Hello, I am new to this forum and very glad to have found it. I have quite a few questions I could use some advise on so sorry if this gets a little long.

I have 2 dogs a 3yo yellow lab (tucker) and an 11mnth old black lab german sheppard mix (duke). Duke is the dog we are having issues with

We got duke at 6wks old after he was abandoned at 4wks old. He was bottle fed until 7wks. Duke was very well socialized as a puppy, he spent time with all kinds of different dogs of different breeds and ages and sizes. I have done all of dukes training myself. He knows his basics sit,stay,come ect and is generally well behaved (he has some issues with following commands when he gets really excited) we had him neutered at 6mnths
Now the issues.
About a month ago duke was out in our front yard while I was doing some yardwork (this is normal for him) another dog was being walked by and duke took off toward him barking. When he reached the other dog they were both growling a little. The owner then started freaking out and screaming and pulling her dog back and forth on its leash and in response duke started going back and forth with them (I completely understand her reacting in this way it just escalated the situation) the dogs then began "fighting " not hurting each other just rolling around growling. I was able to grab duke and get him to his kennel. Neither dog were hurt at all. I take full responsibility for this situation I realize now I had to much trust in him and should not have had him off leash.

I have also noticed within the last few months duke growling and barking at other dogs while on walks, and sometimes certain men. he also has started becoming aggressive to new dogs he meets. My dad got a new lab puppy and duke has growled at it and scared it both times we have tried to introduce him.

Ok here is what I have been doing. We go on an hour long brisk walk (stopping and sitting at street corners and sitting when he pulls or acts aggressive) 6 days a week follwed by 20 to 30 min of working on his commands. Duke spends from 8 to 4 in our backyard with tucker. In the evening they come inside and then they sleep in kennels inside. I have been working on being the dominant one as well

I am in the middle of a condensed nursing program so I am limited on time and money for about 8 more months. I am wondering what else I can do to help stop his aggression from getting worse.

I have set some goals for myself
Short term: be able to take tucker along on dukes daily walks by jan 1( currently it is a to overwhelming for me to take both by myself and duke doesn't behave as well)
Long term be able to take duke to the doggie dash in may( a mini marathon for dogs and there owners) last year there were about 5000 dogs.

Thanks in advance for any advice
Ashley

 Quote: Ashley Aldrete

Hello, I am new to this forum and very glad to have found it. I have quite a few questions I could use some advise on so sorry if this gets a little long.

I have 2 dogs a 3yo yellow lab (tucker) and an 11mnth old black lab german sheppard mix (duke). Duke is the dog we are having issues with

We got duke at 6wks old after he was abandoned at 4wks old. He was bottle fed until 7wks. Duke was very well socialized as a puppy, he spent time with all kinds of different dogs of different breeds and ages and sizes. I have done all of dukes training myself. He knows his basics sit,stay,come ect and is generally well behaved (he has some issues with following commands when he gets really excited) we had him neutered at 6mnths
Now the issues.
About a month ago duke was out in our front yard while I was doing some yardwork (this is normal for him) another dog was being walked by and duke took off toward him barking. When he reached the other dog they were both growling a little. The owner then started freaking out and screaming and pulling her dog back and forth on its leash and in response duke started going back and forth with them (I completely understand her reacting in this way it just escalated the situation) the dogs then began "fighting " not hurting each other just rolling around growling. I was able to grab duke and get him to his kennel. Neither dog were hurt at all. I take full responsibility for this situation I realize now I had to much trust in him and should not have had him off leash.

I have also noticed within the last few months duke growling and barking at other dogs while on walks, and sometimes certain men. he also has started becoming aggressive to new dogs he meets. My dad got a new lab puppy and duke has growled at it and scared it both times we have tried to introduce him.

Ok here is what I have been doing. We go on an hour long brisk walk (stopping and sitting at street corners and sitting when he pulls or acts aggressive) 6 days a week follwed by 20 to 30 min of working on his commands. Duke spends from 8 to 4 in our backyard with tucker. In the evening they come inside and then they sleep in kennels inside. I have been working on being the dominant one as well

I am in the middle of a condensed nursing program so I am limited on time and money for about 8 more months. I am wondering what else I can do to help stop his aggression from getting worse.

