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Post by Faith on Sept 8, 2006 13:31:08 GMT -5
My too cute little beagle/Shepard mix has a great judge of character, but she as a bad way to show it. Good people she is very friendly and affectionate towards. People she doesn't like she is VERY VERY VERY aggressive towards. She jumps, barks, growls, lunges, and nips at. Today she bit somebody. Thankfully the women was "ok" with it. The bigger problem is i don't know how to punish her to show her that its not ok. If i yell at her, she sits there with this stupid grin on her face. If i spank her (open handed and firm, but not hard) she still sits there with this stupid grin on her face. Its like she just doesn't care. She is for the most part a good dog. She knows basic commands, sit, stay, wait, leave it. and a few others. I just don't know how to teach her to be less judge mental. another issue is people on bikes they are bad people to her. She lunges,growls and barks at them. And i don't know how to teach thats not ok. Please there must be some way to stop this bad behavior. Any ideas??
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Post by Dom on Sept 8, 2006 14:16:09 GMT -5
The bigger problem is i don't know how to punish her to show her that its not ok. If i yell at her, she sits there with this stupid grin on her face. If i spank her (open handed and firm, but not hard) she still sits there with this stupid grin on her face. Its like she just doesn't care. It isn't that she doesn't care. She just doesn't understand the types of corrections you are giving. Get a training collar and keep her on a leash. If she lunges or growls at someone correct her with a quick pop of the leash and/or block her with your body. Try to get your timing down so you are correcting her as she is doing the unwanted behavior or immediately (within seconds) afterward. She needs to be able to associate the correction with her undesirable actions. Keeping her on a leash will prevent her from getting close enough to bite someone else. She doesn't have to "like" everyone but she must learn to tolerate them being around you both. Below is a quote from Willow from another thread. She was responding to how to deal with a dog that is dog aggressive. It explains a good way to break a dog's focus if they are having tunnel vision and are ignoring you. #1. Ditch the halti and switch to another collar that you are comfortable with. #2. Stay calm and assertive #3. Distract her when she fixates on some thing else. I definitely would not use treats to distract her. What I would do is give a "shssssssssst," "ah ah," "leave it", "ignore" or what ever verbal word you are most comfortable with, but I have to say that for some reason the shssssssssssst works the best for me. At the same time, with your fingers bent as if you are holding an imaginary tennis ball, poke her on the side of her neck hard enough so she feels it or tap her on the thigh with your foot. Of course you don't want to kick her, but you want to tap her firmly enough to break her fixation on the other object/animal. I would not praise her at this point. I would just keep repeating this until she calms down and ignores the other dog. Then you can praise her. Repeat, repeat, repeat until you can walk by another dog at close range without her turning her head to look at the other dog. If she even turns her eyes toward the other dog, distract her in one of the above ways.
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Post by Faith on Sept 8, 2006 18:57:04 GMT -5
Thank you i appreciate your help. But she is always on a leash, which i shorten when we come near people/cars/bikes/anything. We have tried training collars, but she pulls and pulls, and ends up choking herself. We use an easywalk harness(i think thats what its called) it latches in the front and tightens when she pulls. That works better walking her. Thank you again, any other ideas?
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Post by SassyandZeusMom on Sept 8, 2006 20:15:56 GMT -5
A good prong collar will stop most dog from pulling on the leash & lungeing at other animals..
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Post by Aussienot on Sept 9, 2006 17:11:57 GMT -5
If your dog has bitten someone, even if the person is OK with it, her behavior is serious. It's not that she's judging people, your dog has become aggressive.
Your dog doesn't get to decide who to be aggressive to - it's never allowed. Never.
I highly recommend that you find a professional trainer to work with you. Your dog is not safe to walk in public. You need someone to show you how to handle your dog. You need someone to help you establish leadership of your dog, and you need someone to show you how to prevent the aggressive outbursts from starting.
Please find professional help.
A prong collar is a great start, but it needs a training plan to go with it. Read Nothing in Life is Free (link at top right), and start this way of training your dog. Most importantly, get hands-on professional help.
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Post by Faith on Sept 15, 2006 11:22:26 GMT -5
I am sorry i have to dissagree i think prong collars are very, very,very cruel, as i said the harness works better then anything i have tried. I am seeking out an animal beharior specialist. I do keep her on a short leash. And i have started telling people who want to pet her, that she can be agressive, and to do so at their on risk. I can not, not walk her she is a beagle mix, she needs to expel her energy. Can some one please give me a fair, uncruel answer that will work for me.
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Post by Am on Sept 16, 2006 14:00:26 GMT -5
Have you tried a prong collar on yourself, fcdunn? Just asking since, if you try one on yourself, you'll probably realise that they're actually a lot less painful than choke chains. They are certainly less cruel (and more effective) than yelling or spanking, which is what you said you'd already tried.
Aussienot (who, by the way, is an animal behavioural specialist), is IMO right. Your dog is not safe in public - she is a danger to herself and to other people. Your dog could easily be seized by the city council and PTS next time she lunges at or bites someone, especially if that someone is a child.
If you care for your dog you will exercise her in the backyard until you have the problem sorted out, or at the very least, please walk her in a muzzle so she cannot bite anyone else.
You also desperately need to take her to a professional behaviourist who specialises in aggression, as they will know how to help you correct this problem you are having with your dog.
Have you read and implimented the "Nothing in Life is Free" suggestion? It's the best thing you could be doing at home by yourself, until you get that behaviourist on board.
