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Hi Amanda and Stacy,

You both sound very knowledgeable about dog aggression. I am hoping you can help us with a situation we're dealing with.

I have a 3 year old male Sheba Inu. For the most part he is a good dog. He has always shown some aggression towards other dogs but after watching Eds dvd’s I think it is because he was attacked by another dog as a puppy. With people he has always been fine (even with strangers) until recently. The only incident we had was about a year ago… I was told he nipped at a child that was trying to pet him through the fence. He didn’t leave a mark on the child and I wasn’t there at the time so I couldn’t correct him for it. It would have made no sense to him to correct him hours after the fact.

All hell broke loose with this dog about 6 weeks ago when we brought a new dog home. Knowing he had the tendency to be aggressive towards other dogs and he is male… I picked a female. I was very cautious not to introduce them right away. She was in heat when she arrived so they did not have any direct contact for the first three weeks. I did let him check her out through the kennel after a week.

The day after we brought her home… he nipped at me when I was feeding him and bite my daughter the same day. He got a very sharp correction immediately and I was praying that would be the end of it.
I'm not sure what you mean by sharp correction but I'll bet anything it wasn't enough. I won't get into details here about what I would have done but 'sharp correction' would be an understatement. What worries me the most is your child. This dog should not be allowed near kids or your other dog until this gets resolved, if it does. I would crate it and go back to basics as per your training video. This dog needs some leadership and right now he's the one in charge, not you.
The first couple times we introduced the dogs on leashes he showed aggression towards her… we separated them immediately. In sympathy for what he is going through… I have made a conscious effort to spend more time with him then usual trying to reassure him. However… He has bitten me twice when administering a soft correction like pushing him away when he jumped up on me.
Trying to reassure him? He needs leadership not love. Once again biting needs to be addressed harshly. I would get the aggressive dog video right now if I were you. This is a serious issueand seems to be escalating quickly .

This new dog has stolen my heart… and I will not get rid of her to appease him… but I feel horrible that he is taking this so hard. I really do love him. I have seen so many articles on the site that say… once they bite they always bite. I have 3 small children… and I can’t have a biting dog.

I have thought about just muzzling him. Is there anything else I can do to correct this situation?
Don't muzzle him. It will lead to more aggression. He needs control by you at all times, 24-7.

Any feedback is appreciated.

Keep him away from the new dog and your kids. Keep him crated. Walk him on leash (as long as you are the one leading) so he can get exercise and structure. Follow the training video. Ask questions as they come up. Good luck. Keep us posted.

I am sorry if my suggestion seemed distasteful or unpleasant to you. I meant "euthanize" because I don't believe in putting a man-biter in a shelter.
Also I said this was my opinion.
If you can rehabilitate this dog, I wish you the best, but in your first post you said he was "for the most part" a good dog, which leads me to believe he has had "problems" of one kind or another even before this new dog arrived. Maybe I misread your meaning which is easy to do on a forum.
I just gave my opinion, foul as it may seem to you. All I have to go on is what you wrote and I in honesty worry for your daughter. Good Luck
-Stacy Oliver

I just read Amanda's post and agree completely especially about the a) muzzling him and b) not correcting him enough. That is why I asked what you did for a correction. I also won't get into how I handle an aggressive bite correction,but as I has no dog has ever bitten me more than once. I have nerve damage in my right hand from one bite and would hate to see you or your child end up with a similar bite.

I have taken no offence to any of the advice given and it is all welcome. I want to do what is best for this dog and my family and I feel I owe him that… even if what is best is something unpleasant.

When I say he was a good dog for the most part... I was referring to the aggressive behavior he expressed at other dogs. His ob is good in his environment, but he is not always on target in unfamiliar places. So… no he is not a perfect dog…

His strengths: He doesn’t chew on things… he is not hyper… he has a strong toy drive… he doesn’t jump on people… he loves to play fetch. He is not aggressive about toys or food and will give them up on command. He doesn’t jump on the furniture. He is generally a calm quiet dog.

His shortcomings: (Besides what is going on now)… He doesn’t bark… except at other dogs… He likes to run and is always looking for an escape… and he doesn’t respond as well in unfamiliar places.

We have used the E-collar to correct him for running off… but it was to harsh from him… he would tremble and shake all over for twenty minutes after and a couple times he peed as he coward in a corner after hearing the warning tone (no stim)

The first two times he bit I gave him a very sharp collar correction… grab him by the scuff of the neck and alpha rolled him. When that was over he went for a long time out in his kennel. I did not show him any good attention for maybe two days… I definitely didn’t pamper him for his behavior and I immediately bought him the pronged collar.

The second two times he got a hard prong collar correction and again immediately to his kennel.

So what have I done right and what have I done wrong. I need to know not just for this dog… but for future dogs should this ever happen with another dog.

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The first two times he bit I gave him a very sharp collar correction… grab him by the scuff of the neck and alpha rolled him. When that was over he went for a long time out in his kennel. I did not show him any good attention for maybe two days… I definitely didn’t pamper him for his behavior and I immediately bought him the pronged collar.

