My dog has been becomming extremely aggressive... i don't mind aggression if it's protection... but i don't think that's the case usually.
At first he just had problems with small children, and as long as I made sure he was leashed and that I saw them first it wasn't a problem... but today he jumped on a kid that looked like he might be 13 and also went after some guy at the dog park. I don't know if he was trying to "attack" them because i didn't give him the opportunity to go through with it, and after the second one I leashed him for the rest of the time and just let Holly run.
I had to move from my last apartment because of his aggression towards my neighbors kids... and I now have to be really careful because I have neighbors with kids here too... and apparently it's not just kids anymore.
would obedience help that? I mean, he does listen to me 90% of the time... but it doesn't really help when he dislikes someone.

1/15/2006 9:50:19 PM

would group classes help?
or would i have to go the more expensive route of individual classes?
or would nothing help.

1/15/2006 9:56:44 PM

why not just keep him on a leash when he's outside.

1/15/2006 9:57:13 PM

Quote :

"why not just keep him on a leash when he's outside."

this should be done for every fucking dog

1/15/2006 10:07:42 PM

I agree - I grew up with dogs, and although obedience classes help SOME we never totally fixed the problem of their aggression toward other people. I get very nervous when I'm out with my kids around people with dogs - especially when the dog is not on a leash.

1/15/2006 11:24:59 PM

Any type of professional obedience training would help. the dog should be responsive to you at any moment - regardless of whether or not they like the person or thing - especially if they're acting aggressive towards it. You should mind aggression if you "think" its for protection - do you really want to encourage a behavior that could possibly be acted out against someone/something that is not attacking you? The dog is really acting out and showing that he is in control of the situation and wants to be the boss, taking control from you. Individual lessons would be the appropriate way to go first, maybe even see a behaviorist who's experienced with dogs who act out aggression before you put him in a group setting with distractions. You need to be able to have his full attention first and get him to respond to your verbal commands completely before putting him in that type of environment.
Aggression towards children is an especially important issue - because most kids now a days will walk up to a strange dog and try to pet it...even if you try to tell the kid to stop, or if you try to avoid the situation, if the dog bites, it's your responsiblity for damages.

1/15/2006 11:30:50 PM

Aggressive behavior in a dog can be dangerous and you shouldn't let it continue, especially if you take the dog out in public. Children are not the only ones who can get into trouble. I have seen adults try to pet a growling dog in spite of its owner's warnings and the dogs clearly angry behavior.

People will try to pet your dog, and if they get bitten then you are liable. So don't let it happen.

Although individual lessons are more expensive, it is probably what you need. You can talk to a trainer first to get more information and advice.

In Durham a couple years ago, a kid was killed because he climbed a fence into someone's yard and their dogs mauled him. Of course he shouldn't have been there in the first place, and that's a rare outcome. But the fact remains that an aggressive dog can hurt or kill other people.

1/15/2006 11:49:51 PM

My Great Dane was super agressive......Please call Gary Shaw @ 854-9774 He did wonders for my situation. He is the best game in 3 states for agression issues. Worth every dollar. Good luck Dave

1/16/2006 12:47:13 AM

Obedience training, group or individual, should help a lot. It will take a lot of time and commitment on your part, but keep working at it and training will help. If things don't improve and you think you are putting in the right amount of time, find a new trainer/class. Look into training classes that are either geared specifically towards aggressive dogs or that prepare dogs for their Canine Good Citizen certificates.

1/16/2006 12:58:25 AM

thanks.
fortunately i live in an apartment, so I don't have to worry about unsupervised children comming around them when I'm not home. But I don't think his aggression is that bad to the extent of seriously mauling or killing someone.
And as for people approaching him after I've warned them... I've learned to be a bitch about it so the kids are more scared of comming near me than my dog.... but, I'm pretty sure from some of the laws that I have read that if I give a verbal warning then I am not liable.

And as for those of you who can't read... my dog is only off leash at the dog park. And you should not take your small children there and not expect something to not happen. It's not just my dog... people need to read the damn rules!

