Life with a dog agressive dog...

zaksmum

Could very well be pain, getting ready.

I had a dog that was the softest thing ever, and he tried to bite ME when I was bathing him...me, who he loved with all his doggy heart!

Pain I was unaware of proved to be the cause, and when that was rectified, he was back to normal.

Maybe get Zara checked over by the vet.

You must be so worried.

Dollardog

As it has recently started, as has the limp, it sounds like pain reated to me too.
Zara is obviously in pain because of the limp, that could make her stressed and bad tempered but also, knowing she is incapacitated, she is going into defence mode in case the other dog decides to attack and she thinks she can't defend herself properly.
That could also be the reason she went for the dog she knows, perhaps they were used to playing a bit rough with each other? She was just trying to stave off the other dog as she knows that rough play would hurt her more.

gettingready

Thanks everyone - at work now but will read all at home in the evening, thanks again

catkins

krlyr wrote: »

The biggest tip for living with an aggression/reactive dog would be a change to yourself rather than your dog. Grow a thick skin, stop caring what others think. Don't worry about muzzling the dog if it helps keep people away or ensures Zara can't be blamed for attacking anyone. Tell people to go away, even if it makes you look rude. Tell people, firmly, to keep their dog away - tell them your dog is contagious if it helps (apparently tends to make people move a lot quicker than "my dog isn't friendly"!). Spot a dog approaching head on? Turn around and go the other way, even if you feel silly or rude doing it. Zara is your priority and the less she reacts, the better it is - for her immediate benefit and in the longterm, changing her behaviour (the less a dog practices a bad behaviour, the less ingrained it gets - just like toilet training, recall, etc). Just look after yourself and Zara because you cannot rely on the other dog owners to have the sense or manners to do it for you.

I could not agree with this more. My dog upto about 5 years old was great with all dogs big and small - friendly and wanting to play. He then got attacked by a labrador and shortly after was diagnosed with an underactive thyroid. I don't know which of those things or maybe both of them changed him but he became aggressive to other dogs. Not always though he could meet a dog for weeks and play with it and then suddenly one day he would go for it. He didn't like labs in particular and also did not like unneutered dogs (he was neutered). It was usually largish male dogs that he disliked but not always as he sometimes took a dislike to !!!!!es or small dogs.

He never actually bite another dog but he would snarl and bark and just look so menancing and would totally ignore recall and run up to them to snarl etc at them.

It was a nightmare for me. Being a big dog he really needed to be able to run off lead and had always been used to doing so. From never having to worry about other dogs I suddenly had to watch in case one appeared and I became a nervous wreck which obviously made my dog worse. Also, as I said, whereas his recall had always been really good, he used to just ignore me calling him.

The worst thing was one day a dog appeared before I had time to see it and he ran over and began all the snarling etc. The poor dog, who I later found out was elderly and almost blind, began screaming with fear. I ran over and grabbed my dog and kept saying over and over again to the owner "I am so sorry". Luckily for me the owner was a lovely woman and ended up comforting me as I started crying.

I got home and decided something had to be done or I would never take him for a walk again. He saw 3 behavourists which didn't do any good at all. He saw two vets to make sure there was nothing wrong with him apart from the thyroid problem. Then OH suggested we muzzle him. I was totally against that - I was the one who mainly walked him as OH works long hours and I didn't want to walk a dog with a muzzle on. I did do it though and hated it initially when people would shout at me saying if he needed a muzzle he shouldn't be off lead etc. I avoided other dogs as much as possible, worked hard on his recall again so he did come back and as you say, stopped caring what people thought or said. I only cared about my dog. I never muzzled him when he was on lead and if we were walking and saw a dog coming towards us I would just turn and walk the other way. Had a couple of people make comments about that but didn't really care. If a dog came running up to us I would shout to the owner that mine wasn't friendly (he hated dogs running up to him when he was on the lead). If they replied "oh mine is" which unfortunately was quite often I would say something like "oh so it will be alright if mine bites yours will it". Rude I know but it worked. I am not naturally a rude person but for the sake of my dog I became one when necessary.

