Hi I need some advice on how to help my beautiful Kippy with dog aggression. She is a 6 year old Austrailian cattle dog mix about 35 lbs (she's the one in front). I adopted her from the local shelter when she was about one and a half. She's always been a highly reactive dog, but was usually just some barking or growling around dogs she didn't like. Now overtime she sees another dog while I'm walking her on leash she turns into the devil dog. The dog doesn't have to do anything just be out and she lunges, growls, and bites on her leash. The other issue is her fence fighting/barking at the dogs next door.

I lived in an apartment when I first got Kippy. I live in a dog loving town so there were lots of dogs at the apartment. She would always bark and growl at other dogs when on walks or if she saw them from inside the apartments. I also took her to some of the leash free dog parks a lot so she could run and go swimming. She also went to doggie day care a lot as well and she did really well there at first. She's a bundle of energy. But throughout the years the lil growl here and there got worse and worse. So I took her to a polite pooch dog class. She did pretty well in class, she loves to work. It was getting in and out of class that was the issue, if a dog got to close she would nip. One day the trainer put on a halti type collar on her to help but it totally made her just shut down. She just sat, ears down, moping.

Unplanned, I then ended up rescuing a 2nd dog Lucy (saved her from being put down at the local shelter after I found her at my job's parking lot), she was the opposite. They were going to put her down for being too shy. It was a doggie miracle but they both got along right away so I ended up keeping her. I think they both balance each other out. Only tension between them was around food, but I make sure feed them after I feed myself and I keep them separate. They have to both stay by their bowl until everyone is done. All in all they great along super great. Daycare even said they think the puppy helped Kippy as well since she seem to be more playful with a lot more dogs. When I'm not around, they are crated just to be safe.

But on walks and at the apartment Kippy seemed to get worse to me around other dogs, so I hired a trainer to come to the apartment and help. Her training methods involved the prong collar. It seemed to be helping but then we started having lessons at dog parks with it on. On day, I let Kippy loose to swim at one of the dogparks without the trainer there, Kippy got in a fight and bit another dog. The other dog wasn't too hurt, needed one stitch and I paid for the vets. From then on I no longer took her to the park, I felt terrible. Then a month or two later I got a call from daycare that Kippy attacked a puppy and bit her pretty bad in the ear and when they pulled her off she went after Lucy. So now she's no longer allowed to play with any other dogs at daycare just the human staff. They usually rotated them in small groups. So I only take her then now if I go out of town or really need someone to watch them for the day. They also let her play with Lucy again there because they get along. I think the past attack was just aftermath. Anyways, I felt terrible again and still do sometimes.

So we moved out of the apartment into a duplex with our own fenced in backyard - wahoo. Now we can play fetch in our own yard, which has been great. But we have issues walking in the new neighborhood, lots of houses with dogs. As long as they are inside or behind the fence, Kippy doesn't seem to care to much. However, if someone is walking a dog on a leash or god forbid they are loose in their yard (which I'm not sure why people do that) all hell breaks loose. So I found we can walk her super early in the morning without running into any dogs for the most part or now I just turn around if I see one in the distance. I would really like to be able to walk her longer and not be so worried, most of the times the dogs aren't even interested or even close for her to act that way. I know we will never go to the park anymore (which from reading on the site is a bad idea anyways). Last week on one of her tantrums she ended up scratching my leg with her teeth when trying to bite her leash. Ouch!!! On that note, she's never been aggressive towards me at any time or with anything which is a wonderful thing She lets me take aware her food, toys, brush her whatever without any problems.

Also, we got a neighbor who has 2 dogs as well. Kippy did not take to this kindly and would run up and down our fence barking at them like a maniac. I don't let the dogs out unsupervised, either does my neighbor so we try not to let the dogs out at the same time which has helped. When I know she's home, I put a leash on Kippy so it's easier for me to grab her and bring her in if needed, she's a quick lil bugger. If we do run into the situation where they are out she won't stop running barking until they are inside and the door is closed, then she'll run inside. But when I put the leash on, all she does is watch their door looking for any signs that they are coming out, then running over to our other side to see if the cats out. She's always on patrol. Once in awhile she will relax, especially if I let her out without her leash and sit outside with her. But she'll even bark from the inside if she happens to hear if they went outside. She is very territorial. If we go out anywhere, she has to be right by me. Lucy could care less, she's just looking for squirrels and belly rubs lol and naturally walks on a loose leash (I'm glad she hasn't picked up any of Kippy's bad habits).

