Post by Aussienot on Apr 24, 2005 0:29:28 GMT -5
I am approaching this as dominance aggression, due to the breed predominance to dog aggression, and the fact that Monstra is an entire male. If I suspected fear aggression, I would follow much the same course, but would minimize corrections and allow for a wider tolerance buffer in the training.
For equipment, if you can't get a prong collar, use a Martingale or Limited Slip collar. Black Dog Wear sells a great limited slip training collar that should be allowable anywhere, even in purely positive clubs. Get the heavy duty training collar with the extra snap. Be sure to fit it up at the top of the neck, behind the ears. Particularly on a hard-as-bricks Staffy, a collar at the base of that bull neck is worse than useless. You also need a long line- a 10 metre cotton or nylon lead. And when you get to training, a well fitting head halter - halti, gentle lead, cumalong, whatever brand, may be useful.
I treated Finn's dog aggression problem holistically, with a three pronged approach: health, behavior and training.
Health
I switched to a raw food diet. There is some evidence to support that a raw diet helps regularize and normalize the body's release of testosterone and cortisone, which will minimize the hormonal cause of aggressive outbursts. I consulted with a naturopath to obtain treatments to make him less 'edgy'. I also had him examined by a dog chiropractor, just to rule out any undiagnosed physical sensitivity. Check out racing greyhound clubs to find a good reference for both of these specialties.
I would encourage you to neuter your dog. Apart from the health and behavior benefits, it will help in that he becomes less of a magnet for aggression from other dogs. And even though it is by now a learned behavior, I still believe that removing the primary motivation to fight has to help.
Behavior
Put him on a strict bootcamp course of Nothing in Life is Free. A subtle power shift needs to occur. For 6 - 8 weeks, his only source of fun should be training with you. You control the food; you control the toys; you control his universe. The pack leader is the one who decides if and when to fight. The key to overcoming his aggression is to make him realize that you are the pack leader, and as pack leader only you can authorize an aggressive display.
Practice Attentiveness Training, Boundary Work, and Distance Control. These exercises help cement the idea into his head that you are leading the pack. All three quietly and non-violently demonstrate to him that you are leader, he is subordinate.
1. Attentiveness Training.
This is best done off lead, in a fenced area. If you don't have a fenced area, put him on a long line (10 metre) and let him drag it. Start Attentiveness Training in a safe area with no distractions, then move into slight distractions, such as children playing nearby, or near construction, or near traffic. Then move into an area where he can see, but not reach other dogs, like outside a fenced dog park.
Walk silently in random directions around the area. Change directions sharply, and change pace often. Your dog should follow you and focus on you. You may use his name in a neutral tone only if his attention wanders, and you may praise 'Good' or 'Yes' and reward with food for attention when he is close to you and near your side. Otherwise you must be silent. You may not give a command or a correction.
If at any point he gets in front of you, turn and run the other direction. He needs to respond to your movements and he gets rewarded for doing so.
Begin with sessions of three or four minutes each, and gradually work up to 10 minute sessions.
2. Boundary Work
Boundaries consist of narrow hallways, doors, gates, and stairs. It is your right to go through first, and only you get to decide when he follows. Have him on his regular leash. Open the door, and if he charges through, correct him back, both physically and verbally. He must wait for you to walk through and wait until you signal him to come through behind you.
Do this as a training exercise, but also do it every time you approach a door, gate, hall or stairs. He gets no reward for letting you go through. This is your right, and he gets reprimanded for usurping your rights. Set him up with open doors and gates, and get it through to him that in no case is he allowed to cross the boundary until you give the ok. Once you can have him off lead and stopping to wait for your ok at an open gate, then you've achieved with boundary control.
3. Distance control
Similar to attentiveness training, but you can speak. Work in a fenced area. Pick an arbitrary distance - say two metres to start. Depending on the reliability of your recall, have him off lead or dragging the long line. Allow him to move around freely, but if he goes beyond the two metre circle around you, recall him and reward. Don't make it a formal sit in front recall, you just need him to return to within the circle. Use a different command such as 'To Me', or 'Here'. Keep him within the area that you decide. Once he understands the recall to bring him back to you, introduce a warning word, such as 'Easy' when he is approaching the limits of your circle.
I'm a little worried about him being in Doggie Day Care. My impression is that dogs in care are allowed free for-all-play. If you're seriously adressing aggression from a behavior standpoint, but allowing it one day a week when you're not there, it's a conflicating message that's going to be trouble. Are there certain types of dogs he is ok with - females, smaller dogs, dogs with long coats or of a paticularly colour?
