We adopted a 10 month old Hungarian Vizsla about 1 year ago. He had been returned twice to the adoption agencies for aggression towards the adopting family (once a young girl). They don't know why he originally ended up in a high kill shelter as well. That's three times he has been put into adoption/shelter.

We were told by the adoption agency that the families overreacted and that he nips not bites. They also stated that they had advised the family with the girl not to allow her to walk him (he bite her on a walk) when she had him on leash.

We have another dog that we had adopted a couple years back. She is a very submissive and well trained. The first night at home when he was on a leash in the living room he attacked her because she sniffed a toy the adoption agency sent with him. He was on a leash so nothing happened as I pulled him away immediately. We threw the toy out right away. We haven't had much of an issue ever since. They get along fine now, but we never leave them alone together.

He has been in a crate since we got him and generally always on a leash. At the beginning we let him roam in a room or in the back yard (fenced) with us, but that quickly ended when we had some issues. He has been through training and is extrememly obedient in terms of commands and sitting, down, come and stay.

Now we get to the issues. He is basically obsessed with me. If my wife has him on leash and we are in a room he will stare at me the entire time. He has now attacked/bitten my wife on numerous occassions. They are generally (not all the time) some combination of I'm somewhere in the house but not in the room and she tries stops him from doing something (walk a different direction, sniff something). He has now bitten her on several occassions.

These incidents were much worse at first, he would work himself into a crazed state flipping around on the leash. i would come into the room and on a few occasions take him from her because she could no longer control him. Once he bit me while still out of control. On one occassion he went to the bathroom (both pee and poop) while flippin over and spinning on the leash. These incidents have occured about once a month since we got him. The last incident was at 11:00 this past saturday when we were just standing in the kitchen. He had been laying on the ground perfectly calm while my wife had him on leash. He got up to move towards me and she tapped him on his back and he turned and bit her in on the hand.

We have taken him through training and we told the trainer about these incidents (this was the first couple months we had him). She told us we should "roll him" when this happens. When she tried to show us how to do it, he would not allow it at all, flippin and spinning at the end of the leash. He held up class for 25 minutes. This was a female trainer, we have noticed every incident that has occurred with him involves a female. he is also more friendly to males than females that come to our house (he basically ignores females).

My wife is ready to give up on him and doesn't feel he could ever be trusted. I've read other postings on this board where dogs seem to do worse, but what he has done has been with zero freedom (always in a crate or attached on leash to one of us). i've read all the ebooks on here and bought the dvd on pack structure and on aggression.

I'm wondering if others feel that there is not hope for him in or if there is something else we can try with him. What makes it more tough is he seems to be a sweet, good dog 97% of the time.

sorry for the long post, thanks to anybody who read the whole thing.

Okay...

I have a few questions.

1) Why did you adopt a dog with known aggression issues?
What is your level of experience with aggression?

2) The trainer you took the dog to was an idiot. Alpha rolling a dog is a great way to get bitten in the face. It also doesn't do a danged thing to assert dominance over a dog. In reality, the dog loses respect for you every time you do it.

3) How much exercise is this dog getting daily? Be honest.

4) The dog voided it's bowels and bladder while spazzing out and biting you? What is precipitating these crazy freak outs? What is he doing before it happens? What are YOU doing before it happens? What seems to trigger them?

I have zero experience with aggression in dogs. We beleived the adoption agency when they said that he was being playful. Obviously dumb in hindsight.

Agreed on your second point. I read that on the website a couple of times.

I run with him a couple times a week. If he doesn't run, he gets a walk. The day of the last incident he had been on numerous walks because it was a Saturday and I was home all day.

I analyze the freak outs over and over in my head. The main thing that is consistent through every one is somebody making him do something he doesn't want to do. The last one, he literally was laying on the ground and just got up to walk away before it happend.

Some have been where he was touched, or pulled, etc. Maybe pain? Maybe he doesn't like to be touched? simplistic I know, but sometimes touch hurts...even a light touch.

He could be damaged. But, if you REALLY want to keep him, first get a complete physical done on him. Can you help him? Others are better with these kind of dogs than I.

 Quote: Mark Stuart

I run with him a couple times a week. If he doesn't run, he gets a walk. The day of the last incident he had been on numerous walks because it was a Saturday and I was home all day.

How far is a run?
How far is a walk?

A run would be 2.5 miles generally.

Walks are shorter, probably 20 minutes.

Would it be possible to up the amount of exercise? It's a good amount, but on a dog this age, more is better.

That would give you the option of leaving the dog in the crate more often, and preventing these bizarre freak outs while you try to pinpoint a cause and develop a plan of action.

This is not an area of expertise for me, so take this with a grain of salt, but this dog sounds very fearful(weak nerves?)

Do most of the freakouts occur when your wife is handling him?
What is her response to him when he does this? Her demeanor? Assertive? Fearful of him? Angry?

What sort of training methods are you using with him?

And what do you mean 'he is obsessed with me?' Is he submissive with you?

 Quote: Mark Stuart

The last incident was at 11:00 this past saturday

 Quote: Mark Stuart

The day of the last incident he had been on numerous walks because it was a Saturday and I was home all day.

How many 20 minute walks can you squeeze in before noon?

Maybe one or two or three longer walks instead of several 20 minute walks would add up to more energy spent.

I agree with Alyssa about uping the amount of exercise. My JRT with 6inch long legs(That may be generous, too.:grin does 3.5 mile jogs and wants to play fetch when we get home.

A vizsla......I can't imagine. Phew!

11:00 was 11:00 pm.

This dog is the least fearful one of I have been around. Not much phases him. By obsessed I mean he whines if i'm not in the room with him, stares at me, wants to be next to me at all times.

I understand all the comments about more exercise. But if i have to run the dog 5 miles a day so he won't bite people, that seems to just mask the problem. He still has the same dominance issue, but now is just too tired to act on it (after runs).