Willow5640

Thank you Teresa and I agree She is who she is and I love her for it. I'm just curious to see if there is something I could be doing to slowly nudge her temperament in a different direction. Honestly I've already half resigned myself to having a dog who just doesn't know how to play with her own species.

Hi everyone I signed up about four years ago when I got my Willow. Best damn dog I ever had. I guess you can call me a Collie convert. Before her I've only had a late childhood cocker, Shadow. That dumb dog was dumb as rocks by comparison, but I miss her still and always will. In the beginning, before I got willow, I found this site very helpful. I had decided I wanted to raise a dog properly, and OBEDIENTLY. Naturally, I had many questions and needed much advise. This community helped me train an amazing dog with one small niggle that grew from slight to somewhat aggressive, to sometimes OMG levels. I did try searching, and I hope my plea for advise is in the right discussion tab, but the word aggressive brought no results. Willow is indeed leash trained but lives primarily off leash as I feel a dog should. On walks into the city the leash is employed, though not always. She is quite good under voice control. If only city park rangers would appreciate this. But I digress... When a dog comes up, Willow leashed or otherwise, doesn't necessarily act aggressive. Her tail is wagging and generally acts inquisitively. In fact often Willow is eager to greet the other dog, leash pulling towards them if we're, say, inside the brewery with other dogs. What happens next it seems to me is mostly up the exterior dogs personality. If that dogs energy is low there are generally no problems. Very little nipping if any and certainly no lunge bites. Yes I said aggressive lunge biting. If the other dogs energy is high, and that includes harmless puppies that are generally little harmless energy fur balls, the teeth come out. Lips curl plenty and sometimes she chases off the dog usually clamping on a chunk of dog fur before sending them off whimpering if I'm lucky. Something a bit more serious on either side if I'm not. Before you say it I took her to obedience classes as a puppy. Tons of exposure of all kinds, including plenty of time at dog parks when she was growing up. Willow is now four and a half years old, and suffice it to say, we gave up on dog parks a while back. I'd give anything to have a dog that plays with other dogs in a dog park but I could no longer risk having a dog get hurt--or being sued for that matter. I just wish Willow was more manageable around other dogs. I really like breweries that allow dogs if I'm honest, they're my happy places. Now I knew collies were generally a nippy breed, and as I pup I made sure to curb her trying to nip and heard me, but this is ridiculous. I could really use some expertise here. Maybe I'll try to take a vid or something next time we go out too.