Stalking other dogs

poinea

Hi guys,

Ty has started stalking other dogs at the dog park recently. I really don't know what the trigger is, and it is not all dogs.
The first instance was a few weeks ago when I flew back to Columbus for the weekend.
We took the kids to the dog park. All was good for awhile. Ty was hanging around doing a fence patrol and peeing along trees. Then he just stands still and lays down. Odd for him to lay down at the park, but okay. Then he was focused on a Great Dane that just came into the park. The owners kept the 7month pup on leash (why i dont know). Ty then would slowly creep towards the Dane.. then lay down. Get up, creep a little more etc. He made it to the other dog before I could get there but he was fine with the dog once he got there.

The second incident was this weekend. Patrick told me about it when he brought the kids to the park. I don't know what breed it was this time, but the dog was outside the park when it caught Ty's attention. Ty then stalked up to the gate by the dog. After he got to the dog and was able to check him out, all was good.

Has anyone else experienced this or could give some tips on these situations?
This all started after he made his first successful rabbit catch. I'm not sure if its related or not, or his over confidence...

mdokic

Hmmm...that's interesting..Kona does a similar thing (and I know a bunch of the dogs in her litter too) where she'll crouch like that and stalk her "sister" kimber, but she doesn't continue creeping, she'll lay stone still for a while, then POUNCE!! Either a chase ensues or she runs straight up to her, Kimber has no reaction and it's over... haven't seen her comfortable enough with other dogs to do this, but that's what she does...never just creep creep creep.

Maybe he's doing a similar thing but more stealthy lol? Like trying to be sneaky and surprise them?

Kona has rushed a few dogs like this in the past, and one who was at the dog park had been attacked before and HATES other dogs, so when Kona did this to that dog the dog probably felt scared and started barking when Kona got to her and furiously biting at Kona...it ended in a fight. That's the only thing I would ever watch for, but doesn't sound like Ty is rushing them, just sneaking up on them :P

NavyDog

@mdokic that's funny that Kona does it but not Kimber. Yucca does it all the time mostly just to Cayenne anytime she turns her back like when she's drinking water. Yucca drops down and waits for cayenne to turn back around then POUNCE! She will also do it to me but only cause it's a game between us. Anytime she's across the room from me and we make eye contact, we both crouch down and slowly creep toward each other til one of us jumps the other. It's fun to see how close I can get to her before she pounces. A few times we've gotten nose to nose

mdokic

Yeah she doesn't really drop to the ground, but she'll straighten out, dip her head a little and stare you down...i've done the crouch down and creep up to her nose-to-nose too!! Cuties

poinea

Thanks Michelle. He hasn't done this to Asako, so the behavior was just... odd. I don't want to see him try to do this after the wrong dog. If it's a Kai thing, it's a Kai thing and just need to watch out.

mdokic

Yeah it's the wrong dog thing I would be most worried about...other than that I think just keep an eye on him but I dont *think* it's much to worry about

sunyata

Nola also does the stalk/pounce thing, but so far only to Bella, her "sister". We do not frequent dog parks much (Bella is reactive), so I am not sure if she would do this to other dogs.

sjp051993

The crouch and pounce is very Kai characteristic. Mine so that. I have never had one do the stealth crawl.

CrimsonO2

The stalk is an initiation of play, but it's not something you want your dog to do as the first introduction to another dog. My Shikoku female does this and I immediately have to redirect/break her laser-focus on the dog as it puts the prey dog on super high-alert and you never know how that dog will react (usually reactively and warning). I make sure the dogs greet each other first, and depending on their behavior after that, I'll let the stalking slide.

Jesse

MontanaKai

My Kai, Orry, does this often, but mainly when he's on leash. Orry is from the same litter as @mdokic 's Kona.

If we're stopped on a trail and he notices a dog approaching, he'll immediately crouch down. It usually results in a bad introduction as soon as the other dog gets to us, so I'm working on ways to avoid it/redirect it. If both dogs are off leash, then they both freely/naturally move toward each other and rarely is there an issue.

