I have just been out for a walk with my boss and the wife. There was a guy sat minding his own business on a bench and i went up to him and started barking and snapping at hime which scarred him. I do this quite often and my boss doesnt know why...normally i am quite good on a lead but i might be getting worse...any ideas please as i wnat to show my boos he can trust me as much as i trust him

banjo

How old are you Banjo and how long have you been with the boss? Also have you just started doing this? Is it all people or just some? What are you like when people come to your house as well.

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What food are you using

some foods such as Bakers, will contain e numbers that can effect behaviour

if yoy are not sure, take advice from an INDEPENDANT pet shop, not a chain that will try to sell you their own brand

Maybe it would be a good idea to for your boss and his wife to keep you on the lead?

this way neither you nor they would not be put at risk under the DDA?

Have they taken you to classes or a trainer?

Thanks for all the help and sorry for not getting back sooner. Boss has been busy with the lady boss who is disabled and it’s been a bit hectic .

I have been with my boss now for three and half weeks and am about 18 months old. I am a Labrador cross, (proberbly a greyhound) and am a rehome . I am on Chappie with some Weetabix, (dry), as my poo is loose. Not diarrhea but not normal shape either just loose
My boss keeps me on a lead at all times and has just started to use a muzzle. I hate it but I can see why and am trying as best as I can.

My boss has noticed that its more fear then aggression. You see I have been very badly treated by my old owner. I was found with all my pads torn and they think I was dragged along a road at some point. I don’t trust people at the moment and to keep myself safe I jump up and snap at them and raise my hackles. Its my defence mechanism I think. My boss is trying to socialize me, by getting people to give me treats and fuss me but its early days and am still wary. I don’t want to bite them as I am really a friendly dog when I get to know you. I love my canine friends and if one is with their boss I am fine and don’t bother the owner.

I go ballistic when someone knocks at the door and snap and growl at them but when I know they won’t hurt me I am fine. In fact I have a new friend who is a 6 yr old girl and is no longer afraid and we play a lot.
My boss is keen to take me to classes but wants to try on his own as I know he gets a lot of enjoyment and satisfaction when I do something right and I get fussed and sometimes a treat.
Hope this helps

banjo

It might make your life and that of others easier much quicker though if you went to a class?

It does sound like it is fear based and lack of trust I must admit. I think you are on the right track with getting him to make positive associations with people. Getting people to give treats is correct, but even that straight off may be a bit too confrontational and invasion of space. Especially as he is a rescue and hes exact previous life and problems are unknown. Whatever they were exactly it doesnt sound anything wa good or positive.

When people first come I would tell them too ignore him completely like he isnt even there. No going to talk to, or stroking him, not even looking at him.
To some nervous frightened dogs eye contact to looking at them can seem and feel threatening. You can either try popping him in another room and letting visitors in and get settled first. Or maybe even if the kitchen is in view of the door, getting a dog control gate, which is higher and more robust then a baby gate, so he can see them and observe but obiously wont come into immediate contact. I would give them treats on arrival, preferably his most favourite ones, cheese,chicken,sausages hotdog or anything liverbased are usually the most favourites with dogs. but get them to totally ignore him and just go in and settle. You can then bring him out on a lead, if you think/feel its safer and he will be more under control. Or it you think he is Ok let him out. The visitors either way though still ignore him totally, No talking,
approaching or even looking at him or in his direction. As he begins to settle,
which he should and is calm, the visitors then can gently and slowly throw treats in his direction, (still ignoring) and you can either let him go get them if he wants, or if he shows interest take him over on lead to get them.
The idea then, is to at his peace, occasionally but still ignoring him, throw treats nearer mto hen and where they are sitting working up to him taking one say from by their chair, or off the arm of the chair (still ignorning) then from their hand, then speaking to him soft voice, then a gentle stroke and finally eye contact with him as well. You dont move on though unless he is calm and relaxed and at his pace, when he is ready. He decides when ready to trust and makes the moves.

Same thing with people in the street, other dog walkers and neighbours if you can enlist their help. Ignorning him totally, then dropping treats, then working up to him taking one from hand, then speaking, then a pat and finally eye contact. (Just one reminder though if with other dogs walkers, watch where dogs are in relation to each other) Throwing down a treat with several dogs about close or worse still lose can set them up for a squabble or fight, so be careful with the treat distribution then, dont want to add to his problems.

As regards to the snapping and growling when the bell goes, popping him in another room until they are in or safely behind a dog control gate so he can observe until they are in and settled then the introduction will get round that one whilst making good associations with people, however you also want the bell to stop being the trigger too ideally.

