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It's a truism among dog trainers that herding breeds, especially the working herding breeds like Border Collies, tend to react very badly to labradors and similar sporting breeds. It is because herding breeds' work is all about boundaries -- how much pressure to use on livestock to make them move without panicking them, for example. So they are very sensitive to personal space. Guess what, labradors don't HAVE any personal boundaries. They can't figure out why that Aussie is so pissed off, when they're just tryna be best buddies!
Also, a lot has to do with early experiences. A traumatic encounter might sour a dog on that breed for life. And vice versa. I hypothesize without any evidence that because registered breeds are typically extremely inbred, that is they are far more genetically alike than any normal population of dogs, it is easy for a dog to identify that breed -- they might even all smell the same for all I know.
Sounds like Amy and Andy. Since they are ES, not BC, nor Aus, they have a bit more territorial alertness, as well. And they are rescues, so who knows what they went through the first couple of years of their life! So they tend to alert, and then to proceed to let the other dog know they are not a welcome guest. If I had to guess, I think Amy's extreme, maniac responses are mostly to dogs who don't show "proper" deference. Often because they are doing pretty much what you say - trying to be best buddies.
Interestingly enough, that Tervuren I mentioned - didn't do any of that. No approach at all, that I recall.
It's a truism among dog trainers that herding breeds, especially the working herding breeds like Border Collies, tend to react very badly to labradors and similar sporting breeds. It is because herding breeds' work is all about boundaries -- how much pressure to use on livestock to make them move without panicking them, for example. So they are very sensitive to personal space. Guess what, labradors don't HAVE any personal boundaries. They can't figure out why that Aussie is so pissed off, when they're just tryna be best buddies!
Well, for every truism there are exceptions. I've had cattledogs for decades. Most (but not all) of them got along just fine with the ubiquitous labs and goldens they'd meet in the Pac NW/AK towns we lived in. Smitten in fact, because they could often boss them around without paying a price for it.
One convenient thing I learned about the retriever/cattledog relationship. I could usually satisfy the retriever with an endless cycle of fetch that would bore the cattledog to sobs after a few minutes. However, the cattledog soon realized that instead of chasing a stupid ball, they could herd the retriever on every run. THAT was where the fun lay. Usually the retriever was so intent on fetching they didn't care about being directed. I'd throw the ball for the retriever, forget the cattledog, and leave them to devise their own game. A sort of parasitic relationship that both loved. This game met my goal too...to tire the cattledog out before midnight. The manipulated but satisfied retriever was the tool. Worked like a charm.
One meetup I puzzled over for a long time and still haven't quite figured out. One of my previous cattledogs, a spayed female who was moderately bossy, happened to spot an unknown border collie mix on a public beach at quite a distance. Both dogs were off leash; in this rural small town hardly anyone even knew what a leash was. I always had a leash with me in case we met up with someone my dog had issues with.
The collie wasn't doing anything in particular that I could see but my dog immediately went into a sort of high alert stealth-stalk posture riveted on this distant dog. Once in a while she would do something similar before playing with a dog she knew, but I'd never seen her behave with such intensity before so didn't realize what was coming. She slowly, silently crept up to that dog almost on her knees. At first the collie gave off a neutral friendly vibe, but as my dog approached became completely submissive. Next thing I knew, my dog attacked her. No one was hurt, just a lot of noise, but I still felt terrible for reading the situation wrong.
Last edited by Parnassia; 02-24-2019 at 03:25 PM..
I have a little Italian Greyhound who is obsessed with Boston Terriers, Pugs and French Bull Dogs. She is mostly uninterested in other dogs but when she sees one of these little flat faced pups she always wants to meet them and play. It’s the funniest thing.
Australian Shepherd obsessed with Siberian Huskies. Fine around other breeds, but barks and nips obsessively with Huskies.
I used to joke that my last Siberian, Bandit, had a thing for blonds and redheads, because he always tried to hump the Golden Retrievers he saw. He didn't do it with other breeds, and I don't think it was specific to particular dogs. (Meaning, I don't think it was a dominance thing.) He saw a Golden, ANY Golden -- whether that dog was known to him or not -- and immediately rushed up and made a nuisance of himself.
I used to joke that my last Siberian, Bandit, had a thing for blonds and redheads, because he always tried to hump the Golden Retrievers he saw. He didn't do it with other breeds, and I don't think it was specific to particular dogs. (Meaning, I don't think it was a dominance thing.) He saw a Golden, ANY Golden -- whether that dog was known to him or not -- and immediately rushed up and made a nuisance of himself.
My golden mix loves to hump huskys and labs for some reason. I obviously always stop him but he loves picking on dogs bigger than him.
He does not like German Shepherds though. I don't know why. He can tolerate my friend's shepherd mix but he cannot stand pure bread german shepherds.
Maybe the overall appearance or scent happens to trigger bad memories. Size, coat type, body proportions, movement. Not specific colors due to a dog's limited vision, but general...solid dark, solid light, etc. Some breeds have oily coats and stronger odors than others.
What the other dog eats could have something to do with it also. It can affect how the dog smells. A friend of mine came to visit and her dog and his poop smelled funny to me. She was feeding him food that had salmon as it's main protein ingredient.
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