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Annoying kids
My dog is reactive towards people running. Today I took my dog out to use the bathroom and I saw a kid running down the sidewalks. When my dog saw him she barked and lunged at him and he turned around and barked right back at her. Before he crossed her path I told him to slow down because I know she is reactive towards running and he slowed down but still kept going. Then he turned around and taunted her and he came closer to her. I've had her since she was 10 months and haven't had a bite incident, but if he taunts her again I don't know what will happen. I've taken her to a professional reactive dog class, and there were no results. (I live in an apartment complex)
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Yes, you better darn well have your dog on a leash and find a way to control him because its not the children that are the issue, its your dog. How can I say such a cruel thing? You posted the following day "My Dog snapped its teeth together" and what you said there was "Today I was taking my dog out for a walk and this other dog came out of no where from behind us. My dog turned around and lunged at her and did this teeth snapping thing twice.
You have a dog that perceives not just children as threats but other dogs too. what will it be next, adults, or chasing cars cus the car is a threat? A good natured dog will not lung at or be disturbed by anything that approaches it in its world. I have seen stories of dogs with problems like yours does. The class you took may have had some helpful advice that works on most dogs, but what works on one may not work on another, same as teaching styles for kids, one method does not fit all. Don't give up. If I were you, I'd find a way to write in to the Dog Whisperer, Cesar Millan and ask for advice from him.
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Rahzie had some great advice. I just want to touch more on the dog training aspect. There are tons of different dog training guides online you can use to see if you get any results. Many of them have very similar steps, such as sit commands and getting your dog to focus his attention on you instead of whatever is causing him issues, in your case, people running.
My dog is also pretty aggressive towards people, but his biggest issue has always been chasing cars. I have him on a leash when we're out, but he'll still try to go after any car he sees. The one thing that helped me in this situation was realizing that he just wasn't getting enough exercise. He had all this pent up energy, and chasing cars was an outlet for him. I started taking him for runs more often, and he would completely ignore any cars that drove by. I'm not sure if this applies to you, but it may be something to consider.
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You need to take every reasonable step to can to make sure you are able to control your dog when it reacts.
I'm not saying the kid wasn't a horrific little shit. He clearly was. If you are aware of who his parents are, you should absolutely inform them that he taunted your dog, and that although you are able to control her, not all dog owners are as good as you are, and he's going to get himself bit by some dog if he thinks acting like that is acceptable.
You may also want to make a formal complaint to the building. In case anything does happen in the future, it would be good to have this incident on file.
Finally, is she on leash? If she is on a sturdy leash, with a collar or harness that allows you proper control, then you are doing everything you can to control her.
But the way you describe the incident, it's unclear. It sounds like she might off leash. If your dog has reactive issues, she must be on leash so you can control and respond to any thing like a lunge. I know lots of apartment complexes are lax when it comes to enforcing on-leash rules, and I'm sure your neighbours let their dogs off all the time, but your dogs safety, she needs to be leashed, and you might want to look into a harness that gives you more control in case of lunging.
Yes, this kid is horrible little shit and I hope he does get bit - but not by your dog! You have to remember that even if this kid taunts her, if she bites him, it'll be worse for her than for him. In the long run, she's more likely to get hurt. So for her safety, you need to make sure you are in as much control as physically possible and that means she must always be leashed.
God forbid anything does happen, but if it does, a investigation that can support the fact your dog was always properly leashed while on the property and the kid invaded the dogs space (rather than the dog being able to lunge and chase the kid freely) could be the difference between life and death for your dog.
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