I once had a dog trainer tell me he never brings his dog to a dog park because you don’t know those other dogs. His dog is well trained and socialized but you know nothing about the other dogs. No dog parks!

This is our Mr Benji too. He does exactly the same as Sami. Benji is now 11 years old with Westitude. The example you quote is an identical one - my husband had him on a local beach and he was happily playing on the seashore off his lead. An elderly lady had 5 dogs also off the lead who all pounced and attacked Benji, she’s shouting “they only want to play!” My husband was mortified as play was not on their minds so he grabbed Benji and saw one had bitten his ear. The dog walker persisted and the dogs then began attacking my husband and tore his jeans. Our little boy was terrified, my husband said “this is not play, it’s bullying.” On every walk now he’s kept on his lead and my husband carries a walking stick adding he would not hesitate to use it in defence. We love dogs so would never abuse one but our little dog was traumatised and his reactions changed because of the experience. We surmised that dogs are like humans, you like some but avoid others. Love to Sami who is adorable.

My sweet Westie Roxie was attacked by two much larger dogs -- a boxer and a German Shepard -- so she's now very wary of other dogs. i, like you, never know how she's going to react. She's usually great with smaller dogs (particularly Westies), but I'm always wary and avoid making contact with other dogs. I feel for you!

The same thing caused my Westin Daisy to be very wary of other dogs and very reactive- she was attacked by an off leash dog at the vet .she was never the same . Poor Sami ❤and poor you!

Same thing happened with my Westie, Bessie. She was about four months old the first time a small dog, leashed but with a young boy who had no control or strength to pull it off her. It’s happened several times with medium to large dogs leashed/unleashed and my baby is only three years old. We don’t go walking any more 😢 because she starts pulling to return home if she hears a dog barking much less seeing one. We used to go walking every day but I Thank God, Bessie was never physically hurt but it’s made her fearful of strange dogs now. I have a very large yard with wooden privacy fence so we play and she has squirrels she loves to watch and chase but it’s sad that she’s so scared.

Poor Sami, he has PTSD. Off leash dogs are an issue, and it comes down to not enough training by their owner. I actually just had a conversation about my husbands cousin's dog - a Westie. He acts aggressive when people come in to the house. I blame it on improper training by the owner. I had a Westie so I know they are strong willed and stubborn, but trained they are great dogs, same with every dog. Good for you for realizing Sami has an issue, and trying to figure out how to alleviate his stress. Hopefully he has less memories about the not well trained dogs (or strays) that he has entered as time passes.

Mine was also attacked by a bigger dog when he was a puppy, I literally threw myself between the two... but he has had a mark in his ear (small) since then, bigger dogs bark to defend themselves, they bark strong and so when I see one in the distance, I move away and change direction, Mickey doesn't even notice because he follows me! But he has 4 friends, because we met a boy who lives in the countryside and has 4 dogs, so we often spend the weekend there so he plays and runs and they make a happy group! This is enough for me, it doesn't need to please everyone! he has his own character and I have to respect him, I can't expect him to be good for everyone! maybe it's the race or maybe it's my Mickey, stubborn and selective... never mind, he's a bit like me "few friends but good" !!!!! In the beach episode I admired you, you did well, even in certain situations that I consider difficult I pick him up and take him away!! I have to defend him, I'm his "boss".

I'm on my 7th and 8th beautiful Westies, a 9- and a 2-year-old. Maisie, the youngest, and I have had "professional" training with great results but I'm always a little wary when another dog comes along because you never know what might happen, especially with off-leashers. Unfortunately, Sami being a bright Westie, learned quickly that all dogs aren't his friends and so it's better to show them who's boss proactively. When Maisie first started training, she was always excited to check in with her new friends. Whenever she'd bark (1st step in her taking control), we'd have to leave the area. I used to joke about being absent from instruction more than present because of this but she eventually understood. Maybe something like this -- turn around and leave the area -- would help in re-teaching him not to continue in that pattern... I don't understand the selfishness of people with their dogs off leash. I'd think that that in itself might encourage that dog to emit an air of haughtiness, an invitation for disagreement. Please let us know how this progresses and love to you all. ♡

This seems common for Westie males. ("Napolean complex") .. Both our westies behave this way, with Lion Hearts, not willing to back down. We love our boys and work with them for their own safety. If I see big dogs approaching I tend to AVOID anyone I don't know is safe. When I see dog off the leash approaching it makes me nervous... So I AVOID if possible. I hear the same "oh he's friendly" stuff. (Yeah he's friendly at home with you.) Don't let a stranger make a safety call for you. Sami is YOUR baby and you will have to deal with any loss... Listen to your instinct... PLEASE protect Sami. YOU KNOW BEST. (Don't worry about offending people!!) I have regrets for not being MORE protective with our first Westie. A chubby dog tried to mount him and hurt his back.. It happened so fast, I will live with the regret of not being more careful forever.. His back did get better but that memory of that day at the park still haunts me.. I can only pray he forgives me.. You are an excellent Westie Mom! Kudos on using the harness to pull your baby out of harm's way without hurting his neck. Brilliant!! You know, westie owners and their babies are one BIG family! I hope you don't mind, I will be praying for Sami and you, for your family's health and wellness. .May God smile upon you forever...

