As some of you know, Bob has turned from a sweetie to a bit of a teenage horror over the last month, now he is turning dog aggressive which I really don't wantthis aggression started about 10 days ago, normally he would just ignore any other dogs, whether he was on or off the lead, but there's a labrador moved in 3 doors down & they encountered each other & it went for him & was quite nasty toward him, which he retaliated to, again something he's never done beforeI thought it was a one-off but he has started growling & lunging at all other dogs we pass & tonight while out with my OH (on lead) he went for a young labrador without any warning & put its head in his mouth- thankfully no damage but poor dog must be shakenmy OH was very upset when he got home. Please can anyone give me advice, I'm getting worried he's turning into a monster

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No one?
I've left a message on the answerphone of a local trainer, hopefully he'll get back to me soon, he is on the APDT site & his own site looks good, he does clicker training too but I won't be taking Bob to any classes while the aggression continues. I think my anxiety may be affecting him as well but it doesn't explain why he attacked the lab when he was out with my OH, as he isn't anxious like me

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If it only started 10 days ago you may be able to put it right.
Do you know anybody with a quiet laid back dog that you could walk with.
If he hadn't shown any aggression before, it is probably fear based, so getting his confidence back is important.
You don't want him doing the same to other dogs
Is he neutered, as this may help because he is at an age when he is maturing.
I had something very similar happen with Alf, and although he isn't aggressive, I can't trust him around black labs
The trainer is obviously very important

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I work my life around my dog, not my dog around my life
Resident PF agony aunt

It could be an age thing me thinks, My boy is unpredictable of late, he is 15 months old, until lately he was such a lovely boy and would play with any dog, the last 6-weeks or so he is a right thug, miserable little toad, and then depending on the dog, he will sometimes be delightful.
Its can be a teenage thing, pushing there luck, being bolshy wanting to be the boss
we can always sit, and rock together at this teenage phase
xx

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Sarah xxx

Thanks to you both, I'm a bit less anxious now knowing I'm not alone! Yes, he is neutered, Rona, he was done about 6 weeks ago, but he lives with 2 foster GSDs who act very boisterous (not aggressive though, they want to sniff) around other dogs so I doubt this helps. He went to the beach last week & we spent the day with my friend's standard poodle who is 12 & pretty laid back & Bob was fine, he also played quite well with a female GSD Husky mix we met. I'm thinking of trying to distract him when another dog approaches & when he passes with no incident offering praise & a training treat. It's a nightmare having a teenage dog AND a teenage boy in the house!

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Your not alone hun, and i distract then reward too, he can be so lairy sometimes, a cocky teenager if you like
xx

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Sarah xxx

hey, sardy! :--)

i just saw the post, and i am sorry for Ur trouble - i think a local person to see the dog is a definite need,
the body-language and precursors to any event like lunge-barking are so important!

was the trainer the one who decided *no classes till the aggro is eliminated*?
or is that an assumption (no one would let him in class acting like THIS...) or a decision that U made?
i would encourage U to ask a local pos-R trainer about a group-class -
so long as he can have enuf social-distance to be under-threshold, or work in an area without no line-of-sight
(like an ex-pen with a sheet tossed over it, to block the view of the other dogs), he can probably be accommodated --
and the sooner he begins classes IMO, the better.

if there is no local pos-R trainer or behaviorist available, do not despair!
the book Click to Calm is a terrific DIY resource, several local dog-owners have done it on their own,
working with dogs who were ADULTS and a lot more practiced + fluent in aggro than this teenager!
there are very specific Step-By-Step protocols for B-Mod in the back of the book.


hey, sketch! :--)
Yup! 18-MO to 24-MO is the transition into social adulthood, and a lot of Bolshy behaviors and testing
are popping up like popcorn on the stove, LOL - its a stage, hang on!

certain breeds are highly predisposed to dog-aggro, and that can be modified but not eliminated.
i can commiserate with all the hormones in the air, LOL, it is an awkward and uncomfortable time.

if Bob is UNDER 6-MO, this level of aggro is more worry than if hes over 12-MO - just like humans, ages are stages;
very-young kids who begin acting-out aggressively have a poorer prognosis, and need more help.

also, Rescue-Remedy or DAP pump-spray can be life-savers -
5 to 6 DROPs of liquid Rescue-Remedy, AM + PM, on an empty stomach, is a good foundation to begin.
U can drip it directly into his flews (the fold of lip at the SIDE of his mouth) or drip it directly onto a single treat,
for immediate consumption. an ADDED dose 15 to 20-mins before an expected stressor - like a walk - is a good idea, too.
there is no risk of overdose, no drug interactions -- a very, very safe homeopathic calmative.

