Agressive towards other dogs?

[*LabLoverKEB*]

My Lab pup, Rita, is very agressive towards other dogs. She lunges, snaps, barks, and growls at almost every dog we pass on our walks. It is really starting to frusturate me, because I was *planning* on showing her, or doing flyball with her. And if she shows agressiveness to other dogs, I will not be doing anything like that with her.

Does anyone have any ideas/tips on how to break her of this?? It would be greatly appreciated.

[wolf_Q]

I hope you are able to get some good advice for Rita, does she get along well with Sadie?

Not trying to butt in, but I'd also like some help sort of in the same way with Nebo. He does not lunge, growl, bark, etc. at other dogs while we're on a walk. In fact most times he either ignores them or wags his tail and whines like he wants to play with them. He can be in a crowd of hundreds of dogs and be just fine with them all around him...but when they get in his personal space he gets pissy. Not with all dogs, but a lot of them. Yesterday I was walking him and a guy came up with his lab to let them sniff (they had been looking at eachother wagging tails like they wanted to play) I warned the guy that Nebo isn't always nice but he did it anyway. They sniffed for a bit and were real close together, and Nebo (possibly the other dog too) got rather stiff then Nebo growled/sort of snapped at the other dog. He didn't actually bite the other dog, he's never really injured another dog, but it looks bad. Help?

[*LabLoverKEB*]

I hope you are able to get some good advice for Rita, does she get along well with Sadie?

Not trying to butt in, but I'd also like some help sort of in the same way with Nebo. He does not lunge, growl, bark, etc. at other dogs while we're on a walk. In fact most times he either ignores them or wags his tail and whines like he wants to play with them. He can be in a crowd of hundreds of dogs and be just fine with them all around him...but when they get in his personal space he gets pissy. Not with all dogs, but a lot of them. Yesterday I was walking him and a guy came up with his lab to let them sniff (they had been looking at eachother wagging tails like they wanted to play) I warned the guy that Nebo isn't always nice but he did it anyway. They sniffed for a bit and were real close together, and Nebo (possibly the other dog too) got rather stiff then Nebo growled/sort of snapped at the other dog. He didn't actually bite the other dog, he's never really injured another dog, but it looks bad. Help?
You are not butting in. It's better that making a whole new thread on the same subject. ;)

Yes, Sadie and Rita are great together, but they do play rough a lot. Could that be the problem??

[MajesticCollies]

Rita just needs to be continually socialized. It is obviously going to take longer than you expect but you just need to hang in there and keep up the hard work.

I can only tell you to get professional help if this persists. I'm sure she will come through for you.

[BC_MoM]

Hey Sarah....Molly's having the same problem. :( Except once she gets up to the dogs, she's fine and happy again...she's fine offleash... But being far away, onleash by other dogs drives her nuts unless she can go up to them. It's very embarassing and everyone thinks she's vicious now. :(

[k9krazee]

Jack was very much the same way...

The thing that helped us TREMENDOUSLY was going to obedience classes. We've been through 1 obedience class and 3 agility classes and I can see the difference. Set up play dates with dogs you know are friendly and constantly expose her to different people and dogs. I know how frustrating it can be...good luck!

[BC_MoM]

What's weird about Molly though, is that she is totally fine at the dog park with every single dog.

I took her on a walk alone tonight, after I took the M&M's on a walk together, and she didn't act up as much when she saw other dogs than she does when Mickey is with us? :confused:

[Savage Destiny]

My friend has a horribly dog aggressive dog (BC/Aussie Cattle Dog X).

We've been working with Nanaboo to try to combat his aggression, and its working well so far.

We take him to a place where dogs have to be leashed (Petco, etc), and have a Gentle Leader on him. My friend has a pocket full of treats (I'm mostly just along to run interference should someone's dog get loose or something). We walk Nani around the store, letting him see other dogs and such. When he starts getting aggressive when he sees a dog, she pulls his head around (hence the GL) and holds out a treat. She makes him sit, lie down, do a trick, anything- As long as he's focusing on HER.

Its working well so far. :) Nani is learning to focus on her exclusively, and not pay attention to the other dogs.