I have set some goals for myself
Short term: be able to take tucker along on dukes daily walks by jan 1( currently it is a to overwhelming for me to take both by myself and duke doesn't behave as well)
Long term be able to take duke to the doggie dash in may( a mini marathon for dogs and there owners) last year there were about 5000 dogs.

Thanks in advance for any advice
Ashley

Hi Ashley, Welcome to Leerburg.

Fair warning - we don't pull many punches here, though the mods do keep things civil. *wink*

So, onto your issue with Duke. There's a few different things from what you have stated.

I applaud you for rescuing your pup, if only more people would do so. But anyway, you got him at 6 weeks , he was abandoned at 4. Your pup hasn't received ALOT of training that young pups do from their litter mates that's imprinted on them for the rest of their life. Bite inhibition and how to play nice are two things they learn. You can certainly make up for the lack of training in that area with time, and effort. He may also just be one of those dogs that likes to play rough, being 11 months old I wouldn't put it past him. He is still a puppy.

The "incident" with the other dog - as you stated , totally your fault. You DO NOT allow him off leash in a free roaming area, ever. You already said that he has a hard time responding to commands when he gets excited. Lets not put him in a position to fail. If you would like him outside, keep him tethered to you with a long line on a flat collar or correction collar.

The beggining of aggressive behavior is the time to correct it. How do you correct his behavior when he does this? How have you been "working on being the dominant one"? He is at the age now where he is going to test his boundries, and your leadership. How you react with body language, behavior, and tone of voice is going to speak volumes to your pup alot more then what you actually say. Dogs can sense when you get nervous around other dogs, they don't know that its because your afraid of how he's going to act. This nervous energy goes right down the leash and into your dog, which he reacts to. He is reading you, and you don't have to say a word. Good leaders are calm, confident, fair, consistant and strict dictators which protect their pack.

Exercise - I realize you don't have alot of time to dedicate to more exercise for him. Quite honestly, he's not getting enough. This young pup needs to be run hard across a large field multiple times until his tongue is dragging, if at all possible daily. He needs real exercise, your 1 hour brisk walk is a good starter for a warm up for him. He needs a jog/run , frisbee, chuck-it, or a host of other things to get him moving.

Try and keep your training sessions with him short and upbeat, no longer then 5 minutes at a time. Short, multiple sessions are better then one long one because it's easier to keep focus, keep him engauged, and keep it positive for both of you. Positive reinforcement with some high value treats, and if he gets something wrong, NO corrections. Your not anywhere near that stage in OB training yet. Of course you can also keep the NILIF training philosophy on a daily basis (Nothing in Life is Free), make him work for what he wants.

Having goals is great, but realisticly it will probably take longer then what your hoping for. Please ask questions, and of course this is all IMO.

As for correcting his behavior, when we are walking and he growls at people I make him sit and when he barks I use a firm NO and give him a little poke in the ribs. When we are walking and I see another dog up ahead or in a yard I try to cross to the other side and keep duke distracted. If he does see the other dog and starts to perk his ears up like he is going to react I give him a little nudge with my leg closest to him.... when we are walking and we pass right by another dog and he reacts aggresively I know I need to correct him immediately but I'm not sure how to do this ?
For exercise, I completely admit since I started my program I have been lacking in the dogs exercise, I have made it a priority again.I am still working on how to fit my schedule together.
To exercise our other dog tucker I go to a park that has a large field and use the ball launcher for long distance fetch for about an hour. I would love to do this with duke but I am afraid to have him off his leash, I only let tucker run free if the field is empty but at times other dogs do come (usually when other dogs come I put tuck on his leash until I see how the dogs are going to react to each other and decided if they can play together or not) how can I incorporate duke into this situation?
I have heard of using a weighted vest while on walks for and increased work out, would this be beneficial for duke? Where would I get something like that?

I also would like to continue to socialize duke but I am afraid of how he will react. I specifically want him to be able to play with my dads dog. How can I get them to become friends? So far we have just had them in them in the yard both on leashes and have let them sniff each other and walk around a bit. Duke will sniff the puppy fine but when the pup tries to sniff him he snarls at him and the puppy gets scared.

No weighted vests on an immature dog!!!

Have you thought of jogging / biking with him?

IMHO I would not ask for a sit when he growls at people - sitting in this scenario will increase his frustration. The best bet is to keep him moving, praising focus on you.

A correction is something accompanied by a "No" - i.e. a leash pop.

