# My dog likes to pick on smaller dogs at the dog park



## insomniacl (Jul 5, 2008)

Hi fellers,

I have a 3 year old husky, about 50lb. He's high energy and likes to play rough like most huskies. However, he also like to bug smaller dogs. He'll shove his nose up their butt, follow them around, bite at their butts and back legs, push them around with his head and body. Its pretty much the same behaviour with bigger dogs who will either engage with play or bark at him to buzz off, but smaller dogs don't intimidate him. He'll just keep bugging them.

When I yell at him or try to grab him to freeze him, he's in his hyper mode and doesn't respond. Any ideas on what I should do to prevent him for bugging the smaller dogs? He usually doesn't bug passive dogs, only the hyper energetic ones.

Thanks


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## lil_fuzzy (Aug 16, 2010)

Keep him on a lead, until you work on his recall more. If I went to the dog park with my little dog, I would be seriously worried and/or angry that a big dog was allowed to bug my little dog. If I knew the dog and knew he was friendly and harmless etc, then that would be a different story, but an unknown big dog at the dog park... Nope, I so would not put up with that.

At least keep him on a lead while there are little dogs around.


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## hanksimon (Mar 18, 2009)

I agree with fuzzy for different reasons. He has learned to pester dogs so that they will play. Unfortunately, his size and energy level may intimidate smaller dogs, who won't shriek or snap, so he isn't getting it. It is similar to the situation where a puppy pesters a gentle dog. The gentle dog can snap at pestering, playful adult dog, and the adult will back off without escalation. Since a puppy doesn't know to back off, the gentle adult doesn't have a method to respond without escalation, so a human must intervene.

I'm positive that your dog would be in heaven if a small dog would turn on him, because my Lab is the same way. He will pester dogs to get them to play. When large dogs realize that he is not trying to be "dominant," just trying to play, they ignore him, with minimal consequence. But when a dog, large or small, has too much, then they chase him... and he loves it... eventually the chaser either decides to play, or realizes that they are encouraging him..... But I do have to remove him from less "confident" dogs.


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## LazyGRanch713 (Jul 22, 2009)

hanksimon said:


> I agree with fuzzy for different reasons. He has learned to pester dogs so that they will play. Unfortunately, his size and energy level may intimidate smaller dogs, who won't shriek or snap, so he isn't getting it. It is similar to the situation where a puppy pesters a gentle dog. The gentle dog can snap at pestering, playful adult dog, and the adult will back off without escalation. Since a puppy doesn't know to back off, the gentle adult doesn't have a method to respond without escalation, so a human must intervene.
> 
> I'm positive that your dog would be in heaven if a small dog would turn on him, because my Lab is the same way. He will pester dogs to get them to play. When large dogs realize that he is not trying to be "dominant," just trying to play, they ignore him, with minimal consequence. But when a dog, large or small, has too much, then they chase him... and he loves it... eventually the chaser either decides to play, or realizes that they are encouraging him..... But I do have to remove him from less "confident" dogs.


Yep, he's learned being a bully will work. I would skip the dog park with this dog for now, or only go in when there's no small dogs around for him to pester. The last thing we need to hear is BSL against huskies, I hear it's already beginning...


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## sassafras (Jun 22, 2010)

Maisy is the same way, except that she likes to pick on ANY dog who doesn't want to play with her at the dog park unless it's much, much larger (like, St. Bernard or Pyr bigger) than she is. We just don't go any more, she's never hurt anyone but I never want her to, it's not fun for the other dogs, and it's not worth the drama anyway.


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