Dog Community

Dog aggressive when excited

Posted : 1/27/2008 7:26:52 PM

My adopted pit mix Bandit has recently started acting Aggresive towards other dogs. He used to be be good with most dogs but only dogs bigger than him, he does not know his strength. I do not know when he was seperated from his mother because I adopted him from a shelter when he was probably around three months I think this could be part of the problem. He used to play well now he acts like a maniac when I bring him around other dogs. The problem seems to have started after we added another dog to the family they get along fine but other dogs hate bandit. Bandit growls,snarls,raises hackles, and bares teeth when he sees other dogs and he is still on the leash. If let off the leash he calms down and sniffs but then he jumps all over their backs. a tolerant dog will take it but most dogs give him warnings he seems to ignore. I always clear the dog park with bandit and I hate it I want him to be happy and social. PLEASE WHAT CAN I DO?

Krissim Klaw

Posted : 1/27/2008 8:08:36 PM

Sounds like he didn't get proper socialization when he was younger and lacks some of the skills when meeting and playing with strange dogs. You say this is a new behavior though, so has anything recent changed? How old is he? Part of it could be him reaching maturity, especially if he isn't already neutered. I'm no expert at dealing with dog aggression, so I'll let some of the more experienced members chime in with helpful links and advice. One thing I would suggest however is to immediately stop bringing your dog to the dog park. With his tendencies he is a danger to not only himself but others. Clearing out a dog park is a sign that he shouldn't be there. Also, if he is clearly ignoring other dogs warnings, and in essence being a rude dog, it is your job to be able to call him back from the situation. It's like you wouldn't let little kid your watching, pounce and jump on another little kid who is clearly uncomfortable with the situation. It's only asking for trouble.

mrv

Posted : 1/28/2008 7:28:10 AM

Find a dog obedience class that will be willing to work with a dog who is leash reactive. This may require working on calm and quiet before even entering the class, that may be at a cost as well. The dog needs lots and lots and lots and lots of obedience drill so that it can follow commands under distracting situations. You might want to search the behavior problems topic on leash reactive. There are lots of different approaches described.

The class is really important because it gives you a more controlled environment to start addressing this.

spiritdogs

Posted : 1/28/2008 7:38:34 AM

Ditto to what krissimklaw and mrv said. If you can't find a "Growlies" or "Feisty Fido" class, try reading "Click to Calm" by Emma Parsons. You can get it from dogwise.com. It's a step by step guide for training the aggressive dog. Also, you don't have to wait till the book comes. Go to www.clickerlessons.com and start at the beginning and with the "Attention" lesson.