I would enlist the help of someone, Get them to ring the bell (doesnt matter if someone he knows initially its just to try to desensitise him too the bell at first) You can take him to the door on lead, and get him to sit, he sits and told to stay, he gets a treat, you then go to open the door if he goes to growl get stresses, you close it and keep repeating the exercise until you can actually open the door and he will stay sitting, each time he sits and stays, he gets a treat. Until you can actually get the people inside too and walking down the hallway. Again though the "visitor" still totally ignores him not even look at him or talk to him until they are in and seated, then the Treats/introduction as he progresses.

Alternatively you can have him behind his dog control gate when the bell goes and get him to sit and stay calm, at the sound of the bell, for which he gets a treat, then work up to opening the door, then the person coming in etc.
Even if he gives one bark but stands calmly behind the gate doesnt matter. He just needs to associate bell = calmness. People coming = No threat just good stuff in the way of his favourite treats. All positive association.

These are of course all low key things to try that should/usually pays off with time patience and consistency. If however, you feel you need more help, you can get a behaviourist or trainer to do a one to one, to assess him and also give you a tailor made programme. If you want to go that route.

CAPBT - COAPE Association of Pet Behaviourists and Trainers for a Behaviourist practioner in your area.
Welcome to APDT - Association of Pet Dog Trainers UK for a APDT UK Trainer in your area. You should find a class too on the APDT website as well as a one to one.

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Hi there and thanks for replying. My boss has been trying out your advice, but with limited success. When we go out to the local country parks I am still on my lead. I am getting better and dont always act aggresive, which my boss recognises as fear now and I am quite scared of people.
The other day I was on my extendable lead and had just walked past a couple and for some reason I ran up behind the man and nipped his finger. My boss appologised and no damage was done. My boss angry and upset. He called me to him and really told me of, ( he doesnt hit me as he isnt that sort of guy but my old boss did...a lot and very hard), and put my muzzle on enede our walk.
Today I got out of the garden even though the fence is about 7 ft tall in places. I am not letting him kno how but he is worried I will hurt myself or bite someone. He came after me and i ran of and then we played chase as he ran in the opposite direction, but i see people and run and jump and bark at them and snap my jaws. He eventually caught me and took me home.
he is doing the thing at the door and this is starting to work,
Thanks for helping my boss. he really cares for me and wants mebut I am still unsure as to what to do.

Banjo

I dont think you have confirmed how old Banjo is? A dog who has fear based agression and mistrust of people has one of the hardest problems that take the longest to modify. Also if he has had several previous years of being treated badly and getting into the behaviours as a coping mechanism then it isnt going to be an over night fix. It take time and patience. You seem to think there has been some improvement up until these couple of episodes you mention above? If you can see a general improvement and he is getting better then you need to keep up with the training expercises and keeping up good associations with people.

At the moment I would let him run on the extendable but reel him in when you see people approaching, People can be unpredictable it may only take a certain hand or leg movement and if he has been physically abused in the past he can react to sudden movements. Even on the end of an extendable he is still quite a distance away and you have no control. So people you need to reel him in, whilst you are working on the earlier suggestions of no forced contact onto him and the treating and letting him approach and build up confidence. Meanwhile you need to make sure you dont set him up to fail and put him in situations he might not be able to cope with yet.

There is also no point telling him off after the event, if he is a nervous dog anyway raised voices telling him off can be a trigger and make him nore nervous they can have bad associations. After the even he isnt going to know what its for anyway, the situations passed and he isnt going to associated the verbal telling off. Likewise the getting out and running off, you need to up your security and not leave him out there unattended.
He does need all round obdience tranining, but the old saying you can t run before you can walk springs to mind. There is nothing to stop you teaching him all the basics of sit, down stay etc etc. but the main thing at the moment is building his confidence and issues with people and his environment.
I did put links to fins a behaviourist and trainer in your area. It may be worth having a chat to one and think about booking a session either a one to one or maybe even seeing if they think a class might be a good idea right now, he would be working with other dogs and people nearby but in a controlled environment that way.

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You had better tell your boss the following:

a) it is easy to prevent you biting anyone by keeping you on a short lead and/or muzzling you.

b) he can prevent you escaping by putting in an angled overhang on the top of the fence

c) If you continue to escape and/or bite people you could end up dead and/or causing the injury or deaths of others and he could be prosecuted.

d) Ask him to ring up a trainer.