Dealing with aggression

DiablosGold

DiablosGold

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This is my first ever post in the dogs section so please be kind!

Our gorgeous rescue dog, a 4 year old JR x collie loves people and is really well behaved except when it comes to other dogs. I have to keep her on a lead all the time as she will attack any other dog she comes across.

Any tips on how to deal with her when she starts growling etc at other dogs? It was particularly bad when I took her for a walk the other day; I could barely hold her as she was behaving so viciously at another dog. I smacked her but when she's in that mood nothing gets through.

Thanks
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Has she had this addressive side ever since you've had her, or has it got worse? IMO dogs which have aggressive tendencies are much worse on the lead than off - seems to be that as they can't get away they become defensive, then it excalates from there, and they also start to protect the owner. If you had your dog off the lead (probably muzzled just in case) and went for a walk, would your dog instantly attack any other dog it saw, or could you divert it's attention ie treats, calling, whistling, running in the opposite direction to get the chase thing going?

Sorry I can't help more, I'm sure their will be someone who is vastly more experienced than me along to help soon!
 
Agression to others dogs is almost always fear based - attack is the best form of defence and all that. When she's on the lead she knows she can't actually get at them, plus possible feeling trapped, so feels safe enough to act big and tough.

Proper socialisation is the key. She needs to learn that others dogs are not scary. Is there a dog trainer or training classes near you? It will take time and effort to rehap her but will be worth it in the end.

In the meantime, punishing her for growling is counter production, just like punishing a spooking, frightened horse makes it worse. All it does is confirm in her mind that other dogs are scary and result in her getting a smack.

You're best bet is to distract her. Is she food orientated? Or does she have a favorite toy? When you sense her tensing as another dogs comes near, get her to look at you then go totally OTT with the reward when she does. You need to make the reward so wonderful that she feels it worth ignoring the other dog for it.

With time and practice, seeing another dog should be linked, in her mind, with a wonderful reward, which will help reduce the awfulness of other dogs.

Negative punishment when dealing with agression like that never works - you need to reward her for looking away, NOT punish her for being agressive.
 
Spot_the_risk - we've had her 2 1/2 years, and it's been pretty much the same. Unfortunately when off the lead she 'stalks' other dogs (as if sizing them up, gradually getting closer and closer like a leopard!) and then attacks them. She's never seriously hurt another dog, thank God, but I honestly think she would if given the chance. Normally she's beautifully behaved and comes straight back to me, no food etc necessary, but once she starts stalking there's no chance really
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I just feel it's safer to keep her on lead now, I do agree though she feels 'trapped' when on the lead so it probably makes it worse.

Kallibear - I agree that with her it is fear based - although she tends to be better behaved with bigger dogs? We got her from some gypsies who said 'you can have her or she goes on the fire' so socialisation/training before we had her obviously wasn't put in place. I personally think she was taken away too early from a litter and brought up with people - she is fantastic with people and never ever shows any aggression to people.

I have always held back from taking her to training for the fear that she will just go crazy surrounded by the other dogs. Hadn't thought about individual dog trainers though.

I don't punish her just for growling, I tend to ignore that. This one time when I smacked her was horrendous - she was going crazy and I could hardly hold her. I won't do it in future though as I see the sense in what you are saying.
She doesn't play with toys but I could try taking some treats to distract her.

Thanks v much both
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Sounds like she's not had a great start in life. Poor dog
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Dogs that are aggressive to others through fear will often ignore those they feel are just too big to take on - if they close their eyes are pretend, it'll all go away. it's safer to pick a fight with something smaller than you!

Def look up dog trainers. They are often the people who are running the training classes anyways. Having individual traing to begin with would be a good idea, but she can't socialise without other dogs, so she'll need to go to classes eventually.

It's understandable smacking her, esp if she was being an idiot. It's so frustrating too.

Really you need to nip it in the bud before it gets out of hand get gets to the stage where you need to use force to make her listen/

I'd start practising getting her to give you her full atttention - become very animated and excited and get her to join in. The play may be rewards enough in itself, but you can back it up with treats. You want her to be bouncing about you, all over-excited and focusing on you totally. Depending on what she's like, it could be rough playing, or her charging around you excitedly, or her having her tummy rubbed. You're wanting to recreate that excitment she has when you come home from work and she's so pleased to see you. You need to practise so she learns a cue for it - it could be an excitable 'come play, come play!!' and a stance (i,e the human equivilent of a play-bow). Then you can use it to cut through her fixation on the other dog.

The important thing is that playing with you is so enthralling and exciting that she can totally ignore the other dog, and the play lasts about 15secs, giving the time for the other dog to pass by.

It works well as it's makes it clear that the rewards is not for her growling at the other dog, but for her responding to your cue. And, neatly, her responding to your cue IS the reward.

The other dog owners will think your mad
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but you can slowly reduce the excitment involved, until all she gets for looking at you is a treat.
 
I agree with s_t_r- my old dog used to drag me flat on my face when another dog came past shed bark growl get on her back legs etc but as soon as she was let off over the hills or whatever she kept herself to herself. When there like that on the lead though its worrying to let them off because you obv dont want them tro attack another dog!
Do you have another dog that your dog gets on with? A friends or anything? Maybe if you let them off together and see what happens with dogs passing by? My pup used to go up to other dogs, she wants everyone to be her friend bless her! but as soon as she had her mate out on a walk she doesnt bother with other dogs!
Sorry if i have repeated someone else havent read other posts!
 
i agree with what the others have said. but from my experience with the JR that we had and others when on walks i think it goes with the breed.
however i could be wrong.

sorry i couldn't help any more
 
Go to a really good dog trainer, one of my rescues was like that when I first got him, with him he was scared of other dogs and figured if he was aggressive first other dogs would back off. I needed a controlled environment to deal with the problem and he was put straight into the top class at training, where the other owners were experienced and the dogs well under control.

For the first two weeks he wor a muzzle which put him on the back foot also I pinned him in the down whilst the other dogs walked round him, it was really bad the first 2 weeks as we worked through his fear but by week 4 he was working off lead! Now he is very happy and never initiates trouble but will defend himself.

But you need a profesional trainer and in my opinion that does not include trainers that refuse to deal with dogs having this problem as some cop out and do!!!!!
 
Some trainers have own dogs that is used to deal with the clients "problem"dogs, dogs that have an extra clear bodylanguage and knows what's it all about, when asked to deal with a clients dog.

I have a little folder about calming signals, On talking terms with dogs : Calming signals by Turid Rugaas and Terry Ryan, publ. 1997 or 1998.
Some of the signals is best used by dogs only, but some you can try and do yourself. turning away, yawning, blinking really slow...

It also says that you never should walk straihgt towards another dog (or other scary things) because it's rude. So the curve you describe, doesn't have to be about stalking, though it does sound as if that's why she uses it.

from Sweden.
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