[Jadapit]

Ebony was a lot like that when she was little. I walked her every day around as many dogs as I could. Sometimes I would make her sit if the dog was in a fence then I would give her a treat when she calmed down. We can walk by any dog now and she does fine. Sometimes I think they have to get used to being out and about around other dogs.

[luvofallhorses]

I think obdience classes will help socialize her more. :)

[Tollers-n-Dobes]

Hey Sarah....Molly's having the same problem. :( Except once she gets up to the dogs, she's fine and happy again...she's fine offleash... But being far away, onleash by other dogs drives her nuts unless she can go up to them. It's very embarassing and everyone thinks she's vicious now. :(

That's exactly how Tango was too.

Obedience classes helped tremendously because I had/have a great trainer. Tango and I are on our third set of group classes to help with her behaviour and I am also able to go in on weekends to get one on one help. Now, I can take Tango for a walk and while she reacts a bit, she calms down almost instantly. I'd definitely recommend anyone with this sort of problem to look into finding a great trainer and go to obedience classes if it is possible. I can't really explain how I control her through just typing it down, it's something I'd have to demonstrate to you...which is obviously not possible. I wish I could be of more help, but like I said, obedience classes should really help.

[Crikit]

The thing about dogs on leash and showing aggresion is that the dog has no where to go and therefore does the only thing they can do to defend themselves. Dogs tend to go through four stages when faced with things that might upset them, there's the Flee stage when the dog tries to escape what is bothering them, the Freeze where the dog stops and refuses to move hoping that that can get them out of the situation, the Fight stage where the dog feels that they have no other choice but to strike out at the situation and finally the frenzy where the dog totally losses their mind, that of course can be shown with barking, jumping, whinning...really it's when your dog is so high that nothing seems to get through to them.

A lot of the time what you see when a dog is on leash is a totally passing over of the first two stages and they go straight to one of the final stages. That of course happens because they can't flee when they're on leash and freezing won't help when the thing they have issue with continues to advance.

Also a lot of dogs consider the area that they can reach when on leash their "protection zone", think of it like when your dog is in your yard or your house and a stranger approaches of course the dog would send up the alarm and try to protect their turf. It's the same when the dog is on leash they're trying to protect you and their area.

Because of the "4 F's" and the protection zone it can sometimes be a better idea to let two dogs meet for the first time in a controlled environment where they can be off leash and both have an opportunity to get of the situation if need be.

Some things that might help with this is to work on something called an emergency u-turn. So when you and your dog are coming up to a situation that you think the dog might not be able to handle (that can be anything from a small animal, another person, or another dog) make a sound or something to get the dogs attention even a turn command or something and turn and head in the other direction. In other words if you don't think that your dog can handle it try not to put your dog in to the situation. Or if you see another dog approaching get your dog in to a sit and have them focus on you until the other dog is past. Whatever you do though do not yank back on the leash as aggression breeds aggression, you yanking back on the leash might make the dog think that there is something that they need to be worried and defensive about and in the long run it could make things worse.

Hope that helps some what.

[*LabLoverKEB*]

I had a very unplleasent expierence with the little brat today.
I was walking Rita & Sadie, (both on leashes). And we come to a corner of our neighborhood block. We all see a chocolate Lab, Tanner is his name. Very stupid on my part, I suggest she bring Tanner over to meet Rita and Sadie. Well, I ended up bawling histaricaly (sp?) on the way home.
Rita jumps, lunges very forcefully, and barks this very scary bark at this dog. Starts to fight with him, pretty much attacks him, & bites at him. She then backs out of her collar, again goes and attacks this poor dog, I grab her, pick her up, and grab her snout and tell her "NO!" in a very angry voice. And then it all repeats again. I apologized about a hundred times to this lady, she didn't seem to be upset at all. But she did suggest that I use a pinch collar when I walk her, that way I'd have more control over her.

But, I was VERY pleased with Sadie while this was happening. She didn't try to attack this dog at all, actually seemed to like him. I was very happy with her.

I am going to look into some kind of professional help for this.

[*LabLoverKEB*]

*bump*

[*LabLoverKEB*]

*bump* :confused:

[Giselle]

Have you tried any of the suggestions previously mentioned? A few of the underlying messages I got from these guys was: 1) Socialization 2) Obedience classes ASAP.

