Jodi, I just want to let you know that it is a holiday weekend night, and many of the more experienced folks are not on tonight. Please stick around until the members who DO understand aggression see your post and jump in.

 Quote: Jodi Moen

oh and forgot to add, I currently work 3 nights a week and she is kept at a kennel overnight for 1-2 nights a week ....

Alone is a separate kennel, right? I know it sounds like a silly question, but just want to make sure .... No other dog can reach her or even give her stink-eye?



This dog is the perfect candidate for desensitizing, which is a slow and gradual process.

Doggie daycare (which would be flooding, in this case) is, IMO, the very least likely to succeed, most likely to backfire M.O. possible (with a reactive dog like this). It's a volatile situation at best to have a bunch of non-pack-related dogs together, but with a reactive dog it's flooding at its worst.

I think that you will find desensitizing a satisfying, bonding, and EFFECTIVE way to, well, desensitize a fear-aggressive (or reactive in other ways, too) dog.

The biggest point for beginning it is to start the work outside the dog's reactive zone. That is, focus work, upbeat basic ob work (you mentioned marker training, which is absolutely perfect for this), done at a range from other dogs where she does not react. In fact, focus work starts in your own house in the most boring room you can fine. Zero distractions (and of course, the trigger of her reactivity, other dogs, is really nothing but an extremely high-level distraction).

I wouldn't start a group class yet, with the possible (and very unlikely) exception of a class run by someone very experienced in dog-aggro and dog-reactive dogs. I would use such a class later as part of my proofing after several months of one-on-one with controlled other-dog involvement as it becomes apprpriate.

I guess this sounds vague, but there are very detailed threads here with step-by-step desensitizing protocols, including success stories of other board members here and how their dogs progressed. So I don't want to type so much here that you get tired of reading it, because there is some great stuff here, all first-hand, all successful, all with members still available for details and Q&A.

If you would like some links, just tell me/us. I saw that Barbara provided one but didn't check out which it was yet. Regardless, it can be a starting point.

I'm so glad you posted. You are catching this pretty early, and you can change this dog's life, minimizing her stress and anxiety as you maximize your bond with her and her perception of you as her leader/protector/world.

 Quote: Jodi Moen

I have an 8 month old female who is very aggressive on a leash. it seems to be fear aggression and not blatant aggression. Her big issue is that she becomes so upset I cannot divert her attention from the other dog,

She has met strange dogs off leash and been fine and playful.

Hi Jodi:

When you say “fear aggressive”, besides the show she’s putting on, has she ever bitten another dog? And not that I would ever want you try this and hopefully it hasn’t happened but if she was to get away from you, do you “believe” she would attack the dog she's focused on or would this now become an off-leash situation where she would become “fine and playful”?

Is she showing any kind of fear in other situations?

 Quote: Jodi Moen

I believe she was attacked as a pup before

Do you know this for a fact or is this just an assumption on your part?

You said you also had this issue with your previous dog prior to a lot work.

 Quote: Jodi Moen

She has become so frustrated that she has nipped me.

This problem often pops up when people allow pups too much play time with other pups. They feel they’re “socializing” their dog when in fact they’re being taught that other dogs are a lot more fun to play with than minding their human owner.

You have received some excellent advice. I would also avoid the daycare and puppy obedience class at all costs.

Yes she is in her own kennel and not with other dogs when kenneled. I would be happy to follow up on any links/threads reading material that anyone might want to post. The ob class is with a kennel club (not pet smart,lol) and the trainer is a Rotti breeder but obviously there will be dogs of different breeds there, and my one concern is that should she encounter a dog who is defensive back any aggression would set her further back. I will delay the obediance classes.

What is it about a leash? Does it give courage, or is it fear of being trapped like a rat in a corner?

 Quote: Betty Landercasp

What is it about a leash? Does it give courage, or is it fear of being trapped like a rat in a corner?

It's the extremely strong connection to the human.

I'm just out the door here, but what a great question.

OK some background on her, I got her at 3.5 months from a breeder. I was told that this pup had been socialized around other dogs and not had any issues but she was with her sire, dam, and siblings on those occasions. The first few days I had her I met up with a friend for socialization, Amber did not accept the dog, and when he came close to her she lunged and attempted to bite his lip. The other dog was a husky and I thought he had just come on too strong as huskies do, but I immediately ended the session. Some time later we were on a walk and a large GSD (off leash) approached us from his house, when he got within a couple of feet of us Amber began screaming, and yelping like she'd been bitten, the other dog never got close enough to make contact and I was preventing him from coming closer while trying to control her. People came rushing out thinking the poor dog had attacked the pup. I was able to get her away, then we were in the convo land by ourselves chasing sticks when a woman who knew my previous dog approached with her dog thinking it was my old guy. I was trying to walk away and the other dog approached Amber who was crying and barking and when the other dog got close Amber attempted to bite her lip as well.
we were in the convo land when unknown to us a loose dog came running up behind us, and that dog stood while Amber sniffed and they played, during that encounter another loose dog approached (with hackles up- i try to time our convo land outing for when no-one will be there) that dog approached Amber and her new friend and Amber licked her, and appeared to recognize the other dog as alpha.
The issues with my other dog were that he was a silver sable male who was abandoned at about 8 wks old with his brother, they separated and the pup who became mine ended up living under a car until I found him (I was aco then) and adopted him. As a youngster he was borderline fear aggressive, very timid, and if pushed into a corner would definitely react but I was able to keep him out of those situations. I socialized him quite heavily, in all types of environments and he did beautifully lost his fear, became confidnet and was just the most awesome dog ever. I lost him at 12.5 yrs to cancer. although the backgrounds are different I feel like I see some of the same behavior in them.
I do think Amber was attacked or at least very aggressivley played with because she has some scars on her legs that look to be dog bites. But yes it is an educated assumption.
so thats her background, for now I will delay obediance class-I was kinda heading that way feeling that it could end up being a negative situation for her.

I really appreciate the advice and know you are trying to help.

Thank you, I'm looking forward to it.

Thank you, I already enjoy her but am looking forward to actually enjoying our walks instead of trying to avoid dogs. I will look up some of the desentisizing threads/info and come up with a plan. I will delay her obediance class, and hopefully we can "enjoy" it in the future.