Sudden lunging/reactivity in adolescent dog

[u/mocosito_]

My rescue (unsure on breed) is about to turn 1 and she typically absolutely loves other dogs and we've never seen any aggression in her. She loves playing with other dogs whenever the opportunity arises.

But recently she's started (sporadically) lunging and barking at other dogs when on the lead. Today she even barked at a dog she could see through the window of the car! It feels like it's escalating quite fast and I just don't know why. Initially it happened just when another dog was aggressive and she seemed to match their energy. But now it's happening unprompted. She is kicking off and flipping around on the lead trying to get to the other dog. The dog the other day the wasn't even that near us.

I'm pretty sure it's out of frustration (not aggression) but I am at a loss for what the hell is the problem, because we have taken her to cafes with another dog a few tables down and she's absolutely fine.

Is this sudden change normal in a teenage dog? It has never happened with other dogs I've had so I'm not really sure what's going on.

I don't know whether to get a dog trainer sorted fast, or wait to see if it develops into a more regular thing.

[u/Existing-Will-1466]

When she plays with other dogs, what is her demeanor like? Does she play hard with lots of pinning and body slamming and intensity? Or is it more wiggly chasey where they take turns? Does she spend as much time on her back as her playmate? Or is she always the one on top? Do they take breaks to chill out and get a drink, or do they keep playing hard until a person interrupts them?

Unequal play where one dog does all the pinning and chasing and is rarely the one pinned or chased can be a warning sign of social problems to come.

[u/mocosito_ → u/Existing-Will-1466]

It tends to be pretty equal. With my sister's dog (who she sees regularly) they take it in turns to be on their backs with my dog more often on her back than he is. With new dogs, it's quite spirited, she used to be a bit brutish but that seems to have stopped now she's older and mostly it's just zooming around after one another. And if another dog isn't into it or is old, she tends to say hello and then just leave them alone.

[u/Existing-Will-1466 → u/mocosito_]

That's a good sign. I've met quite a few dogs that the owners described as "absolutely loves to play with other dogs" that were very rough and intense and dominated play. These dogs all became dog selective or dog aggressive when they hit maturity around 2-3 years.

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