Hi Jenn,

How old is your dog? I assume this has been going on for quite some time now since you've owned her. Is there a specific distance from the time she sees another dog and reacts?

Generally, "screaming" is an expression of anxiety or excitement, not necessarily aggression. Some easily excitable dogs and particularly puppies do this. Some even scream as though you are killing them if you walk away from them.

I think the dominant dog collar may work to stop this; however, you may be jeopardizing your relationship with your dog. That is, if you are able to preempt her reaction by having her focus on you, do some obedience, or whatever it is, and then gradually decrease the distance it would probably work better long-term.

I realize walking down a busy city street it may be extremely difficult since dogs may appear left and right, but the moment she perks her ears up or give whatever signal that she is not in a relaxed mode, do an about turn and walk the other direction (just an example and what I've done in the past).

SM

 Quote: Siaty Mantak

... How old is your dog? I assume this has been going on for quite some time now since you've owned her. Is there a specific distance from the time she sees another dog and reacts?

All very important questions before thinking about what kind of collar to buy and whether to let a dog-walker use a DD collar on your dog.

 Quote: siaty mantak

Hi Jenn,

How old is your dog? I assume this has been going on for quite some time now since you've owned her. Is there a specific distance from the time she sees another dog and reacts?

Generally, "screaming" is an expression of anxiety or excitement, not necessarily aggression. Some easily excitable dogs and particularly puppies do this. Some even scream as though you are killing them if you walk away from them.

I think the dominant dog collar may work to stop this; however, you may be jeopardizing your relationship with your dog. That is, if you are able to preempt her reaction by having her focus on you, do some obedience, or whatever it is, and then gradually decrease the distance it would probably work better long-term.

I realize walking down a busy city street it may be extremely difficult since dogs may appear left and right, but the moment she perks her ears up or give whatever signal that she is not in a relaxed mode, do an about turn and walk the other direction (just an example and what I've done in the past).

SM

Hi

My dog is 4, and this has been going on since i adopted her just one year ago. However - when she was being fostered before i adopted her, they said she did NOT display this type of bahvior (and she lived at the foster home with other dogs!) So i have no idea what happened.

The "screaming" almost seems like fear to me at times, but then it will turn into aggressive lunging and barking and if we get really close to a dog (which I try to avoid at all costs) she will act like she is going to attack it. SO part of me thinks a lot of this has to do with fear, but partly, because she is a dominant dog, thinks it is also territorial.

Anyway, for the most part we avoid dogs all together, and I am trying to correct her at the first sign of reaction, but i don't always catch it soon enough. i just want her to be able to relax, i can't imagine the anxiety and feelings she is having when she gets like this, but it's gotta suck for her.

also re: the distance. It could be anywhere from right up close to about 1/2 block away. sometimes she will react at just the sound of dog collars, or get a little excited if we hear someone walking to their car with their keys jangling, but for the most part she can distinguish the two.

Sometimes, from a distance, she will react to people walking with their small children, because for all she knows, it's a big dog (i think her eye sight isn't that great, b/c there are sometimes when i find it really strange that she just didn't see that dog down there when it was actually pretty close to us).

anyway, i think i answered more than you asked, sorry it's so long.

let me know if you think the DD collar would work for these situations.

Hi Jenn,

Me again. Having read your most recent post I am now wondering if there is more going on here than normal obnoxious terrier behavior. The screaming followed by lunging and barking at other dogs when they get close could be fear - she's preemptively going on the attack if a dog gets within her space because she's afraid of being attacked. Do you know if she has ever been attacked by another dog? You said she lived with other dogs at the foster home - how well controlled was this multi-dog situation? Even one bad experience could result in this kind of defensive behavior for a long time afterwards.

A DD collar IME is a really useful tool for *some* dogs in *some* situations. However, if what you are seeing is a fear reaction I would not use one. You would need a different approach.

Me yet again - just had another thought. Does your dog-walker walk your dog alone? Or with other clients' dogs at the same time?

Let's face it, if you have someone else walking the dog, then someone else is teaching/training the dog other then yourself period.

Randy

Hi

well my dog's history - she was a stray when found, so no one knows. i honsetly think something must have happened to her at one point (another dog attack, dog fight, something..) nothing happened at the foster home that i am aware of to make her have this behavior. and she DOES fine in a "pack" full of dogs, i've had her in those situations before, and she has been less reactive once she has greeted the dogs and became comfortable in their "pack" and that's why i think they did not see the behavior at the foster home. but this is all speculation.

when my dog walker comes, he walks her alone. he does that with all clients.

how can i really tell if this is fear or being territorial?? i have gone back and forth so much with it, being one or the other, and just can't figure out which one it is. I guess at this point i am thinking it is a bit of both

Soooooooo,
Does your dog walker have the same kind of problems?

 Quote: randy allen

Soooooooo,
Does your dog walker have the same kind of problems?

yes

Jenn,
You described her as a dominant dog, and territorial. Could you explain in a bit more detail what you see in her behavior that makes you think of her in those terms?

And how much basic obedience have you done/do you do with her? Does she know and respond to commands like "Watch me"? You mentioned "treat training" - do you mean marker training?

Is she the only dog in your house? Does she have any other dog "friends" that she sees regularly and doesn't react to?

Just trying to get a more detailed picture.