How do I get my dog to behave properly around other dogs?
The worst citizen ever. asked:
My dog is a nightmare with other dogs when walking, we don’t take him off his lead as he would be uncontrollable, he shakes when he sees them then barks and lunges for them when they get close.
He’s been like this since he was attacked by a staff as a pup (he’s 2 now).
Please, help me.
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My dog is a nightmare with other dogs when walking, we don’t take him off his lead as he would be uncontrollable, he shakes when he sees them then barks and lunges for them when they get close.
He’s been like this since he was attacked by a staff as a pup (he’s 2 now).
Please, help me.
December 8th, 2009 at 12:37 am
He’s under socialized and lacks training and good doggy manners. In other words, your dog is dog aggressive. You’ve let this behaviour continue FAR too long and should have dealt with it immediately.
Contact a trainer who specializes in dog aggression or an animal behaviourist. Your vet can recommend a good one. Kathleen
December 11th, 2009 at 3:15 am
Unfortunately experiences they encounter as pups stay with them and he has learnt this reaction out of fear. You need to take control and build his confidence in you and himself so he is not so defencive of what he sees as a threat. He will have an imaginary boundary around him and anything he sees as a threat that looks like coming into that space has to be warned off. He will pick up on your anxiety when you anticipate his bad reaction and this will reinforce his reaction. You need a behaviourist to help you if you have no friends with dogs as she/he will help you find dog owners to assist in exposing your dog to other dogs in a controlled manner. She/he will teach you how to train your dog so he knows you are in charge, this will give your dog more confidence in you so he can relax and not feel need to protect you also.
A method that usually works is to get a small sweet tin and half fill it with pebbles or coins so it makes loud sharp sound when shaken and attach it to a length of string. Enlist the help of strangers (ie friends of friends) with dogs to assist you. Sit on park bench with your dog on shortish lead while the volunteers approach and walk past you, some with and some without dogs. As soon as your dog barks or reacts hold the string and throw the tin down hard on the ground in front of him, tug his lead and say no firmly (the string makes it easier for you to retrieve tin and will add to his confusion). Keep doing this each time until he gets the message and is hesitant to react to people, each time he doesnt react and is quiet give him a tasty treat and praise him. Do this while standing by the path as they walk by, and progress to walking towards and passing these people with their dogs on and off leads. Every time your dog reacts badly shake the tin hard straight away, tug lead and say no, the times he doesnt react praise him loads and give treat. Eventually he should ignore other dogs and if he seems about to grumble he will respond to just ‘nooo’ and reasuring commands & prompts like ‘walk on’ or ‘leave’ & ‘good boy’. Remember you are not trying to terrify him, the idea is he won’t like the noise and will be unsure so he will look to you for reassurance and guidance he will soon associate barking at people and dogs is an unpleasant experience and not barking at them gets praise and treats.
Lots of fun and basic obedience training will reassure him that you are in control and he can relax, walks will become more fun for you both. Classes are a great way to socialise him plus you will pick up lots of useful tips yourself. Take lots of tasty treats like pieces of sausage when you take him out for walks and ask other doggy people to help you by giving him treats. Getting him neutered if not already done will also remove his need to challenge other males.
I still suggest you get the advice of a professional who can discuss with you the trauma your dog has experienced and his relationship with you. I wouldnt want you to do anything that could cause him more problems.
I do hope this is helpful - good luck Richard.
December 13th, 2009 at 9:12 pm
My suggestion is the you watch the dog whisper Cesar Millan on the National Geographic channel. He shows people how to rehabilitate dogs and how to be calm assertive pet owners. Horse Lover
December 14th, 2009 at 4:25 am
Your dog should be enrolled in private obedience classes and then, when he is ready, move to a general public class. A qualified instructor can help you teach your dog to refocus his attention on you and not on other dogs. KoAussie
December 15th, 2009 at 11:43 am
heyy
my dog used 2 b the same but you need 2 get pro help or just give him a telling off and if you do that often your dog will learn. it worked 4 me,
good luck!!
xox saaza
December 15th, 2009 at 2:01 pm
This sounds like fear aggression.
The best way to go about this, is my socialising. However socialising must be done with submissive dogs. Too find a dog more submissive to yours, it will get lower than your dog, tail will be lower, ears back, may even wriggle on the floor.
Walk the two dogs together, one on wither side of you, then after about 10 minutes let them both off lead, in an enclosed area with no other dogs around. Don’t talk, just let them interact. At the first sign of bad behaviour, stamp your foot down in front of your dog and take him away.
When your dog is behaving then praise. But remember to make all experiences with other dogs positive. Herbie & Fern
December 18th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
Staffs and other bull types are naturally animal/dog aggressive.
First thing is first you need to control the dog on the walk and let him know who is boss. Get a prong collar for him. When he tries to pull pop him with the collar. He does not sound well leashed trained so you should work on that as well.
When he is by other dogs you can try a few things. You can teach him “watch me” where when you say that the dog gives his attention to you and you give him a treat or you can get some bitter apple spray and spray it in his mouth if he is barking.
Also try taking him to some training classes. My APBT was very dog aggressive and training classes helped a lot.
Good luck! Rogue Bulles
December 18th, 2009 at 5:34 pm
Calm authoratative leadership, so your dog is confident that you will protect it from threats outside the pack & obedience training.
A dog’s basic temperament is set by its genetics, which means the dog is born biologically predisposed to behavioral strengths & weaknesses. You can correct the behavior of a dog with a sound temperament that has learned bad habits, but only work to CONTROL the behavior of a dog with a genetically defective temperament.
When a previous Dobermann was bitten by a dog, the weakness in his temperament manifested itself if defensive aggressive behavior. When a dog ran towards him he would lunge forward, growling with hackles raised. He had a hard collar correction every time he exhibited aggressive behavior & rewarded with praise for focused calm behavior. I never allowed a dog to enter his physical space & carried a sturdy walking stick to ensure it never happened. My dog learned to focus on me & trusted me to protect him.
The training method was geared to my dog’s temperament & response to environmental stimuli. With consistent training he did walk calmly past dog, but he remained a dog with a genetically weak temperament.
Train the dog on its own. Begin in an area with few environmental distractions. As your dog learns to focus on you, gradually increase the level of distraction. Immediately give a hard correction for ANY aggressive behavior & reward calm focused behavior with praise. It will take time, consistency & practise, but it can be done. Memphis Belle
December 21st, 2009 at 11:15 pm
There are different types of aggressive behaviour and your dog has ‘Fear Aggression’
quote:”He’s been like this since he was attacked by a staff as a pup (he’s 2 now).”
I know how you feel because this happened to one of our young German Shepherds who was also ’set-upon’ by another dog and despite what others may tell you - they don’t forget.
They feel that they must ‘get in first’ in order to protect themselves from a strange dog.If they know the other dog then they are usually fine.
So how do you get over this?
Well obedience dog training is an absolute must, (you don’t say what type of dog you have), but a ‘choker chain collar’ for training, a suitable leather lead, get and maintain your dogs attention (when you see another dog approaching) talk to him and give off calm - every things OK type vibes. If you show fear or apprehension - your dog will pick up on this and it will make matters worse.
Grab his attention by treats if need be - you have to make him realise that he isn’t going to be attacked by the other dog and to remain calm.
It’s best to make him sit and if he looks as though he is about to lunge at the other dog - say ‘NO’ in a loud commanding voice and pull him back on his lead.
I go into this in more detail on my website if you need more help
Good Luck - this will take a little time to get over Graham in U.K.