[Dailydrool] Ginny the guard dog

[Pam Cline]

Hi everyone,  There's something going on with Ginny that we need to stop before it gets any worse.  Usually when we go to the Dog Park we are there all  alone but the last few times there have been other dogs present. My dogs have always been very social and get along well with other dogs but lately Ginny has become overprotective of her humans. She will run and play in  a group or alone but if a strange dog comes up to me or my hubby when she is beside us Ginny growls and lunges.  She's never hurt another dog but it is really spoiling the fun when we have to be so on-guard with her.  I know dogs "feel" tension in their owners so we've purposely tried to stay  controlled and calm when it happens. If I see her starting "the look" I gently touch her side to break her concentration and I talk quietly to her. If she still growls or lunges  I say "no" or "stop" and get her back.  I put her leash on her and immediately separate her
 from the other animal before the situation escalates.  We've tried walking away with her, we've tried continuing to sit on the edges of the group with her on the leash and off leash...I think we've tried everything. 
 
We've had her since 2009. She was a stray. She had a few problems at first-she was very alpha and tried to take over the pack almost immediatly.  She had an instant dislike toward our son's black lab and we wondered if maybe she'd been attacked by a large black dog while she was on the streets. She long-since worked through those problems and she's been a sweetie (except for a glutenous appetite but NO food aggression) until this started.
 
So, we need help.   I don't want this to get any worse. I always warn other owners how she is and they understand. They see how well she play in groups and everyone  enjoys loving on Ginny. They do try to keep their dogs from coming up to us without making a scene.  Everyone considers it overprotection and they are as stumped by it  as we are.  We've tried ignoring other dogs but how the heck do we do that at an off-leash park? Alternately we also tried purposely talking and being friendly to other dogs.  The other dogs are always shocked when she guards us like that because until that point she more than likely has been playing with them for a while. 
 
Suggestions please....
 
Pam, Ginny,Olive and HBeaudreux
 
Sorry this is so long, I just wanted to explain everything to be fair to Ginny. 
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