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I am a college student. My mom has kept my dog, a hound named Sarah, as well as her own dog, a German shepherd named Rocko. We've had Sarah about five years, Rocko maybe four. We adopted both from a shelter.
A couple of years ago, Sarah was bit by another dog at the dog park. Before, she was friendly and playful with other dogs. Now she growls at them and is aggressive toward them. We've slowly started taking her less places, for fear that she'd attack another dog. She even jumped over the fence once, bit a dog on the leg, and jped right back into our yard.
Today we were at the lake at a private camp site. Both our dogs are on leads, napping, and I'm reading in my chair. I turn to glance at Sarah, and... there's another dog just standing there sniffing her. I said her name and suddenly both dogs lunged.
This dog was a small breed, I think a pug mix? But very fat. We separated them once, me grabbing Sarah around the middle and my mom grabbing the loose dogs harness. We drag them away from each other but the pug dog wiggles out of her harness and runs back at Sarah. I freak a little, still bent over holding her, and basically lift her in the air against my chest. She manages to get out and grabs the dog above the eye.
Now the owner is running down the hill and his dog has no collar or anything, when I remember something I read online and grab the dogs hind legs, telling him to do the same. We separate them, they take their dog away, and I calm Sarah and Rocko down by having them lay down and giving them treats after a while of good behavior. I talk to them in a soft voice. She winds down pretty quick. Side note, I'm not sure if that was the right way to treat her after a fight. I couldn't find much online. After a while she goes to lay by herself, ignoring us. We let her, not sure if she just wanted to be left alone? Again, Google didn't really turn up anything. We tried to distract her with a ball but she wasn't interested, though she'd take food. We checked for bite marks and she had two. We washed them with clean water and when we got home I put a triple antibiotic cream on them. She was avoiding stepping on one leg.
Now I'm in bed and I can't sleep because I'm so worried. We go back to the lake tomorrow, but what if it was a bigger dog? There are pits nearby, which could hurt her. There are also smaller dogs which she definitely could kill. What if her bite is infected or she escaped one day and hurt a dog or something? What if Rocko starts being aggressive now?
I'm not sure what to do, at all. We're calling their vet to make sure that the dog has vaccinations and everything. I just am worrying a lot and can't stop. What do I do?
Please get your dog in for an evaluation with a reputable veterinary behaviorist or trainer who specializes in aggression. Most aggression is caused by fear and is treated differently than true dog aggression.
Here is a link with some good information on finding a trainer, how to choose a trainer, and a search feature for finding a CPDT accredited trainer. A search will bring up trainers in your area, but the benefit of using a CPDT accredited trainer is that they have to prove that they have solid training experience and have been tested on their skills. This may be helpful as anybody can call themselves a dog trainer or behaviorist, so the CPDT is an assurance of advanced skills, but still do your homework and be sure whoever you choose uses gentle non-force based methods.
Please run fast and far away from any trainer or behaviorist who suggests e-collars, alpha rolls, or other methods based on forcing compliance.
At this point you must manage this 100% to protect both your dog and other dogs. Get a body harness that will give you control over your pup; the Gentle Leader is a good one, just be absolutely sure you fit it properly and make it a fun thing getting your pup used to it, e.g. put it on first in the house with plenty of treats, take it off right away, then gradually put it on for longer periods of time; make it a game- on means treats and off means no treats.
A reputable trainer or behaviorist will work with you and your dog to develop a management plan; it will be critical to follow their advice consistently and without fail. Ask lots of questions- YOU need to know what to do should a situation arise again because I suspect that at this point you are signaling your concern to your dog through the leash, your voice, or body language, so having a plan in place and knowing how to handle a situation will give you more confidence. If another dog should approach, do not jerk on or tighten leash, use happy voice, language pup understands to try to keep focus on you- maybe who wants a treat? or who is a good boy? and put casually walk between the dogs and guide your pup away in the other direction. Keep treats with you, not only for your pup, but if another dog approaches, toss treats at the approaching off-leash dog to halt their approach and give their owner time to get their dog. And don't be afraid if needed to clearly state to people to please get their dog under control or that your dog doesn't like other dogs so no meet and greets.
Good luck.
Last edited by twelvepaw; 07-01-2015 at 05:56 AM..
I think your dog is biting out of fear, not aggression. These are very 2 different things. There are two things I would do if I were you: 1. Take your dog to a vet and have them address the wound. 2. Have a certified dog behaviorist or trainer evaluate your dog and give you a plan on how to help her.