He'll also do it in play when with an already known dog, in a yard for example, but it ends in a friendly pounce. With a new dog though and when he's on leash, it is something I have to manage. Oh, he doesn't do the crawl thing though.

poinea

i really do appreciate you all telling me that your kais do this too. I was worried that he up'd his hunting game since he hasn't done this before and doesn't do it to my shiba. I guess even after a year and a few months from adopting him he is still getting comfortable and coming out of his shell. Reading that this is more of less an initiation of play is good since he usually won't play with other dogs other than Asako. Just have to be careful

tjbart17

The stalk is an initiation of play, but it's not something you want your dog to do as the first introduction to another dog. My Shikoku female does this and I immediately have to redirect/break her laser-focus on the dog as it puts the prey dog on super high-alert and you never know how that dog will react (usually reactively and warning). I make sure the dogs greet each other first, and depending on their behavior after that, I'll let the stalking slide.

Jesse

I tend to disagree with this statement. Koda stalks new dogs when he meets them and wants to play. Stalking is part of a fixed action pattern, and this behavior is inherent in dogs. I tend to trust that dogs know how to communicate with each other. I have NEVER had a problem with another dog because Koda initiated play by stalking.

Here's a quick article on FAP's http://www.usdaa.com/article.cfm?newsID=2499

CrimsonO2

Tara,
Dogs may know how to inherently communicate with each other, but if the dogs are leashed and initiate this behavior, then the owner's (usually ignorant of the dog behavior) transmit their anxiety down through the leash to their dog. I contend that the more subservient dog will override their own instincts with their owner's emotions. If you add the pounce position to that the coyote-like looks of my dog, owners are usually on guard of their white fluffy punteranians and kick-terriers.

Jesse

shibamistress

It's play, but it's true not all dogs will take it well. Leo only does it with dogs he likes, and he doesn't like that many dogs. He does it with his packmates and a couple of others. His most common reaction to strange dogs is to pretend they don't exist.

tjbart17

@Crimson02 Oh I wasn't thinking on leash. I don't allow my dogs to play on leash because I'm only 5'0" tall and barely 100 pds. they would take me down and tangle me up. I was thinking off leash. :-)

CrimsonO2

Yeah off-leash all bets are off:). However, Kurenai usually zeroes in on white fluffy poo-mutts (maltie-poo, cocka-poo, shi-poo, etc.) and is an absolute terror to them. Thus why I never really allow her to play with small dogs and keep to large dog parks with this kind of play. And she's usually the one being tracked/pounced than being the pouncer.

Jesse

roninshiba

Our Shiba, Kuma, does this stalking/crawling as well. He does this with dogs he knows and also dogs he doesn't know. He will lay down in a crouch with his head low to the ground staring, not moving and waiting for the other dog to come closer. He will creep if the other dog is farther away and not paying attention. At a certain point he bolts, barking and snarling. He looks and sounds like he's attacking but he's actually just playing. While I know he's just playing, this can look scary to some dogs & definitely to some owners who are not familiar with this behavior(ie: as @Crimson02 says, "white fluffy poo-mutts" and their owners). I don't let him do this with dogs & owners I haven't seen/met before and I will make him sit and wait to make sure the other dog is okay before letting him do a normal doggie greeting.

What is funny tho' is when Kuma and his buddy do the stalk across the park. They will see each other coming then do the stalk/crawl towards each other. At a certain point they stop and just stare each other down. At that point it's a standoff with neither of them moving. They'll sit there for a while unless either I tell Kuma "Go get him!" or his buddies owner does the same.

kiba888

my shiba Kiba did the samething to a duck in the bush this weekend. I didnt let him get to it all the way though.

He also lays down when he sees a dog nearby when we're on walks

Rikka

My Shiba does this all the time, especially the crawling thing. He likes to lay down (regardless if it's in the mud, grass, water, whatever) and stare at another dog, then slowly stalks towards them. When he eventually does get close enough, he pounces and does the normal barking / wagging his tail thing. The other dog generally plays back, but often times, they ignore them. It's just a quirk, I think.

Crispy

I was thinking of this thread today.

Fala (Kishu Ken puppy) will stalk her brothers when they're playing together. The boys will be wrestling around on the ground and she'll suddenly stop what she's doing, couch reeeeeallly low, back up a couple steps, and then launch herself at her brothers.

It's very cute. They're 4 weeks old, but they're incredibly athletic already.

poltergeist

My 4 month shiba stalks my Boston Terrier when he is playing with him. As long as they're playing I don't worry about it.