Aggressive Behaivor

[kazzx]

Fender is 2 now and I have noticed he has been getting more and more aggressive towards other dogs. We also have a 5 year old pit mix,Lainee, that I think is the source of this. She is only aggresive when she is in her yard but is as gentile as a kitten outside of the yard. I cant even take Fender to petsmart anymore because I am afraid he is going to start a fight.

This has developed into another problem. When the neighbor dogs come to the fence that boarders our yard Fender starts to bark. As soon as he starts Lainee gets upset and they start to fight. It used to be just alot of teeth and barks but has developed into where they are leaving marks on eachother. They did it in front of me yesterday and my stupid butt decided to try to seperate them and i got bit. It was not intentionally meant for me and was my fault for getting into the mix. What do I do? Both are fixed and are totally submissive to humans. At the instance of any discipline or loud talking directed toward them, they are both laying down and rolling on thier backs.

[empm]

RE: Aggressive Behaivor

I don't have any real answers. I probably wouldn't let them out at the same time for a while. Go out with each one individually and work one-on-one until each is behaving. Then let them out together and work with them both until they figure out how to behave together. I've put myself in the middle of an altercation, too. I figure I have insurance, they don't.:P

[kazzx]

RE: Aggressive Behaivor

Fender is emotionally attached to Lainee. If he is at home and is away from her he whines till he finds, or can see her. Ill try it though.

[kazzx]

RE: Aggressive Behaivor

I know that Fender pesters Lainee until she gets aggrivated and attacks him which is unacceptable, but understandable.

Im more interested in finding the reason why Lainee attacks Fender everytime he starts barking at another dog. I need a pet shrink!

[empm]

RE: Aggressive Behaivor

Maybe Fender hasn't figured out that Lainee feels she is the boss and it's HER job to bark at the other dogs, not his.

[sarae]

RE: Aggressive Behaivor

My dogs were starting that (it never actually escalated to anything more than a growl a eachother if they got in the way) when the neighbor dogs would be out too. I had tried separating them, but they'd still try to fence fight individually. I used a squirt gun to keep them away from the fence (my dogs and my dane espcecially HATE water so you may need to find something else). I had tried going out to get them to bring them in, but they would just run just out of my reach so I resorted to a super soaker that you pump. My dogs already would just run for the house when squirt guns are around anyway, so after only 2 times, all I'd have to do is pick it up and they'd hear the pump and head for the house, they'd stop instantly running with the other dogs and come to me, I'd treat when they came. It just always seemed like the neighbor dogs would get their adrenalin going and I couldn't get their attention on me enough, even with treats, to stop them, then they'd run into eachother and start snipping at eachother, so that is what I used to stop that sequence. I prefer positive reinforcement to punishment type training, but sometimes I do use a combination.

As far as other instances, how was your dog socialized until now??

[trainer]

RE: Aggressive Behaivor

>Fender is 2 now and I have noticed he has been getting more
>and more aggressive towards other dogs. We also have a 5 year
>old pit mix,Lainee, that I think is the source of this.

Dogs can and often do learn stuff like this from each other. It seems they always learn the bad things and never the good things.

>I cant even take Fender to
>petsmart anymore because I am afraid he is going to start a
>fight.

A lot of this can be caused by you telegraphing your tension down the leash. I recommend the book "Fiesty Fido" by Dr. Patricia McConnell. It should help you understand your problem and give you ideas on how to handle it.

>As soon as he starts Lainee gets upset and they start
>to fight.

This is a ocmmon behavior and is called redirected aggression. When an animal can not get to the object of its aggression, frustration causes it to turn to whatever is available.

>They did it in front of me yesterday and my stupid butt
>decided to try to seperate them and i got bit.

Don't do that anymore.

As for the fence fighting, I suggest you put up a privacy fence between the two yards or plant a thick hedge along the fence to keep the dogs from seeing the neighbor dog(s).

Bill Carnes
www.skylarzack.com/rawfeeding.htm

"Unnatural diets predispose animals to unnatural outcomes"
Dr. Tom Lonsdale

"If you won't eat what you are feeding your dog, its not good enough to feed him either."
Bill Carnes

"Causing pain, either physical, mental, or emotional to an animal to force him to act as you think he should is wrong. Doing so only reflects the ignorance of the trainer. There IS a better way."
Bill Carnes

[kazzx]

RE: Aggressive Behaivor

>My dogs were starting that (it never actually escalated to
>anything more than a growl a eachother if they got in the way)
>when the neighbor dogs would be out too. I had tried
>separating them, but they'd still try to fence fight
>individually. I used a squirt gun to keep them away from the
>fence (my dogs and my dane espcecially HATE water so you may
>need to find something else). I had tried going out to get
>them to bring them in, but they would just run just out of my
>reach so I resorted to a super soaker that you pump. My dogs
>already would just run for the house when squirt guns are
>around anyway, so after only 2 times, all I'd have to do is
>pick it up and they'd hear the pump and head for the house,
>they'd stop instantly running with the other dogs and come to
>me, I'd treat when they came. It just always seemed like the
>neighbor dogs would get their adrenalin going and I couldn't
>get their attention on me enough, even with treats, to stop
>them, then they'd run into eachother and start snipping at
>eachother, so that is what I used to stop that sequence. I
>prefer positive reinforcement to punishment type training, but
>sometimes I do use a combination.
>
>As far as other instances, how was your dog socialized until
>now??

Outside of the yard and house Lainee is perfect unless provoked. She has torn numerous squirrels, and one unsuspecting stray cat that wondered into the yard, to shreads, but wouldnt hurt a fly oustide of the house.

Fender took level one and level two school at Petsmart and was fine up until the last few classes of level 2. Other then that he gets the occasional house guest dog and sees dogs on our walks. I suppose he needs to be around them more but its a bit of a double edged sword. What are the legal liabilities in the case of him hurting another dog at Petsmart or other social places for pets?

[empm]

RE: Aggressive Behaivor

I don't know what the legal ramifications are, but if my dog attacked and hurt someone else's dog, I would feel morally obligated to pay for whatever the other dog needs.

[alicat613]

RE: Aggressive Behaivor


In addition to privacy fencing, I would suggest spraying all the dogs down with a hose if they are at the fence and even begin to get vocal or excited. Fence aggression really increases, even in dogs who are not aggressive, if allowed to continue.

[spanaval]

RE: Aggressive Behaivor


>Im more interested in finding the reason why Lainee attacks
>Fender everytime he starts barking at another dog. I need a
>pet shrink!

It's a displacement behavior. If the dog can't get to/go after whatever is on the other side of the barrier, it goes after what it can get to, which is often a pack member who happens to be on the same side of the barrier.

In your shoes, here is what I'd do about this situation.

Install an IF inside the real fence and train them to it, to keep them away from the fence.
Install physical barriers (thorny evergreen shrubs, for example) between the IF and the real fence.
The dogs come inside the second they start anything remotely aggressive. Yes, it requires that you be out there with them, and even that they have to wear leashes.

For Fender's dog aggression, work on desensitization. It doesn't mean that he'll be best buds with every dog that walks by, but he can learn to comtrol himself and not act like a loon.

Suja

[kazzx]

RE: Aggressive Behaivor

>I don't know what the legal ramifications are, but if my dog
>attacked and hurt someone else's dog, I would feel morally
>obligated to pay for whatever the other dog needs.


That is a given. But if fender decided to take a chomp out if a ankle biter that ran up to him and snapped it in two....how can you put a price on a life?

Not to mention there are people that look for a quick buck where ever they can and are just waiting for a reason to take someone to court.