Pet owners who have dogs often have hectic lifestyles as well. This many times leads to their family dog not being exposed to other dogs. Their pet is often taken from the litter when old enough and they may never be exposed to their kind again on a regular basis. What can happen is that when they do come across another dog such as one that is perhaps running lose or in the park then the dog becomes aggressive.
It can be a precarious situation if your dog has lived a sheltered life then all of a sudden you want to know what their interaction is going to be with another dog. You will get some indication when you walk your dog in a park where other dogs are by their behavior but you may not get the full picture. Your dog may be fine as long as the other canines are off in a distance and they are all on leashes including yours. To just let your dog loose to see how they are going to react could be a dangerous mistake. Trying to separate fighting dog is extremely difficult and dangerous for both the dogs and humans.
Aside from being isolated through their life from other dogs they could have had a bad experience from an encounter with another dog. For example, older dogs can become turned off by pups that are over zealous and want to jump and play at them. Some have been injured by an aggressive dog that you may not be aware of and as a result they have now adopted the aggressive attitude.
To avoid problems of course is to take preventative measures first by learning how to socialize your pet from day one. You can do this by really educating yourself then taking the time to implement it. If problems begin to arise at any time then get the help you need immediately to get the problem under control before it becomes a pattern.
If it is too late to use preventative procedures such as you now have to introduce your dog to other dogs later in life then learn how to do this properly. You may want to utilize the services of a professional to first determine to what degree your dog is going to accept other dogs. They can recognize the potential negative signs immediately and then direct you as to the best way of handling it.
Learning how your dog responds to any given situation is critical and it can only be done by you spending the time to study your animal. Owning the dog comes with a lot of responsibilities but you truly can become a loving and responsible dog owner if you are willing to spend more time than money on your canine friend.
