Dislike of certain dogs

[Murphys Law]

Murphy is quite a sociable dog and enjoys a good chase, especially with other spaniels.

However, he seems to have a fear/dislike for certain other dogs. His dislike list is made up of German Shepherds and a black Giant Shnauzer which he hates with a passion. If these dogs come up to him he will lunge at them, teeth bared.

He also isn't good if a group of dogs approach. His tail will go between his legs and he is not happy at all. This behaviour has started in the last year (Murphy is now 2) and ass far as I am aware, nothing has happened to trigger it.

I am worried that Murphy will warn another dog off and cause a fight. I don't want him, or any other dog getting hurt.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[lescef]

I think it's quite common for dogs to dislike certain other dogs. It can be their shape, sex or if they are entire. Something very subtle will have happened to create Murphy's fear. The fact his tail goes between his legs shows he is fearful.
With Maddie it became nearly every dog but particularly German Shepherds, after one growled at her,  and anything that looks like a GS. Labs, too scare her (and there are lots of bouncy ones on that Bromborough field)
It's really important not to let Murphy get himself into that fearful position as it strengthens the behaviour and he is more likely to do it.
We were told to use counter conditioning. When we see a scary dog at a distance, as long as Maddie is calm we feed her really tasty treats that she wouldn't get at any other time.  Now when she sees a dog she looks straight at me for her treat.  You then teach an alternative behaviour that you would prefer to see - e.g. walking watch. The idea is that you get closer and closer to the scary dogs but that is easier said than done! So, we manage situations as best we can. If I see a dog running over to us, I throw treats on the floor for her to sniff out so she doesn't always notice the dog and I can fend it off. Dogs can only do one thing at a time apparently.  I hope you can sort it as it does make walks less enjoyable.

[minimoo]

My 3 are really great with other dogs however Milo has taken a dislike to a golden retriever that's usually on a lead and has lunged at him a few times. If he now sees it its like he wants to get in their first, but it started to escalate to other dogs but only if on leads , I have worked very hard to put a stop to this mainly by distracting him and then sending Bailey ahead if I recognise the other dog , but I can sometimes see his body language change especially if he sees any goldies . Is Murphy on a lead when this happens as maybe he feels he cant get away

[CrazyCockerGang]

I'd try and find friendly sociable dogs for him to interact with. Maybe join a training group / dog walking group, get him to have positive interactions with lots of breeds.

[Neil]

Bobby dislikes terriers, we've encountered a few that have been very aggressive and now he's wary of approaching any terrier. He is also nervous of very large dogs. He likes and trusts Labradors, but he clearly recognises other spaniels as the only other dogs that really understand how to play.

[elaine.e]

Louis has a list a mile long of dogs that he doesn't like because they frighten him. The worst offenders are big, bouncy dogs that have no manners and come charging up to him. Where I live that's typically Labradoodles. I'm sure there must be a local Labradoodle breeder who specialises in breeding really hyper dogs and then selling them to numpties . Anyway, rant over because I don't like to be breed or crossbreed specific, that's just my experience with dogs local to me.

Louis is also afraid of groups of dogs, so I don't let him meet them. There are a lot of dog walkers who walk where I do, plus groups of friends who meet up and walk their dogs together. I used to be able to do that when I only had William, but Louis can't cope so I don't force it on him. I've used the LAT (look at that) technique to help him have the confidence to stay calm if a group of dogs passes us nearby and I've accepted that's probably as good as it's going to get for him.

It sounds like Murphy is fearful of certain breeds and groups of dogs. The difference in reactions might be that he has enough confidence to warn off a single dog but is so afraid of groups of dogs that he starts to shut down. If he was mine I'd avoid any close contact with dogs that he's fearful of and keep him at what he feels is a safe distance. When he's at that safe distance you can reward every positive behaviour he shows, even if it's just a glance or managing not to bark, with praise and a treat. That should help him learn that he can stay calm. If it works as well with Murphy as it has with Louis you should find that Murphy's confidence increases and his safe distance becomes less, so you'll be able to be closer to the dogs without him getting worked up. Maybe in time he'll be able to cope with meeting those particular dogs, but don't push him. It has to be done at Murphy's pace, and if there are still some dogs that he can't cope with just accept that, avoid them and let him interact with the dogs he's comfortable with.

[Murphys Law]

Some great advice, thank you.

I think I will avoid my nearest field as this is where he meets the dogs he dislikes and try the distraction technique. Also. I will try and visit different places as the only place where I have problems is my local field. Whenever I take him somewhere different (the beach or North Wales) he is enjoying himself so much he never gets anxious about other dogs.

It's a pity all dogs aren't spaniels as he loves them so much, and Labradors come in a close second too (so it isn't a size thing that bothers him)