How to socialize adult, previously abused dog?
I'm talking about Vallis. We've had him for about 1.5 years, and he really doesn't seem to have made a whole lot of progress with becoming socialized to strangers. He is fine if they come our house- he just barks then is friendly- it's just on walks that he acts like a little gremlin.
He was about 1.5 when we got him, was not fed enough and was neglected, was probably hit, and had never ever been on a walk in his life. The only reason he was ok with our dogs and cat was because he had lived with other dogs/cats.
Basically, on walks (we go on a walk nearly every day and he encounters lots of people) he will bark/growl at bikers, joggers, skateboarders, men, other dogs, and anyone else he thinks is suspicious. He is usually friendly to women and children. I was hoping that over time he would get used to these daily encounters and stop acting like that.
What can I do differently to get his behavior to stop?
Rescued dog who may have been part of dog fighting ring
I, too, am working with a recently rescued dog (German Sheperd/beagle) who may have been abused, maybe in a fighting ring. She is VERY aggressive with other dogs and cats (barking, lunging, trying to make contact). She tries to jump on people but is not aggressive towards them. She is smart and responds to "drop it", "sit", "no bites- kisses", and "let's go in" In our home, she is playful, loving, trusting, and defers to us (goes on back for belly rub) when getting her food, waiting to go out, and when just hanging out with us. I noticed she is VERY anxious (crying, pacing) when she hears any bell-like sound on TV. That, combined with her aggression, the fact that she lost an eye due to a "vicious attack" (description from her first animal shelter in Virginia) made me wonder about the fighting background. We are intruducing people slowly and am taking advantage of an individual obedience class from the local shelter to which she was transferred. She was in quarantine for rabies just two days before we adopted her so she hasn't had a home nor positive, playful experiences with other dogs her entire life. before she left the shelter, she was described as being noisy with other dogs but the timing didn't allow them to work with her to socialize before we adopted her. She's a wonderful girl with a HUGE heart. Has anyone had any similar experiences and ideas?