound to affect how they get along with others. He needs to be around his own kind...
Absolutely, if the behaviourist’s method suggests not using a muzzle, then of course I wouldn’t use one.
He still has male and female dog friends that he knows well and there’s never any trouble. Sometimes he meets dogs and they get on just fine. I can usually tell pretty quickly if an interaction is going to work (low growls, body language, etc.). Mind you, these interactions are becoming fewer and farther between.
He even knows a tiny Jack Russell cross who’s a proper little yapper, and he doesn't pay her any mind at all.
Actually, I’ve done quite a few group walks before, both with other Huskies and different breeds. Back then, I used to let Svenn off the lead. He was always well-behaved with other dogs and his recall was spot on. To be honest, I don’t really do it anymore because I don’t personally enjoy it. I’d much rather enjoy the peace and quiet of a field and have some quality time with my dog, rather than chatting away about "doggy" things with people during a walk. That said, I think I’ll suggest to my partner that we start doing those kinds of walks again; even if I’m not a huge fan, it would do Svenn the world of good.
Ah, right then—finally something that might explain what had been a total mystery to me until now, at least.
"The muzzle is a good idea (a temporary fix while he's learning) if you're letting a dog off the lead who might be aggressive, but what if you don't let him off? [...] He might just be resigning himself (to an extent) to what you're offering him; it’s worth thinking about."
As I mentioned in my first post, he meets other dogs on walks—ones he knows and strangers—and it goes really well. However, and this is where the problem lies, I can't risk him meeting any 'dodgy' dogs (ones that are fearful, suspicious, or aggressive). I’m too worried it’ll kick off and it'll be yet another bad encounter. I don't feel like my dog is completely restricted. He's on a 10-metre long lead and he never walks to heel (I only make him walk to heel occasionally to work on the command or when we're passing a house with an aggressive dog to try and distract him). As for the muzzle, it's really just a temporary measure I've opted for to make sure nothing happens again, at least until we've seen the behaviourist. I’ve gone for a lightweight muzzle that still lets him drink, take treats, and pant. @Kainate said it’s a must to muzzle a dog like this for the time being, and I’m 100% with them on that. It would be daft to muzzle him forever, but that’s not what I’m planning. I don't want to stifle my dog at all; I just want to keep other dogs safe and keep him safe too.
Right, a 10-metre lead is definitely better than a 5-metre one.
I did realise the muzzle wasn't a permanent thing, I just don't see a clear way forward. But I'm sure you’re relying on the pro to help you out, we’ll see what they have to say. About the dogs he knows and the ones he meets where it goes well—that's a potential way forward (letting him play with others)—but was that before all this? Is it still the case now that there’s been this incident and things are escalating too often (the little dog, him getting tense at gates, etc.), or are you still confident that you can judge for him which dogs he can approach and which he shouldn't? If that's how it is, he never really gets to decide for himself (did he before, or has that never been the case?) which dog he wants to play with? I'm not being critical, I'm just trying to get my head around it. I get the impression something is missing somewhere; you say everything is fine, but the reality is that things aren't right—and not just with small dogs, but with other males and dogs behind gates as well.
Actually, I've done quite a few group walks before, both with other Huskies and different breeds too. Back then, I used to let Svenn off-lead. He was always really well-behaved with the other dogs and his recall was great.
To be honest, I don't really do that anymore because it’s just not my cup of tea. I’d much rather enjoy the peace and quiet of a field and have some quality time with my dog, rather than just chatting away about dogs with people during a walk.
Having said that, I might suggest to my partner that we try those kinds of walks again; even if I'm not a huge fan, I know it would do Svenn the world of good.
Don't worry, I realise Svenn still needs plenty of fresh air, so I make the most of the fields and his long lead to play and run around with him. There's no point in going to a field if it's just to spend an hour practising "heel". :)
We must have misunderstood each other. Far be it from me to get a dog just to treat him like a cuddle slave. ^^
