Managing Dog Aggression

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Postby LMM » October 29th, 2009, 9:32 am

DemoDick wrote:LOL...Michael, if you are ever in my neck of the woods, I have a dog that you can try your basketball correction on. You'll need (1) good health insurance and (2) a pen to sign the waiver. I'll have an ambulance on standby.

Demo Dick


I'm sorry, this post just made me laugh out loud at my desk at work. They all think I'm nuts now.


I'm just flabbergasted at the intent of this post. I need a minute for it to sink in before I reply :shock:
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Postby cheekymunkee » October 29th, 2009, 7:33 pm

BigDogBuford wrote:I feel bad for DA dogs who belong to people who insist on making them 'like' and 'play' with other dogs. And I'm not talking about teaching a DA dog simple manners around other dogs. Or working with a DA dog and eventually having a few, chosen dogs the DA dog likes/tolerates. I'm talking about the people who insist that a dog is a pack animal and absolutely needs other dog friends to be happy and continually puts the dog in a position as such. What a terribly stressful life for the dog. It seems like it's more about the needs/issues of the owner than the dog.



good post!

My dogs are crated & rotated & pretty damn happy in their environment. They do not need nor want doggy friends. If they did, they would BE friends.....they have had ample opportunity to be so & have chosen not to be
There's a fine line between genius and insanity. I have erased this line.

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Postby fenella » October 29th, 2009, 8:16 pm

I agree with the above. Murphy is a very reactive dog. He is very fearful. He loves to play with other dogs, but does not get the chance to play with unfamiliar dogs now. It is sad, but I know that's what I need to do. Yes, I work on it. Murphy is making great progress. We work on not reacting to a dog coming at him. We work on greeting appropriately (with appropriate dogs). He is not DA in the sense that he wants to kill other dogs. In the scuffles he has started, he has never drawn blood...but I don't give him the chance to prove me wrong. Murphy cannot do free-play. End of story. He can be around other dogs in training class and flyball. I tell others in class to give him a wide berth. Not that he will jump on dogs that come within range (I wouldn't take him to class in that case), but to keep an eye out for what their dogs do around him.
When I noticed that there was some jockeying for position in the household between he and Nittany, I took action before it became a problem. Dogs will work out their pecking order, but I removed high-value toys like bones during that time. I didn't allow them out together unsupervised. Anyone who has seen them together knows that they adore one another, but as the owner, I am responsible for keeping them safe, so I pick up on the subtle clues that trouble may be brewing. They have settled back into position now...
My point is that there is a middle ground between constant isolation and irresponsibly putting two dogs together that have shown at least one of them is aggressive. It IS about management. You can work on it (though probably never "cure" it). I would not work on it without at least one other person there. I wouldn't arm myself with a basketball. These techniques may have worked for mp, but I believe most people would find themselves in a heap of trouble if they tried it. You need to work within your dog's threshold (which may mean a very far distance from another dog on a walk and giving a treat when the other dog appears...I suggest Control Unleashed or Click to Calm as good resources, as I am not an expert)
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