Seriously, if my dog got bit, and I'm convinced that there are more loose dogs in the area, I would pack up early and leave. I would make a complaint to whoever is managing the campground too but some owners don't care.
Please get your dog in for an evaluation with a reputable veterinary behaviorist or trainer who specializes in aggression. Most aggression is caused by fear and is treated differently than true dog aggression.
Here is a link with some good information on finding a trainer, how to choose a trainer, and a search feature for finding a CPDT accredited trainer. A search will bring up trainers in your area, but the benefit of using a CPDT accredited trainer is that they have to prove that they have solid training experience and have been tested on their skills. This may be helpful as anybody can call themselves a dog trainer or behaviorist, so the CPDT is an assurance of advanced skills, but still do your homework and be sure whoever you choose uses gentle non-force based methods.
Please run fast and far away from any trainer or behaviorist who suggests e-collars, alpha rolls, or other methods based on forcing compliance.
At this point you must manage this 100% to protect both your dog and other dogs. Get a body harness that will give you control over your pup; the Gentle Leader is a good one, just be absolutely sure you fit it properly and make it a fun thing getting your pup used to it, e.g. put it on first in the house with plenty of treats, take it off right away, then gradually put it on for longer periods of time; make it a game- on means treats and off means no treats.
A reputable trainer or behaviorist will work with you and your dog to develop a management plan; it will be critical to follow their advice consistently and without fail. Ask lots of questions- YOU need to know what to do should a situation arise again because I suspect that at this point you are signaling your concern to your dog through the leash, your voice, or body language, so having a plan in place and knowing how to handle a situation will give you more confidence. If another dog should approach, do not jerk on or tighten leash, use happy voice, language pup understands to try to keep focus on you- maybe who wants a treat? or who is a good boy? and put casually walk between the dogs and guide your pup away in the other direction. Keep treats with you, not only for your pup, but if another dog approaches, toss treats at the approaching off-leash dog to halt their approach and give their owner time to get their dog. And don't be afraid if needed to clearly state to people to please get their dog under control or that your dog doesn't like other dogs so no meet and greets.
Good luck.
OP...you may get many responses offering a variety of suggestions to your post but this one from Twelvepaw is right on. If you do not treat fear-based aggression the proper way then you can easily make it worse. You need a good behaviorist to make sure your dog recovers successfully. Use the link 12 provided or try this Animal Behavior Links | Resources | Dr. Sophia Yin, DVM, MS
As far as going back to the lake today...if you decide to take your dog with you please have a place to quickly and safely contain her (such as your car) and be 100% vigilant watching out for loose dogs. If you can't then don't take her along.
OP, I feel your pain. And I absolutely hate it when folks allow their dogs to run loose. If the dog constantly shadows the owners then fine...that dog won't encroach on your dog's comfort zone. If not, grrrrrrr! All it takes is one moment of inattention from the owner of a dog with even a stellar recall to cause a problem.
OP...you may get many responses offering a variety of suggestions to your post but this one from Twelvepaw is right on. If you do not treat fear-based aggression the proper way then you can easily make it worse. You need a good behaviorist to make sure your dog recovers successfully. Use the link 12 provided or try this Animal Behavior Links | Resources | Dr. Sophia Yin, DVM, MS
As far as going back to the lake today...if you decide to take your dog with you please have a place to quickly and safely contain her (such as your car) and be 100% vigilant watching out for loose dogs. If you can't then don't take her along.
OP, I feel your pain. And I absolutely hate it when folks allow their dogs to run loose. If the dog constantly shadows the owners then fine...that dog won't encroach on your dog's comfort zone. If not, grrrrrrr! All it takes is one moment of inattention from the owner of a dog with even a stellar recall to cause a problem.
Agree with trying to safely contain her, but NOT in the car. It is summer, do not leave a dog in the car even for a few minutes unless you are in there with her with the A/C running.
Even with training, now I'm just scared of a dog approaching and attacking her, which I know is unlikely but I can't keep the thought out of my mind. After this training would she be able to meet and play with other dogs again or will we need to continue to keep her separated? She gets along with Rocko other than the occasional annoyed growl.
I did not want to take her to the lake today and I'll relay the message to my mom. She didn't want to take Rocko and not Sarah though. Should we leave both at home? I'm sure Rocko is still worn out, he did a lot of swimming.
Also, does anyone have a price point for this training? Just because both me and my mom are in college. I definitely want to do it but need to figure out costs with her.
