aggressive toward any dog!!!

djvectrex · 08-30-2009, 09:18 PM

my boy matrix is very aggressive toward any other dog! i know that it's probably my fault because i didnt socialize him early on because he is my first dog and i was trying to be cautious with him thinking he could get sick when he was young when he didnt have all of his shots and i didnt take him to meet other dogs until after 6 mo after his rabbies shot! i took him to the first level of obedience and he was fine after it was over! i have not had the chance of taking him to more obedience classes but i may do it! i was thinking that it could also be that one day around 8 mo i was outside with on a leash and my neighbors westie got loose and came after matrix and was trying to bite his tail and might have gotten a couple of hairs lol and maybe that could have been a bad experience that might have affected him long term!
im thinking of taking him to my friend's place tomorrow to meet his 1 yr old female lab but i want to put a muzzle on him and see how it goes! would that be helpful or could it actually make him worse? thanks for your input

onyx'girl · 08-30-2009, 09:28 PM

You need to slowly condition him before exposing him to other dogs. What type collar are you using?
Onyx was dog reactive at 1 year and I had to slowly get her over it. I read the book "Control Unleashed", it is for reactive dogs. We went to a class based on the book, and that helped us. Took her off a prong collar so she wouldn't get ramped up more if she self corrected because of lunging at another dog.
I gave her treats and tried to get her to focus on me instead of what she was reacting to. Kept it positive, and didn't correct her for it, but just re-directed or removed her from the cause. If you correct the dog for reacting they may see the correction as coming from the other dog, and it will not help. Just don't make a big deal of it and move away, stay calm and happy voice.
I would not do the meet up until you have worked on this, with a trainer who is experienced with this type situation if possible.
Take your dog for walks but stay away from other dogs, let him observe from a distance and work on him focusing on you with treats, a clicker works good, too. Work on commands and treat, praise your dog. Build up his confidence, many times they react out of fear.
If you are feeling anxious, it will travel down the leash to your dog, so watch his body language and remove him if you see he is getting over his threshhold.

allieg · 08-30-2009, 09:36 PM

You need to go slow.I am dealing with the same thing and it has been since March that I have been working with a trainer and I still can't get with in 50ft of another dog with out barking and lunging.I am dealing with fear aggression.It might be a good idea to consult a professional to know the real reason of the problem.They are the only ones that can tell you if it is fear aggression or just plain aggression.The book Onyx'girl recommended is a good read and also Cautious Canine.I would limit dog encounters until you speak with a trainer.They will direct you on how to go about doing it the right way.Good luck and ask away if you have lots more questions.

damrod · 08-30-2009, 11:44 PM

Here are some possible solutions, but you will probably need a good trainer:

http://www.spca.bc.ca/Animalbehaviour/dogaggression.asp

http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/ou...ggression.html

http://www.canismajor.com/dog/aggres1.html

debbiebrown · 08-31-2009, 07:01 AM

i honestly think minimal exposure would be good for your dog once you have the tools to keep his attention. it could very well be that he is just unsure of other dogs a fearish response because he has not been exposed to other dogs and does not know how to read other dogs. i would definitely work with a trainer and get the correct training tecniques and they will evaluate your dog to see just whats going on.
any gsd that i have ever had that had a fearish or dog aggression issue i always picked a friend with a mild temperment and i would walk with them often. i would not let my dog make eye contact or interact for a long while, just walk together onleash with a bit of comfort space between the dogs as we were walking. i was lucky that most of my friends had goldens or labs which are great therapy dogs in a controlled setting for dog aggressive or fear based issues.
you can work with this if you are willing to dedicate yourself to taking the time to do the training and slow interactions.

