Dog to dog aggression.

Kimberley

Has anyone trained or dealt with dog to dog aggression?

MoneySavingStudent_2

We rescued a dog in July/August time. She was on the streets of leeds for her first few month of her life and therefore was very aware of everything. Toward humans she was great! But towards other dogs she seemed to get very jumpy and growl in a horrible way. We were very scared she might actually go for another dog. We decided to take her to dog training which was great for us and her. We got to know she was extremely smart little thing and that it was mainly our fear she was going to bit another dog which was holding her back. We now take her to a dog walk on a sunday morning with about 20 other dogs. This enabled her to socialise with them and stop the growling and sometime she was so scared she would just lay down and cry. We've been on the dog walks since september and she is now the most soft thing in the world!! She doesnt growl at dogs or cats for that matter! She now crys if you dont let her say hello because she wants to be friends with everyone!

Maybe you should try dog training? Then you can get some good advise from professionals? It wasnt too expensive either and now shes learnt alot she goes to other training where the jump through things etc.

Hope that kinda helps lol!

pboae

There are many different types, my dog was seriously dog aggressive when he first came to us (we knew in advance through the rescue). We had a behaviourist from day one, and I could never have managed him without professional help.

His issues are mainly pain related, so it is more a question of management that cure, 3 years on, I still wouldn't trust him to be with another dog unsupervised, and I keep him onlead pretty much all the time. If he was away from me and another dog hurt him he would still react, but he trusts me to control the situation now and make sure that doesn't happen. I can't even remember the last time we had any trouble.

It was a slow process though. We started out training in a field adjacent to another field where other dogs were training. Gradually we moved over to the adjoining hedge, then (over a number of sessions) into the field, but on the far side, each time just getting to the edge of his comfort zone and working from there. Eventually he was able to join a (carefully selected class) and that helped him a lot.

The cause of his aggression is unusual though, although fear is the major factor in most dogs. Could you give some more information about the problem?

Kimberley

She has lived with a dog, but they used to fight, the owner said she thought it may have been through jealousy. Also on the lead she takes a dislike to some dogs. Maybe i should seek out some training classes for her.

pboae

Was it another dog she lived with, or a b*tch? Is there any pattern to the dogs she takes a dislike to? It's very common for dogs to be more reactive when they are on-lead.

When you say she takes a dislike, do you mean she barks? Lunges? I mean, is he going completely crazy trying to get to the other dog, or just making a lot of noise to try and scare it off?

I'm generally a fan of training classes, but it can be hard to find a good one. Take some time to go and watch them and see how they work. Any sign of choke /half choke leads, dogs been yanked around, shouted at, having chains or water balloons thrown at their feet, then run a mile.

Also, if any trainer suggests you start using aversives with her (like a rattle bottle) please please don't. It's one of the worse things you can do for dog - dog problems.

Have a look here http://www.apdt.co.uk/index2.htm and see if there is anything near you (or if you post/pm me your rough location I can ask around for you). APDT have strict guidelines on how their members have to behave so you have a better chance of finding a good class there.

Raksha

There's dog agression and there's dog agression - think of how many humans you'd like to give a good smack......... Most dog fights are simply 'handbags', but as pboae says, b*tch to b*tch fights can be really really nasty (b*tches fight for breeding rights, dogs fight for breathing rights). Many dogs are worse on lead too, as they are limited and can't choose between fight and flight - they only have one option.

One of the best things you can do is find out about dog bady language so you can tell what is really going on in your dogs head, and then either socialise her or teach her different things to do when there are other dogs around - like 'leave' and 'watch me'.

terrierlady

one of our jack russells is very aggresive to other dogs, wags is tail then runs around the back and bites them.....we taught him to carry a small ball hence he is to busy with the ball to bite, he does growl a little but nothing nasty like he used to, the dogs were not socialised as pups and that could be the trouble.good luck .

Kimberley

pboae wrote: »

Was it another dog she lived with, or a b*tch? Is there any pattern to the dogs she takes a dislike to? It's very common for dogs to be more reactive when they are on-lead.
A !!!!!. There doesn't seem to be any pattern.