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Post by kaos on Sept 18, 2006 15:25:25 GMT -5
Hi FCDUNN, sorry to hear you are having problems with your dog. I am really glad to hear that you are looking to consult a behaviourist as it sounds like the problem has become quite serious with someone actually getting bitten. It can be very difficult to advise correctly on aggression issues on the internet without actually seeing the dog in action, so I am sure a good behaviourist will be in a better position to help out having fully assessed the dog in person.
I do agree that if your dog managed to bite someone when on a lead it would be a good idea to take her out wearing a muzzle while you are working on her issues. I also don't think the smacking or shouting will help the situation, probably better as an interim measure to calmly, confidently and quickly turn in the opposite direction and walk away from the person who is triggering the reaction. You should also bear in mind that if you are feeling tense and holding her tightly on the lead when you walk towards a person, there is a chance she will pick up on that anxiety and assume the person is a threat. It is very hard when you have obviously had a bad experience, but if she is wearing the muzzle it may help you to feel more relaxed. Where possible, give strangers a wide berth so that she doesn't have a chance to practice the lunging and barking behaviour.
It would be helpful if you can work out any particular triggers for the aggression towards people. It sounds from your description that she may be fearful of some types of people. The reactivity to people on bikes is a very common one. You can desensitise her gradually to the presence of bikes with the help of a stooge person on a bike. Initially you will want them far enough away from your dog that she won't react, and very gradually, possibly over several sessions you can work the bike closer and closer. I am sure your behaviourist will be able to explain this in detail.
A prong collar is one option, but it is certainly not the only option. Do let us know how you get on.
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Post by espencer85 on Sept 19, 2006 10:17:46 GMT -5
<edited>
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Post by Faith on Sept 20, 2006 17:40:48 GMT -5
It can be very difficult to advise correctly on aggression issues on the internet without actually seeing the dog in action.~You should also bear in mind that if you are feeling tense and holding her tightly on the lead when you walk towards a person, there is a chance she will pick up on that anxiety and assume the person is a threat.~It would be helpful if you can work out any particular triggers for the aggression towards people. It sounds from your description that she may be fearful of some types of people.~A prong collar is one option, but it is certainly not the only option. Do let us know how you get on. Thank you kaos. i think your response will help me. I never noticed it before but it does seem that people that make me nervous, aggravate her. i guess it could also be part that i am getting nervous because i am anticipating her reaction, which is making her nervous.I have been thinking about getting a muzzle for her. also because it will be a good way to show that she is not always friendly. She doesn't look vicious, like some dogs do, she looks very friendly. Thank you again for the fair advice
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Post by Faith on Sept 20, 2006 17:46:11 GMT -5
[quote author=espencer85 board=Questions thread=1157740268 post=1158679066I find hard to believe that she chokes herself but she does not stop, maybe you think she is choking but thats not really the case, she can make noises but that does not mean she is choking herserlf [/quote]
Question espencer85.. When she stops walking and starts coughing up Flem, is she still trying to fake me out??? i know its hard to believe but she really doesn't stop she has one mission when we walk and that is to smell as much as possible as fast as possible. Thank you for you suggestion though.
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Post by sibemom on Sept 20, 2006 18:08:33 GMT -5
I will only say this once and not to start anything but "PINCH COLLAR HIGH UP ON THE NECK" I am sorry that you believe they are cruel because if you open your mind just a bit more to the possiablity that "HEY THIS MIGHT MAKE HER STOP CHOKING" and give it a try I guarentee they are not cruel. I am the softest hearted person when it comes to animal cruelty and I would NEVER use anything that would inflict injury or trauma to my dog or anyone elses that I might work with. I am not trying to push my veiws on you but I have stood strong on this particular training tool with many a client who had the same reservations that you do, and I understand believe me I do. But if you would just try and get past the SCAREY LOOK OF THEM and just maybe you would see they are a wonderful training collar and in a blink of an eye your dog will stop pulling. They are very safe and humane and when the dog pulls the COLLAR DOES THE WORK all you do is walk with the dog. Again I am not condeming you for your feelings about them but I just WISH you would re consider and be open minded to it I would much rather see a dog yipe from the surprise of the slight pinch from the collar than to see them Hack Up Phlem because they put so much stress on the Traich from pulling.
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Post by Faith on Sept 26, 2006 15:53:54 GMT -5
I understand i should be more open minded about the pinch collar. its just that the easywalk works so well. plus she has a nasty little habbit of jumping out of the car window (not when it is moving thank god!!) i just don't want her to choke.
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Post by kaos on Sept 26, 2006 19:16:09 GMT -5
Hi Faith, just to clarify, I wouldn't ever leave a pinch collar or choke chain or halter on a dog that is tied up, in the car, or any time except when you are walking / training. You are quite right to be concerned about choking when left unattended.
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Post by maryellen on Sept 27, 2006 10:10:56 GMT -5
if your dog jumps out of car windows get her a dog seat belt, and roll the window up. as others have said, you have a serious aggression issue with your dog.. do not take her out in public.. and if you are telling people she can bite but its up to them to pet her, you are doing a disservice to her as well as the stranger... if she bites X number of people in your town, she could be declared a dangerous dog, and have to be muzzled out in public and on a 2 foot leash.. why mess with strangers getting bit, keep her inside, under control, and find a trainer immediately.. you are responsible for her, and its your duty to protect the public from her as well..
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