As some know we have gone through Ike and not much has been stable even though we are back home.

We will be moving out again.
For the work to get started.

With that said now for some history for those who don't know.

I have had issues from almost day one with bruiser. He had and still has fear agression.
Of course over the past month his training has been next to none. And he has had to be around people he does not even know who had to deal with him and he had to deal with it not in anyway helping his fear of people and things.

I had to buy a e collar so that he would not bight anyone. I instructed people to use the beep only. I took the metal prongs off.
By doing this they where able to get his attition averted long enough to get a leash.
Well his fear based aggresion has gotten worse.

And he has started barking out of controle at anything even phoenix and our cats. He barks.
Bought a bark collar to strong. So started uses the remote collar as a bark collar. As I can control the shock and amount it shocks him.

We has been walking him no less then 2 hours a day. Hoping that will help nothing.
Started his training over the past 2 weeks.

Nothing is seeming to help.
I reallly don't have the money for the ecollar DVD.
And I only have a side kick right now which won't download the e books.

So my main issue is his barking and fear based aggression which I am not sure what to do. To help him.

What can I do to help him rebuild his confidents.

And what can I do to help him understand people are not going to hurt him.

Many thanks

I really don't know much about dealing with fear/aggression issues, beyond what I've read here.

I guess the only comment I could make is a general one:

You have had a lot of change, upheaval, and uncertainity in your lives...humans and animals alike. I have to believe all the free-floating stress wouldn't be good for a fearful dog like Bruiser.

I'd probably want to take some big steps backward with Bruiser and start up short sessions of daily training. Upbeat, motivational stuff. Go back to things he knows, positive things, that build up his confidence and reintroduce some normalcy and predictability into his life.

Repeating the pack structure steps probably wouldn't hurt either. If he knows his place and your place in your family that might help minimize some of the behavior you're seeing.

I'd really limit other people interacting with him right now and other people should not be correcting him. If he is crate-trained, I'd crate him during those fear trigger times or when I couldn't be there to handle him myself.

I don't know if that's correct or not but I thought I'd toss it out.

 Quote: stephanie st julian

So my main issue is his barking and fear based aggression which I am not sure what to do. To help him.

What can I do to help him rebuild his confidents.

And what can I do to help him understand people are not going to hurt him.

Stephanie,

I want to second everything Sarah said. You should back way up and use marker training for the things he already knows (sit? down? go to your rug, crate, etc.). Stay with short, positive sessions, full of lots of reinforcement for practicing the commands he knows, and maybe learning some easy new ones, too. This should help to build his confidence in a general sense. Set him up for success by practicing the things he knows, being happy with his correct responses.

As far as the fear of people goes, I think not forcing him to be around others is a good idea. When he's ready, you can start to take him someplace where another person is around, but not close enough to spark his fears. When he sees the other person(s), but doesn't freak out, reward that behavior (and don't take him close enough to the other person(s) to spark his fear<g>. Very gradually, over time, you can take him a step closer, then another step, not close enough for him to become fearful, just a little bit closer than last time. With lots of repititions, he will come to learn that seeing other people means good things for him. You can also teach him a positive behavior to do when he sees someone...such as to look at your eyes and give you focus. It doesn't matter what you call that behavior of looking directly into your eyes. In doing this, you are giving him something positive to do that also breaks his focus on the thing that is fearful to him. And, with his focus on you, you can then do something else...practice a few other commands he knows, walk in another direction, etc.

When you have no choice about other people being around, ask them not to look at him or engage him in any way. Don't let other people try to pet him or handle him, if you can avoid it.

I would back way off of the electric collars for now. They're not the greatest tools to use with a fearful dog to begin with, let alone one that's been thru the stress you all have been thru.

Instead, for the barking, I'd reward the heck out of him whenever he's being quiet. I like to teach opposites...speak/quiet (hup/off). When you're doing your brief, positive training sessions, if you can get him to bark (using a toy or something you know will get him to bark), get him to bark, tell him "good speak!" then reward. Eventually, you can tell him to "speak!" and he will bark. Then, once he has that down, you can wait until he stops barking and reward "good quiet."

When he's barking in his crate, wait until he stops, tell him "good quiet," and give him a reward. Lots and lots of repitition, and you'll end up with him being able to obey a "quiet" command.

Management of the barking may help, too...perhaps you can put a sheet over his crate so he can't see out.

Good luck,
leih

Thank you to both.

He is really great in his kennel. That's really the only place he seems very confident.

I will back off the e collar. And pick up on his training with very short possitive settings.

One thing about bruiser that dog will do anything for food.

He is happier being home that's for sure.
I did start pack struture that is reinforced all the time though as we have fosters in and out all of time.

I have desided to stop fostering dog for the next few months at least.

So bruisers training will be worked hard. So he can be getting back to normal.

Thank you for all advice if I did not have this forum my dogs would be running over me.