I have ordered some re-training material for my dog Lilly, she has a serious dog aggression issue - probably due to my inexperience with dogs and not recognizing the correct training for the symptoms, OK so I am here to correct this. I got some advice on another forum I have encountered in looking for help, I have had Lilly in formal obedience training for about 9 months, I am not satisfied with the level of control around other dogs this training has produced. Anyway Lilly will try to aggressively dominate any dog she sees, no matter how big or small. She has been attacked by an off leash dog before, I am not sure this contributed to what she already has in her. I got some advice about a redirection training using something she loves. The theory going something like this, when she sees another dog distract her and reward her for focussing on me and give her the object of distraction which in this case is a tennis ball. I figured while I'm waiting for my new training material I'd give it a try.....it works. She saw another dog and started her normal growling and pulling requiring a stiff correction, I simply called her name, showed her the ball, she stopped dead in her tracks, I made her sit, then gave her the ball....she then almost ran away from the direction of the other dog like she wasn't going to share....not sure if this right or wrong, or what bad side effects may occur...but would be interested in feedback

Please remember what your dog was historically bred to do. While there ARE members of the pit bull breed that can and do get along with other dogs (Cesar Millan's dogs are an example), there are others that can never be allowed to interact with other dogs because they are either too unpredictable (ie: they get along with some dogs but not all) or they just automatically go into attack mode upon seeing another dog.

Now, having said that, I am the owner of a chow/pit, who had similar issues with other dogs. She didn't actually try to attack other dogs, but she felt like she HAD to try to dominate every dog she encountered. I tried everything from correcting her (didn't work - she became more aggressive, as if she perceived the correction as coming from the other dog), to luring her attention away from the other dog with a toy or treat (didn't work - she never took her eyes off the other dog), to turning and heading in the opposite direction from the oncoming dog (didn't work - she stood there until I hit the end of the leash, and when that happened, she again became more aggressive towards the other dog), to just taking her out wearing a muzzle in case we did encounter another dog.

I discovered upon talking to a local trainer that was experienced with aggressive dogs that perhaps my corrections were not strong enough for her since she was so focused on the other dog. Instead, what I was doing was egging her on - agitating her, if you will. We brushed up on her obedience, focusing on heel mostly, and then began working her around other dogs at the dog park.

We started 100 feet or so away from the fenced area where the off leash dogs were, just doing obedience the first 2 or 3 sessions. We moved closer each time, because she didn't seem to mind the other dogs and was doing very well at her obedience. By the third session, we were working her right next to the fence. We spent half that session on obedience, and the second half we just let her do her own thing next to the fence. When she was not showing dominant or aggressive behaviors (with the exception of hackling - we allowed that at first because it was more of an involuntary thing for her), she got lots of verbal praise coupled with a clicker and treats (which we taught her at the beginning of her training). The second she lifted her lip, growled, barked, or lunged at another dog inside the fence, she got an extremely hard correction with the prong collar. On a scale of 1-10, it was at least a 9, and the first two times she got corrected she yelped, tucked her tail, put her ears down, and hit the ground on her belly. Immediately we began praising again, but it took her a few minutes before she would even look in the direction of the other dogs. After the third correction, she seemed to get the idea that it was her behavior that caused the correction, and she bounced back quicker. By the fifth session, she was actually trying to illicit play with the dogs inside the fence, and we were only having to correct her once or twice. We had switched to the e-collar after the second session, because of the looks we were getting from other people when we would correct her with the prong (I admit, it could have looked pretty abusive to those that didn't understand what we were doing). The principle was the same, though.


Now, I'm not saying this is what you need to do with your dog, because each dog is different. You need to find a trainer that is experienced with aggressive dogs and work with him or her one-on-one to come up with a solution to your problem. I would not advise using any type of restraining device like a head halter or SENSE-ation harness, though.

QUOTING Kristen: I discovered upon talking to a local trainer that was experienced with aggressive dogs that perhaps my corrections were not strong enough for her since she was so focused on the other dog. END

I would add that the correction has to be INSTANT. That is, the focus can't become a focus. The minute the attention goes at all to the other dog, before it ever become focused, that's when the correction happens. Immediately refocus her attention on you. I learned this from Cesar Millan, who refers to varying degrees of focus (up to "red zone") and how he corrects before the focus is even established on the other dog, and it might be the best thing I learned from him, among a LOT of excellent things, about dog-dog aggression. I can't argue with him; look at his pack of rehabilitated street Pits, Rots, etc. And now I REALLY can't argue, because I've adopted it and seen the results.

I would say my dog is like yours, she will run up on another dog if it rolls they are fine, if it runs she drags it back, if it displays ANY signs of aggression there is a dangerous situation...so I learned very early, unlike my male Staffy she could not go to doggy play group...which I always thought was not for me anyway. I have corrected this dog so hard she whelps but never looses sight of the other dog.....this tennis ball thing may make sense if her play drive is stronger then her drive to dominate....regardless Lilly is not a social dog like my Buddy, I just want to be able to control her when we go out...that is the extent of my desire...CONTROL <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Pits are another creature completely! I love em!