This is going to be a long comment :) First, I am so sorry that those situations happened to you and Sami. He is such a cute creature, I love watching your videos! :) My younger West, Maks, is also this type of dog - but here in Poland such dogs are said to be fearful, presenting fearful aggression, not that they are reactive. Well, but you know what it is about. All the things I mention here are not my opinion, but the knowledge I have gained practically every day for several months after experiencing similar situations to the ones you describe in the video. I choose courses and trainers who teach how to work with a dog in order to better understand the dog's world - not to just eliminate one behaviour. I don't use any violence towards dogs - I don't pull them on the leash, I don't shout at them. This is also a kind of violence. Such dogs are already stressed enough during walks. For such dogs, the key element of every walk is DISTANCE and trust in their human not to get them into too difficult situations. And with time, this distance can be reduced (we started from 20-30 meteres between my dog and other dogs outside). We choose places to walk where this distance is easy to maintain. Maks, my Westie, had trouble not exploding like crazy at every dog he met. Now, after weeks of work, it is better, but we still have a long way to go. If we see a dog walking from the opposite direction, we always turn back to keep a "safe" distance to avoid not only the contact of the dogs but also barking from Maks side. We never push Maks into such situation. We walk aimlessly, because this is the only way we can adapt the walk to his needs. There is no advice for running dogs towards us, this is also a problem here in Poalnd. If I see a big dog running, I take the dog in my arms. If it gets messy between the dogs, I step into to separate them. But most of the time I don't let any dog to say hello to my dogs. After all, people don't greet everyone on the street either. In Poland, classes with dog trainers are very popular, and we also have a lot of courses on dog communication to learn how to recognise the signals dogs send when they feel threatened. Probably there would be some in Portugal too. It is a very long topic and lately my favourite one, because we want to elimated as much as possible that reaction to have a "normal" walks for us, and for Maks :) This is just my point of view, my perspective, my way to deal with this problem. I hope you find your way for you and Sami :)

I hope and pray that Sami is doing well.

Ditto!!!! Westitude

He's precious

Oh my I’m so sorry that happened. The same thing happened to Taz and now he is like Sammy very defensive and I have to watch very closely when other dogs approach. I can tell by Taz’s body language that he’s “on guard “ It’s upsetting that the dogs are off leash and you are trying to protect your dog! Taz is 11 and the last thing I want is for him to be hurt by another dog! Hugs to you and Sammy ❤

So sorry to hear Sami has been attacked. Poor lil fellow. My reaction would have been the same with my Bella Bean. Even tho she has a LOT of the Westie feistiness in her. She goes nuts at any animal on TV. We had to put a gate in front of the TV so she wouldn't actually hit the screen.

I have this same Westie. Boss Dog

We've been attacked a few times, and my Sherlock is also reactive. Luckily I always managed to get him off safe. It is really upsetting how some people are not even bothered to put their dogs onto leash. He's a gorgeous dog 😁. So funny how all westie are so alike. My little westie (Sherlock) does the same while walking😂

Rocky’s pretty chill around other dogs , the one trait that he does have as a westie is no fear whatsoever of other dogs .

Not my Westie but a previous dog, a Dalmatian, was reactive for the same reason. At about 6 months Maia was attacked by an off leash dog (not a stray but no owner in sight) that bit her ear and drew blood. She hated ALL other dogs after that - much worse than Sami - and would usually attack first out of fear. Off leash dogs were the worst. She was otherwise the biggest sweetheart with people and especially kids since she had 3 little kids at home. Unfortunately I don’t have any advice! When Maia died - at 16! - we said she went to people heaven because she would’ve hated dog heaven.

I noticed with my Westie that if my dog walked on the side away from passing dogs it was better. I would say as we passed we don’t care about that dog. But if off leash and the dogs spent more than one smell worth of time, that would be an invitation for a disruption. One dog pushed my dog into a ditch, a little one, but she was ok. Another dog snapped at her I pulled my dog away and told the other dog owner to keep her dog away from mine. My dog would get into this zoom state and start to circle really fast around and around defending her self from the other dogs, what a warrior! so I went to her and put my arms around her, she was circling, and said it’s me Mom. The min I said that she sat and looked at me. They get in a daze. Then I could get her leash back on her and we went towards the car. It was just getting her out of that state of mind I guess. Just maybe have to figure out what commands work to get them calm I guess. Does this make any sense? Maybe working with a trainer would help.