He did get better as he got older and in his last couple of years he was very rarely muzzled.

I must just say he never really seemed to mind being muzzled. The first few times he tried to get it off but after that he was ok with it

BECKIN1507

Like others have said a muzzle will really help, you'll know she can not do any damage to any other dogs, which will make you more calmer and will help your dog. I have a ridgeback x staffie whom decides he only likes some dogs! I used to always be on edge with him as you just never would know who he was going to decide to eat. Now I walk him with a cage muzzle, and a halti, he's so strong and we very rarely run into problems, other people react better aswel as they don't let dogs come running towards. It suits Spot and I, the muzzle doesn't bother him at all.
Do you not know anyone with a dog that could help you? If you lived near me (i'm in somerset) I'd come and help your dog get used to single dogs, I have a very non reactive rottie who takes dogs having a go at him very well, he runs then comes back just to make sure they meant it. Must add that he has been attacked a few but has never bit back, even when a yorkshire terrier was attached to his face.

hartleysjam

My GSD has developed a disliking to small dogs, and it pretty much came out of no where, she actually caused injury to the other dog, so we do have to use a muzzle unfortunately but that said, it's preferable to her causing the injury or death of someone's dog. It really frustrates me when other dog owners allow their dogs to stroll over without checking though , it causes countless problems and then I get the dirty look as she's barking away with her hackles up!!

gettingready

Thanks for all the posts.

Very very tired today and have 2 hospital appointments tomorrow so won't have a chance for a proper read (checking links etc) probably till the weekend.

But will do, as soon as I feel up to it.

Thanks again.

JUst a quick one re muzzle - Zara is a big girtl and given a chance (which she does not get) could do a lot of damage even wearing a muzzle, just with her paws and pure body weight.

And yes, I absolutely hate owners who's dogs run up to us when she is on a lead with owner miles away and me shouting pls call your dog off and them shouting but he is friendly just wants to play.... Yup, that is my absolute nightmare. There is a reason I have my dog on a lead when I do.. sighhh

Also, please note what I said:

gettingready wrote: »

I will not have ger oon a lead by my leg AND muzzled.

krlyr

Again, a muzzle can be introduced to be something she won't even blink an eye at so no harm to her in doing it..and if it makes those people who let their dogs run over to you think twice, surely that's a benefit?
I would try not to be so anti-muzzle, yes she could still cause injury while wearing one but not as much as without if she is pushed to bite. It may not be her fault or your fault but given her breed, I would not like to tempt the courts into siding with the other party if they weren't honest about what happened.
Even if you just aclimatise her to a muzzle and carry it with you to use on rare occasions, at least she'll be used to it and you have it as backup. Infact, I often keep it clipped somewhere visible, like a belt buckle, so people see it and think twice about approaching us, which benefits me and Casper nicely. And as a bonus, it works as a handy little basket for poo bags until you get to a poo bin!

rising_from_the_ashes

GR - out of curiosity, does she do it when out with your dog walker?

Would be interesting to know as if she doesn't (or isn't as bad), then some of it must at least being protective of you (((hugs))) I know how stressful the off-lead thing is as still def a WIP with Maisie (she's one of the louts who run up to other dogs......) so letting her off has to be done under strictly controlled situations and involves checking every few seconds to see if someone's entered the vicinity - not a very relaxing walk, so I get that totally.

gettingready

rising_from_the_ashes wrote: »

GR - out of curiosity, does she do it when out with your dog walker?

She never did when she was walking with the previous dog walker in a group of dogs.

My current one has a tiney chuwawa (spelling?????) and Zara made friends with this one and shock horror lets this one into the flat.. total shock to me. BUT when out, she barks at other dogs (dog walker has her on a lead)


krlyr - any links to muzzles?

thanks again.. and off to bed