You can never train, socialize or love dog/dog aggression out of a pit. However, you can manage it.

I have met several extremely dog/dog aggresive pits that were so well trained with this method that they can literally go to a dog park or group of dogs and maintain a perfect heel without ever looking at another dog.

The dogs were taught that ANY RESPONSE TO ANOTHER DOG IS A BAD RESPONSE by use of a prong collar. The trainer who taught me this was very gifted at giving extreme levels of correction, but also enough praise to maintain the dogs' positive state of mind.

This method has also worked for me many times, quickly and reliably.

Set up a controlled situation in which your are heeling your dog and another very brave dog and very brave handler are walking the opposite direction. Start walking toward each other from a distanst where neither dog can see each other. Watch your dog very very carefully. At the first sign of a reaction to the other dog - look for ear, eye head twitches, slightly faster breathing etc BAM - a huge correction out a nowhere as you immediately make a sharp and bold right turn (away from the other dog and praise praise praise. DO NOT STOP WALKING QUICKLY.

So walk... walk... walk... pleasant sunday walk... o - another dog - :dog shows interest: BAM correction, redirection praise all in less than a second and continued praise for your pooch.

With a professional trainer, your dog will be able to walk past other dogs ignoring them in less than an hour. I have seen it faster in less severe cases.

THE WORST thing you can do is redirect the dog with anything involving its mouth - ball treat etc. I know of a nasty case in which an underinformed well meaning volunteer at a humane ass in MN taught a extremely dog/dog aggressive bulldog to turn away and bite - and without a toy or treat that meant biting people. The dog was rehabed with the method above.

DO NOT underestimate the drive in your dog. Many pit pwners do because of their couch-potato tendencies.

Good Luck





If your dog does not have a solid heel, you need to do OB work first.

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I just want to be able to control her when we go out...that is the extent of my desire...CONTROL

That's all I wanted when I started working with the trainer I mentioned in my last post. All I wanted was to be able to take her for a walk or out in public without having to worry about encountering another dog. When training was over with, though, she was able to actually go inside the off leash fence and play with dozens of strange dogs! Your dog may never be that way, but I didn't think mine would either.

That said, I don't ever go to the dog park anymore to let her play in the off leash area with other dogs, but the trainer just wanted to show me that she could do it without being aggressive.

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The trainer who taught me this was very gifted at giving extreme levels of correction, but also enough praise to maintain the dogs' positive state of mind.

Mine was the same way - I hope you can find such a person in your area to work with. The difference was that we rewarded positive attention towards other dogs and corrected aggressive or dominant behaviors towards them. She was a little different than the dog you were describing though. She's really not got strong nerves; that's why she felt like she had to go and dominate every dog she met. If the other dog decided they were going to be in charge, she would submit to them. For whatever reason, she was of the mindset that she had to dominate them before they dominated her. We just taught her that that simply wasn't the case.

My dog is agressive towards some other dogs, especially if they are off leash. Since the walking path we use is pretty popular, I've discovered that the only way to keep my dog calm is to step off the path about 3 feet, put him in a sit-stay next to me and wait for the other dogs to go by. If the other dogs are off leash, I usually have to yell at them to stay away. So long as he's sitting beside me, my dog doesn't get aggressive and it makes the other walkers calmer, since he's a pretty big dog. (We did run into a terror of a yorkie yesterday. The little thing snarled and growled so much I almost recommended an exorsist.)

I do not recommend to step aside and sit stay with a pit.

It gives the dog time to "gather its guns" Please remember, we are talking about an extremely athletic build of dog that can pull 2000(for a 30lb dog) - 4800 (for a 120 lb) pounds.

If you weigh less than 4800 pounds, absolute obedience or never leaving your house just about all the options you have!

Great feedback, I have been working overtime with her, my brave neighbor with a little Loppa Oppsu -spelled wrong!!! (dust mop) type of dog, she is as aggressive as Lilly, we have been using your method in the backs of our yard, Lil on a leash, Angel on a long leash...As soon as Lil sees Angel, I correct her (use prong collar) and ask her, "Where is the ball", she immediately turns and looks at me with this cocked head look at which point i praise her, and keep her moving. This I only discovered would happen yesterday when I forgot the damn tennis ball.....looks like she loves the praise just as much, I'm finding the corrections as long as they are immediate with the words don't need to be as hard, also my previous corrections were to the side, now they are straight up, this has also been effective. I hope I'm not being a bad Mom if when we get home and she has been good, I do throw the ball to her as a reward.....

No matter how good she gets I shudder to think of her off a leash (heart attack comes to mind) ....Lillys gameness never ceases to amaze me, believe me she is the kind of dog who won't let you under estimate her....but she is SSSSoooooo damn cute!!!!<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Sounds good!