HELP!

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HELP!

Posted : 7/4/2006 7:07:28 AM

I have posted previously about (what I suspect is) Mika's fear aggression towards other dogs. When we are on walks and as long as there is a dog within seeing distance, she will howl, bark and cry. When the other dog gets near, she will lunge, bark and growl at the other dog. So far she has not responded to treats or "Sit"s, and I have been walking her at night (for less dog encounters) or saying "NO"/"Shhh", then turning and walking the other way when she gets upset at the sight of another dog.

Tonight, she did something strange. I was walking her, and it was nighttime. There was a group of women on the sidewalk, and near them was a little boy down on all fours playing with a toy. I was looking straight ahead, until I felt her lunge and snap (the kind with the growl) at the kid! I was so surprised and yanked the leash because I was afraid she would bite him. Mika is a shy and submissive dog, but she has never tried to bite a person (although she is nervous around strangers). Why did she do this? My housekeeper, who was with me, said maybe Mika mistook the boy for a dog, since it was dark out.

Please tell me how I can help Mika become less fearful, and if I have an escalating aggression problem on my hands. I've only had her for three months now, and I'm a first-time dog owner. Maybe she is just adjusting? Her foster mom suspects she was not socialized well as a pup or had a bad experience with a dog in the past, as even in her foster home, which she shared with other dogs, she was bullied and was a loner. ANY advice would be greatly appreciated.

spiritdogs

Posted : 7/4/2006 9:26:10 AM

She may not have mistaken the boy for a dog, but it is quite possible that she wasn't properly socialized with kids, or that she fears them. I would need to see her body language to tell you more. Normally, dogs that go forward and lunge think the best defense is a good offense, or they are just acting out of frustration.
Do you know how your dog behaves around children or other dogs when she is *off* leash? That is often rather telling as to whether the dog is aggressive or reactive. Reactive dogs are usually fine when off lead.
Either way, the two books you need in your library are:
"Scaredy Dog - Understanding and Rehabilitating Your Reactive Dog" by Ali Brown
"Feisty Fido" by Patricia McConnell
Reactivity is a handler-exacerbated problem, so you need to learn how to defuse this properly. In the meantime, try walking her at less busy times, and with few distractions.

mondayblues

Posted : 7/4/2006 11:48:43 PM

ORIGINAL: spiritdogs

She may not have mistaken the boy for a dog, but it is quite possible that she wasn't properly socialized with kids, or that she fears them. I would need to see her body language to tell you more. Normally, dogs that go forward and lunge think the best defense is a good offense, or they are just acting out of frustration.
Do you know how your dog behaves around children or other dogs when she is *off* leash? That is often rather telling as to whether the dog is aggressive or reactive. Reactive dogs are usually fine when off lead.

Mika's behavior doesn't seem consistent. It is like sometimes she chooses to act out, but other times she does not. For instance, when we are at the vet and she is leashed, she doesn't care much for the other dogs and will sit or sniff around quietly. But when a neighbor wanted her beagle mix (a friendly and submissive old female) to meet Mika, she reacted in her usual fear-aggressive way. When I took her leash off, she bolted into the house. As for children, right before the incident wherein she snapped and lunged at that boy, a little girl was sitting on the sidewalk in front of our house. Mika went over to smell her, but I told her to leave it, and she trotted away.

ETA:
OK, now I am even more confused! I was walking Mika a while ago and two neighborhood dogs came along. One was the beagle mix and the other a mutt with dominant tendencies. I was pleasantly surprised to find that Mika did not act as scared as she did, just a cry and a howl-bark, no lunging or biting. It's like she has become used to them. She and the mutt greeted each other with sniffs, and Mika didn't even mind the beagle mix. Is she really reactive/dog-aggressive or does it just take her a while to become comfortable with other dogs?