My dog just lunged at a puppy...first signs of aggression?

Today, I was at the park with my 16 month old mastiff/dogo mix. He has always been friendly with people and other dogs. Today he went after a 9 month old pup while his owner was taking him off the leash. My dog has played with this pup before (2 times) and has ALWAYS been gentle. I saw no signs that anything was different than normal until my dog lunged. Now I am concerned about my dog's behavior at the dog park even though I make sure he is well socialized with people and other dogs. We go to the dog park daily! Any ideas about what I need to do? I am weary about taking him back there. Luckily the pup was not injured.

Thanks

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Dec 03, 2014
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Stay Away From Dog Parks
by: Adam G. Katz

Hi,

Stay away from dog parks. It's an unnatural environment, from a canine behavior perspective. They were created to make HUMANS feel better about their dog ownership experience, but it is not normal for a dog to be thrown into an environment with so many other dogs from varying packs. Plus-- the people who go to dog parks rarely have very good control of their own dogs, so ... you're just asking for a dog fight, even if your dog is not the instigator.

Still-- You'll need to address the aggression issue, when you're out in public with the dog. This starts by employing a "Nothing in Life Is Free" approach so that your dog starts to respect you, when you tell him, "No!" and is reinforced by using the proper training collar for your dog's temperament (and learning how to use it, of course).

Employ the "Nothing In Life Is Free" approach, so that your dog starts to view you as the "pack leader." If your dog doesn't see you as the leader, then your corrections will be meaningless. So, if you're doing subtle things (inadvertently) to undermine your leadership role around the house-- it will be counter-productive.