My daughter’s Westie started having this behavior too towards some dogs. He’s a sweetie among other dogs even in dogs’ parks, but with some dogs he becomes a little monster. Specially in relation to a golden retriever who lives next door. Even when he smells the golden through my door he becomes reactive and starts barking and scratching the door. 🙄

So sorry you had these traumatic experiences. Monty also had similar anxieties and I am an advanced dog handler, so I was concerned. He is now much better through many positive experiences and through me managing my anxieties better - that he picks up on. Sami thinks he is protecting you too so it’s a tough one to manage. I think it may be worth trying to control his exposure in controlled environments such as a dog school with well behaved dogs. Also watch his reactions and you can pick up on the times he gets anxious before it becomes an issue. Reward the times that Sami behaves well and is not reactive.

Me too. My Westie, an intact 5 year old, is aggressive if challenged by another dog (body language, eye contact, etc) or meets over excited young dogs. He locks in without a growl or bark and just launches at the other dog. His natural instincts to dominate kick in. Also, he is aggressive toward French bulldogs I think because one day when he was still very young several were over aggressive at the dog park. Seems incredible but it's the only negative bulldog connection I can remember! What I do when I see his triggers is tighten the leash and when he focuses on a dog I'll speak to him and jerk the leash hard enough to get his attention. He has been bitten but that hasn't changed him. I've just accepted that I have to be the one on a walk that recognizes the potential for problems and prevents escalation. One more thing, as you know and the rest of us know, the Westie is dominant and will take control if we don't. They feed off our energy so you're probably right Sammie feels your apprehension. Good luck Eric, Phoenix

It's the instinct off the Westie. When they are attacht from other dogs ,they do the to when they getting older. And a Westie is always the boss .

my dog was attacked before also and that changed her dramatically

We have the same situation with our almost 10 years old Westie girl. We got her two years old, and perhaps something has happened until she came into our family. She is quite an angry against other dogs, especially girls. Only ones she is not trying to challenge is Westies. Strange but truth.

My westie mimi is in the exact same situation! Reactive towards other dogs but otherwise the sweetest boy possible. We engaged a trainer as he has almost bitten another dog. Our trainer has said that our boy is reactive due to fear and his reactive behaviour was negatively reinforced - he barks and lunge > other dogs go away. We have been doing observation exercises with him- looking at dogs from far and closing the distance. Hopefully it gets better over time!

My folks westie was in their own yard out in the country . Mom told me about it, can't remember if it was a retriever or german shepherd running loose and came towards him. He jumped up and took the big dog by the throat and brought him down! And it finally ran away. He was such a sweet dog and loved every person he saw. He didn't understand why everyone didn't love him back. But he was defending his home. So after hearing all your traumatic experiences. Has anyone mentioned carrying pepper spray like the stuff used to repel bears?

Miruna, it happened to us recently when we were in Germany! A big black dog, off the leash, launched at Miss Charlie. The german woman kept on saying, " it's ok," while my dog was crying, and in spite of me asking her to hold her dog. Thank God that Charlie did not get hurt, just a scare. Ever since, my sweet little pup barks and growls at any dog passing by. I noticed that in Europe, people tend to keep dogs off leash. We never had any problems like that in Vancouver, and now, like you and Sami, are trying to find solutions how to correct her behavior. Heart broken 💔

i have a westie as well and he is reactive 9/10 times 😂

My Westie was the same way. My westie bit a few dogs. It okay, just keep Sami away from dogs he does not know and like. It's the breed.

Oh my. I'm glade Sami is doing good. 🐾💖🦴💖💋🦴💖🦴💖🐾

My baby is 14. He is just the same. He loves everyone, but he has the same personality.

They ARE little but they are very protective, I would say walk a less traveled route, walk later in the day and other dogs left to roam the streets should be reported because if they had owners.... that cared, they wouldn't be left to roam on their own.

Once when Buddy was about 1 year old I think he was attacked by 2 dogs owned by the this guy who was running behind his 2 dogs, he shouted to me they are both friendly, yes my ex picked Buddy up and I dealt with the two dogs. Owner arrived and we said you should keep these viscious dogs on lead. He had issues lime Sammi but the way I worked on them was to get his attention if I saw another dog and get him to work for me, if he quietly and calmly looked at the dog he got something good.

