Help? My Intact Male Doberman is Reactive to His Own Reflection

Question

Hi Cindy, I just got an 11-month-old intact male Doberman from Europe who has strong working drives but is also not very socialized. He arrived a few days ago here in the USA and I was warned that he was very dog aggressive, especially with other males. My big challenge is we have a fairly large house with at least 30 windows and 5 glass sliding doors on one side and when he sees his reflection in the mirror, he goes after it with fury. It could be day or night, even while driving in the car. I have tried redirecting his focus but getting him to pay attention to something else. I’ve done marker training so I mark the bad behavior and redirect him but it’s really a pain when your dog gets into high drive mode on every little reflection of himself. This would include a stainless refrigerator, stove and windows, and glass door. Shadows don’t bother him as much. It’s just when he sees himself, he thinks it’s another dog and goes crazy. Please help as this is a big issue for us.

Accepted Answer

Since you have only had this dog for a short time, my recommendations would be to manage him at all times while you develop a relationship with him. I wouldn't allow him the freedom to walk around in spaces that you know will trigger him. If he's like this at 11 months, I worry about how this will escalate as he matures. You don't want him to continue rehearsing this.

I'm not sure of your goals with him for training but I would start immediately with making him work for ALL of his meals using the material you already have (The Power of Training Dogs with Food). I would make sure he's got a comfortable place to be when you can't manage him (a crate or kennel with low activity or stimulus to seeing things you know will be a trigger). The more he practices this behavior, the harder it's going to be to fix.

If this dog was with me, I'd build strong engagement for food first and then add toys so you have a way to keep him mentally connected to you. I'd practice all of this in a somewhat sterile training environment so he doesn't have to be hypervigilant about looking around for things to react to.

Keep in mind that he's also at a very challenging age (puberty) AND he's just left his home and had a big trip to a new place. That in itself can make even a balanced, non-aggressive dog act a bit freaked out while they settle in.

Once you have him understanding engagement and he's showing good focus, you can work on adding small distractions. You may also want to watch Tyler Muto's video on Leash Reactivity. I think it will give you and your dog some skills to diffuse this behavior.

In the meantime, manage him and try to prevent this as much as you can. He should be on a leash or in a secure calm area at all times. I would make sure he's crated in the vehicle and I'd cover his crate if necessary. He sounds like he's very stressed. I can't imagine it feels too good to be in that heightened state of arousal at every reflection or perceived threat.

We have some safe and non-sedating products designed for anxiety as well, it would certainly be something I'd try if this was my dog. I hope this has given you some ideas.