If you plan to show in conformation or flyball, Rita needs to learn doggy manners. She needs to learn that there is absolutely no need for her act protective once she sees a strange dog approaching you. What kind of collar do you use? A prong might not be a bad idea. You will need to do major desensitization and heavy socialization. A quickie trip to a professional isn't going to fix all your problems =/

Also, it doesn't sound like you can necessarily handle both Rita and Sadie at once. I suggest walking them separately so that situations like the one aforementioned NEVER has to repeat itself. Additionally, do you tense up once Rita sees a strange dog? If you tense up, pull on the lead, and speak to her in angry tones, she is going to instinctively associate negative connotations with strange dogs. Have you any books on dog behavior problems? If not, I would recommend: How to Behave so Your Dog Behaves by Sophia Yin and in the case that Rita's aggression is fear based (sounds like it is to me), I would also suggest The Cautious Canine by Patricia McConnell.

[*LabLoverKEB*]

Giselle thank you very much! Yes, I do uses a prong collar, she is much easier to control when she has it on. I will try to take a looksie at those books you mentioned.
Thanks!

[buttercup132]

Hey Sarah....Molly's having the same problem. :( Except once she gets up to the dogs, she's fine and happy again...she's fine offleash... But being far away, onleash by other dogs drives her nuts unless she can go up to them. It's very embarassing and everyone thinks she's vicious now. :(I saw this problem once on the Dog Whisperer (with Ceasar) he said its because the dog dog is on a leash and so it dose something to them to make them lunge out and attack, its like its because its restraining them to the other dog. If I remember right when another dog passed he would make the dog sit and kept just saying shhh really fast and giving a tug of the choke chain (or that collar/leash thing he always uses) as soon as the dog calmed down he continued walking, and when the dog was walking he would make it stay at his side so that he could lengthen the leash so the dog would feel less attached to something. But he had to also train the dog to always stay in a heel right beside him.


Also, it doesn't sound like you can necessarily handle both Rita and Sadie at once. I suggest walking them separately so that situations like the one aforementioned NEVER has to repeat itself. Additionally, do you tense up once Rita sees a strange dog? If you tense up, pull on the lead, and speak to her in angry tones, she is going to instinctively associate negative connotations with strange dogs.

I agree , and if you get all tense she can sense that and it makes matters worse.
Always think of something to just clear your mind and be calm.

[butrrfly23]

I have the same problems with my dog, Ginger. My other dog Roscoe (the Pit Bull) is actually the friendly, social one, but Ginger (who is a rescue without much socialization and who most likely lived on the streets for a while) is the bad one. There is an invisible "zone" where she will react, but I can see the ears perk and the tail go straight up as soon as she sees another dog within eyeshot. After a number of VERY bad experiences where her tension and aggression ended up being passed along to Roscoe and the two of them start to snarl and then go after each other (when they cannot get to the other dog they will turn on each other as a way of releasing their tension) I have started to just avoid other dogs.

However, as buttercup132 was saying, this issue is addressed quite often on the Dog Whisperer. The key, I think, to Cesar's success in dealing with these dogs is not only his leash technique (which is only a small percent), but most importantly his calm, assertive energy during the exercise. He NEVER overreacts, and always remains very calm, but at the same time confident and dominant (he knows he's in charge and the dogs sense that he's in charge). I also have noticed that he will do repetitive exercises using calm, well behaved dogs where he will set up situations where he (and then the owners) pass by other dogs on the street. Often times the dogs he's working with will put up tantrums and have strong reactions, but after several repetitions of walking deliberately forward, past the other dog, giving well-timed leash corrections and basically using his energy to let the dog know that his only job is to follow him (and ignore the other dog), the dog starts to calm down and eventually gets it. He's also said on a couple of episodes that you will have to do this with many, many dogs, as every dog is different and will elicit different reactions from the dog who is getting trained. Eventually the owner learns how to have the right energy all the time and the dog eventually learns that he/she needs to just follow the pack leader all the time and the problem starts to go away.

