# Fixing dog agression



## Dillon Benda (Aug 26, 2008)

My dogs not real hard core dog agressive but if he were to be close to strange dogs there is no doubt he would want to fight. I was just wondering if any one had some ideas on what I could do to fix this that would be great. It seems like to some people with working dogs that this is not a big deal because a lot of people just dont have there dogs that close to strange dogs. the reason that it is so important to me is that I will be bringing him to college with me and the people I am living with also have dogs. I dont know how well behaved their dogs are so a lot will depend on that but I want to do what I can.


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## Lee H Sternberg (Jan 27, 2008)

Hi Dillon - I'm anxious to hear your responses. My dog is aggressive to anything, dog or people, outside the pack. I am always surprised to see such a sweetheart within the pack structure turn nuts.

That's my female. My male is the complete opposite. He never met a dog he didn't love as long as the other dog showed no aggression.


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## Michele McAtee (Apr 10, 2006)

By the title of this thread, it makes it sound so simple...like its a "hole in the bucket dear liza, dear liza..." lol.

IMO, there are a lot of variables as to why a dog may have dog aggression. (age, has it been attacked?, manners with other dogs it lives with, introductions, how you've handled the situation(s), self control/focus training in the dog, genetics, health, etc...)

My last dog began to present dog (and people) aggression around 4 to 6 months. IMO, combination of genetics and him feeding off my initial energy testing and learning the rules (him attempting to "wipe the floor with me" )

First, I was (like a lot of inexperienced people) tightening up on lead, saying NO and then watching in awe, my dog spinning and circling and lunging and snarling and barking--YUCK!!! A few times of this, and I was joining with the people and dogs he was doing this to: "You are RIGHT, he's a freak. All the while telling the dog NO, pop leash, walk on...

Obviously, I was not prepared for these displays. I knew I needed help with this, and immediately, I consulted trusted trainers I met from this site and a personal trainer. 

I took care of it with obedience and motivation. Steak. I thought this is MY dog and it is MY responsibility to teach him. If I saw people or dogs off in the distance out on a walk, I'd engage him with a sit and focus. Then reward with toy or treat. IE: 30 feet away from other dog (or people) Then, slowly worked my way closer. If he barked, remain consistant with my teaching him. It worked amazingly well. Once I had him solid with other dogs on the other side of fences, keeping his focus on me, I did use prong for correction if he screwed up. He really came thru it all very well.

As for living with other dogs and having a dog aggressive dog, I do suggest you read this e-book: http://leerburg.com/pdf/introducingdogs.pdf 
It addresses introductions and how to live with the dogs. There are times dogs cannot peacefully live together and must be kept separate.


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## Melody Greba (Oct 4, 2007)

There are several benign ways, as well as direct ways to defuse this issue so your dog learns to remain neutral. 
Bicycling at the park or along the street with your dog on a Springer and pinch collar is very helpful since he must remain focused and rythmic in his pace. Not a slow jog, but a decent speed. Regular intervals where dogs are in proximity helps him to learn to stay neutral and non-reactive.
After time, his behavior can become normal around other dogs in public.

Other areas of focus are your status between the 2 of you. He must be obedient to you and focused. Steak was mentioned along with ob commands to help create it. 
If he sleeps in the bed, you will be compromising your pack leader status. Defining your leadership through every day interaction; this is your leverage to maintaining your rank/power. Particularly if you are a slight woman. 
Some intact males will remain obedient to please you in 75% of the situations, by their terms. But when the distraction or the stake is high, their terms will be upon their choice.


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## Anne Vaini (Mar 15, 2007)

1) Teach an appropriate "default" behavior of focus/attention/recall. This is a super-fun training game.

2) Be equipped and ready to deliver a fair and EFFECTIVE correction for refusing to perform the default behavior. This is a matter of having the equipment, fitting it right and being MENTALLY prepared to use it. But wait - this step is just being ready. You won't use it until YOU make a mistake in #3.

3) Perception modification to lower the dog's threshold for becoming aggressive. This is simple but difficult to explain in writing. Essentially you are:
a) desensitizing the dog to the presence of another dog. 
b) rehearsing the drilling the default behavior in the presence of another dog until it becomes automatic.
c) use correction to end refusal of performing the default behavior.
d) use correction to end aggression.
e) teaching the dog to CHOOSE to ignore other dogs.
f) teaching the dog to remain calm, even relaxed in the presence of other dogs.

The three points above are tailored to meeting dog's outside of the "pack," To bring another dog into the pack will require much more management and work. Never let down your guard.