Westitude my Elvis is the same except he is 8 out of 10. Elvis was also attacked by 5 dogs when he was a pup. Xx

Essa é uma característica da raça. O nosso Ideafix tem o esmo comportamento com outros cães, principalmente com os maiores.

I adopted a dog some time ago with this issue. We went to reactive dog small group training and learned to retrain the biggest part was when you see a dog, “Look” and when he makes eye contact with you he gets a treat. See dog. Look at mom, get a treat. Seeing another dog is ok because I get a treat.. might need to find a special trainer. Plus many dogs are good for him to socialize with, so you don’t want to and can’t avoid all dog interactions. Key point is he learns to look to you rather than taking it in his own hands.

Very interesting vlog. I think avoidance is for sure a good way to negate! any potential conflict with doggo's!! Especially of leash or stray!! As the latter are fighting for survival! So if you happen across a doggo of leash. I would simply change direction.&.not take the chance! I know from walking Snowy .&.she was attacked by a pit bull type dog! I got in the middle.&.got her to safety! Though it scared her greatly.. which in turn annoyed me even more!! You really can't read doggo's!! Even when an owner says that they are fine!! I have found such not to be the case. whilst walking someone else's doggo 🐕 .&. Had to avert an attack from a dog! who was supposedly"fine"!! I know of a westie also who was killed whilst on a walk from an of leash dog. They are to precious to take the risk. I loved how your hubby gave Sami a wee 💋💋 when in his arm's. I used to plant a 💋💋 on snowys forehead.&.tell her how pretty she was🤩🤩 Westies 🐕 are beautiful little illuminations of light in life🥰🤗 Stay safe with Sami 🐕 ❤️

My westie, Byson exhibits the same behaviour. When he was a puppy he got bit and then he almost got bit twice at the dog park. He is no 3.5 years old and he is very reactive towards dogs he does not know. Female dogs are less of an issue thought as he seems to get along with the majority of female dogs.

Sounds like he’s trying to protect you from other dogs.

We have a poodle like this too! It's so hard! First thing you can do is replace the retractable leash with a regular one! It'll be easier to keep him away from other dogs

I had that experience too. Mine was attacked by two smaller dogs when walking on the street. I picked up my Westie and kicked the dogs off. The other incident was in a park with a bigger dog. I picked him up again and shouted loudly to the other dog to intimidate him. Suggest not to run. They will likely chase you. Try to stand tall and show forceful power to the attacking dogs. Shout “stop” as many dogs understand that command. It worked for me that time. Both incidents the dogs were on leash. But somehow their owners not able to keep good control.

We have a 5-year old female, spayed Westie. She is very self-confident. I would say she is good with about 90% of the dogs we come across on the street and in dog parks. The other 10% breaks down more or less like this: - 4% yappy dogs (usually small dogs like schnauzers, shih tzus, etc.) that start barking at us nonstop when we approach. Our Westie will often mirror their behavior and go nuts barking right back at them, even if she is outnumbered 4-to-1. - 2% dogs she is scared of. These are usually larger dogs but not always. Most of the time these dogs will not even be outright aggressive but she just doesn't like/trust them and she won't bark at them but will do anything to avoid them. - 4% dogs she just starts barking at incessantly for no apparent reason. This is the category that I still don't understand. These dogs can be all sizes (one was a sort of goofy Husky 5 times her size) and are totally chill or even somewhat timid. There does not seem to be any common characteristic in terms of sex or breed. I am still working with her to try to keep her out of the "crazy barking" mode but it's not easy. Here are my current thoughts: - I walk her in "sniff" mode where she takes the lead and I give her more freedom and in "heel" mode where she walks by my side and follows my lead (usually :) ). She is more likely to go into "crazy bark" mode when she is taking the lead. I think that if dogs feel like you are expecting them to lead, they will be more defensive/aggresive. If they feel like you are leading, they will be more reserved. - Once our Westie is in crazy mode, there is little I can do other than remove her from the area. Shouting "no" or touching her in any way will usually make things worse or even cause her to nip me. You have to catch them when they initially alert but before they go crazy. A shush or a heel command or a slight touch or jerk on the leash BEFORE they go into crazy mode has a better chance of working. - Keeping the dog as socialized as possible helps. When I have the opportunity, I try to shake hands with the other owner to send the signal that we're friends and if the other owner is willing, I try to work with both dogs until they're calm, especially if I am likely to encounter those owners/dogs again. Good luck!

Westie's. My Westie wanted to go after a dog today who was about 10 times his size. Ours was never attacked, I think that is just a Westie.