Until he is capable of ignoring dogs he should not be asked to socialise with them, not all dogs will play with or greet strange dogs. Also by allowing him to snarl and scare a pup - you are potentially setting the youngster up for an aggressive future, I would stop it for now at least.

"I also would like to continue to socialize duke but I am afraid of how he will react. I specifically want him to be able to play with my dads dog."

This is not a realistic goal (at least at this time). Also, see below for a better definition of "socialize."


"How can I get them to become friends? "

This is never a realistic goal.



You have received some great advice. I would also urge that you spend some time reading (as soon as possible) some of the detailed threads you will find here using desensitize and desensitizing as your search terms (two searches). (Above right, click "advanced search.")

I can promise you that you will then have some idea of how dialing back reactivity is done, as well as the fact that "socialized" is better used to mean "nonreactive" or "tolerant.." It doesn't mean the dog "plays with" or has meet-and-greets with strange dogs, or even with dogs you may know (although that may come about).

After you read a few desensitizing threads, ask away and we will help you adapt the general protocol to you dog and you.


PS
I agree that more structured exercise is critical. I've set my alarm for an hour early for many years in my life so a power-walk and a game of fetch started the dog's day.

"MHO I would not ask for a sit when he growls at people - sitting in this scenario will increase his frustration. The best bet is to keep him moving, praising focus on you."


BIG ditto!





"You DO NOT allow him off leash in a free roaming area, ever."

Another BIG ditto.

 Quote: Ashley Aldrete

Duke spends from 8 to 4 in our backyard with tucker.

This is a problem, IMO. I would NEVER leave two dogs loose together, especially since he has shown some dog aggression. Just because these two boys get along NOW does not mean they will always get along. If a fight started while no one was there, one of these dogs could be seriously injured, or die.

As a dog trainer, I have been called in to do home visits/private lessons with people and their dogs. When doing the home visits for 3 clients in particular (different dates, years, dogs) I made it clear that I would not leave loose dogs together. One had to be crated while the other was loose and rotate, or two seperate rooms completely. 2 of these three families had a dog die from being left with the other dog.

-One was a blatant disregard for my suggestions (female/female fight while the owner wasn't home 15 month old died due to the injuries sustained in the fight - these two were together about 5 months with no aggression ever shown before which is why the owner told me they would be fine left out together)

-the other was a complete accident (two males, had some previous aggression centered around the older males epilepsy, habit to put them in the garage together sometimes, after a week of followig my advise and separating the boys, they were put in the garage together as they previously had been, out of habit. After the son found the dogs, the owner asked who had put them together, her son had reminded her that she had. It was a very sad situation, and I felt bad for everyone involved.)

The third client has kept his dogs separated when unattended and has not had an incident.

Another acquaintance believes that dogs need to be kept together to burn energy and not get lonely, so she adopted a 5 month old puppy to keep her 10 year old dog company. She came home one day and the 5 month old had strangled and killed the 10 year old when her lower jaw got caught in his collar. The dog was still stuck when the owner came home and it was obvious that the dogs had been stuck this way for a few hours.

These are all things that can happen when dogs are left together.

However, some people have had dogs left out together their entire lives with no problems - it could be luck, or something else, but I think its a risk that doesn't need to be taken.

Is being in the kennel from 4-8 to long? I feel like if he is outside Atleast he is able to play.

As for taking duke on a bike ride I'm a little apprehensive of this. how do I keep duke under control while I am on the bike? If he see's another dog or starts to misbehave what are some ways to correct him? I would like to maybe try this this evening instead of our walk.

Mine were regularly crated for 4 hours at a time as young dogs (my pup is still crated when alone.)

In my experience, dogs don't "play" when left alone. They sleep. Or get into trouble. A crate is the perfect place for an untrained young dog to spend his time when you're not there.

IMO

Can't help you with the bike. But I'd also be apprehensive with a dog that needs "controlling" with you on a bike. I'd get walking on a leash down better first.

 Quote: Ashley Aldrete

Is being in the kennel from 4-8 to long?

Do you mean 8-4? 4-8 at 11 months old should not pose a problem nor should 8-4 if his bladder is mature and you drain his energy before you leave him and when you get home. With that said, I wouldn't kennel him in an area where Tucker is roaming free if you are not present.

 Quote: Ashley Aldrete

I feel like if he is outside Atleast he is able to play.

IMO the yard is only as good as the person in the yard playing with the dog. They like to save their energy for us.