debbie

08-30-2009, 09:18 PM	#1 (permalink)
djvectrex Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: WESTCHESTER, NY Posts: 94	aggressive toward any dog!!! my boy matrix is very aggressive toward any other dog! i know that it's probably my fault because i didnt socialize him early on because he is my first dog and i was trying to be cautious with him thinking he could get sick when he was young when he didnt have all of his shots and i didnt take him to meet other dogs until after 6 mo after his rabbies shot! i took him to the first level of obedience and he was fine after it was over! i have not had the chance of taking him to more obedience classes but i may do it! i was thinking that it could also be that one day around 8 mo i was outside with on a leash and my neighbors westie got loose and came after matrix and was trying to bite his tail and might have gotten a couple of hairs lol and maybe that could have been a bad experience that might have affected him long term! im thinking of taking him to my friend's place tomorrow to meet his 1 yr old female lab but i want to put a muzzle on him and see how it goes! would that be helpful or could it actually make him worse? thanks for your input

08-30-2009, 09:28 PM	#2 (permalink)
onyx'girl Crowned Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: SW, MI Posts: 17,596	Re: aggressive toward any dog!!! You need to slowly condition him before exposing him to other dogs. What type collar are you using? Onyx was dog reactive at 1 year and I had to slowly get her over it. I read the book "Control Unleashed", it is for reactive dogs. We went to a class based on the book, and that helped us. Took her off a prong collar so she wouldn't get ramped up more if she self corrected because of lunging at another dog. I gave her treats and tried to get her to focus on me instead of what she was reacting to. Kept it positive, and didn't correct her for it, but just re-directed or removed her from the cause. If you correct the dog for reacting they may see the correction as coming from the other dog, and it will not help. Just don't make a big deal of it and move away, stay calm and happy voice. I would not do the meet up until you have worked on this, with a trainer who is experienced with this type situation if possible. Take your dog for walks but stay away from other dogs, let him observe from a distance and work on him focusing on you with treats, a clicker works good, too. Work on commands and treat, praise your dog. Build up his confidence, many times they react out of fear. If you are feeling anxious, it will travel down the leash to your dog, so watch his body language and remove him if you see he is getting over his threshhold. __________________ Jane~ Kept by Onyx, Kacie and Gideon v Wildhaus aka Karlo

08-30-2009, 09:36 PM	#3 (permalink)
allieg Crowned Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: NH Posts: 4,413	Re: aggressive toward any dog!!! You need to go slow.I am dealing with the same thing and it has been since March that I have been working with a trainer and I still can't get with in 50ft of another dog with out barking and lunging.I am dealing with fear aggression.It might be a good idea to consult a professional to know the real reason of the problem.They are the only ones that can tell you if it is fear aggression or just plain aggression.The book Onyx'girl recommended is a good read and also Cautious Canine.I would limit dog encounters until you speak with a trainer.They will direct you on how to go about doing it the right way.Good luck and ask away if you have lots more questions. __________________ Allie owned by: Athena 5/4/08 http://www.dogster.com/dogs/925796 Lexi 6/1/07 Puggle of some sort

08-30-2009, 11:44 PM	#4 (permalink)
damrod Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 32	Re: aggressive toward any dog!!! Here are some possible solutions, but you will probably need a good trainer: http://www.spca.bc.ca/Animalbehaviour/dogaggression.asp http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/ou...ggression.html http://www.canismajor.com/dog/aggres1.html __________________ Dogs have given us their absolute all. We are the center of their universe, we are the focus of their love and faith and trust. They serve us in return for scraps. It is without a doubt the best deal man has ever made.

08-31-2009, 07:01 AM	#5 (permalink)
debbiebrown Crowned Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: maine Posts: 7,598	Re: aggressive toward any dog!!! i honestly think minimal exposure would be good for your dog once you have the tools to keep his attention. it could very well be that he is just unsure of other dogs a fearish response because he has not been exposed to other dogs and does not know how to read other dogs. i would definitely work with a trainer and get the correct training tecniques and they will evaluate your dog to see just whats going on. any gsd that i have ever had that had a fearish or dog aggression issue i always picked a friend with a mild temperment and i would walk with them often. i would not let my dog make eye contact or interact for a long while, just walk together onleash with a bit of comfort space between the dogs as we were walking. i was lucky that most of my friends had goldens or labs which are great therapy dogs in a controlled setting for dog aggressive or fear based issues. you can work with this if you are willing to dedicate yourself to taking the time to do the training and slow interactions. debbie __________________ url

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