Need help with aggression!

[Pyxsii]

Hi everyone!

This is a complete stab in the dark, but I figured I would ask, to see if anyone has any similar stories, or advice.

I have a dog. He is an (almost) 2 year old lab/afghan hound cross. I got him when he was about 13 months old. When I got him home, I noticed he had issues, namely, slight aggression, growling, and being really skittish around strangers. We figured he had been abused, seeing how large movements and quickness made him cower, or bolt from the room. Also he shakes his head, a lot, and there is nothing wrong with him. Figure he was dragged around by his ears, and this is a residual neurological disorder.
So that is his story. Now, here is my issue. He has ALWAYS hated strangers, but been tolerant. Well, tonight, my neighbor was over, and tried to get past him, so therefore nudged him out of the way. Well, he turned around, snapped at her, and ran away (I think he shocked himself, but still), She had a little indent on her hand where he got her. I near had a mini heart attack, but she said it was okay. Still. If his aggression has escalated, I dont want to have to get rid of him, or put him down. Or maybe it was an isolated incident.
Does anyone have any experience with abused dogs? Any advice? Is there any way I can make him a normal part of society again without having to muzzle him constantly? I just wish his previous owners hadn't been so stupid as to abuse a pet. It makes me want to slap them, they ruined a perfectly sweet boy and I have no idea how to fix it....
Here is a picture of him. His name is Flame. How could you do something so terrible to that sweet face? :

[Bo and Foxy]

I had/have the same problem with my dog, but she is an aussie so she is a lot easier to handle. I have had her for 2 years(got her at about 13 onths as well), and she is still that way. One thing that can make it less severe is by giving your dog a godd, because it will help settle him down and give him something else to focus on. I am always watching her for signs of aggression and I'm not sure if it will go away, but giving her a job really helped her accept others and it might help your dog. Just make sure he really enjoys the job you give him, and if he meets people throughout the job, then he might start to trust more people.

[Dappled Sapphire]

It sounds like he got startled, either he didn't realise she was there or maybe thought she was going to hurt him when she nudged him
Is he fine being patted anywhere on his body or is he nervous if hes touched in a certain area?

[Tybalt]

Sounds almost exactly like a dog I look after.
To be honest.......its hard to train out. If it was abused young.....then it'll be imprinted into his brain.
You could try building up trust slowly, but that could cause protection issues.
What I did with my dog, Flintstone, is to introduce people slowly, five him something to keep him occupied and just keep him away from potential situations.....


If you need any help, pm me. I work at a rescue shelter for dogs, so I know a bit..... xD

[Pyxsii]

Thanks for the advice guys

I think she startled him....I did some research, and it sounds like what he did was "fear biting". Still not good, but better than outright aggression. I am thinking it is just best to keep him away from newcomers until he gets to know them (and their movements and whatnot) a bit better. I hate locking him up, as he has the most pitiful cry :*( and I dont have a kennel big enough for him (he comes up to about mid thigh on me...he is a tall boy!), and I have a small house, so room is an issue. Usually he just gets locked in the bathroom (he has a hideyhole under the counter in there....he likes to hide under things....cupboards, the reclining couch when it is reclined...stuff like that)

Thanks Tybalt, I just may take you up on your help offer!

[Autumn Rain]

Flame may not have been abused at all. He may just be naturally fearful. It's not uncommon.

Your neighbor should not have nudged him; never initiate physical contact with a dog who you are unfamiliar with. However, in the future it is important to tell your guests how to react to Flame. For example: do not make eye contact, do not move toward Flame too abruptly, let him smell them before they try to pet him, etc. Always leave an escape route so that he never feels corned when your guests are there. Try to coax him out with food. Never pet him when he's agitated. Look for signs of fear: tail between legs, ears back, eyes wide, slightly crouched, upper lip drawn up.

Best of luck. We had a German Shepherd who was aggressive. She snapped at my young sister and I. My mother tackled her to the ground, pinned her, and growled at her each time. Flame's problem seems to be fear, though, so I definitely don't recommend doing this.

(I'm not an animal behaviorist. If Flame develops a serious problem, contact a real professional immediately.)

