# Do you own/handle a dog-aggressive dog?



## Patrick Murray (Mar 27, 2006)

If so, do you know how the dog came to be dog-aggressive?


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## Jerry Lyda (Apr 4, 2006)

Bentley is only dog aggresive to mature males. Female and puppies he is good with. 

Just male dominance. He's the man, in his eyes and mine too.


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

All of mine are assertive and will fight if pushed. Buck (my old male husky/Rottweiler) is dog aggressive to both males and females, especially pushy ones. If he's around them and they leave him alone, sometimes he'll be alright with them. With time, he may even play bow at them. I'm not sure how he came to be that way as we got him around 8-10 years of age. But until then, he'll want to start something if they do. He's taken the most training to be manageable.

My alpha male Zoso can be, especially around alpha wannabes, both males and females. "Real" alpha males, like the kind that can stop shenanigans from other dogs with a look, he respects and defers too, but pushy posturing males is what usually sets him off. Otherwise, he's content to play chase. He's probably more of a beta male by personality, but is alpha by default. Lily can be a pushy little bitch herself with other females and some males, but is usually fine. Fawkes seems pretty neutral to most dogs so far. He'll run around with other dogs, but he'll mostly only want to really play with the pack members.


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## Anne Vaini (Mar 15, 2007)

I love pitties and it comes with the territory. The dog-aggressive dogs I've handled are 1. have a genetic tendency 2. male-male or female-femal aggressive or 3. was jumped by another dog and is fearful

I train my dogs to be neutral to each other. They don't play together. They might sniff a bit, but that's all. 

I approach it in two ways at the same time.

1. Attention/recall. I use the other dogs as distractions in the obedience exercises of attention and recall. I teach the dog to break attention away and choose to obey.

2. Leadership/compulsion. Guldarnit, *I* am the alpha bitch, so keep your tail and hackles down. ;D Disobey and there WILL be a consequence.

I find it easier to teach and aggressive dog to be neutral to other dogs than it is to teach a hyper-happy dog to be neutral to other dogs.

Also, the handler MUST understand that continued training and management it necessary. The #1 problem is that handlers start to see success, back down training or control and then are shocked that an incident happened.


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## Patrick Murray (Mar 27, 2006)

Anne Vaini said:


> *I* am the alpha bitch


:-k


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## Anne Vaini (Mar 15, 2007)

lol. I have a dominant streak.


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## Michelle Reusser (Mar 29, 2008)

LOL I'm the alppha bitch too. My adult female is well...just a real bitch. She will take on dogs of any size or gender. I just have to rule her with an iron fist. Took me some time to get full control of her but I can call her off 100% now. She knows dire consequences take place if she doesn't chill. I'm not above puting the boot to her. "Oh no...somebody call PETA!


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## marcy bukkit (Oct 4, 2007)

I used to have a dog aggressive dog. He wasn't dog aggressive until after he got attacked by another dog. He had always had a temperament that wasn't going to put up with anything. He was fine unless another dog got too close to him (within a few inches), so I kept up on my dog's obedience and I made sure no other dogs got into his space.


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## Lyn Chen (Jun 19, 2006)

I do believe I have one...he just doesn't plain like strange dogs (or people). But you'd never know it. He will ignore them even if they're sniffing his butt as long as I keep his attention on something, and he doesn't react if he sees them, won't even react if I pass by another dog that's snarling and barking away. But if they insist on sticking their nose in his face, he'll just bite. To pack members, he's a dream...just the most patient and nice dog overall. 

I believe he's this way 100% because of genetics. He was okay with strange dogs till he reached maturity, it's not like he wasn't exposed to them or had bad experiences. The good thing is training is enough to keep him in control. Because I didn't want a dog to socialize with in the dog park, I don't lose sleep over it.


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## Anna Kasho (Jan 16, 2008)

My Candy is dog aggressive. She is part pit, so I think it is partly genetic, but also a nerve issue on her part. It is also a learned habit, after three incidents with my other bitch Inka. I have to say, Candy has a talent for not getting hurt, and it makes her "feel good" afterwards, the endorphin kick I guess. Inka on the other hand, is dominant and dumb enough to start the fight, gets hurt, and then really stresses and shakes for a long time after I break them up.

it's a work in progress, and I have done tons of training with both to resolve this problem. Candy is easily manageable outside with strange dogs, I take charge and keep the other dog outside her comfort zone, and she is relaxed and will ignore. Inka is more of a bitch, but what I say is the law, so she doesn't dare start anything if I am there and acts nicely aloof - she is one of those "rude" dogs that most people don't notice sending out challenging signals to the other dogs...

