Dog aggression and People Agression

[LDB158]

I was going to see if someone could help me with two separate cases.

One of my dogs is aggressive towards stranger dogs. I will be walking Sadie on leash, and when we start approaching a dog, I see her focus in and she won't look at anything else. Then when we get closer, she just starts barking over and over again, and then she will start spinning in circles and jumping. I have recently started trying to redirect her, by when I first noticing her focus on another dog, I will snap her head halter that she wears and say nah. She will look at me and we will keep walking. Sometimes it will have to be done more than once, and she will usually get one bark out, and there's not jumping or spinning. Sometimes I will make her sit and stay and that appears to work sometimes. But if the other dogs is growling or barking, I really don't know what to do, because she goes nuts and won't pay me any mind.

My other dog, a chocolate lab, bit the prior owner's son and he was going to shoot him. I took him in a month ago after I was told if nobody else took him, he was going to end up with a bullet in his head. Well, he seems to do fine with strangers when they come over. But, if I walk him on a leash (He was never walked on a leash before), sometimes he will do a low growl. I don't even think the people can hear him, but I can, and it's disturbing. Sometimes he will just stop and stare at the person and I have to tug him to continue walking. When he growls, I usually do the same thing, I snap his leash and say nah and he will quit. I just don't want this to get progressively worse and I'm not sure what to do. He also growled at the veterinarian when I took him for his first appointment. When I took him back a week later for his neutering surgery, they said he didn't display any aggression towards them, but to the other dogs that walked up to his crate, and they told me they thought he may have fear aggression issues.

Please let me know if you've had any experience with these issues and how I can help both of them out. I have been Sadie's owner for a while, but I just always put up with it in the past. I was so frustrated that I just wouldn't walk her, because I didn't know what to do. But now, I really want her to be able to go on a walk as a relaxing experience and not be so tense. She's always looking around like something is going to jump out at us. And it's getting frustrating, because I want to walk all 3 of them together, but I can't because I can't control all 3 of them if she gets like that. I will take them on a quick stroll through the neighborhood sometimes, and walk her separate from my other two additionally so I can control her when she starts acting up.

[jetscarbie]

I hope other more experienced dog owners chime in with some sound advice for you. Sounds like you are stressed to the max.

Sounds like you really need a trainer or behaviorist to help you out especially with the lab. Maybe ask your vet for recommendations. I would be a little concerned b/c the lab bit someone. IMO....I would use a muzzle on him when you take him for a walk until you get some help for him. Especially if your walking him in areas that has lots of people. Sounds like he might be scared of people and dogs. Poor baby..........
Just a suggestion, but maybe you can load him in your car and go sit in a mall parking lot. Just roll the window down a little and let him watch and listen to the sounds of people coming and going. Go there as much as you can until he calms down and lays down. Then move on to a park. Then another place. Rinse and Repeat until the sounds don't freak him out so much. I did this with my boy and it helped so much. Actually, it helped in two ways....The sounds don't bother him anymore and now he loves to ride in the truck.

As far as Sadie goes......have you tried using a gentle leader or prong collar? People have had good success with either of those. You may have to try both to see which one works better. I'm not sure from the way you explained her if she dislikes other dogs. You said she just stares and barks at them. Do you have a friend that has a dog? Can you try them together? Maybe Sadie just wants to play????? Have you tried training classes with her? You have to walk with confidence. If you are stressed...Sadie is gonna be stressed. I would correct and keep moving. I would carry treats or a favorite toy. Redirect, correct, and keep moving.


These are just my opinions. I'm sure others have better suggestions than mine. I wish you all the luck and I hope you keep us updated.

[gsdraven]

You really need to enlist the help of a trainer who experienced rehabilitating dogs with these kinds of issues. It requires good timing and my preference is no corrections to start. It's difficult to give advice on things over the internet because you cannot see the behavior and don't have a full picture.

I would get the lab used to wearing a muzzle in good situations (at home) so that it can relax him while at the vet or on walks and protect everyone from a problem.

Please be careful when jerking the halter, you can really do a number on the dog's neck.

[LDB158]

Thank you everyone for the pointers. I took Speedy to the veterinarian today and asked about behaviorists in the area, and she gave me the location of one. So I may try to contact them and see what they say. I took both Bear and Sadie to the park today. Bear was worse and growled loudly instead of quietly. I noticed when I made him sit and stay, he wouldn't pay much attention to them. So everytime we would approach other people, I would just make him sit and stay and all was well. I am still going to see what the behaviorist has to say. As far as Sadie did, she did great today too. When I would give a quick pull, she would pay attention to me and less on the dogs. She would whine a little bit, but not the barking and running around in circles like she usually does. The reason that I think it is dog aggression is because she has killed another dog, that is why the prior owner got rid of her. I see how Speedy is when we approach dogs and he is all play. And he will whine sometimes but he is not as focused as Sadie is. But Sadie's body position is completely different from Speedy and she kinda stiffens up a little bit. I will def contact the behaviorist in our area. Thanks guys!

[Jack's Dad]

You have one dog who bit a person and one who killed another dog.
I would try to find someone to take the lab and I realize that no one may want to.
I don't think you can work with both of those dogs at the same time. Just one of the dogs could take a tremendous amount of rehab on its own.
Since you are asking for advice then you don't have the answers.
I think taking on that Lab you bit off more than you can chew.

[Twyla]

I have a fear DA and can understand the frustration. Focus on getting a solid 'watch me' command. I'm not a fan at all of the head halter, I've had one break during one of Woolf's lunging episodes. It can do a number on a dog's neck. If you want the guide a head alter provides, look at a canny collar, the action is different in how you correct and it helps prevent the dog jumping by how it guides. I'm using a martingale now, it seems to provide the control I need, for now anyway.

Be sure the behaviorist you talk with have experience with GSD and working breeds. Talk with their past clients, what their results were, how the dog is now, was the trainer willing to provide support in between training sessions. Are you comfortable with the trainer's methods and style.

Your aggressive dogs should be walked separately. They can feed off each other and make a situation even bigger. Your calm dogs could start picking up some of their habits.

This is all lessons I had to learn with mine. Like you, I have a black lab as well. Woolf and Shadow are the best of friends, but I won't walk them together. I've been through 2 trainers and now finally got what I think is a gem of a behaviorist. I'm seeing real results finally with Woolf.