1/16/2006 7:15:25 AM

http://thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=379606

1/16/2006 8:09:13 AM

I've never heard of anyone who has so many problems with their animals. This is like the 4000th thread about some pet behavioral problem. I think that you just suck as a pet owner.

1/16/2006 8:21:17 AM

Quote :

"And as for those of you who can't read... my dog is only off leash at the dog park. And you should not take your small children there and not expect something to not happen. It's not just my dog... people need to read the damn rules!"

i can see how going to a park, dog or otherwise, is just asking to be attacked.

1/16/2006 9:26:47 AM

From most of your recent posts, it sounds like the dog is having a severe stress reaction to the goings-on around him. You've recently seperated from your husband, recently moved to a new location, etc and I'm sure that's taken its toll on you emotionally and dogs can sense that. He might be acting out in order to protect you but he might also be acting out to release some nervous energy. In any event, he needs obedience training and a very stable environment. In addition, you've mentioned the dogs sleep with you, which is a big doggie no-no when you are dealing with aggressive behavior. He's confused about his pack status and needs to be reminded that YOU are alpha and he needs to be submissive to you at all times, especially when you are in a public place. Unstable dogs get confused about their pack status when you treat them like a human or equal, which is the message he gets when he's invited to sleep in the human bed. Anyway, just some insight... he doesn't sound like he's unfixable, in fact, it sounds like an easy fix as long as you are consistent with training. PS - if you have cable, seriously try to catch the show The Dog Whisperer on the National Geographic channel. As an animal lover, you'd really appreciate it, plus, there are some great tips for correcting bad dog behavior that you might find useful.

1/16/2006 10:15:31 AM

I read this and the first thing I thought of was "Cesar Millan...The Dog Whisperer!"

I love his re-enactments of dog behavior

1/16/2006 10:22:05 AM

HE BITE MY VAGINA!!!!

1/16/2006 10:29:46 AM

THE DOG WHISPERER

1/16/2006 10:31:34 AM

Quote :

"Quote : "why not just keep him on a leash when he's outside." this should be done for every fucking dog"

Quote :

"But I don't think his aggression is that bad to the extent of seriously mauling or killing someone."

That's what everyone thinks until rover kills or hurts somebody.

1/16/2006 2:43:24 PM

my girl's dog was like that....he is a generally good dog, very loving, but a boxer-mix stray she got when he was over a year old.

I used to give him his space and let him do what he wanted.

he got uppity and started getting food aggressive, to the point of stealing food off MY plate and then snapping at me

then he came at me one day barking and snarling, bit me three times. Nothing major, but a dog should NEVER be allowed to bite unless trained to do so at VERY specific times.

I beat him till he collapsed, now when I tell him to do something I make him do it THEN. No room for him to forget his place, and he's been the best dog I've had to deal with.

My girl was pissed when it happened (I dunno if at me or him). But she sees the results of a major ass whupin when the dog oversteps his bounds and is thankful that it was me he came at and not a stranger.

[Edited on January 16, 2006 at 3:00 PM. Reason : spelling]

1/16/2006 2:58:42 PM

CYRION FOR THE WIN

the guy that called the cops on her was priceless

1/16/2006 3:00:57 PM

Quote :

"But she sees the results of a major ass whupin when the dog oversteps his bounds"

Quote :

"I beat him till he collapsed, now when I tell him to do something I make him do it THEN. No room for him to forget his place"

Barbaric much?

Aggressive and other undesirable behavior can be broken without the use of negative reinforcement. Please seek out a trainer who only uses positive reinforcement and ignore 80% of what you see on The Dog Whisperer. Hitting your dog more often than not results in a dog who is too submissive (another undesirable type of behavior) and will likely attack someone (other than the person who beat him) out of fear. Do you want a dog that is afraid of getting hit all the time or one that happily knows his place in the household and knows exactly what to do to please their owner in a given situation?

1/16/2006 3:48:37 PM

this is why i like toy breeds. even if they are mean it wont hurt too much.