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## Dillon Benda (Aug 26, 2008)

Thanks for the help I will try some of these things and I will read the links posted. Like I said hes not crazy agressive, luckily. he doesnt go nuts when he sees other dogs but if there up close he'll kind of growl at them. I think the biggest thing is my lack of dominance. This is something I canstantly have to work on with him. Hes really good at home but if Im in a situation where I dont act totally in controll hes the knind of dog that will thake advantage of that. When Ive itroduced him to dogs before what seemed to work is to express dominance tward him and that helped a lot. I just wanted to get some ideas. My biggest concern is that the dogs I will be living with are considerably smaller so if I make a mistake the results could be worse than with another bigger dog that cant be hurt as quickly.


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## Anne Vaini (Mar 15, 2007)

> Like I said hes not crazy agressive, luckily. he doesnt go nuts when he sees other dogs but if there up close he'll kind of growl at them.


Don't kid yourself. This type of aggression is more difficult to work with because it is less intense and less predictable. Handlers are less aware of the dog's body lanugage or get comfortable and then things happen.

Treat any aggressive posturing (pre-growl behaviors) as if he were attacking the other dog. Escalation cannot be an option.


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## Howard Gaines III (Dec 26, 2007)

Anne Vaini said:


> Don't kid yourself. This type of aggression is more difficult to work with because it is less intense and less predictable. Handlers are less aware of the dog's body lanugage or get comfortable and then things happen.
> 
> Treat any aggressive posturing (pre-growl behaviors) as if he were attacking the other dog. Escalation cannot be an option.


Anne well put. Most don't know how to read the signs and some think they are only "talking." I think most starts a puppyhood and is allowed to grow from owner lack of knowledge and a willingness to aggressively correct. They are animals not people, adjust properly!


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## Leri Hanson (Apr 3, 2008)

Excellent suggestions above!

It's true, aggression can come from many different/combined factors. More often then not it's usually mis-handling of the situation and a touch of poor timing to defuse. 

My experience has been that most_* (not all)*_ dog aggressive dogs are simply uneducated and think they have a choice, or, are flat out dissin' YOU, the handler! Sometimes the dog may feel vulnerable for whatever reason and think they need to react (ie: scare the other away) before the other dog even does anything. In this case, the dog IMO doesn't trust the handler to "handle" things (ie: life's circumstances) effectively. We, as the trainers teach them it's simply not acceptable behavior. Like any other obedience/focus exercise teach them whats expected even under distraction/stress. Start at a distance then gradually bring the other dog closer...and ideally use a social dog to work this...not a high strung monster. 

My dogs don't need to "like" every dog on the street or training field (heck, I generally don't like "everyone" I meet either) but it is completely unacceptable for them to be rude and "start" any problems. This ONLY applies when I'm present or have the dog on a command. Gawd help the stray that jumps into my yard while I'm away. I'm also not the type of person to allow my dogs to "meet" strange dogs either...so take that for what it's worth. If I have a potential "fighter" or dog who can be a little "funny" I work hard on making all other dogs as neutral as possible when we're out together. 

One other thing, I'd strongly caution those who choose to correct instead of guide the young rambunctious pup who receives a little eye contact and reacts. Sometimes we make matters WAY worse by over-reacting to normal inexperienced young guns or pure lack of social skills. And of course, those who acquire the older dog need handle VERY carefully in these situations. Often, corrections from us bring only more aggression, sometimes re-directed at handler.

There's no place for fighters when it comes to sport dogs. Or anyplace for that matter.

Leri


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## Anne Vaini (Mar 15, 2007)

Video of the results of the training I described above:

She passes within inches of the other dog and never looks at it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhAHhQ2g6Rs

Heeling around a neutral dog:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKczpiYauYs


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## Lou Castle (Apr 4, 2006)

Here a video from one of my clients who did the work with a dog aggressive dog. 

http://www.youtube.com/v/4qmMAFKBuKg&rel=1 

Sorry, no sound with it.


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## Mo Earle (Mar 1, 2008)

the video looks like me right now... not to hijack your thread Dillon, but maybe someone else can learn to- has anyone got any more suggestions-??
Got an 18mos.male, intact GSD ( getting fixed soon-and our vet is an animal behaviorist, who is willling to evaluate him). very dog/people aggressive,previous owners got rid of the dog because he bit the mailman and a family member- 
I got him doing well around very neutral,submissive,friendly dogs-finally!
but any dog that gives him ANY kind of challenge- it is back to looking like the guy holding the GSD on Lou's video....he even went crazy walking by the donkey yesterday, because another on of my gsd's was running around barking at her-(that gsd,loves to herd cows) - he had been by her a dozen times before no problem- he has also came back and bit me, when I first got him-when I restrained him and gave him a correction-. ( I had him around 6 months)
Been working on his obedience- with no distractions- doing great- was able to bring him out with the club and do obedience- now we have to move it to the next notch-around strangers and strange dogs.

any other suggestions- my husband suggests a bullet, to decrease this aggression toward people and dogs- I am doing all I know-which up until now, I thought was a good amount....(I also run him on the four wheeler, to wear him out- it does the trick for a little while, but he is also getting stronger and building some good endurance).......:-o


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## Gillian Schuler (Apr 12, 2008)

Mo said "I got him doing well around very neutral,submissive, friendly dogs-finally!"