DAP pump-spray goes on THINGS - not the dog, LOL.
it is a synthetic mimic of a nursing-bitch pheromone, with a calming effect - drops BP, pulse-rate, cortisol, etc.
U can spritz his collar (off the dog, spritz, turn 180, spritz; put back on the dog); his bed, mat, favorite sofa-spot,
the back-seat of the car, Ur pantslegs at Outside Seams knee-high, Ur jacket or sleeve cuffs, the LEASH
(a hands-length from the clip, to wave under his nose as it passes), and so on.
anything washable is safe to spray - not suede, not dry-cleanables; synthetic carpet is fine,
most FURNITURE leather is fine but not garment leather, car-upholstery is fine.
i spray my boots, pants cuffs, jacket or shirt cuffs, leather collars, fabric collars, etc.
one spritz is a dose, it lasts approx 90-mins and can be refreshed - no overdose, no interactions.
the spray is 99.99% ALCOHOL - so do not spray around flames or heat-sources, and avoid plastics - some react.

i would use BOTH, myself - getting him un-wound is step One, he cannot learn a thing while he is all stressed-out,
with adrenaline is pouring into his bloodstream.

for the moment, i would do an emergency-U-turn any time that U encounter another dog, and learn how to keep him
Under Threshold - meaning enuf-distance to not be reacting with anything but mild attention.
U will need to learn to read Ur dog for early-warnings: tail rising, mouth closing, etc.

if U cannot find a local pos-R trainer, and need help with Click To Calm protocols, feel free to PM me ---
this is definitely an addressable and repairable problem.

i know that it is also very, very distressing - hang on, it will get better!
best regards,
--- terry

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terry pride, APDT-Aus, apdt#1827, CVA, TDF
*wolves R wolves, dogs R dogs, + primates R us.*
tmp, sept-2007

Hi Terry
I do the U turn, if i clock that a Dog has given Dalton a good stare, ot puffed its chest out, i turn and go the other way before he has a second to react.
The one day we saw a Rotti off lead no owner, and i didnt think anything of it, Dalton was onlead, walking with me, He went Ballistic, the Poor Rotti ran, Dalton was almost standing on his back leg, Didnt give GSD's a good rep that day let me tell you.
I didnt enjoy that, and i was holding onto him for dear life, he was emensly strong that day.
xx

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Sarah xxx

re post #8 - sarah


those moments can be terrifying -
and they seem to last forever, too. good thing the Rott legged it, as even if the poor thing had just hung-about minding
their own business, Dalton probably would not have stood-down, he was too intensely over-aroused.

a former-client did his dog-reactive GSD no favors, the muleheaded git -
he insisted despite my written warning on putting a SHOCK-collar on his dog-REACTIVE (not aggro!) 6-MO pup.
at the time, the dog was only reacting when On Leash, and to other DOGS - worse with Ms than Fs.
i had him in a Gentle Leader, he was doing fine; the 110#, 5-ft tall wife could safely walk him in the headcollar,
and interrupt anything before it became a full-blown reactive event.

the 6-ft 6-inch 280# husband did not LIKE the headcollar, and preferred to haul the dog up by his tag-collar
and forcibly restrain him, vertical, while the other dog(s) were in sight.
this technique did not leave Max with a happy memory of seeing another dog,
being half-strangled and told-off while dangling. so he was getting worse - growling, lunging, hackling.
so hubby put Max in a shock-collar. oh, right! that'll fix it, throw some more aggro on the fire!

a year later, the dog was reacting to:
* all dogs and all pups above 8-WO, on or off leash
* all men encountered on leash
* diesel engines in any vehicle
* all children over 5-YO with lunging and barking
* skateboards, bicycles, motorbikes, and skaters
* any eye-to-eye contact, even glancing

so now i was handling or pet-sitting a dog who was clearly dangerous -
his SOLE exception on-leash was women who were dog-friendly - he still liked them!
but i fully expected to be added to his bad-list, any day...
he was a tornado when he went off, oy, i had to be hypervigilant when i had him out, and it was not a fun thing.

zapping the #$%&@! out of him when all he did was bounce + pull (at the beginning) obviously did a LOT of good --- Not!
poor Max died under mysterious circs at just past 3-YO - a drunken period, followed by apparent resolution,
then lethargy, inappetant, seizures, and death, all in 3 days time.
i think he was poisoned by antifreeze -
deliberately, as his owner insisted on allowing him 24-7 access to the yard via a flap, and he was a chronic nuisance barker.
he was a gorgeous dog, but a bad series of decisions doomed him.

best regards,
--- terry

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terry pride, APDT-Aus, apdt#1827, CVA, TDF
*wolves R wolves, dogs R dogs, + primates R us.*
tmp, sept-2007

OMG yes Terry, Dalton is a sod, he will not backl down.......From being a 6 month old he was very rude, and would put his head over other dogs shoulders etc, and i had to teach him manner.
He was fine with other dogs, unless they challenged him, with body language, very few incidents, since he got bit he is a tinker, he never does anything to dogs who he feels dont/cant threaten his status for want of a better word, but lately if a dog is slightly cocky he is very naughty and wants to be top dog. I am woking on him lots of late.
His vet issues are almost gone now with working on those, again he was fine till he got bit
His prey and defense drive are off the scale at the moment, but chanelling them with training etc, now his leg is good enough to go back training, which does make him much clamer if this makes sense
xx

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Sarah xxx