Doggy trouble...

[horse_lover]

My dog Ozzy is great with people! But not with other dogs! I can't even take him on a walk without worrying there is going to be another dog! Is there anyway to prevent this or stop it? I just need help please!

[mike001]

You didn't include enough info about your dog-----breed, sex, age, trainng he has, etc? Lots depends on the age and training the dog has.

[horse_lover]

oh ok...american bulldog, male, 4 what else do you need to know? Just wondering so I can get some help

[crow_noir]

There may or may not be anything you can do. Socialization early on is VERY important.

Can you tell us precisely how he acts towards other dogs. (We can tailor our answers better from there.) (Things could range from him being aggressive, protective, bossy, dominate, to fearful. And not everyone will agree on our interpretations of his behavior.)

Obedience class may help because it is a somewhat controlled setting. For dog's it's sort of like a job. They learn that there are times when they have to listen to you, and times when they can be themselves.

Socialization sessions with other dogs of certain personality types can help too.

oh ok...american bulldog, male, 4 what else do you need to know? Just wondering so I can get some help

[horse_lover]

Well see we just got him...we rescued him. I don't actually know what kind of training he had before. But i do know that when we got him he wasn't very...i don't know, respectful. He got into the garbage got on the furniture [[he has his own chair lol]], he didn't listen at all. But now he is very good! I also know that when there is another dog around, he just goes right at them he doesn't even give them a chance to sniff or anything. I don't know if this was the kind of information that your looking for but I hope it helped!!!

[mike001]

Makes a lot of difference knowing you just got him and he's already four.
Being a rescue it's really hard to say what his history is.
From what you say about his manners when you first got him, I don't think he's had much socializing or any kind of training. Maybe he was attacked by other dog/s before and it makes him defensive. Could be that he feels another dog will take his place in his "forever" home, so he will protect his territory at all costs.
Not knowing his background, I think your best bet would be training classes, you'l get a tremendous amount of help and he will learn how to respect you as the Alpha---maybe he thinks he has to be the alpha and really doesn't want the job. Also the NILIF works wonders on most dogs.
just sounds like you and he need a little coaching.
Oh, there's also a special halter for dogs that act like this, you could put it on, and you would have complete control over him to break the habit.
I would prefer the classes and NILIF above all though.

[horse_lover]

Ok! Thank you. Another I've noticed though is he seems pretty protective. One day a neighbor dog ran over and jumped on me and was "play" biting me and my dog Ozzy went after him...but I really don't know. It was just a guess. But thank you for your help!

[mike001]

You're absolutely right in thinking he's acting overprotective. He doesn't want to share you or lose you. He is probably still insecure and trying to show you he's worth keeping, he he.
Classes and NILIF should help him tremendously, don't be too harsh with him but when he acts protective like this, tell him NO and demand that he sits so he knows you are in control. It's a slow process but I'm sure he'll come around, just need lots of patience. Good luck, keep us posted.