Quote: JessicaKromer

... it is now your job to step up and show him what is what. Think of it as boot camp for him. NILF all the way and keep the other dogs away from him (or him away from the other dogs) from now on and always tethered to you when he is out. His every move is to be controlled by you. You now know the extent of his bully-ness, so you will have to really step up… Don’t except ANY lip from him with regard to other dogs, and SHOW him what the correct behaviors are.

Seriously consider marker training and training for focus. Getting his attention on you and keeping it there will not allow him to make mistakes. This will be key for all future training.

Just wanted to highlight some of a completely great post.

And if the O.P. needs some NILIF and marker help, this is the place.

Wait! Are we really talking about a five month old puppy?

If that is the case, then it would likely be a learned behavior from previous bad experiences mixed with weaker nerves. IE: "once when I was alone with an adult dog, I was attacked, so now I will attack first..." He would still be intimidated by a pack of dogs but feels nervous with just one and wants to attack first and prevent the other from doing harm. This type of behavior escalates quickly and is harder to correct.

If this is a puppy, LOTS of good experiences and NEVER allowing him to get "zoned" in on a dog will help, along with practicing NILF. Set the pup up for success. Everything above still stands.

The problem I see is if a five month old puppy is already willing to attack and injure an adult dog, a pretty serious situation, then he will have a really tough time ahead. As will the owner. He will likely not ever be trustworthy in a multi-dog home/situation and will need to be kept COMPLETELY separate. Also keep in mind that would not be fair to him or the other dogs to have to constantly be stressed by one another.

A puppy that is this aggressive this early is going to be a lot of work, so I am hoping that it is an adult dog...

The vet estimated his age to be 5 months. Since this incident with the other dog I've been looking into getting a muzzle that will be comfortable to wear for longer periods of time when hes out of his crate and tethered to me. Any suggestions on which would work best? I was looking through the site some and saw the plastic jafco ones and am not sure if they have one that would fit him correctly. Any suggestions on what kind would work best for this?

Also has anyone heard of the command collar? Its suppose to help you be able to train a dog to learn and listen to commands in minutes? A kind of cure all to every behavior problem. It sounds a little to good to be true. Has anyone here had any experience with this training collar and system?

I'll also be getting the dvd the power of training dogs with markers as well as the basic obedience dvd.

I can't comment on anything else, but I have heard of a command collar. They are plastic, dumbed-down versions of the prong collar, that cost more because they have a fancy name. I think they are made and sold by a particular trainer with his particular training system. Disclaimer, I have never used one. Maybe they work and maybe they don't, but for a dog with aggression issues I'd probably want to get the real thing (metal prong collar or a dominant dog collar).

 Quote: Angela Burrell

... They are plastic, dumbed-down versions of the prong collar, that cost more because they have a fancy name. I think they are made and sold by a particular trainer with his particular training system.

Correct. Don S. sells them.


Here you go:
http://leerburg.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Board=167&Number=214774&Searchpage=1&Main=21253&Words=dogfather&topic=0&Search=true#Post214774

http://leerburg.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Board=167&Number=214774&Searchpage=1&Main=21253&Words=dogfather&topic=0&Search=true#Post214774

This isn't a muzzle situation, either.

There is nothing special about the Command Collar. It is a prong that is marketed to be PC. There is nothing wrong with it per se, but nothing different about it either. And the system that goes with it is also nothing new. I wouldn’t waste your time (or money) on people that are trying to scam you. There is no quick fix...

As for the muzzle, I have the clear plastic Jafco and a wire basket as well. I like them both and use them both, BUT this is not a situation you will need a muzzle, yet. This dog should never be in a situation where you would need one. If the dog is tethered to you, the other dogs need to be secured somewhere else. To make him have to deal with loose dogs being near him while he is restrained is going to make him more nervous and wary and also stress him out. It will be taking you in the opposite direction you want to go in. Also it is not fair to have one dog muzzled but not the other. Not because the dogs “understand” but because if the puppy ( ) ever did attack one with a muzzle on, the other dog could retaliate and do serious damage. Just keep them apart for a (long) while and let this puppy learn that you are the leader and will be in charge of keeping him safe.

So how then do you reintroduce him to the pack? You may not ever get to… BUT the way to do it would be to have someone else have your other dog on a leash and holding your calmest dog on the other side of the room. Have the other dog crated in the same room and you have the puppy. Have the other dog tethered to the wall or couch and you have the puppy on the other side of the room. The key is separate and no contact but with a positive sharing of space. Slowly and over time, bring the dogs closer and closer (almost as if it were an accident, not in a tense, questioning manner) until they can be quite near each other without issues. It may take years…

This should all be incorporated into marker training. Good choice on those!

If you want more info on this part, we can go into it on another thread (so we keep this one on track).

 Quote: Gabrielle Meyer

... I'll also be getting the dvd the power of training dogs with markers as well as the basic obedience dvd.

Great decision!

Want to start a new thread about training the pup? You came to the right place.

 Quote: jessicakromer

... this is not a situation you will need a muzzle, yet. This dog should never be in a situation where you would need one. If the dog is tethered to you, the other dogs need to be secured somewhere else. To make him have to deal with loose dogs being near him while he is restrained is going to make him more nervous and wary and also stress him out. It will be taking you in the opposite direction you want to go in. Also it is not fair to have one dog muzzled but not the other. Not because the dogs “understand” but because if the puppy ( ) ever did attack one with a muzzle on, the other dog could retaliate and do serious damage. Just keep them apart for a (long) while and let this puppy learn that you are the leader and will be in charge of keeping him safe. ...

Another great post.

I'd try very hard not to view this as an "instant-fix" situation. It's not. But managing it is not going to be a big problem, either.

I know that this is going to take some time to work through and that while he may never be able to be fully trustworthy I want him to have a good full filling life. So big rewards and lots of positive experiences with other dogs at a safe distance.

Hopefully my internet will be fixed and up and running by friday. I'll then be able to get my own account here as it has turned out to be a great place with good people with good advice. I had called a trainer here in the area and it seemed soon as I told him the pup was a staffy mix they didn't have any advice other than locking him away or putting him down. :-(

Well I will start a new thread so when I have questions on training him which I'm sure I will, I'll be able to get them answered. And thanks again for the help.

 Quote: Gabrielle Meyer

I know that this is going to take some time to work through and that while he may never be able to be fully trustworthy I want him to have a good full filling life. So big rewards and lots of positive experiences with other dogs at a safe distance.

Hopefully my internet will be fixed and up and running by friday. I'll then be able to get my own account here as it has turned out to be a great place with good people with good advice. I had called a trainer here in the area and it seemed soon as I told him the pup was a staffy mix they didn't have any advice other than locking him away or putting him down. :-(

Well I will start a new thread so when I have questions on training him which I'm sure I will, I'll be able to get them answered. And thanks again for the help.

Good for you! You can do this. I can tell from this reply.

Meanwhile, separate them completely. Show this new guy that you are his calm protective in-charge leader, and that YOU will keep him safe; he does not have to do it.