[~2K~]

I have a mini Aussie with aggression problems, only his isn't with humans it's usualy with other animals. He's very protective of his toys/food. I started training him not to be agressive only about a week ago and already he's not as agressive and will even wait for our other dog to get a bone from the ground before getting his!


You should probably try and get him socialized as much as posible. The more people he's around (over a time period, slowly extending the ammount of people) the more calm he'll become. And then you can start with have people do weird things/touch him and stuff.

I disagree with Autumn rain, If your neighbor needs to get past your dog then she should be able to without the threat of getting bit. What if someone brought a child to your house one day and he overreacts when the child does something he's not expecting?
If he bit someone who wasn't a friend or a nice person and they ended up taking you to court over it, if the bite was bad enough you would have a chance of your dog getting put to sleep.
My advice, get rid of the agression/fear before something bad happens.

Have him on a leash at all times, if he shows any signs of being aggressive, punish him (your intensity of punishment will probably not have to be harsh beings the dog was previosly abused, a harsh "No" may do fine)
If he ever get's scared and tries to get away, do the same thing. You have to show him that your boss, your not scared, so he shouldn't be either.

Have friends or even your neighbor come over and help with the training if you can, and once he gets alot better and you can trust him not to try and bite, take him for a walk in a busy part of town and ask people to pet your dog, that he's in training.

Rent/buy some dog training video's from a highly recommended dog trainer and watch them train the dogs and give tips for your dog.

If this doesn't work and he gets any worse, call a perfesional immedietly.

[Cardinal]

Whoa.. 2k.. No. Dominance theory is bogus. Dogs and humans have a partnership, there is no 'alpha' or 'boss'. Being rough with a dog only leads to short term fixes and if it IS a fear issue it can make it worse. My dog had a guarding issue with my toddler, no longer is that the case. Instead of punishing her for growling at my child.. I simply removed my child and started positively working with her. It became a GOOD thing to have my daughter around her when she's eating something high value, not negative. Taking a way a dogs fight or flight,or warning system.. aka growl, you can get a dog thats bites WITHOUT a warning. The dog becomes unpredictable.

Start working on the dog right this second. Form a POSITIVE connection with strangers. Strangers are not out to hurt the pooch, instead strangers are awesome things full of rewards, not punishment.

Firstly, what training method do you use? I highly recommend clicker training in a confined area OR on a lead. Clicker training can boost a dogs self confidence and allows the dog to learn problem solving skills.
What motivates your dog? Mine goes nuts over any food and will even work for her kibble. Some dogs work for praise and being loved on. Some dogs are very toy motivated.
Do you have a couple of friends that the dog is wary of you could work with? Start small.. Maybe people the dog already knows but isn't comfy with. Load your clicker, if you use one. Click..treat. Click..treat. click..treat. About 20 times or until the dog begins to react to it. Licking the lips after a click.. Eyes snapping to you after a click.. Ears perking after a click.. Fido is realizing something awesome is coming. Never click WITHOUT treating, but you can treat without clicking. Start with basic commands her already knows. "Sit" :clicker: :treat: "Down" :click: :treat:. The treat is what motivates your dog whether its play or food. Food generally works easiest and most conviently. Foods treats should be tiny.. Think pinky nail size. All clicker training sessions should be no longer than 15 minutes or the dog gets bored. You want it to be a fun game!

Working on the agression. Once the dog understands that the click means they did something right they will start WORKING to get clicks. My dog will do really silly things to get me to click and treat her. Its really cute. Like.. Potty training her was a blast because she'd pee.. I'd click.. and she'd try to pee several more times for clicks.. Or just squat without peeing because she knew I'd click. xD
Anyways... Start with people he knows. Going up to someone gets him a click and treats. After a little while of this you can even add on.. "Go get -insert name-" Like.. Your mother or father or siblings. Someone he's comfy with. Move on to friends he knows.. But its very comfy with. Leash him. Walk up to the person but stop AS SOON AS he shows ANY fear signs. Stop and wait for him to calm down. Click and treat.. Move away. Go back and stop at the same point. Click and treat when he calms down. Do with several times just having the person stand in the same place. As he gets more and more comfy.. Move closer and closer stopping when there are ANY fear signs. Finally, you should be right next to the person with a calm dog. Wait for him to interact with the person.. CLik and treat. Its a long process, but trust me its so worth it and it leads to a calmer, happier dog that relates people as GOOD things. Heck, even click and allow the OTHER person to offer treats. Make it a joint effort.

