When i take my 10 yr. old male, neutered dog Max (half shar pei half black lab) On a walk and he sees another dog he gets all riled up. He pull really hard on the leash to the point where i almost can't control him. I used to let him go up to the dogs and sniff them (as long as there owners were with them) but i would get kinda worried by what he would do. His ears would perk up, his hair on his back would go up, he would stiffen, his eyes would widen, and he seemed to walk higher on his tiptoes like. He would try to tower over the other dog. His tail would wag, but it was slowly. I know these are all signs of aggression. Once he started sniffing the dog i would tell him he is such a good boy in a soothing yet upbeat tone. I don't pull on the leash as i know this triggers aggression. He would seem to calm down after he sniffed the dog but if the dog moved away from him he would very quickly move in front of him and his eyes would get wider and he almost tries to walk into the dog to block his path. he gets somewhat paranoid and swings around really fast. He has never snapped, growled, bared teeth or bitten another dog, but i decided not to let him interact with dogs anymore. my uncle brings his shih tzu over a lot and he no longer cares about her, although they only interact when she first comes over and they sniff, then Max just avoids/ignores her. As a puppy Max was never properly socialized (don't blame me i was only four). He has never played with another dog since he was a puppy. I feel bad for him but i am also worried he may bite another dog. i have had dogs come up to us (without owners, although they are not strays) and I'm afraid they may fight. Is it too late to socialize Max, and is this true dog aggression or does max just not know how to react to other dogs.?
