May 19, 2011
My dog is aggressive to dog he meets. He does well in the drive work. Can he do Schutzhund work is he is afraid of other dogs?
Full Question:
First, I'd like to commend you on your informative web site and your excellent videos. I bought your "Drive Training with Bernhard Flinks" video and have been using his methods on my 5 month old GSD with excellent results.I would like to begin schutzhund training with this dog, but I have a concern about his temperament. Cosmo has great prey drive, is calm and friendly around new people, and is confident in new situations. However, he is fearful of other dogs. When first meeting a new dog he will frequently bark and the fur on his back will go up. He will also try to get between my legs. After a minute or two he will calm down and stop barking, and if I call the dog over to me will sniff it and let it sniff him.
To try to get him used to strange dogs, I've been taking him to a wooded area with trails that is frequented by other dog owners. Both I and the other dog's owner will walk together for a while, with our dogs off leash. Although my dog will calm down fairly quickly he basically stays glued to me and will not interact with the other dog. If we then meet any other dogs, the entire process repeats itself.
I guess I have two questions:
(1) Does this dog have the temperament for schutzhund?
(2) Other than continuing to expose him to other dogs in an environment that will help build his confidence, what, if anything, should I be doing to "socialize" him in this area?
Any insight you can give me would be greatly appreciated.
Ed's Answer:
Animal aggression is not an issue when considering a sport dog. In other words – it has nothing to do with if a dog can be a Schutzhund dog.
Animal aggression is a behavioral issue. You are approaching it WRONG. You need to have a prong collar on the dog and correct the dog when he starts barking. Turn and walk away from the other dog. But do not allow this to happen.
Why should a dog have to get along with strange dogs? There is no reason. I do not allow my doing to meet strange dogs. This is some kind of crazy thing that people think they must do with their dogs.
What your dog must do is mind in the presents of other dogs and this is obedience training. That is your responsibility – to obedience train the dog.
If your dog has good prey drive and good nerves then he can do sport work.
I just released the motivational retrieve video with Bernhard. I am going to edit a tape titled PREPARING YOUR DOG FOR PROTECTION TRAINING. You will want to get this tape.
Animal aggression is a behavioral issue. You are approaching it WRONG. You need to have a prong collar on the dog and correct the dog when he starts barking. Turn and walk away from the other dog. But do not allow this to happen.
Why should a dog have to get along with strange dogs? There is no reason. I do not allow my doing to meet strange dogs. This is some kind of crazy thing that people think they must do with their dogs.
What your dog must do is mind in the presents of other dogs and this is obedience training. That is your responsibility – to obedience train the dog.
If your dog has good prey drive and good nerves then he can do sport work.
I just released the motivational retrieve video with Bernhard. I am going to edit a tape titled PREPARING YOUR DOG FOR PROTECTION TRAINING. You will want to get this tape.
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