Even with training, now I'm just scared of a dog approaching and attacking her, which I know is unlikely but I can't keep the thought out of my mind. After this training would she be able to meet and play with other dogs again or will we need to continue to keep her separated? She gets along with Rocko other than the occasional annoyed growl.
I did not want to take her to the lake today and I'll relay the message to my mom. She didn't want to take Rocko and not Sarah though. Should we leave both at home? I'm sure Rocko is still worn out, he did a lot of swimming.
Also, does anyone have a price point for this training? Just because both me and my mom are in college. I definitely want to do it but need to figure out costs with her.
Stories like yours are one reason I would never take my dog to the dog park even if I had the most laid back dog in the world who got along with other dogs (which I don't).
I think it's a low risk that a dog will appear and just attack her. No way to tell if she'll be OK with other dogs in the future. She may never feel comfortable with other dogs or she might. My dogs like each other and do not like other dogs and I'm OK with that. My dogs are perfectly happy and don't need other doggy playmates. If a stray dog off leash approaches mine while I'm on a walk, I usually say "No" in a strong/loud voice and the other dog usually goes away. If there is an idiot owner with an off leash dog, I will tell them before the dog gets anywhere close to mine to put their dog on a leash as mine does not like other dogs. If they then say their dog will not fight. I say mine will and then they finally will get the message. When I take mine to the vet, I will go in the waiting room first to see if there are any other dogs there and see where they are sitting to make sure there isn't a chance encounter.
I certainly wouldn't take her to the lake again in the near term with the upcoming holiday and more people visiting the lake. It might be better if you talked to a trainer before you took her back. I think you can call around and get prices for training. You won't be able to tell how many sessions your dog will need until the trainer meets it but IMO even if you can only afford one session, it would be worth it to get some tips on how to handle this.
It will be fine regardless of what happens, you just need to be aware of your surroundings when you're out with her so you can keep other dogs away from her.
I have a service dog I spent over a year training with her to curtail her aggression towards other dogs. It was/is mostly fear but there's a certain component to it that is based on her need to protect me. And she sees other dogs as a threat. It's been a year and a half since I adopted her -- she was my foster initially for a year while I worked on her aggression.
It takes time. You CAN do it but you will need to be vigilant. Dogs running loose are still an issue with my service dog. They are often agressive and do not read dog language well. They charge into my dog's space. I have to protect my dog from reacting appropriately to an attack by another dog. That means I tell the owners of said dog to pick it up before it gets eaten as I restrain my girl. She is good now - she will snarl and growl but will back down on my command. It is the other dog's owner that must accept all responsibility for any injuries to their dog while mine is on her very short lead and doing her job of protecting me. However, I do my best to protect her from having to do that part of her job.
I cannot tell you the number of times I have yelled at people who thinkk their little dog has the right to invade my personal space and that of my dog.
You will have to retrain your dog to trust you to protect her from other invading dogs. It will take time. In the meantime, be prepared to leave the area when people do not respect you or your dog's space.
For information on training check out Dogspeak101.com and on Facebook.
It takes time. You CAN do it but you will need to be vigilant. Dogs running loose are still an issue with my service dog. They are often agressive and do not read dog language well. They charge into my dog's space. I have to protect my dog from reacting appropriately to an attack by another dog. That means I tell the owners of said dog to pick it up before it gets eaten as I restrain my girl. She is good now - she will snarl and growl but will back down on my command. It is the other dog's owner that must accept all responsibility for any injuries to their dog while mine is on her very short lead and doing her job of protecting me. However, I do my best to protect her from having to do that part of her job.
She may be able to train her dog not to react while on leash but she may not be able to train her dog so that her dog can return to the dog park again. Those are two vastly different situations.
Agree with trying to safely contain her, but NOT in the car. It is summer, do not leave a dog in the car even for a few minutes unless you are in there with her with the A/C running.
Apologies for not expanding on my reply and assuming everyone here knows that. My point was that her 100% vigilance would immediately detect a loose dog at which point she could easily and safely secure her dog away from the intruder. But thank you for your clarification.
That said, we have crates in our RAV and our dogs can be safely...which is why I wrote "please have a place to quickly and safely contain her (such as your car)"...contained with all windows wide open and the back door completely open. We also use fans for air circulation on hot and/or humid days and aluminum reflective mesh tarps if there is no shaded parking available. Many people now use crates, or a restraining divider, in their vehicles which allows for open windows/doors and adequate ventilation. No AC needed at all.
Said the poster with many, many years experience safely crating her dogs in her vehicle at summer agility trials in the steamy Midwest. :-)
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