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I’m just shy
The more I think about my people dog, the more I become concerned. What if I’m just refusing to see the truth, that my dog has developed potentially aggressive behavior? Sure, she’s never actually fought outside of the initial problems she had with the puggle last year, but I couldn’t help being concerned that her dislike, or at least wary disinterest in, other dogs could develop into something worse.
Chihiro had her yearly vet visit last Thursday so I explained the situation to the vet and asked her for advice. I know that veterinarians aren’t necessarily specialists in dog behavior, but they’re at least more knowledgeable than me. My vet said that if I’m seriously concerned with Chihiro’s behavior I should talk to a trainer, but she did offer some advice that helped calm me down a bit.
She explained that Chihiro is never going to forget that she had that negative encounter with a puggle. No matter how much work we might put into it, there’s still a good chance that she’s always going to be wary of new dogs, and even dogs she already knows, now that she’s been attacked. She’s always going to be careful to protect herself and let other dogs know that she just can’t be certain of their intentions toward her.
I told the vet that I was just concerned that her behavior might become something more, that it might become outright aggression or possessive behavior, although as of yet I haven’t seen any signs of that. Yet again the vet recommended that I take her to a trainer if that is a concern. I decided that I’ll hold off on that unless I see her behavior getting worse, veering more into those territories.
It’s just a bummer that my once sweet puppy who liked to meet and play with other dogs now feels overly cautious around them. The vet told me that often dogs don’t truly come into their personalities until they are two or three years old, that I’m not the first dog owner to suddenly wonder what happened to her sweet and playful puppy. In Chihiro’s case I really think the change can be linked to the puggle incident, but who knows?
One piece of advice the vet gave me was to be cautious about what dogs I take her to meet. She said that any more negative experiences with other dogs could make Chihiro worse, start her down that path to aggression. I should screen the dogs she meets, make sure they’re not going to be too aggressive toward her, even if it’s playful. She said that can often be a problem with the dog park; people think it’s good to socialize their dogs and it is, but if we have a dog that’s already been scarred by a bad experience it might be safer to avoid unknown dogs.
I’m glad I was able to get these words of encouragement from my vet. They help, especially coupled with the fact that she doesn’t always snap at every dog she meets. She met two dogs around her size in the waiting room at the veterinary office and had positive, if hesitant, encounters with them. I might have to be more careful with my dog, but if I am I’ll be able to prevent her from becoming aggressive, and that’s the most important thing.
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