When you say she takes a dislike, do you mean she barks? Lunges? I mean, is he going completely crazy trying to get to the other dog, or just making a lot of noise to try and scare it off?
She barks and tries to pull towards them, but i've bought her a harness and this has stopped her from pulling.

I'm generally a fan of training classes, but it can be hard to find a good one. Take some time to go and watch them and see how they work. Any sign of choke /half choke leads, dogs been yanked around, shouted at, having chains or water balloons thrown at their feet, then run a mile.
Yes i've found a traing school near me, i'm going to go on friday to watch them training. I know what to look for so thats why i want to go and see first.

Also, if any trainer suggests you start using aversives with her (like a rattle bottle) please please don't. It's one of the worse things you can do for dog - dog problems.
I saw them use that on Dog Borstal, i've used this method on a foster dog and it did help but i will try different methods to instead.

Have a look here http://www.apdt.co.uk/index2.htm and see if there is anything near you (or if you post/pm me your rough location I can ask around for you). APDT have strict guidelines on how their members have to behave so you have a better chance of finding a good class there.

I'll pm you my location so you can check my local training schools.

pboae

I wouldn't read too much into fighting with a b*tch in a previous home. It's not at all uncommon, and is the reason why many rescues won't rehome two b*tches together. It's a bigger problem in some breeds than others, but it's generally pretty normal behaviour.

Barking and lunging isn't always aggression, some dogs just have very poor manners and do that because they have got over excited and actually they really want to meet the other dog. Or it can be fear based and they are just shouting and trying to look scary to make the other dog go away. If it is either of these things a good general training class will help immensely.

It can be hard for owners to tell the difference (which is why getting some professional help is so important), but generally, if a dog is seriously aggressive, most owners would know i.e. if you think she really wants to kill or seriously injure the other dogs, and is doing all she can to get to them. In the latter case you probably need a behaviourist rather than a trainer, but a good trainer will be able to put you in touch with a behaviourist and help you all work together.

I'm asking around about trainers for you. In the meantime, watch your dog as much as you possibly can, try to read her body language. The most important thing to look for is the signals she gives off just before she starts barking at another dog. How does her behaviour differ between then and when she meets a dog she has no problem with? Does her stance change? Does she hold her ears or head differently? Does she stare or avert eye contact?

Identifying the instant just before she starts to react is really important because that is your best window to change her behaviour. That's the time when you can train her to choose not to react. Once she is already barking the moment has passed, and you don't want to interfere too soon, because training works best when the dog thinks for herself.

It took me months to be able to see that point in my dog consistently. With him it's nothing more than a slight wrinkle in his forehead and a stillness in the way he holds himself, but now I recognise it I can see it instantly, and I can intervene before the situation has a chance to escalate.


EDIT: I forgot to say, the reason why rattle bottles can go so horribly wrong that if the dog is reacting because they are scared, then introducing an aversive can make matters worse. Imagine if you were already frightened of something, and then every time you saw that thing someone made a loud noise behind you, would it make you less scared, or would it make you even more convinced that bad things happen when that thing is around? At best, all you can do with it is suppress the behaviour, the dog will still be feeling scared, but won't show it for fear of being punished with the rattle bottle. That can lead to even bigger problems.

An alternative way to approach it is the 'food bar' method. So you go out with a pocket full of teeny tiny bits of ultra tasty treats (chicken, cheese, something special). As soon as you get to the edge of the dog's comfort zone (that point at which she is just thinking about whether or not to react) you produce food and start feeding these tiny treats constantly. So the dog's choice becomes 'attend to you and get this amazing food' or 'attend to the other dog'. If you got the timing right, she should choose to attend to you. If she is still focussed on the other dog, you started too late, and need to try and start a little earlier next time.

With a bit of luck the other dog will pass without her attention being diverted from you long enough to react, and as soon as the other dog passes you put the food away. At first you will have lapses where the other dog still gets so close that the drive to react is stronger than the drive to eat tasty treats. But if you keep at it, it will help. Soon, you should find that your dog starts looking to you for treats as soon as she spots another dog. Instead of punishing her for reacting, you have changed her perception of the situation. Strange dog stop being something scary that have to be chased away, and start being associated with good things happening.

This works best if you have already trained the 'look at me' command, so your dog is used to focussing their attention on you. That was the single most useful command I ever taught my dog!