Dog Community

Very aggressive w/strangers

Posted : 6/16/2006 2:10:15 PM

My border collie, Bowie, has become very aggressive with strangers. He has actually tried to bite people on several occasions. The people did nothing at all to provoke him - he started barking and growling, then lunged for them. At home, he is sweet and submissive as can be. I've used the NILF method with him for several months, and there is no question that he views me as the pack leader. He will do anything I tell him and I only have to say it once. With my wife and I, he is the perfect dog - but when he is approached by strangers, he flips out. If I have him on a walk and someone walking by gets to close, he will try to attack them. I bought a pinch collar and I've tried to tell him that it is not acceptable behavior, but the problem persists. I would never trust him off lead around strangers - ever. If I have him in a remote place and he is off lead, he stays right with me and if he does wander a little, I only have to say his name, then he is right by my side again. I don't have any idea where this behavior could be comming from and I don;t know where to start to correct it. I'm a full time college student, and money is very tight, so I'm afraid I can't afford to hire a behavior specialist. Any ideas?

agilebcs

Posted : 6/16/2006 2:41:35 PM

It sounds like fear aggression and your correcting him for behaving that way isn't helping actually. I'll bet if you do a search here for fear aggression you'll find quite a lot of information.

Here's a thread:
[linkhttp://forum.dog.com/asp/tm.asp?m=63360&mpage=1&key=fear%2Caggression]http://forum.dog.com/asp/tm.asp?m=63360&mpage=1&key=fear%2Caggression[/link]

Some more info:
[linkhttp://www.paw-rescue.org/PAW/PETTIPS/DogTip_FearAggression2.html]http://www.paw-rescue.org/PAW/PETTIPS/DogTip_FearAggression2.html[/link]

*these are just links I came up with quickly - I'm sure there are more and better ones**

Border collies especially need a ton of socialization. Has Bowie had a lot of socialization other than with your and your wife? Have you taken classes anywhere? How old is he? Is he neutered?

I am short on time right now and can't write any more but I'm sure others will be along to offer advice.

Xerxes

Posted : 6/16/2006 2:51:50 PM

How old is Bowie? Have you had him since he was a pup?

Is there a particular distance that he begins to become defensive at? Or is it at the mere sight of someone he doesn't know?

If there's a particular distance, you can start by stopping say...10 feet short of that distance and issuing him a command "Sit" or "down," keep his attention on you. Lots of praise and rewards. Get his attention on you, not on the stranger. If he pays attention to the stranger, then another command, praise and treats when he responds. Also, always keep him on a leash outdoors.

This technique should end up, over time, getting the aggression distance smaller and smaller. Hope it helps you out.

spiritdogs

Posted : 6/16/2006 5:49:32 PM

I bought a pinch collar and I've tried to tell him that it is not acceptable behavior, but the problem persists.

If you have a normal border collie, he will not be likely to just walk up to strangers - the herding breeds tend to be reserved with those they don't know. Unless he was extensively socialized, early & often, and on a continuing basis, with strangers, he is probably just trying to herd them away. That sometimes involves nipping. Using a prong is likely to make the behavior worse, not better. Your best bet is probably to install a good "leave it" or "that'll do" command, so you can switch the behavior off and have him not be a danger to anyone.