Getting to know a rescue dog & glimpses of aggression...

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annret

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So as of thursday we brought home a rescue dog who is a staffie cross, possibly ridgeback, perhaps boxer/lab with not much history. We knew he had been acting defensively towards flatmates of the owner, jealous protection type of thing. We did not see ANY hints of aggression in the visits prior to bringing him home.

Since being home, he has shown no aggression towards either myself or my mother, save a snarl yesterday when I was looking at a sore paw which was my fault for pushing his limits.

However, he snarled horribly at my neighbour on friday, and again today came up to her in a friendly manner when she called him over to fuss him and when she put her hand out he snarled and went to bite so she took her hand away.

Circumstances - both times in the back garden, which is a semi-communal area - the fence is really a border between them and as she has owned dogs in the past and was more than happy to let him have run of her garden as well as ours we havent yet erected a big fence but needless to say we will.

He has not been aggressive towards other people in her garden, only her.

Ideas / advice?

A teething problem or an indication of worse to come? We can return him if we feel he isn't right for us.
 
Take him to a good training class. They'll be able to help guide you with socialisation with other dogs, people etc.

He's obviously had a tough time, stick with him. He's had a stressful few days, moving home, he is probably just being territorial of his new home.
 
Do you know if he spent most of his time shut in the flat with little exercise, his age, and how he reacts to being reprimanded even by voice? did you reprimand when you touched his paw and he reacted, as in did u firmly tell him off? regardless of if the paw was sore, he should have not have been allowed to walk away without even such as a cross word and being sent out of your sight.
I see this type of aggression in dogs that have been secluded to a space i.e garden, house, kitchen and literally has resided there most of their lives until they are placed in a different environment whereby the stimuli changes, walks are introduced, time in the garden is granted freely, where as before this was not part of a routine, this becomes a slightly unhinged and unfamiliar scenario, with this you can guarantee fear or aggression will begin to show, hence why you probablt never whitnessed it in the previous place he resided.
I was say the issues is definately workable if you are able to be firm with him and you are not affraid to reprimand if need be, obviously reward is also a factor, but he needs a firm leader and I doubt he has ever had a one, can you give this?
 
Thank you both for answering - he is a lovely personality, and I'm not planning on giving up on him but I am reserving judgement as there have been NO warning signs in either situation - it has been taken both myself & my neighbour completely by surprise and it's much harder to judge when it seems so irrational.

CaveCanem, I have a lovely trainer who I spent over an hour with on friday on his first proper walk and she thought he was lovely and he has such a trainable attitude. His socialisation has clearly been poor, and though he's 2 or 3 he acts very puppyish still. I see her again on wednesday. We were told he was bad with other dogs, so we're having one-on-one sessions for the forseeable but she brought two of her dogs in her car and he was very sweet at introducing himself.

I've also been using lots of DAP - he wears a bandana that's regularly sprayed with it which has made a world of difference and the house is full of it.

Cayla, from his behaviour, and from the type of dog he is, I would think he has spent most of his life in a flat with very little socialisation or exercise and clearly been rewarded for jumping up on greeting and other things we're now attempting to discourage him from... He's currently only learning how to walk at heel rather than pull & lunge and he's made a huge amount of progress in such a short time - really responds to firm boundaries but needs a positive approach.

the first time with the neighbour I was standing right by him so I held my hand over his muzzle while telling him off, then took him inside. This time, I was further away, so I called him to me & told him off & had to drag him by the collar into the kitchen.

It sounds pathetic being so worried over this but he is a happy, waggy, smiley type and his nasty streak seems really out of character and without a logical trigger...

Any suggestions appreciated.
 
If it happens again I would actually go over to him rather than recall him, as you recalled him, he came and you reprimanded him - I doubt he will have made the correct connection. Easy done though.

You sound like a good firm handler and he sounds like a great sort to train. Could you spend some time with this neighbour, lots of passing her in the garden, her throwing him a treat every now and then, lots of praise for either ignoring her or reacting favourably.
Then onto a long line so if he does behave aggressively when he is remote from you, you have a hold on him.

Remember you must remain very calm and firm, any nervousness or tension you display, he will pick up on.

It's early days and it sounds like you have done a great job already.

Who knows, she may remind him of a bad experience for some reason by her height, smell, tone of voice, whatever.
 
CaveCanem said:
If it happens again I would actually go over to him rather than recall him, as you recalled him, he came and you reprimanded him - I doubt he will have made the correct connection. Easy done though.

You sound like a good firm handler and he sounds like a great sort to train. Could you spend some time with this neighbour, lots of passing her in the garden, her throwing him a treat every now and then, lots of praise for either ignoring her or reacting favourably.
Then onto a long line so if he does behave aggressively when he is remote from you, you have a hold on him.

Remember you must remain very calm and firm, any nervousness or tension you display, he will pick up on.

It's early days and it sounds like you have done a great job already.

Who knows, she may remind him of a bad experience for some reason by her height, smell, tone of voice, whatever.
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Thanks for this, just wrote this thread after one of those nasty heart-attack inducing 'what the hell was that' moments... can you tell he's my first rescue? :p

It wasn't really an intentional recall, i just instinctively called his name out in a 'bad dog' tone but he came to me like he was expecting to be rewarded for his aggression so who knows what was going through his head...

I just don't want to lose confidence in him, particularly at this stage, because he's beautiful but intimidating looking -
30601_394659176314_501881314_4550132_789410_n.jpg
 
He looks a lovely sort, I def think as u do, he has been shut away and used to the same old people each day, he is now experiencing the world for the first time and with that he may as he becomes more settle push the boundaries, so aswell as showering him with kindness keep an air of firmness at all times, and take note of his body language, as this will give you your clues as the hsi next move, I would as CC suggests not be aprehensive and get him socialised as muc as you can, and may be use a slack line when he is arounfd new people to get him in quick, sharp reprimand and then thats it, let it go and let him go again, as in to the end of the line, always ask people to allow him to come to them and instead of fuss try a treat, and in your home, allow people to be seated before you let him in and ask them to ignore him at first until he is calm, if he is a jumper upper:D again to place him in the kitchen and by pass the entering scenario,it subsides the threat of new people and also bypasses the excitement of those he is familair with, only allow a fuss when he is settled and use treats first and then call him for a low key stroke and thats it no over the topness.
He may be fine with some and not with others, people give of different smalles and body language and a dog will depict this easily and react differently becaue of this, so be sure to keep a close eye on his body language, lots of park and street walks and training class as suggested would be great for you both.
 
Some super advise given above, I would just also like to ask is he neutered?? I ask because he sounds like he has become quite possesive about territory and his pack. I'm not suggesting getting him castrated immediately as he is already unsettled, you don't want to do anything that will add to his unsettled mind, but you could initially look into chemical castration (it is only a temporary solution, but by the time it wears off, hopefully you'll have his training in hand and he'll be a little more settled to be able to tolerate the operation)
 
competitiondiva, he is neutered already but I would think he was neutered late. He's been a very good boy today, so we are making progress, but his time in the garden today was restricted and supervised.

It's hard to explain to people that though he's bouncy and friendly, i'd rather they didn't stop and fuss him because he's a bit unpredictable but I think in all honesty he just has a dislike for my poor lovely neighbour as he was very good with the gas man & some builders stroking him earlier!
 
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