Sudden Aggression? Over Excitement?

[Suka]

I have my own business walking dogs and petsitting. I am very curiously following this thread because some of the dog clients I have were "dog walker rejects". I specifically have on my business cards "no temperament refused" because I have well over 20 years of experience "rehabilitating" or helping rescue dogs, thus I have gads of handling experience of all personalities and issues.

I am not saying anything in particular about your dog walkers at all, but most dog walkers love dogs and that's it. 10 years of dog walking and loving dogs does not an expert make, but it does make them probably safe and reliable walkers!

Please keep this updated; I am very curious!

[x0emiroxy0x]

I remember a post last year about how some dogs have a "rage" syndrome where they are the perfect dog, no aggression or fear, but something in their brain would make them randomly act out at anyone, anywhere.

Does anyone else remember this thread?

I hate to even bring it up as a possibility, especially since this is only one incident, but I have been puzzling over your post.

PS>> Does your dog have any "triggers"? Hats freak my dog out, we had to condition him to them.,

[lzver]

Well we got all the test results back from the vet and nothing is really standing as a medical concern. I know we could do additional testing, but it has become very clear to me over the last 24 hours that Jake thinks he is the pack leader and we need to address that. I'm in the process of reaching out to a couple of behaviourists in the area.

[lzver]

Originally Posted by Suka

I have my own business walking dogs and petsitting. I am very curiously following this thread because some of the dog clients I have were "dog walker rejects". I specifically have on my business cards "no temperament refused" because I have well over 20 years of experience "rehabilitating" or helping rescue dogs, thus I have gads of handling experience of all personalities and issues.

I am not saying anything in particular about your dog walkers at all, but most dog walkers love dogs and that's it. 10 years of dog walking and loving dogs does not an expert make, but it does make them probably safe and reliable walkers!

Please keep this updated; I am very curious!

Suka, we have realized that our dog walkers likely fall into the category of loving dogs and not having a lot of experience handling different temperments.

When we met in person to discuss the incident she was not helpful at all. I kept pressing for details about what she was doing at the time, were there other dogs in her vehicle, was there anyone walking by, was there any unusual noises? She made me feel crazy for asking all those questions so I gather she just didn't know how to read the situation or how to handle it.

We have ended our relationship with this dog walker. After talking to several behaviourists over the past few days I understand now that there had to have been some kind of trigger and Jake's bite was likely preceded with other warnings that they just didn't pick up on.

They were supposed to board Jake next weekend, but I simply don't trust them anymore. If they are tense with Jake around I'm afraid we'd just be asking for more trouble.

As a side note, we got the results to Jake's blood test results back and nothing was out of the ordinary. No medical indication that could explain the sudden aggression. I know we could go further with additional testing, but we've made the decision to consult with a behaviorist to resolve some of the other issues like counter surfing, inconsistent recalls, digging in the front yard, etc.

[Suka]

Izver, I am so glad to hear you are able to consult with a behaviorist. I love you already.

[lzver]

Originally Posted by Suka

Izver, I am so glad to hear you are able to consult with a behaviorist. I love you already.

It is the least we can do. We spent the first 6 months he was with us trying to resolve health issues. Now we have some catch up to do on the behavioural side. He's my little man and we will do whatever we need to for him.


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[Twyla]

While searching for the behaviorist, be sure they have GSD and working breed experience. Verify with past and current clients regarding results, expectations met, communication. Be sure you are comfortable with them, they will be training you to handle your dog.

[lzver]

I just wanted to give an update. We had our first session with the dog behaviorist on the weekend. Before the session she had us complete a 12-page questionnaire and we exchanged quite a few emails. The first hour of our session was sitting and discussing Jake’s bite incident and prioritizing the issues we wanted to work on. I am very happy with her so far. Following our session she sent a summary of everything we discussed and covered and she sent lots of supplemental articles and videos we could review.

After much discussion, and since the dog walker is not cooperating with giving details of the incident, we can only assume the incident was a result of over excitement / arousal with possibly some fear or frustration mixed in. The dog walker made that assessment after observing Jake and after our lengthy discussion.

We are only starting with basics right now like teaching a “here” cue which can be used in various situations … getting his attention on walks, outside the house, getting his attention away from something he’s not supposed to go after, etc. We are also been heavily using clicker training and rewarding the good decisions that Jake makes. In less than a week, I can now cook dinner with Jake being in the kitchen and him not constantly jumping on the counter. He gets heavily rewarded for sitting nicely beside me or lying down on the mat in the kitchen. We still have a long way to go, but I’m starting to see some progress.

[Marnie]

You may have the most experienced, kindest dog walker in the world but x0emiroxy0x's point is valid. Who knows what went wrong but it is as likely to have been the dog walker's fault as the dog's. Maybe the dog accidentally got a toe pinched in the crate door. Maybe he refused to enter the crate in his excitement and they struggled. I would apologize profusely, tell the walker for his/her own safety you must cancel their services, and I would forever be watchful of that dog in case he bites again. Give your dog the benefit of the doubt and realize if the walker made a mistake, they can't admit it for fear of being accused of carelessness.

[lzver]

Originally Posted by Marnie

You may have the most experienced, kindest dog walker in the world but x0emiroxy0x's point is valid. Who knows what went wrong but it is as likely to have been the dog walker's fault as the dog's. Maybe the dog accidentally got a toe pinched in the crate door. Maybe he refused to enter the crate in his excitement and they struggled. I would apologize profusely, tell the walker for his/her own safety you must cancel their services, and I would forever be watchful of that dog in case he bites again. Give your dog the benefit of the doubt and realize if the walker made a mistake, they can't admit it for fear of being accused of carelessness.

Yes, I am fully aware it could have been something or a combination of things the dog walker did. It could have been a series of things that happened and something she did may have put him over the edge. We are no longer using their services and working to address Jake's stressors.


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