Originally Posted by sid&kira

I need help

Diesel is no longer good with other dogs. He is fine with my pack though thankfully, so that is not an issue.

He was fine until I took him to the dog park, where he freaked out, he got stressed very quickly around all the dogs and I ended up getting someone to come and pick him up (i had kira at the park too). while at the park he was much better if we walked around (muzzled and on a lead), he still wouldnt greet nicely but he wasnt lunging for them. He shook and his eyes went red and he was panting even though it was cold

Since then he has gone for every dog we've met while out walking, he is kept on a flexi lead, though not muzzled as i think it causes him additional stress, which isnt going to help us. The size of dog doesnt matter, today he initially greeted a small poodle well, but then after a few seconds of sitting nicely he just lunged at it! He also tried to get to a jrt while standing outside a shop

I've been watching his body language, and he fixates on the dog, and as we get closer he crouches. I really struggle to break this fixation.

I dont know what do it, so far i'll admit i havent really done anything except keep him on a lead as I didnt want to admit it was a real issue

I just want to sort it out, but i dont know how to go about it, I dont want an agressive dog and if we knew he was like this (we were told he was very friendly to everyone and all dogs) we would not have taken him on

can anyone help me? i want to try and work on this myself before calling in a professional as i really cant afford to!

Originally Posted by sid&kira

Diesel is no longer good with other dogs. He's fine with [our family-dogs], thankfully, so that's not an issue.

He was fine until I took him to the dog park, where he freaked-out... got stressed very quickly around
all the dogs, & I [had] someone... come & pick him up (i had Kira [there], too).
While at the park he was much better if we walked around (muzzled & on a lead), he still wouldn't greet nicely
but he wasn't lunging for them. He shook & his eyes went red, & he was panting altho it was cold.

Originally Posted by sid&kira

Since then he's gone for every dog we've met while out walking, he's kept on a flexi... though not muzzled,
as i think it causes him additional stress, which isn't going to help...

Originally Posted by sid&kira

The [dog's] size doesnt matter, today he initially greeted a small poodle well, but then after a few seconds
of sitting nicely, he just lunged at [her / him]! He also tried to get to a JRT while standing outside a shop.

I [watch] his body language, & he fixates on the dog... as we get closer, he crouches. I really struggle to break
this fixation.

Originally Posted by sid&kira

I don't know what [to] do, so far... i haven't really done anything except keep him on a lead, as I didn't want
to admit it was a real issue

I just want to sort it out, but i don't know how to go about it; I don't want an aggressive dog...
if [we'd known]... (we were told he was very friendly to everyone & all dogs) we wouldn't have taken him on.

Originally Posted by sid&kira

I [watch] his body language, & he fixates on the dog... as we get closer he crouches.
I really struggle to break this fixation.

Originally Posted by Pupcakes

Does he like squeaky toys? I find the high pitched noise of them breaking the silence is enough to get Charlie out of that solid gaze. Then maybe you could give him treats once youve got his attention and he's being good? The only danger I warn you of that is though, other dogs charging over to try and get the toy too as has happened to me before.

xxx

Originally Posted by leashedForLife

did U introduce him to the box-muzzle [presuming it was a BASKET, not a 'tube' or fabric one?],
& habituate it as a happy-thing, before be wore it at the dog-park?

he took a couple of days to be happy with my dogs (but at the time was fine with outside dogs, otherwise i would never have taken him to the park) so was happy with a muzzle then and would sleep with it on, but once he became stressed at the park he started trying to fight the muzzle??

a muzzle, once happily habituated, does not raise the dog's stress; U can go back & re-introduce it,
change the anxious feelings for relaxed & even happy anticipation, & start over.

if U suspect he may snap at or frankly bite another dog, the muzzle is to protect U from liability,
& him from legal repercussions - like euthanasia. If U think he MAY attack another dog, i'd opt to
re-introduce the muzzle properly, & carefully habituate it as a PREDICTOR of good things to come.
both of U will be safer, as will Ur wallet.

the only issue is trying to give treats, his muzzle is a basket type but it is still hard to treat him, and as he works well for a ball this would mean i couldnt use that as a reward. I dont plan on letting him get close enough to react anymore, do we really need a muzzle?

LOOK AT THAT is a specific technique to teach a dog a default to look to the handler when cued
environmentally by the presence of their [soon-to-be former] trigger: they see, hear or smell a dog?
they LOOK to the handler for praise & rewards.

See UTube for many videos, search for 'control unleashed', 'Look at that', LAT, or CU.

Thanks I will have a look

Don't give up yet -

CALMATIVES can help enormously, see this post for What, When, How, etc -
Pet Forums Community - View Single Post - dog body-language - and why it matters so much...

the book 'Click to Calm' is an excellent DIY manual, applicable to any reactive issue.

Ah thats the name of it, i knew i'd heard something about that, he's not yet cued to a clicker but it's something i'll be doing

It's important to realize that most dog-aggro dogs are afraid of strange dogs -
they're not just mindlessly nasty, they're frightened & aren't doing this on purpose; they simply want
the other dogs to go away, & leave them alone. It's very stressful & upsetting to them.

many dog-reactive or dog-aggro dogs can improve enormously; keeping him UNDER threshold is key,
as is making progress only at the dog's own pace: Don't set deadlines or try to hustle him, take the time
to make sure he's comfortable at any one step before U raise the criterion, reduce the distance, ask him
to ignore barking dogs at a closer range, etc. Consistent & compassionate wins!

Originally Posted by sid&kira

I need help

Diesel is no longer good with other dogs. He is fine with my pack though thankfully, so that is not an issue.

He was fine until I took him to the dog park, where he freaked out, he got stressed very quickly around all the dogs and I ended up getting someone to come and pick him up (i had kira at the park too). while at the park he was much better if we walked around (muzzled and on a lead), he still wouldnt greet nicely but he wasnt lunging for them. He shook and his eyes went red and he was panting even though it was cold

Since then he has gone for every dog we've met while out walking, he is kept on a flexi lead, though not muzzled as i think it causes him additional stress, which isnt going to help us. The size of dog doesnt matter, today he initially greeted a small poodle well, but then after a few seconds of sitting nicely he just lunged at it! He also tried to get to a jrt while standing outside a shop

I've been watching his body language, and he fixates on the dog, and as we get closer he crouches. I really struggle to break this fixation.

I dont know what do it, so far i'll admit i havent really done anything except keep him on a lead as I didnt want to admit it was a real issue

I just want to sort it out, but i dont know how to go about it, I dont want an agressive dog and if we knew he was like this (we were told he was very friendly to everyone and all dogs) we would not have taken him on

can anyone help me? i want to try and work on this myself before calling in a professional as i really cant afford to!