Our dog, Finn, is reactive, too, and that's been disappointing. It's odd because he goes often to a play group with several dogs and the woman who leads the daycare says he gets along great with the other dogs. That's when they are all off-leash and playing in her yard. One thing that might be happening with Sami is if he's on leash and the other dog is not. That can provoke a panic reaction. Finn, who is now a year and three months old, is also highly reactive to children. Never seen anything like it. He becomes positively hysterical when he sees a kid. We were able to desensitize him with one child who lives on the block--but when he sees children for the first time, he's over the top crazy. I actually fear he'd bite a child so we're extremely careful. But it's uncomfortable and embarrassing. Maybe you can call in a special trainer who can work with you? We tried to do this with Finn when he was six months old but did not see much improvement and that was mostly because we were not diligent in the follow-up.

Poor little Sammy I've a beautiful little westie also I to have had more confrontations than I can count in the 2 yrs since I got her I now carry a plastic pipe stick and wear My boots I am fed up with people who don't leash up their dogs wile out walking I really hope we Sammy and yous can sort something out ❤

dear, my little westy maya was attacked by four little dogs the past year and now she barks when walk by streets also to other people that she dont know , i suppose she has wary.

There are trainers who can help with this, our westie went through an aggressive phase, we were recomended a dog trainer who specializes in behavior, this can be fixed.

My scottie and westie is reactive with dogs but loves people.

Hello my name is Alison and I just recently started watching your videos. Luv them ! I have a 5 year old Westie named Theo ( King Theo) is probably how he would like to be called by. I live in USA and I know for many many many humans that needed guidance to be better with their dog behavior Ceaser Milan is the go to for many years now. He has a TV show and you can definitely utube his videos. Basically everything you are doing is basically not correct pack leader behavior😮 I say that with luv because I have watched Ceaser Milan shows for years when I get a chance and the issue always is the human having the emotional issue and that leads to your dog baby being emotionally unstable. I can also share my own stories with King Theo due to he is my first small dog and first terrier and I was completely not prepared for his big beautiful personality. So he has been very patient with my training to be a better westie companion.please watch the ceaser milan dog whisperer show and videos and you will understand much more. Big Hugs Alison n Theodore Camden Maine USA

Miruna, I am so sorry this is happening. This is really scary. I have also been bitten while I was working, delivering food, not dog walking. I also have problems with Fiona being pushy. She is more excited than reactive. She started reactive though. I started using a martingale collar with the lead instead of a harness. It was much better. I always watch other dogs closely. I just stay away from off leash dogs in general. It helps to try to use the least tension possible on the lead also. When you pull back it sends the wrong message. Try to keep your energy like a boss. It's really hard when you want to protect your dog and are also scared. Practicing can help. If you know a place with other on leash dogs stay far away until he is calm. Then move closer. And repeat. Go back if he gets it wrong. You could also look for caesar milan videos, and beckmans dog training has some good videos on reactive dogs. I hope it all goes great from now on. My name is Stacee by the way. Kalinaria is my gaming handle. Have a wonderful day.

been there done that :)

Westitude.

My 11.5 years old Westie Dog koby has never had such issues. He doesn't know many tricks but very smart remains leash free stays close to me outdoors for most part @ arms reach & within 10ft distance away which he honors 99% of time. He stays close & holds his ground with strong westie stance & bark. If safe , I tell him "ok go see" & he provides licks to those he thought were threat. If threat comes are direction , "Koby come see" brings him my direction to safety. He learned such behavior around 1 year old.

As a puppy, our little Westie girl, Pearl, when approaching another dog, on or off leash, would start to react and I would issue a firm "No!" command and would move her off the path and sit next to me. She quickly learned to not react. She did have a bad encounter with a large dog off leash and I intervened and picked her up without saying a word. Pearl is now nearly 3 years old and whenever we encounter another dog whether it is growling with teeth showing and salvia dripping, or a quiet, shy little doggy, she simply stands silently next to me and observes as they pass by. If she feels in danger she will put her front paws on my knees and I will pick her up. I would recommend you attempt to silence Sami (with the "No" command) and have him stand still next to you when another dog is encountered. Perhaps that will help him become non-reactive. Good luck! And BTW, our daughter recently purchased the book, "Inside of a Dog" with the subtitle, "What dogs see, smell and know" by Alexandra Horowitz. This book has helped her immensely with her two 1-year old Border Collies. We have a copy but I've not had a chance to read it... yet!

강쥐가 불편한데도 얼굴 고정하려고 쓰담는듯 손으로 눈 찔러 강아지가 불편해 하는게 보여 불편함. 강아지관련 컨셉이라면 강아지도 편안한 자세로 하길 추천합니다