Hi everyone,

I am new to this board and am in need of some help.

I have an almost 3 year old beagle/aussie mix. My family rescued the dog when he was 8 weeks old from a shelter.

The first 6 months we had the dog he was the most relaxed dog ever. I did what at the time I thought was the right way to socialize him to young children, other dogs in the neighborhood, my family.

At 6 months of age the dog started to bark in what i felt like was aggressive to my two young nieces 2 & 4 and the two young girls across the street. He also started to nip them in the hands and go crazy any time the doorbell rang.

I started to keep the dog tethered to me anytime one of the little kids game over to the house. the behavior has gotten so out of hand that I can't even let the dog by the little kids anymore.

I have been to 4 different dog trainers. The dog always does well for them but Does not respond to me when I try and get him under control.

Last week We had friends stay with us for 3 days. The dog was fine until the third day when I was standing by him while he was eating. He saw my female friend look over at him. The dog charged her and bit her in the hand. He did break the skin in 3 places but the wounds were not deep. At the time my husband, myself two adult males and one adult female were in the kitchen with the dog.

After the dog bit her I ran over and grabbed him. The dog was shaking so badly. I put the dog in his kennel and picked up his food bowl. After my friends left I found this site. The dog has been a mess ever since and yesterday he went after my 17 year old son's hand. No food or toys were involved.

I really need some help. The dog has always been afraid and it is a constant problem just to get him to go outside. He once held is potty for over 18 hours when we were on a road trip. He was to afraid to get out of the car.

I feel like I have let the dog down and my 3 kids. the dog spends the day in his kennel with the door open or hiding in the bathroom. We have never hit, or yelled at the dog. When I think back to the litter of pups they were all very fearful at the pound. To late to pick a different pup.

I have made a commitment to my dog I just need some advice on how to go about this the right way. I would say the dogs quality of life is pretty poor right now. I live in the north suburbs of Chicago so I may be willing to try another trainer if anyone know a good one in the area.

Thanks for any help

Mary,
I'm sorry you are going through this. Were any of the trainers experienced in aggression? Did they evaluate the dog and give you any suggestions? Is he crate trained? Does he ever show aggression to you?

For now I would limit all his interactions with people other than yourself. He sounds very stressed and I am sure you are too. His not having to deal with anyone but you and you knowing he is contained and unable to do any harm will help reduce both of your stress levels.

I would search out a trainer who specializes in aggression and go from there. I believe we do have some members from your area so hopefully they can point you in the right direction.

When you say "what I thought best to socialize him," what was that?

"the behavior has gotten so out of hand that I can't even let the dog by the little kids anymore."

Don't allow them near him. Good.

"I have been to 4 different dog trainers. The dog always does well for them"

What did the trainers do differently?

" I was standing by him while he was eating."

Why?

Why was anyone surrounding him while he was eating? "At the time my husband, myself two adult males and one adult female were in the kitchen with the dog." Why? What a terrible set-up for the dog.

A fearful dog, who I suspect was flooded in a socializing attempt, and surrounded by big strangers (in his perception, threatening his food) in his home while he wants to eat in peace, afraid of visitors but not put up when they come over ....

I agree with needing a trainer, but I don't know anyone in your area. Someone will.

Meanwhile, your post is loaded with things the reactive dog is being set up to react to. You can change all this.

i'm beginning to think none of the trainers really got what the problem is with my dog. I explained the issue with the door bell and the kids. They all tried to work on it. I tried trainers with only positive training and trainers who used the Cesar Malan type training.

The dog is crate trained and to be honest when he is in the crate and won't come out because he is afraid I'm the only one who can put my hand in to get him out. He will snap at anyone else who tried to remove him from the crate.

 Quote: Sheila Buckley

... For now I would limit all his interactions with people other than yourself. He sounds very stressed and I am sure you are too. His not having to deal with anyone but you and you knowing he is contained and unable to do any harm will help reduce both of your stress levels.

Absolutely.


Mary, the mistakes are glaring, which is good news because even while you look for professional help we will be able to give you really basic help for this reactive dog.

 Quote: mary weinberg

i'm beginning to think none of the trainers really got what the problem is with my dog. I explained the issue with the door bell and the kids. They all tried to work on it. I tried trainers with only positive training and trainers who used the Cesar Malan type training.

The dog is crate trained and to be honest when he is in the crate and won't come out because he is afraid I'm the only one who can put my hand in to get him out. He will snap at anyone else who tried to remove him from the crate.

I understand 100% that you were doing all you knew. Think of this from the dog's POV. Reactive and fearful and subjected over and over to different demands from different-type trainers.

Remove him from the crate for what purpose? Does it matter? Is it when there is a reactivity-trigger around, or always?

Hi Connie,

I agree the food thing was a big mistake and I take full responsibility for it. I feed the dog in the morning before my kids or husband come down for the day. I was taking the kids to school, our friends were in town to visit not to flood the dog. I forgot to put up the food bowl before I left. When I came home everyone was in the kitchen my husband said the dog was pushing his food out of the bowl while I was gone. I went to see what he was doing with the food, thats when my friend also came to see what he was doing.

The first order of the day for this dog, really needs to be crate training.

This dog has a very low threshold for stress and fear. Once the stress meter is pegged, the dog snaps. The dog needs an alternative to this. The dog needs to learn a way to turn off stress that doesn't involve attacking people.

A crate, combined with proper crate training, will allow the dog to retreat to the crate and decompress rather than explode.
It will also allow the dog to eat in peace, and be separated from guests and kids, to prevent accidents.

 Quote: mary weinberg

Hi Connie,

I agree the food thing was a big mistake and I take full responsibility for it. I feed the dog in the morning before my kids or husband come down for the day. I was taking the kids to school, our friends were in town to visit not to flood the dog. I forgot to put up the food bowl before I left. When I came home everyone was in the kitchen my husband said the dog was pushing his food out of the bowl while I was gone. I went to see what he was doing with the food, thats when my friend also came to see what he was doing.

My mention of flooding was a general comment on what has probably happened in the course of socializing. I didn't mean this event.

He needed in this event to be protected from anything happening around his food as well as from an overload of non-family members surrounding him, period.

I get it, we all get it, that you don't know how to deal with it. When I say what he needed and what has happened wrong, it's 100% to show/tell you, NOT to accuse/confront you.

This event would not have happened if he was fed in his crate when strangers (visitors) were there as well as allowed to be totally away from them all the time (which isn't possible when they surround his food dish, and one even approached {threatened} his food).

That's just a general recap of one event. I'm trying to explain in what I hope is not a confrontational way that a new way of living with this dog is needed. Then the work of building his confidence and dialing back his reactivity can start.

This is all doable, at least to the extent of him being manageable, and quite possibly much more. JMO!

Well, Aaron and I typed together. He did a better job, too.