Lurcher aggression.

Crisp_£_note

We have a Collie cross Lurcher he is around 8 to 9 years old and has been neutered. He is a rescue dog and we have had him almost all his life.

He has always had a strong 'herding' drive and we have had to curb the ankle nipping whenever it has returned to his instincts. However this past year he has become gradualy worse to a point my husband and I have big concerns as to his future.

He has been checked over by a vet but the vet said all basics are ok. He is due his booster so we need to book him in so will be asking again for a better checkup.

Earlier this year he turned on me and grazed my arm and even more recently he turned on my husband and left a bit of a bite on his leg. Both of these occasions though I can see how the dog became agressive and was reacting to defend himself. Although I am not sticking up for this behaviour mearly observing the situation now I have time to look back and consider. However I am also well aware that the situations could have turned out much worse and it could simply next time not be 'so luck' and not be me or my husband.

Before anyone tells me now I need to have them put down blah blah blah I do realise the likeleyhood of this is becoming more and more of a no alternative option right now and as insane as it sounds I am prepared to fight to prevent this from happening and this will be a very last resort. Put simply our dogs are our children as I am infertile but before anyone thinks im a crazy dog woman who dresses them up and acts like their fur babies I know the difference between humans and animals so no im not like that! I just ask for a bit of compassion that the dog has a life and I dont necesseraly beleive in euthenasia (although the majority of my past cats and dogs have been 'put to sleep' in this way as their suffering and zero quality of life outweighed the ethics so I had little choice).

With the festive season fast approaching im at my most anxious as to what to do as I know I cannot relax to leave the dog with mother in law who knows the dogs ways and is (has already said) she is happy to look after the dogs if we want to go away to see my parents this year. I really dont think its safe or fair for anyone to have to put them in this potentially dangerous position and I also feel the same way as to inviting my mother to stay with us for the festivities either.

I love the dog to bits and he is generally well behaved otherwise.

However my husband and me have limited funds so we really are not sure we can afford a behaviourist or too extensive vet testing even though we have pet insurance they will only pay half the bill if approved due to the dogs age.

Thanks for any replies

krlyr

Would you mind perhaps explaining the circumstances around the bites? You say you can see reasons and it would be interesting to know more information, I understand if you'd rather not.

With aggression, I would almost always recommend a behaviourist for help, it is difficult to give advice over the internet and with issues like there is the risk that incorrect advice could worsen the situation and result in a bite.
However, if you can't afford a behaviourist then a possible alternative would be a trainer with good behavioural experience. Not every trainer chooses to become a behaviourist, but many will somewhat step over the line between trainer and behaviourist and offer some form of behavioural assessment/treatment. A local trainer to me has an absolutely fantastic knowledge of dog behaviour from what she's said to me when assessing Casper, and I would trust her as much as an actual dog behaviourist. She did the assessment for free, and has given me lots of advice on a different issue over email - you may find a local trainer to be a slightly cheaper alternative. Or perhaps even try to find a behaviourist who will assist however they can, within your budget.

Crisp_£_note

The dog turned on me because he had gone into the bathroom after hearing a bird scarer bang one afternoon in the summer (he is scared of all sorts of noises) and it was my fault I had left the door open for him to access it. However on wanting to use the small room I needed to get him to come out but as I was getting more desparate for the toilet the dog wasn't wanting to budge hence I tried to coax it out to my mistake as the dog growled and I ignored the warning snarls and he lunged for me and my arm took the brunt as I sheilded my body.

The second occasion was in October in the early evening when there was a plumber in the bathroom assessing a job quote and the dog bolted in there because he heared a firework go off. Again we tried to coax the dog out and again my husband ignored the growls and the snarling and his shin bore the attack.

However on both occasions the dogs remorse afterwards was almost imediate so I am wondering if on these occasions it was fright that created the situations.

This is entirely different to most of the behaviour he expresses which is never provoked as far as we can understand. Its when we move the laptops to go to bed he attacks the table legs or if theres just something he is not liking at the time he will just decide he doesnt like it.

Then theres the food guarding etc which we have dealt with as best we can at mealtimes and the rest well they simply dont get any treats at all anymore. Not even raw carrotts!

The whole routine between the Lurcher and the Greyhound (another story :rolleyes: ) is really taking its tolls on me and my husband so much so I enjoy escaping from the house without the dogs!

Thanks for taking the time to reply everyone so far its much appreciated

krlyr

Yes, I would say some form of noise phobia is at play and the dog was put in a fight-or-flight situation without the option of flight. I think a behaviourist doing a home visit would be helpful - I would recommend a log of what happens, what you've done, etc. with a list of questions and ideal solutions to address to the behaviourist so that you get the most 'bang for buck' as such, and address the resource guarding at the same time. It isn't cheap, but it may not be as expensive as you think it is, you may be able to claim some back through insurance, and most behaviourists offer follow-up help (usually over the phone/email) as part of their consultation cost.