my dog on a leash

Question
I have a five year old border collie/sheepdog cross. When we take walks he bolts from me when he sees another dog and he quite strong. He has dog friends that he runs with and he only barks at certain dogs when he is outside on the balcony. It is like he likes some and not others. I would love to take him off leash to a dog park but I am afraid he might not like a dog and may hurt one. He has never bitten anyone but has run at them and jumped and growled which scares everyone. Is there anyway to tell or anything I can do to make sure this doesn't happen.  Thanks  

Answer
Hi kathy,
Thanks for the note. Dog Park outings can be wonderful or frightening. It depends on the dogs.

Unfortunatley it's tough for me to know if your dog is aggressive or if he is just a "Yahoo" (energetic- sort-of-goofy-in-a-cute-dog-way). The growling makes me believe he might be aggressive.

Aggression is a complex issue and one that is difficult to discuss on-line. There are so many things to consider. Before I take on any aggression case, I ask the clients to fill out several pages of information. It would be foolish for me to offer any specific advice since I can't meet your dog.

Here are some general ideas.

First off, try to keep him out of trouble - that means no dog parks or off-leash adventures (unless he is in a fenced area with some of his dog friends)

Have you ever fitted your dog with a head collar? I like the Gentle Leader but others may be just as good. These tools (head collars) give you the ability to kindly guide your dog without choking him. A Gentle Leader won't fix his behavior but is a great tool for managing the behavior.  

There are books about aggression, Patricia B McConnell has one I like called Feisty Fido.

Contact a local trainer that has experience working with cases like yours. Good luck!

AT

http://howsbentley.com