The second two times he got a hard prong collar correction and again immediately to his kennel.

So what have I done right and what have I done wrong. I need to know not just for this dog… but for future dogs should this ever happen with another dog.

You seem to be on the right track with the prong corrections and isolating him, but you should never, NEVER "alpha roll" a dog. This practice was made popular by the Monks of New Skete, I believe. They have since stopped doing it because it is not only ineffective and dangerous, but it causes an extreme amount of stress on the dog. The ONLY time a wolf will forcibly roll another onto its back is if it's going to kill it. An alpha wolf will not force another member of the pack onto its back. This position is freely offered by the subordinate member as a display of submission. So by "alpha rolling" a dog, you are in effect telling him, 'you're about to die,' and that can result in the dog biting the person and/or the dog becoming overly submissive and fearful towards that person.

You've gotten some good advice, and I think you're on the right track, but please don't use the "alpha roll" again in the future.

Thanks Kristin,

I didn't use it the last two times because obviously it didn't work... and it does comes with a lot of risk of being bitten. If he were a big dog, I would have never had attempted it.

If it had worked... I would probably advocate it... but since it didn't, I wont be recommending it to anyone.

In that Monk's book they said Wolves roll when fighting, and don't fight to the death, just to establish pack order, which is they fight until one gives up, submits, as in ok, you win. It's not really the alpha rolling but the beta submitting. When a human does it, it's the Alpha rolling.
The 2nd edition does not have that in it, but 20some years ago it did. They do understand it, but it can be dangerous,
and no doubt is stressful...but having a large dog thinking
it's the boss is both dangerous and stressful too!
The title was "How to be your dog's best friend."

Julia,

People are quick to say 'get rid of the dog' because of an episode, but understand some dynamics here.

That breed of dog (Akitas, Chows, Shiba's) are not generally known to get along w/other dogs. There may be a chance he will accept your female, but it will take some time. Leave them in kennel runs next to each other for at least a couple of months. Also read Ed's article on introduction.

You brought home a female in heat. That is going to make your male loopy (whether nuetered or not). Some males will be aggressive in response to the reproductive instinct. Ask any breeder who has more than one male if they'll let them out together when a female is in heat <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif" alt="" />

You stated your dog doesn't respond well to unfamiliar places (and new situations?). Well, you've moved, have children sticking their fingers through fences, got a new dog and got alpha rolled. He is confused and is reacting.

First, know your breed. Shibas require patience and understanding of this independent breed. It sounds as if your application of the e-collar was incorrect. Read Lou's article on using the e-collar with aggressive dogs.

Don't do the alpha roll anymore. Keep a prong collar on with a little tab lead and use a firm "No" with one correction for undesirable behavior. He sounds like he does not like when you use your hands on him, so don't push or scruff shake. Use your hands for pets and positive things. Use the tab on the prong.

I would also have a regular collar and lead on him for this supervision period. Correcting him and then putting him in his kennel and being ignored is going to create more undesirable effects (one example, fear of kennel). Correct the momment, leave it at that. Do positive things with him, playing, obedience with treats and so on.

I don't advise pushing the issue with your new female right away. Let them live side by side for a bit, give them equal attention and then bring them in the house on leashes, but across the room from one another. This is the time to continue positive reinforcement, treats for obedience and focus on you. Still don't let them interact but continue to become accustomed to each other.(Take small steps, after a couple of weeks, sit a little closer together, but still no contact and continue with the positive.) If you continue this, you'll know when the time is right.

Your male will probably always be the alpha dog. He was first and he is a boy. He is asserting his right and challenging this. This is why equal attention is important now. It does take commitment, but the rewards are good!

I know this post went a bit off topic, but anyhow,Good Luck.

If the Shiba was mine I would find a trainer who was experienced in dealing with aggression. This would not be a pet dog trainer, PetsMart-type trainer or even a regular obedience trainer. They type trainer you need is a schutzhund, French ring, personal protection, or police K-9 trainer. These people know how to turn aggression off as well as on.

Thanks Elaine and Maggie,

I would love to find a good dog trainer in ME so if anyone knows of one they can recommend please share.

We have Ed's DVD’s ... the "how to deal with an aggressive dog" video isn't out yet... but I am on the waiting list. I have read his articles as well

We are going back to square one with this dog. Keeping him kenneled at all times unless he is eating, playing with us (on leash) or training with us (on leash)

He has the prong collar and responds better to a firm correction with that then he ever did with the e-collar. We also just bought Eds, basket muzzle (it should be here tomorrow). I feel this will give me more confidences to work with him and not have to worry about getting bit. I can push him harder and see how he will react. We are giving 150% to this dog right now. If in 2 months time he is still trying to bite... we will reavaluate our options. In the meantime… if anyone knows of a good trainer in ME or SW NH please let me know. I am looking as well… but we live in a rural area and there just isn’t much around.