So, there you have it, I'm a total "Dog Whisperer Geek"!

I'm definitely not at that point yet, but I'm certainly working on it. Ginger has been this way for at least 3-4 years (her estimated age) so I'm sure it will take a bit of doing to get her more socialized, but at least Rita is young and will probably pick up on this training more quickly. The hardest part for me is being able to find other dog owners nearby who 1) have a calm, well-socialized dog and 2) would be willing to work with me in this kind of setup.

So, if there are any well-socialized dog owners out there in the Orlando, FL area who would be interested in offering me some help setting up this kind of training session, please let me know!

Good luck with Rita!

[*LabLoverKEB*]

Thank you all so very much for your kind responses! I really appreciate the replys! ;) :)

[wombat2u2004]

I am sorry... but this is just plain CRUEL . let me ask you one question... how would you like someone elses dog to attack yours ???? I do not think you would like that AT ALL. Your dogs do not deserve to live with you AT ALL.

[Lescoop77]

I am sorry... but this is just plain CRUEL . let me ask you one question... how would you like someone elses dog to attack yours ???? I do not think you would like that AT ALL. Your dogs do not deserve to live with you AT ALL.

What kind of comment is this????? Of course noone wants a strange dog to attack our own - but they are animals -and sometimes you have to find the source of the problem before you treat it and it sounds like this is exactly what she did. Don't listen to this comment! This person doesn't know what they're talking about.

[wombat2u2004]

"What kind of comment is this????? Of course noone wants a strange dog to attack our own - but they are animals -and sometimes you have to find the source of the problem before you treat it and it sounds like this is exactly what she did. Don't listen to this comment! This person doesn't know what they're talking about."
__________________

How VERY right you are !!!!!!

[*LabLoverKEB*]

Okay, whatever... you are extremly immature!

don't feed the trolls!

[cloverfdx]

Obedience training, socialisation.. perhaps a muzzle for safety measures if she ever slips her lead again.

[cloverfdx]

Hi Sarah just wondering if you have gotton any help yet with Rita? how are you both doing?

[cloverfdx]

Hoping no news is good news :confused:.

[*LabLoverKEB*]

Sorry, I haven't been able to get on PT in a while! Sorry! :o Rita seems to be doing better, thanks for asking. I actually found this business card on my bulliten board the other day, and it's for dog training, is says on the card, "All breds, all problems" I'm thinking about giving this guy a call sometime soon! Wish us luck! Thanks!

[fionapap]

I suspect that many dogs react aggressively because they feel trapped by their leash.

Bobbie, my 4 year old, always confuses me with her reaction to other dogs. For the most time, she is quite friendly with other dogs. There are times though when she will bark when seeing one from a distance. There are also times when they approach each other in a friendly manner, tails wagging, only to start barking at the other dog for no apparent reason.

She is a very sociable and loving dog. We take her out 2-3 times a day and let her loose whenever the surrounding area is safe of cars. We try to have come in contact with as many dogs as possible as we believe it is essential to her behaviour.

On many occasions she is approached by stray dogs which are an enormous problem in Greece. The dogs are not dangerous to the people as they circulate in heavily populated areas but do get aggressive if another dog enters their territory. My husband and I are both on alert, reading both dogs body language for any aggressiveness, and are ready to scoop Bobbie into our arms in case of an attack. Most times they play wonderfully and she returns home happy and content.

On one occasion though, she was attacked by 2 strays while crossing a traffic light. She yelped quite a few times as they tangled around my legs and I managed to pull her up into my arms while my husband tried to keep the dogs off us. Fortunately none of us were hurt.

Another attack came while sniffing a husky which was on a mechanical leash. They both looked quite happy sniffing each other until one of them, I am not quite sure who started it, barked. From then on, the husky was biting Bobbie, and they were playing May pole with my legs until they threw me down. It was my fault for not having kept my distance so I could have pulled her back. The huskies owner did nothing to reel in the leash but sit there and look impassively at the whole mess.

I gave her a piece of my mind but backed off as she got very offensive and started coming for me.

I now let Bobbie approach another dog but keep back and ready to pull her in if need be. I have also started carrying a small can of spray in case I need to ward off a stray. :)