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Location: Montreal -> CT -> MA -> Montreal -> Ottawa
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A behaviorist once told me that dogs, when in a situation that causes them anxiety, have two options: fight or flight. When they're on a leash, the option of flight is removed, so that leaves fight.
I feel your pain. I had a fear-aggressive dog and he was very unpredictable. Some things that he wasn't aggressive about 9 times in a row, he'd be aggressive the 10th time.
I didn't read all the comments -- just your original post -- but I wanted to tell you about the "fight or flight" thing and, also, to tell you that you're not alone. I wish you the best of luck with Holly.
A behaviorist once told me that dogs, when in a situation that causes them anxiety, have two options: fight or flight. When they're on a leash, the option of flight is removed, so that leaves fight.
That's probably true but if the alternative is an aggressive dog off leash - that's not ok.
OP it sounds like you are doing everything you can possibly do and you are to be commended!
Location: Montreal -> CT -> MA -> Montreal -> Ottawa
17,330 posts, read 33,172,345 times
Reputation: 28905
Quote:
Originally Posted by NorasMom
That's probably true but if the alternative is an aggressive dog off leash - that's not ok.
OP it sounds like you are doing everything you can possibly do and you are to be commended!
Exactly! And that's why Artie was always leashed, unless he was in our fenced-in yard. Even leashed, I avoided the situations that I knew set him off. Sometimes, though, a situation that was previously fine, wasn't fine this time. Tricky business.
Lots of good advice here, but I will add one more thing...temperament is determined by genes, it's what the dog is born with. Training and behavior modification can help you modify and manage some of the behaviors you mentioned, but you cannot fundamentally change a dog's temperament. Explosive, unprovoked aggression toward conspecifics (other dogs) is maladaptive, it's behaviorally abnormal. And it's quite likely part of the sad genetic legacy of selective breeding for these traits by dog fighters. Your dog's zero to 100 arousal level, and her urge to redirect that aggression when she can't reach her target, are behaviors that are very difficult to manage, and quite dangerous.
From everything you posted, you sound like a very responsible dog owner, who adopted a dog with the best of intentions, and did everything you could to make her a safe family pet. Had you adopted a behaviorally healthy dog, you most likely would be having no problems now. But I will say this....do NOT feel guilty if you decide that you cannot live with the risk of owning a dog with serious behavioral issues. If you have to return the dog to the shelter, and they put her down, so be it. I have a friend who is a dog walker who was recently badly bitten by a clients dog in a case of redirected aggression....a dog that adored her, whom she has walked since he was a puppy 1 1/2 years ago, who became increasingly dog aggressive as he reached maturity, and despite working with a behaviorist. He saw another dog on a walk, went into a frenzy, whirled around and bit my friend on the thigh, leaving big puncture wounds. He could have hit her femoral artery, and she could have bled to death.
No one should feel guilty about not wanting to live with an aggressive, dangerous dog. Most dangerous dogs are perfectly fine 95% of the time, a dangerous dog is NOT, as most people think, an out of control raging animal. There are friendly, social dogs languishing in shelters, and being PTS for lack of a good home like yours, that can bring you years of joy and fun, instead of stress, fear, and worry. If this dog can't be safely managed, you can go give one of these deserving dogs a home.
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