Help, where do we go from here (attacked by another dog)?

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Jake10

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This is fairly long/rambly but I'm a bit lost as to what to do next :confused:

Background: - Jake was 'attacked' by a GSD when he was younger. He has never shown any reactiveness to other dogs except GSDs/GSD crosses since the 'attack'. Last year we finally (with the help of a friendly GSD who has sadly now been pts) cracked his issues with GSDs and he could happily walk with/past GSD without reacting.

Today we had our usually walk by the river. We pass two houses with GSDs both will bark and lunge at their gates (1 of them I know will do no more than that). The other, as I found out today, will do more if she gets out :mad:. Her gate was open and out she ran when she spotted us. Lots of growling, grabbing Jakes neck and shaking (she did draw blood :mad: ). I ended up shouting when the woman eventually came out to 'get her F'ing dog under control' which was met with a rather sarcastic 'well I'm sorry' :eek::mad:

Jake barked/growled at the 2 other dogs we met on or walk after that and he did a lot of growling when we passed the GSD who 'attacked' hims house. I'm concerned that this has/or will set us quite a bit back in our training and I no longer have a nice well mannered GSD to help reassure him that they aren't all going to attack him :(

How would any of the dog experts on AAD go about training from here?

* I class 'attack' as biting ect that draws blood and while I do believe that the breed is not usually relevant with Jake I think it is.
 
Is there anyone on here with a GSD near you who might be able to help?
There are a few GSD 'fun clubs' that do big walks together.

When my dogs have had 'ishoos' with things like big lorries, bikes, other dogs, I found distraction was the key, food or a ball etc when passing the point of 'interest', so get whatever he is really interested in, be that a special toy or a type of food, keep the pressure off and don't EXPECT a scene, just be prepared for it, when you see the point of contention coming along start temping him with the food and as the reactions lessen, reward more.

If he's been punctured you might need to pop him to the vets to make sure they do not get infected, and would be asking the GSD owner to pay the bill.
You may also inform the dog warden who could go and talk to the owner if this attack happened in a public place, it's not on.
 
Thanks CC I'm Nottinghamshire based, is there a website that I could use to find some 'fun clubs'?

I'll start taking a ball out when we go past their house from now on.
 
Oh, how horrible for you and poor Jake, I cant offer any advice, however i hope you can find a local GSD to help you again...
 
Midland Counties has a website, they do GSDs and all breeds and might be able to point you in the right direction or someone near you?

Is the user LauraWheeler near Nottingham? I remember her posting pics of her JRTs out with a huge pack of GSDs.
 
Firstly, make sure that there is no physical pain.....I mean muscular as opposed to anything that needs stitching up. Assuming all okay, then engineer a meeting on private neutral territory with a placid bitch of any breed. If you are at all anxious get someone else that he trusts to handle him; if he likes playing ball, then 'starve' him of his ball until this encounter.

Assuming he is neutered (?) in EXTREME circumstances I have used an in-season bitch that is exceedingly tarty regarless of where she is in her cycle to get a male to overcome his initial angst after being attacked. May be worth a thought.

Basically, make the first encounter a positive one and then build from there, keeping control over the environment for as long as it takes. When he is happy again with a variety of dogs of all breeds, ages and sexes, then you can re-introduce a friendly bitch GSD to him and continue the positive association.

It's a pain in the butt; I had an entire male GSP many years ago that was attacked several times by Weims; it took a lot of work over many years before he would work in their company and he never really ranged as far on his beat as he would normally when they were around....preferring to stick closer to mum - just in case!

Good luck.
 
For now, can you avoid the house? Defo resocialise with a GSD if possible, asap. With Zak, my springer who has become very dog aggressive, a ball is a fab distraction to the point he ignores everything else. :)
 
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