Ok that's enough to keep you busy for a while. I'll address the training steps in another post. Plus I'd like you to be working with a professional trainer if possible and I'm still looking for one.
For equipment, if you can't get a prong collar, use a Martingale or Limited Slip collar. Black Dog Wear sells a great limited slip training collar that should be allowable anywhere, even in purely positive clubs. Get the heavy duty training collar with the extra snap. Be sure to fit it up at the top of the neck, behind the ears. Particularly on a hard-as-bricks Staffy, a collar at the base of that bull neck is worse than useless. You also need a long line- a 10 metre cotton or nylon lead. And when you get to training, a well fitting head halter - halti, gentle lead, cumalong, whatever brand, may be useful.
I treated Finn's dog aggression problem holistically, with a three pronged approach: health, behavior and training.
Health
I switched to a raw food diet. There is some evidence to support that a raw diet helps regularize and normalize the body's release of testosterone and cortisone, which will minimize the hormonal cause of aggressive outbursts. I consulted with a naturopath to obtain treatments to make him less 'edgy'. I also had him examined by a dog chiropractor, just to rule out any undiagnosed physical sensitivity. Check out racing greyhound clubs to find a good reference for both of these specialties.
I would encourage you to neuter your dog. Apart from the health and behavior benefits, it will help in that he becomes less of a magnet for aggression from other dogs. And even though it is by now a learned behavior, I still believe that removing the primary motivation to fight has to help.
Behavior
Put him on a strict bootcamp course of Nothing in Life is Free. A subtle power shift needs to occur. For 6 - 8 weeks, his only source of fun should be training with you. You control the food; you control the toys; you control his universe. The pack leader is the one who decides if and when to fight. The key to overcoming his aggression is to make him realize that you are the pack leader, and as pack leader only you can authorize an aggressive display.
Practice Attentiveness Training, Boundary Work, and Distance Control. These exercises help cement the idea into his head that you are leading the pack. All three quietly and non-violently demonstrate to him that you are leader, he is subordinate.
1. Attentiveness Training.
This is best done off lead, in a fenced area. If you don't have a fenced area, put him on a long line (10 metre) and let him drag it. Start Attentiveness Training in a safe area with no distractions, then move into slight distractions, such as children playing nearby, or near construction, or near traffic. Then move into an area where he can see, but not reach other dogs, like outside a fenced dog park.
Walk silently in random directions around the area. Change directions sharply, and change pace often. Your dog should follow you and focus on you. You may use his name in a neutral tone only if his attention wanders, and you may praise 'Good' or 'Yes' and reward with food for attention when he is close to you and near your side. Otherwise you must be silent. You may not give a command or a correction.
If at any point he gets in front of you, turn and run the other direction. He needs to respond to your movements and he gets rewarded for doing so.
Begin with sessions of three or four minutes each, and gradually work up to 10 minute sessions.
2. Boundary Work
Boundaries consist of narrow hallways, doors, gates, and stairs. It is your right to go through first, and only you get to decide when he follows. Have him on his regular leash. Open the door, and if he charges through, correct him back, both physically and verbally. He must wait for you to walk through and wait until you signal him to come through behind you.
Do this as a training exercise, but also do it every time you approach a door, gate, hall or stairs. He gets no reward for letting you go through. This is your right, and he gets reprimanded for usurping your rights. Set him up with open doors and gates, and get it through to him that in no case is he allowed to cross the boundary until you give the ok. Once you can have him off lead and stopping to wait for your ok at an open gate, then you've achieved with boundary control.
3. Distance control
Similar to attentiveness training, but you can speak. Work in a fenced area. Pick an arbitrary distance - say two metres to start. Depending on the reliability of your recall, have him off lead or dragging the long line. Allow him to move around freely, but if he goes beyond the two metre circle around you, recall him and reward. Don't make it a formal sit in front recall, you just need him to return to within the circle. Use a different command such as 'To Me', or 'Here'. Keep him within the area that you decide. Once he understands the recall to bring him back to you, introduce a warning word, such as 'Easy' when he is approaching the limits of your circle.
I'm a little worried about him being in Doggie Day Care. My impression is that dogs in care are allowed free for-all-play. If you're seriously adressing aggression from a behavior standpoint, but allowing it one day a week when you're not there, it's a conflicating message that's going to be trouble. Are there certain types of dogs he is ok with - females, smaller dogs, dogs with long coats or of a paticularly colour?
Ok that's enough to keep you busy for a while. I'll address the training steps in another post. Plus I'd like you to be working with a professional trainer if possible and I'm still looking for one.