Hello, i guess this is the best place to put this. Since the little accident in Havanna's nose i went from biking to running with the girls (they were not running at the bike anyway and i wasnt actually doing anything on the bike... so run it is!). I havent had any big trouble because usually i take one dog or the other, today i went to deliver some treats to the old park were we use to hang out (not the one were Havanna got bitten) and the horror.... There is a little golden wich Havanna was bullying went we stop going to the park; well today she came and i didnt notice until it was to late Havanna went running to attack her!
As soon i saw her running like a maniac i started ruuning to her screming like a mad woman! She did not hurt the golden but she ran away from me, i chased a bit then she stopped and came crawling to me.... in that moment i grab her shake her cuff and tied to a tree and went to apologize and check the other dog... NOTHING but she was really scared.
This usually only happen when Sookie is around.

About the leash aggression is almost the same, when shes alone shes the perfect dog and pet!! She walks politely to the side even when other dogs arrive to say hi. Even my mom was impressed of the nice she wals beside.
She actually is friendly whit other pets; but as soon as Sookie is on the equation she changes to the devils dog, she pulls and barks, she bully other dogs, she barks constantly and is really annoying to be the bad person all the time.

Please any insight or comments would be all taken and worked...im really desperate

No more off leash time around other dogs! Also, keep other dogs away from her. Give her a space bubble of several feet and have her lie down and ignore the dog instead of greeting dogs when you are out and about. Practice that quite a bit with both dogs seperately. No more meet and greets, just calm behavior and insist on other dogs giving them space. Exercise them seperately while you're training this. When both dogs just automatically chill and ingore other dogs when you're out with them then you can start taking them together again.

Usually when one dog goes bad after adding another, its the other one that is the culprit giving subtle signals that you may not be noticing. The added dog can be reactive (not necessarily lunging and barking, but even if the other dog's ears are up, and it pulls or the tail goes up...the first dog will cue off of that). What you do is correct the dog that is giving the subtle signals to the first dog. Correct the dog the instant the dog targets (ears go up, posture changes, gets excited or whatever). It may seem backwards to correct the dog that doesn't do the craziness...but you want to correct the instigator first.

Work on them separately, watch what Sookie does when she sees another dog that could be cuing your other dog to react.

 Quote: Mara Jessup

No more off leash time around other dogs! Also, keep other dogs away from her. Give her a space bubble of several feet and have her lie down and ignore the dog instead of greeting dogs when you are out and about. Practice that quite a bit with both dogs seperately. No more meet and greets, just calm behavior and insist on other dogs giving them space. Exercise them seperately while you're training this. When both dogs just automatically chill and ingore other dogs when you're out with them then you can start taking them together again.

Huge ditto.

It's a disaster in the making unless this is immediate: "No more off leash time around other dogs ... No more meet and greets, just calm behavior and insist on other dogs giving them space. ..."


Also, please read your description of her recall. A dog you have to chase cannot be off-leash. Not only is is extremely dangerous, but it reinforces every time it happens that 1. the recall is optional, and 2. you will play 'chase me.'


I'd be doing lots of desensitizing work, which is very controlled and which starts with no triggers anywhere around even before very controlled trigger proximity is introduced.


I know you can do this. So many members here have done desensitizing work that you will get plenty of help if you have desensitizing questions (and there's a ton of info already posted, too .... if you need a start finding some threads, I can dig up a couple later).

I just want to add, that I totally understand your frustration when she ran away from you, but when catching no matter the previous circumstance, in her mind getting scruffed and punished when she came back, means coming back was wrong, and she may be more reluctant to come the next time she's called. When Amber has had her mishaps, I always pat her and tell her good girl even if I have to pretend really, really, hard that she is a good dog at the moment. Its bad enough having a reactive dog but a reactive dog who also doesn't want to be caught... jmo

I agree about a million percent that a dog who does comply with the recall, no matter how slowly or unsatisfactorily, is never corrected. Coming when called shouldn't result in something bad.

I don't play "chase me." (You don't want to teach that! )

Jodi is right .... these are hard to remember sometimes! (So I don't want them even to come up. The umbrella rule over these is that I don't use the recall if I have doubt about compliance, and if I do have doubt, I have a long line on the dog. )


The recall is probably the most life-saving command there is (maybe equal with leave it or drop it). I never want to taint it by correcting for it, or even by using it for something unpleasant. (Example: A procedure the dog hates? I go get the dog.)

Never call an untrained dog if it's distracted. All that does it teach it it can ignore you.

Never call a dog to correct it. The dog associates a reward or correction to the last thing it did. It came to you.

Even with no distractions never call a dog if you don't think it will obey.

Coming to you should be the dogs favorite thing it can do. I'ts ALWAYS worthy of reward. That may be nothing more then a scratch behind the ear or a "good dog" but ALWAYS let the dog know it's done something worthy even it it just killed the next door cat lady's favorite fluffy. Your reward is for coming to you. THAT has nothing to do with the cat.
If ANY dog doesn't have a completely reliable recall it should NEVER be off lead.

sorry for the late reply, i was really over the edge with school and some projects my sister and i are working at.

Thanks all for all the answers and the heads up. I am working the dogs separate and i too thing the problem here is Sookie and not Havanna; She (havanna) is really a nice dog on the house and outside when sookie is NOT around. Sookie on another hand is the "AWW poor little rescued dog lets spoil you!" take a cookie and have a pat on the head, i really cant do a thing about this kind of special treatment to sookie because no matter how much that affect sookie and havanna my mom, sister and brother doesnt give a rat butt the problems that arise from that behavior from them. Since im the vet and the trainer all the bad habits and the bad things the girls do are my fault....
A trainer friend of mine actually told me that im just chasing my tail trying to help my dogs and to actually give up, or put one of the girls to adopt so im not over the edge with both dogs....i love my girls and dont want to do this but what if he is right?

I´ve noticed that when we walk near a house with dogs Sookie whinnes and havanna tense up and go all imponent... can that be the trigger?

About the recall stuff Havanna never ever did that before....she slow the pace or arc in the way but she comes to me ..... and i do go for her when i scold her...that day was a big surprise for me, she disobey the recall AND attacked the other dog.... but i know that the scold was a bad thing to do in the momment and i do try not to do that ( i guess i need to control my bad temper)
but in the heat of the momment i was blank of rage....

Connie if you could give me a lead on the post i can look it would be awesome!!. In the time i have to spare i am lookig some articles and stuff in internet to work on that.

Are the other family members also the dogs' caretaker(s) and/or trainers? How much are the dogs with them?


Yes, I will find and post some desensitizing threads. I can do this tonight (or tomorrow at the latest).


I know that you'll heed this very important advice:

"No more off leash time around other dogs ... No more meet and greets."

 Quote:

Ive noticed that when we walk near a house with dogs Sookie whinnes and havanna tense up and go all imponent... can that be the trigger?

This is really about leadership and desensitization but....yes. Sometimes one dog's anxious reaction will trigger a reaction from the other dog. I've seen that a lot. But see, you're supposed to be the pack leader...so the first dog to react should be corrected/redirected immediately. The second dog will either see your in charge or you may have to correct her too.

Work them BOTH separately on not reacting, whether its whining, pulling, aggression or whatever...they should be focused on you, friendly or not.

And ditto, no meet and greets.