I have a 4-year-old lab mix named Ella. She’s usually so sweet, but at the dog park, if a dog snaps or lunges at her, she’ll definitely stand up for herself. She never starts the fights, but if it happens, she’s gonna finish it. I’m wondering if I can teach her to just walk away or ‘turn the other cheek’… or should I? I don’t want her getting attacked, but I also don’t want her being too reactive. Anyone else dealing with similar issues? Should I work on this behavior?
I’ve got a similar situation with my dog. He’s super chill but will snap back if a dog comes at him. It’s like he’s just defending himself, you know? I’ve been thinking about training him to stay calm, but IDK if that’s realistic. Anyone tried training for this?
I feel like dogs just know when to stand up for themselves. It’s like they can read the situation. I’ve seen dogs at the park handle things this way and it seems natural to me. Maybe Ella’s just being protective?
I think the key is understanding that dogs will naturally react to things like that, especially if they’re just defending themselves. Ella sounds like she knows what she’s doing. No need to train her to ‘turn the other cheek,’ but maybe just ensure the park has the right vibe for her.
Has anyone ever worked on training for a dog to just walk away in these situations? I feel like that could be helpful in avoiding escalation, but I’m unsure how to start.