I've been reading a bunch on this forum, books, tv shows, etc. It sounds like I need to work on desensitizing. But there is so much different info out there my head is exploding and I don't know where to start. I tried using the halti type collars and she either shuts down and tries to get it off the whole time. I think the prong collar made her more nippy. I got an ecollar but I'm afraid to use it, I've read you shouldn't use it on aggressive dogs. I make her sit before going outside, eating, etc. She's super smart and she does great learning commands, doing some agility, etc but I can't seem to figure out the dog aggression thing and it just seems to be getting worse. I want to fix this so she we can go on longer, more frequent walks and if we can fix the territorial issues in the backyard it would be a miracle. Help!!!!

Thanks,
Karen

Anyone???

Keep reading/searching on the desensitizing - especially any posts by Connie Sutherland.

I would start by enlisting a friend with a non reactive dog to help. Then I would go to a nice wide open, out of the way, outdoor space and work at the very edge of her reactive zone doing basic OB and fun positive games with lots of treats and praise.

Your goal is to slowly decrease the distance and increase the time she can focus on you rather than the other dog.

For my dog this distance started at about the length of a football field. We are now at about 50 feet with strange dogs, and have had some much closer encounters with positive results.

This took months and months of work.

Define "good obedience".
Could she pass a CGC minus the meeting another dog, portion?

You crate both dogs when you aren't home, but not when they eat?

What do you do when she starts this behavior?

It sounds to me that along with desensitizing and training this dog needs more exercise. I only know because I am familiar with that on the lookout for trouble mentality. Not to get all dog whisperer about it, but the barking at other dogs can be a release of pent up energy.

What kind of fence do you have in the yard?

I just read your post again. One thing that stood out is that you feel anxious on your walks because of the aggressive behavior.

You have to stop that.

I fully understand, I have lived it. But really it will never get better unless you can control your feelings. Especially if the dog is a little sensitive.

Everbody says this, but I finally realized it when after a bad day, when I was angry about something else entirely, I took my dog for a walk. That walk was a spiral of reactivity. It was aweful.

Try to be as in the moment as possible when you walk. Some dogs need you to be completely zen. if something happens and the dog reacts, put it out of your mind and continue on untill you are both relaxed.

Hi Barb - I'll keep reading for new ideas, etc

Thanks Jennifer - Congrats on the progress with your dog. I'll have to think of an area where we can start.

Aaron - I'm not sure about her passing the CGC. Maybe that's something we can work on. She'll sit and down when I ask her when she's not in her reactive state.

I tried crating them when they eat but they were confused and didn't eat lol. I supervise their eating and they'll sit by their plates till I take them away so that works well.

When she starts acting up on walks, I will either stop and go the other way. If I can't I'll just stop and hold her by the leash or collar to make sure I have a good hold on her. I want to make sure she won't get loose. For the yard thing I try to grab her by her leash I put on her but she's a quick lil bugger.

Lauren - Yeah I def think she needs more exercise. I'm going to try and walk longer in the morning, right now we are around 30 mins. Also thinking of getting a treadmill to see if she will walk on there as well and for when it gets super hot in the summer. On the weekends she loves to follow me around the house when I'm doing chores whatever. Will try to find more things we can do inside to use up some of her energy especially on after work nights when I'm ready to sleep.

We have a 6 foot wood fence. She can sometimes hear my neighbor open the door from the inside with the window and blinds close lol. Sometimes from when she's sleeping, gives me a heartattack lol.

Yeah I'll have to remember not to get anxious too. That's another reason why we don't walk longer either. I get so nervous that we'll run into a situation that we'll only walk early int he morning and not later when I think there will be other dogs out. But I want to make sure I'm doing everything to keep her a happy dog.

 Quote: Lauren Jeffery

Try to be as in the moment as possible when you walk. Some dogs need you to be completely zen. if something happens and the dog reacts, put it out of your mind and continue on untill you are both relaxed.

This is spot on!
I have had to learn not to be tense while out with him. Anything you are feeling travels right down the leash

Seriously.

One time Tash exploded into barking and lunging at a trash bag that was in the middle of a driveway. Why? Because I expected the dog across the street to come out front and start running the fence. I got all uptight about it.

She read my stress, saw something unusual and decided it needed to go away, pronto.

The best part is that the dog I was worried about wasn't even outside!

Edited by Lauren Jeffery (02/22/2011 11:22 PM)
Edit reason: typo

I would use a dominant dog collar for the dog aggression.
A prong collar or an e-collar could make it worse.
Not everybody can or want to do this to their dog but sometimes treats just don't work.
I do marker training but if I reach a point where a correction is needed I won't hesitate to do whatever I have to do.