The two of them together is a different story, because they already have a history of hating each other. They behave if I am there telling each what to do. Leaving them to make their own decisions would result in a big nasty fight. Although, I am proud to report that last time when Candy accidentally got in the house while Inka was loose, Inka went to her place and sat (as I've been training her), and Candy looked, hackled, but deliberately turned away and continued on to the other room and into her kennel (also as I've been training). All the work I've put into them is paying off  

Honestly I don't care if they are dog aggressive, I don't care if they can't play nice with the all the doggies at the dog park, I don't care if they are "socialized" to meet and greet other people's pets. I DO care that they act polite and obey me, behave themselves on the streets, and that they coexist with the other dogs I own. That's what I am working on. Almost there.:smile: 

My mals are from a line known to be NOT dog aggressive. It is a blessing.

What Lisa said in the dogpark thread is right on!\\/


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## Chase Mika (May 2, 2008)

My younger GSD was totally neutral with other dogs when I first got him. Then put him in k9 school with a bunch of other dogs and after he got attacked a couple times.....now he's dog aggressive. I'm trying to work him back to neutral, but I know I can't just let him off lead with another dog anymore.


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

Yikes, why was he getting attacked at a K-9 school?


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## Howard Knauf (May 10, 2008)

unfortunately, sometimes all it takes is once. Sucks.

Howard


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## Nancy Jocoy (Apr 19, 2006)

Cyra is somewhat dog aggressive. I DID socialize her but in some respect I think it is in her lines from what I have been told. She is not bad, mainly snarking. I do think I could have done more on that end.

For what I am doing it is a REAL hassle to have a dog that cannot just chill with other strange dogs. 

The only factors I can see are [1] she was nailed as a puppy but not really that bad [no blood] but I know that is a common cause - I did everything to prevent that but it was a freak thing where a bloodhound actually pulled her handler off her feet to get to my dog [2] my current dog when I got her did not have great social skills and was not a good teacher [3] it got worse after she got spayed.

Grim came to me as an adult and other than the obligatory sniff could care less about other dogs. I love that as he can be loose anywhere and he can defuse a mildly snarky dog in a hearbeat. - usually a female. So I need to ask the first owner what he did right or if it is just his core temperament. So it is not about dog parks, it is about being able to work him offlead with other dogs close by in adjacent sectors, to be able to load into and out of a boat without delays due to keeping the dogs separate, being able to load them in each others trucks etc.


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## Chase Mika (May 2, 2008)

> Yikes, why was he getting attacked at a K-9 school?


At some point you have to go off-lead for some exercises....and in school it's just not possible time-wise to go one dog at a time. Some dogs take advantage of that freedom, unfortunately.


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## Erin Sullivan (Jul 24, 2007)

I have a pit bull, and like Anne said, it comes with the territory . . . my dog wasn't overly dog aggressive when he came to me. He wouldn't pick a fight, but he definitely responded to aggressive posturing or attitude from other dogs, particularly males. But he was able to greet social dogs without issue. But a few months ago, he and I were walking down the street and an American bulldog flew through a front door at him and bit him square in the face before we even knew what hit us, put a few holes in him. Ever since then, he's more than willing to fight if a strange dog approaches him. 

He's OK around my two pet dogs though, since they're part of the family and he knows them. But like Anne, I do not let my dogs play with my working dog. They can all be together in the same room peacefully in downs or under command or whatever, and that's all I really need from them, so it's not a big deal.


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## Mike Scheiber (Feb 17, 2008)

Chase Mika said:


> My younger GSD was totally neutral with other dogs when I first got him. Then put him in k9 school with a bunch of other dogs and after he got attacked a couple times.....now he's dog aggressive. I'm trying to work him back to neutral, but I know I can't just let him off lead with another dog anymore.


WTF


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## Katrina Kardiasmenos (Aug 5, 2007)

I handle 2 DA dogs...however, they are each on DA to same-sex dogs...

I have no idea why Cy is male DA...I got him when he was 7.5 years old.

Drusilla is extremely female DA. She was kept in a hutch with her brother for the first several months of her life (until I got her at 9 months old)...so, I'm assuming that had something to do with it...


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