I have a similar problem with mine in the garden. If the owner walks past with the dog under control - no problem, I can call him to order. If the owner, lets his dogs jump up at our fence, mine reacts aggressively.

We have a friend with the police who is allowed to use the e-collar, which we are not. He says, however, first you have to start of with submissive dogs and when this works and your dog doesn't react aggressively, then you have to try it out on aggressive dogs which is not so easy as it sounds. It can always default.

Outside of the garden, I have control of the dog but I wouldn't necessarily provoke a face-to-face with one of the dogs that tries to attack him from outside the fence. We've decided to make the fence higher and then I can call him to order without worrying that he'll jump the fence.

If only dog owners would work together and keep their 4-legged friends under control. Life would be much easier but, I'm totally responsible for mine in the end effect - what ever Herr Meier might do:-({|=


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## Anne Vaini (Mar 15, 2007)

My advice to all it to get the OB solid, then gradually increase distractions. (As written in previous posts).

A friend of mine has a Staffy that was ready to kill my dog on sight - about 50 feet away. We did this training. In 20 minutes the dogs were side by side - inches apart, calm, relaxed and focused on their owners. We did one session introducing the training. A second session bringing in more distraction and a thrid session teaching the handle to give an effective correction and really pushing the dog.

One year later, she and I went to a Cesar Millan book signing (she is a huge fan) with AT LEAST (not exaggerating) 1,000 people and 1,000 dogs in close quarters. Her dog was not aggressive and Cesar complimented her on her dog's behavior.

The second thing to remember is that without good management most if not all dogs will relapse into aggression. This startles a lot of dog owners. Expect it. Remember that your dog is only reacting to the present situation. It is not a failure of the training, but a failure of good management.

Gillian - you only need more work on the recall, in your yard, in distraction. Your dog MUST believe that you are more important than defending his space. Second, if you teach your dog that the more angry you sound, the bigger/better the reward, you'll have better results in real-life situations.

Mo - I suggest you focus on training the attention heeling and demand it from your dog at all times (while walking, in public, etc.)


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## Lou Castle (Apr 4, 2006)

Mo Earle said:


> my husband suggests a bullet, to decrease this aggression toward people and dogs


A bullet usually helps with the long down but really hurts the recall.


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## Anne Vaini (Mar 15, 2007)

Lou Castle said:


> A bullet usually helps with the long down but really hurts the recall.



:lol:


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## Mo Earle (Mar 1, 2008)

> Originally Posted by *Lou Castle*
> _A bullet usually helps with the long down but really hurts the recall._


 :smile::smile::smile: at least I would have a really good long long down.....but I think even with the bullet, if he was challenged, he would find a way to re-incarnate and aggress the other dog

Thanks Anne, I agree with you, I also am a big advocate of Cesar Milan- and have been exercising a lot of his suggested techniques for a long time- 
need to start putting in a lot more time with it all- I definately have a red zone dog, when he is challenged by another.
and agree with Gillan, I am responsible for his actions, whatever they might be, no matter how the other dog is presented....


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## David Frost (Mar 29, 2006)

Lou Castle said:


> A bullet usually helps with the long down but really hurts the recall.



I'll have to remember that. ha ha

DFrost


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## Lee H Sternberg (Jan 27, 2008)

Lou Castle said:


> A bullet usually helps with the long down but really hurts the recall.



Lou, I smile often at humorous posts. It takes a lot to make me laugh out loud. That one did!!!\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/


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## Gillian Schuler (Apr 12, 2008)

I agree Anne but the fence is only a metre and I'd have to provoke him with one of the aggressive dogs that pass by. I'm working on something foolproof (not easy in this country).


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## Anne Vaini (Mar 15, 2007)

Gillian,

Measure from your house to the fence. Make a long line that is 2 feet shorter than that. Secure the long line to your house (a porch post?). Now you are free to train without worrying about the dog going over the fence. Use the line everytime the dog goes outside so it doesn't become wise to the line.


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## Gillian Schuler (Apr 12, 2008)

Anne, Thank you.

I'm working on these lines, to pardon a pun. maybe with a little support of some sort or other....


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