For strangers, its the same process but may take a bit longer. Patience and short sessions are the key! Clicker train outside of the aggression as well, theres tons of games out there. =) In my experience, dogs learn so much faster with clicker training. My girl now can get a behavior down pact with just a few clicks and always remember it.

Feisty Fido by Patricia B. McConnellis a good book to check out, also The Cautious Canine by Patricia B. McConnell is pretty awesome.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wv1uvvqaSw Clicker training.

http://www.positivedogs.co.uk/canine_hu ... action.htm I have an entire list of articles that disprove the dominance theory and how outdated it is. :l

[HeartOfCoal]

I have a GSD mix, so I know what you're going through.

yes, it does sound like he was spooked and bit your neighbor because of that. Or when she tried to move him, he might have considered it an attack against himself and his house.

My suggestion to help you might not work if he does have an abuse history. Still, worth a shot. Take an aluminum soda can and put 10 pennies in it, then tape the top so the pennies won't fall out. Every time he snaps at someone or bites, shake the can and give him a sharp "no biting." Ask your neighbors or friends if they will come over and be "guinea pigs" for this test so you can see how he'll react. If he acts positively (doesn't flip out entirely like attack you or run away shaking from nose to tail) then you can probably continue. He might go and hide, or bark back, or wince/cower, but it might not be because she's scared. For the longest time my dog would cower every time we shook the can because she knew she had been naughty.

That's about the most help I can give you. Every time he snaps, give him a firm "no biting" but DO NOT TOUCH HIM! You aren't trying to hurt him, just scolding. He won't know the difference between hurting him even if it is just a grab of the collar.

Good luck with your dog! And he is really cute!!

[Cardinal]

I have a GSD mix, so I know what you're going through.

yes, it does sound like he was spooked and bit your neighbor because of that. Or when she tried to move him, he might have considered it an attack against himself and his house.

My suggestion to help you might not work if he does have an abuse history. Still, worth a shot. Take an aluminum soda can and put 10 pennies in it, then tape the top so the pennies won't fall out. Every time he snaps at someone or bites, shake the can and give him a sharp "no biting." Ask your neighbors or friends if they will come over and be "guinea pigs" for this test so you can see how he'll react. If he acts positively (doesn't flip out entirely like attack you or run away shaking from nose to tail) then you can probably continue. He might go and hide, or bark back, or wince/cower, but it might not be because she's scared. For the longest time my dog would cower every time we shook the can because she knew she had been naughty.

That's about the most help I can give you. Every time he snaps, give him a firm "no biting" but DO NOT TOUCH HIM! You aren't trying to hurt him, just scolding. He won't know the difference between hurting him even if it is just a grab of the collar.

Good luck with your dog! And he is really cute!!

The snapping and biting seem to be new occurances because of being fearful/wary of strangers. Strangers are bad enough to this dog, no reason to make them worse. Putting a negative aspect to an already negative situation does not make a positive outcome.. Despite math class, lol. Making strangers a positive thing will take away the /need/ to fearfully strike out at someone/thing. =)

My breed of choice is already wary of strangers naturally. If I worked on her wariness of strangers using this method.. She'd be terrified of strangers instead of willing to approach them. Also, if I used the can method everytime she growled at my daughter for coming to close to her when she's eating.. My daughter touching her would follow a negative thing.. Thus proving that being touched while eating is a negative thing. Also, possibly taking away her growl and making her bite first... growl later. Not a good thing either. Instead I made being touched around food the best thing EVER and now she's cool with it. I also reinforced the amazingness by my daughter handfeeding her amazingly yummy things.

The can method could work as a distraction then be redirected to something positive.. But on an aggressive-fearful.. It could have negative affects.