Help! 7 mos. old, fear aggression towards strangers

[kelseyca]

I am becoming very, very concerned about my 7 mo. old pup Kahlua.

When she was younger, she never had any problems with strangers. However, in the past month she has begun exhibiting fear aggression towards anyone that gets too close to her or walks towards us on the sidewalk. She will bark, lunge, and show her teeth at anyone and everyone, and she'll do it to people across the street sometimes as well. She's fine at the dog park off leash, she'll let people pet her and she has no problem- the problem is only on walks.

Not many people are willing to even walk near her since they are scared, so the problem is only becoming worse. This afternoon, I asked a stranger if he could come up and talk to me and ignore her. I was hoping the barking and lunging would stop eventually and I could praise her then with treats. However, the barking never stopped and she continued as he walked away.

I tried a method I read online where you give treats when she looks at a stranger and is not reacting, but she'll ignore the treats and act up anyway. I don't know what to do- I don't know how to react when she acts this way, and I must be doing something wrong. I can barely take her out for a walk anymore.

I would appreciate any advice you could give me.

[gsdraven]

Your best bet is to get a trainer to work with you. You need someone who knows how to interact with dogs like this and react to them appropriately. I wouldn't be using random strangers.

[Lauri & The Gang]

I second the suggestion to get a GOOD trainer but for a different reason.

If she is good with random strangers petting her at the dog park then it might be a matter of what YOU are doing wrong - not her.

If you are nervous about her reaction before she even SEES a person, those feelings are going to travel right down the leash and set her off. "My MOM is nervous about that person coming towards us - I guess I showed be VERY nervous!"

Sometimes we don't even realize what messages we are sending to our dogs via the leash and it takes an outsider to see it for us.

[N Smith]

I third the opinion about getting in touch with a trainer - you are going to look for someone who works with positive reinforcement combined with well timed corrections - ONCE your dog knows what behavior is expected.

Also, you need to see this as a fear aggression - your dog is afraid of these situations. So if you go to www.leerburg.com and visit the discussion forum. Look up "desensitize" or "desensitizing"...you will need to do this with your dog.

The reason your dog may be reacting on a walk and not at the dog park is the leash. I assume on your walks your dog is leashed, taking away her "flight" abilities. So she only has one other instinct in uncomfortable situations, "fight". At the dog park, off leash, she can always run away from a threat, so probably feels less trapped and so does not resort to her "fight" instinct.

[Marnie]

This info won't fix your problem but it may help you understand your dog a little better. What you see as aggression is probably fear. Your dog is ok off leash at the dog park because she can choose who she approaches. She can also control how close she gets to strangers and she knows she can run away to escape if she senses danger.

On leash she has no escape route and people are coming toward her while looking her directly in the eye. A direct stare is considered a challenge by dogs. All people stare when approaching a dog. Dogs consider this a threat.

You might see what the dog will do if you approach someone who keeps his back to you. If your friend stands or sits still and keeps his back to the dog you may be able to walk past at a brisk pace keeping the dog about 10 feet from your friend. If she barks, the behavior is becoming habitual and will be harder to control.

Read books about aggression and calming behaviors. Keep going to the dog park. Sometimes you can find classes and trainers that deal with this. Good luck.

[Jack's Dad]

I agree with the above. I would like to add that when Jack was young or for that matter even now when we walk we walk. I dont' allow distractions. I didn't let him look at dogs, people, or sniff etc...
I look to where we are going and he just stays with me looking ahead.
I will give an example of what I'm getting at.
When he is in the back yard he enjoys trying to chase squirrels that are on the other side of the fence. He is very interested in their activity. When we walk and he is on leash he ignores squirrels.
He is very smart, so it's not that he doesn't notice people, dogs, squirrels etc... it's just none of his business when we walk.
If I choose to stop and talk to someone then he's fine.
Lauri in my opinion is right about what we feel traveling down the leash.
Since his behavior is concerning you he's probably picking up on that which makes him even more insecure.
A controlled class with a good trainer might really help.
Try to get help sooner than later though because these things tend to escalate not go away on their own.

Jack gets his play, sniff, explore time off leash in safe places.

[anawd]

I also agree with seeking the help of a trainer, but would like to say that, with her being 7 months, this may just be a fear period. If she has just started acting like this and was perfectly fine with people before, this is a good possibility. My girl went through a fear period that sounds very similar to your dog's and she is perfectly fine now and loves everyone.

Usually there is a threshold of how close the person can get to the dog before the dog reacts. Find her threshold and keep people away if at all possible. Allow her to approach neutral people (this is, of course, if you know the person and they understand not to try to touch her or make any movements toward her). Usually if the dog chooses to approach and check the person out, they figure out it's not a big deal. Forcing her to be next to someone when she in uncomfortable is only going to make things worse. Also, practicing the bad behavior isn't good either.

Good luck and I hope you find a good trainer that can help you through this.

[DolphinGirl]

I agree with the trainer part. Aspen had his issues and I took him to my dog trainer. We muzzled him and let people randomly walk up to him to realize people are not bad. He only wore the muzzle 3 times before he improved. I also had a slip leash on in public. if he stared at anyone more then a second or 2, I would redirect him. If he looked like he was going to lunge and bark, I would lift the leash to the point of lifting his toes off the ground slightly. He has stopped this behavior and even lays on the ground as the waiter stepped over him.

Don't get me wrong, I will always keep an eye on him just to make sure he doesnt fire up on anyone in appropriatly.

[debbiebrown]

yes, i would definitely get a good trainer to help you. also learning your dogs body lauguage before this reacting happens and stopping it before the barking and lunging start.........

i agree it is fear based being unsure, etc.........careful step by step conditioning should build confidence. a professional trainer can give you the tools to work with, and also it will give you confidence in handling your dog in situations.....

i have a fear aggressive dog, and i find that if i make the decision to approach someone confidently, make him sit and watch me while i am talking to the stranger makes a big difference.......Obedience training and focus are two very important components in working with dogs like this.......

[PaddyD]

Originally Posted by Lauri & The Gang

I second the suggestion to get a GOOD trainer but for a different reason.

If she is good with random strangers petting her at the dog park then it might be a matter of what YOU are doing wrong - not her.

If you are nervous about her reaction before she even SEES a person, those feelings are going to travel right down the leash and set her off. "My MOM is nervous about that person coming towards us - I guess I showed be VERY nervous!"

Sometimes we don't even realize what messages we are sending to our dogs via the leash and it takes an outsider to see it for us.

A lot of different opinions expressed, but I agree with this one.
Your dog may be leash aggressive because you tense up on the leash and let her know there is something to be tense about.
I am of the opinion (FWIW) that a walk should be enjoyable. The dog should be able to take in everything and be comfortable with the people and surroundings. He should be able to stop and smell the P-mail. You are walking the dog for HIM(her) not for you. Sure you can make it a power walk sometimes, but the dog should know the difference and be able to get a walk he likes too.