1/16/2006 3:52:16 PM

Quote :

"My Great Dane was super agressive......Please call Gary Shaw @ 854-9774 He did wonders for my situation. He is the best game in 3 states for agression issues. Worth every dollar. "

Gary is just great. He works at Oberlin and Glenwood animal hospitals (832-3107 and 783-7387) and has classes going constantly. You'll probably want either Cautious Canine or Fiesty Fido. They run around $125 for a 6 week class. Just call and we can get you set up. Hannah also teaches those classes and often works with Gary on problem dogs. Another option is drop off training. It's $100 for 4 private sessions usually on Monday/Wednesday's for two weeks. Give either Hannah or Gary at call at those #'s and talk to them...let them tell you what would be better: classes or private drop off sessions.

Whatever you decide, do something quickly...Good luck

-Rachel

1/16/2006 6:19:14 PM

thanks to the polite and helpful responses.
I am definitely an animal lover... which is why I haven't resorted to negative reinforcement.... the reason my animals have so many behavior problems is because of where they came from and the fact that they were abused. Monty has been through 4 homes because of his behavior, he has made a lot of improvement in the year that I have had him... it's just harder to keep making progress now that I have to work on both dogs by myself.
I've been trying to work on some of his dominance issues... but I think I have let it go a little too far, at this point i think i need professional help. I am going to look into Gary, but the vet I work at suggested a female also... and he responds better to females, so i will find out what both say about that.

1/16/2006 10:04:54 PM

Okay so your dog is aggressive... having a wolf-hybrid, i know what its like. There are a few SIMPLE things you can do to overcome this: 1)neutter your dog. the only reason not to is if you are going to breed him, and if you're not going to immediately(as a career) then get him fixed. 2) RUN him once/twice a day AT LEAST. go to a fenced in area or get off your ass and run him til he's dead tired. make this a habbit and he'll be happier, and he won't lash out for attention in a bad way. 3) DO NOT just chain your dog up... this builds aggression. think about it, if you were tied up and ignored you'd probably be pretty pissed off too. If you're trying to just pay a trainer to come and "fix" your dog for a certain sum of money, tough luck. Thats not how it works. the trainer will come and give you both advice and excercises to do with your dog. you have to make it a point to 'introduce' your dog to new people and make sure that the dog is comfortable with the person and the person is not scared of the dog. PM me if you need/want anymore tips.

1/16/2006 10:40:17 PM

my bad, some of my posting is based on the original thread, not any more recent ones. Take any advice you'd like from it that hasn't been addressed and contact teamworks

1/16/2006 10:42:30 PM

Quote :

"My Great Dane was super agressive"

that's unusual for a Great Dane to be aggressive. Usually they just have a "I'm not gonna take any shit" attitude, but not aggressive. From what I've seen, they are protective and territorial (they aren't too keen about strangers or other male dogs being on their turf), but generally pretty nice, well-tempered dogs.

I had one Great Dane that didn't like most men, but that was because he was mistreated/abused before we got him.

I'd like to have a Great Dane/Doberman mix...bring the size down just be just a little more manageable, and hopefully ward off at least a few of the health problems and increase the life expectancy a little (and not being a purebred wouldn't hurt, either)

[Edited on January 17, 2006 at 12:19 AM. Reason : asdfasd]

1/17/2006 12:14:05 AM

our dog used to be really aggressive towards children - would bark/growl and lunge at them

we would leash our dog and get kids around the neighborhood to come by and toss him a dog treat... after doing this over and over he has now associated kids as good (b/c they bring him treats) instead of something he feels he should attack

1/17/2006 12:19:49 PM

innova -

barbaric? hardly. But an animal is not a person. lets not get into pack behavior and omega wolves or even dingo families. I did what I did in my own defense, perhaps I phrased it wrong and it sounded more harsh than it was. since that incident (month and a half ago), niether I nor my girlfriend have had to punish him for anything, and he isn't the slightest bit submissive. He is happy and friendly and isn't jumpy about things. I don't even need to leash him to run him while I'm on the bike in the woods (great excercise BTW for overly excitable dogs)


Positive reinforcement is the best way. to teach. unlearning is a difficult thing to do.

besides, I could have turned the dog over to a shelter where he would have been put down for his aggression. But he is a part of the family.

[Edited on January 17, 2006 at 12:29 PM. Reason : ...]

1/17/2006 12:27:02 PM