I have a eight month old rott mix that was attacked by a mastiff and is now afraid of all unknown dogs?
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and is aggressive when around unknown dogs but we want a playmate for her. What can we do to help her overcome this issue
One of the most important things I learned from the trainers while working with my dog is this….always address each and every behavior as it happens, and if something develops you must assess it and "treat"it.
It is not unusual for dogs to become anxious after an attack..but if you don’t address the behavior it will then become a habit…your pup will think that her fear and aggression around other dogs is the way she is supposed to act.
If you feel you need to consult with behaviorist or trainer, then find one and do that. In the meantime, there are a few things you can do on your own.
A) If you havenot already done obedience work or gone to classes with your dog..do it now. Basic obedience is sit, stay, come, wait, off, leave it and watch me. Start with positive reward training and if it does not work, you can explore other ways of training. Always, always, reward your dog for calm behavior. Important….try not to anticipate your dog’s reaction when meeting other dogs…don’t YOU be anxious about it..she will absolutely pick up on this . B) Make sure you have a good schedule for your dog of walking AND exercise. Do your training after your dog has exercised so he will be somewhat tired, Try doing desensitization training. First, find what motivates your dog..toys, treats, praise…whatever is the highest value. For my dog it is small pieces of cheese or hot dogs. I only use those for training…nothing else. Try doing the watch me command with a high value treat during a walk. Go places where you might pass dogs..like outside a dog park or local field. Be watchful…you need to spot the other dog first. When you do, put your dog in a sit watch me and keep his focus while other dogs pass by. If you are successful, you progress by moving your dog closer and keeping his attention, having multiple dogs pass. Work up to where you can walk around near other dogs without a reaction.
It does take some time and effort to do this….I did it 2x a day for 8 days before I saw a very noticeable difference. Within the month I was able to progress to greeting other dogs properly, and the training has extinguished the behavior for my dog. I do notice he still reacts to some other dogs…but I have been trained as well…to read his body language and know when NOT to greet.
My dog does have doggie friends and I have been working with a rescue/foster program…I can foster other dogs but the program introduces the newbies to my dog and OKs it if he gets along with them. And most times he does.
Just keep working on it…I am sure if you are committed and consistent, that you will see positive results.
Good luck.
Filed under: Mastiff Dogs
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Find a socialization class and/or a trainer that can do a few sessions with you who can actually observe how bad it is and help you learn how to work with him. Its a problem that can esculate as he gets older and if you arent sure what to do you should really contact someone who can work directly with you.
References :
One of the most important things I learned from the trainers while working with my dog is this….always address each and every behavior as it happens, and if something develops you must assess it and "treat"it.
It is not unusual for dogs to become anxious after an attack..but if you don’t address the behavior it will then become a habit…your pup will think that her fear and aggression around other dogs is the way she is supposed to act.
If you feel you need to consult with behaviorist or trainer, then find one and do that. In the meantime, there are a few things you can do on your own.
A) If you havenot already done obedience work or gone to classes with your dog..do it now. Basic obedience is sit, stay, come, wait, off, leave it and watch me. Start with positive reward training and if it does not work, you can explore other ways of training. Always, always, reward your dog for calm behavior. Important….try not to anticipate your dog’s reaction when meeting other dogs…don’t YOU be anxious about it..she will absolutely pick up on this . B) Make sure you have a good schedule for your dog of walking AND exercise. Do your training after your dog has exercised so he will be somewhat tired, Try doing desensitization training. First, find what motivates your dog..toys, treats, praise…whatever is the highest value. For my dog it is small pieces of cheese or hot dogs. I only use those for training…nothing else. Try doing the watch me command with a high value treat during a walk. Go places where you might pass dogs..like outside a dog park or local field. Be watchful…you need to spot the other dog first. When you do, put your dog in a sit watch me and keep his focus while other dogs pass by. If you are successful, you progress by moving your dog closer and keeping his attention, having multiple dogs pass. Work up to where you can walk around near other dogs without a reaction.
It does take some time and effort to do this….I did it 2x a day for 8 days before I saw a very noticeable difference. Within the month I was able to progress to greeting other dogs properly, and the training has extinguished the behavior for my dog. I do notice he still reacts to some other dogs…but I have been trained as well…to read his body language and know when NOT to greet.
My dog does have doggie friends and I have been working with a rescue/foster program…I can foster other dogs but the program introduces the newbies to my dog and OKs it if he gets along with them. And most times he does.
Just keep working on it…I am sure if you are committed and consistent, that you will see positive results.
Good luck.
References :