# Dog aggression with unneutered dogs/puppies



## btracy116 (Feb 7, 2012)

I have a Miniature Australian Shepherd who is around two years old (not sure exactly since we adopted him from a shelter). He is a very playful, energetic dog, but in the last few months, he has gotten VERY aggressive with unneutered dogs and puppies. He immediately lunges for them, snarling, trying to bite them. The unneutered dogs will sometimes fight back and they are often much bigger than my dog, so he gets pinned to the ground, making that horrible yelp that dogs do when they're scared/hurt. Puppies don't try to fight back, they usually cower and roll over. 

In either case, I am guessing that these dogs give off a scent that my dog catches very quickly and he immediately acts on it. We of course break up the fight and pull our dog away, but I wish there was a way to re-train his reaction towards them. This is a relatively new behavior that he didn't exhibit when we first got him. He is such a social dog and plays really well with about 75% of the dogs at dog park, so I would hate to punish him by not allowing him to go there anymore. We have tried getting him to respond to our voice command when he sees one of these dogs, but it's a lost cause by then. We even tried a shock collar as a last resort, but that didn't do much either. 

Anyone have any tips on this? It would be much appreciated!

P.S. He also tries to attack any dog that comes near me, even if it's playful and sweet. I understand that as him being protective, but it's sad for me to not be able to pet other dogs at the park!


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## blenderpie (Oct 5, 2012)

First of all, please throw that shock collar away! It would make the situation worse. If he learns being there equal shock or other dog equals shock, of course he'd go after them, they hurt him and he wants them to stay away!

The easiest thing to do would be hope hope there is a dog park nearby that has a rule that all dogs must be altered. If not, I understand, there's not even a dog park at all where I live.

Do ant of your friends have unaltered males? Because at the dog park is the last place you want to train him something new. There's too much other stuff going on. It'd be like taking a final exam at a rock concert. Have a friend with an unaltered dog and yourself go to a nearby field and have the dogs stand at opposite ends. Reward him for not reacting. Gradually, move a little closer. The moment that he reacts, it means you've made the criteria too high too quickly. Back up and try again, eventually he'll be okay near the dog. You'll have to try this method with several dogs in several different placrs for it to really translate for him.

Until he's okay with unaltered males, please please please DO NOT take him to the dog park. You're risking his safety as well as the safety of other dogs and people (including yourself) to continue to do this. He could get bit, losing an eye (which ive witnessed, not pretty) or worse. Also, you or another person could get bit trying to separate the dogs.

Also, if he's guarding you from other dogs at the park, thats also incredibly dangerous. He doesn't sound like a good dog park canidate, to be honest. I know you don't think it's fair to him, byt it also isn't fair for other people who's dogs do behave to be attacked, is it?


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## caykuu (Nov 12, 2012)

I agree about tossing the shock collar, though I'm glad that you stopped using it since it was ineffective anyway. Punishment is the last thing you want to try for your dog's situation. 

Please avoid the dog park for now. 75% of the time is not a safe zone at all, for both your dog and the other dogs there. In fact, a dog should not be brought to the dog park for socialization, play, or for whatever other reason unless he/she is believed to be 100% reliable with other dogs. 

I don't know if anything can make it better. This is a more common problem than you might think, and unfortunately it's not an easy problem to resolve... it's more of a behavior problem than a hormonal problem. I haven't got any experience of this myself, but the only thing I would advise would be to pop him in a muzzle from now on when on walks or in whatever area that you are aware may have a chance of an unneutered dog approaching, for the safety of both your dog and the other dogs. Good luck.


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## btracy116 (Feb 7, 2012)

Thank you both for your feedback! 

The analogy about training at dog park being like taking a test during a rock concert was spot-on.

An excellent idea to try to find a friend with an unaltered dog who might be willing to do some one-on-one training time with us at a quiet park somewhere. And until then, I guess we will have to rely on long runs/walks to help burn off some of that energy. 

I am hoping that it is a behavior we can eventually change, because he didn't act negatively to puppies for the first few months we had him. I am wondering if a couple unprovoked fights by other dogs (back before he ever got aggressive with any dog) might have left some impression on him and he now negatively associates those pheromones with aggression.

We'll focus more on positive reinforcement training and hope he doesn't become a butterball for receiving treats as a reward!


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## Amaryllis (Dec 28, 2011)

I doubt this aggression is the result of a bad experience, unfortunately. Neutered male aggression towards intact males is a well known phenomenon. It's hormonal. The reason you didn't see it at first is that it takes several months for the testosterone to fully leave a neutered dog's body, so intact males didn't smell different to him at first. 

I doubt your dog is ever going to be a dog park dog or reliable off leash with intact males. But that's okay. You can train him to behave on a leash during walks. I'd suggest looking up kikopup on youtube. She has a lot of great videos on teaching impulse control and leash manners positively using a clicker.


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## samshine (Mar 11, 2011)

Chances are your dog's behavior change is due to his age. He's reaching his social maturity. Not a puppy mentality any more. Many dogs love dog parks when they are young, but not so much when they are older. I used to like going out to bars with a live rock band when I was young, hate it now. I would get cranky myself if I was forced into that environment. So some of this behavior may be due to stress. 

Here is a good article that may give you some insight as to why your dog does not seem to like puppies anymore. Especially in a high stress environment.
http://www.suzanneclothier.com/the-articles/he-just-wants-say-hi


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## dexterborg (Nov 16, 2012)

my dog used to do the same. It started off with with larger dogs than her then ended up being almost every other dog, especially females. The collar is definitely not the solution. I suggest you take her to the park, keep her on the lead and introduce her to other dogs slowly... this is going to be a long process as I think she is not only being protective but also jealous. This is a sensitive matter give it all the time and attention it needs, if you dont't you are risking of letting the dog remain like this. the dog is still relatively young it is time to act now. good luck


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## valuta8 (Jul 30, 2012)

btracy116 said:


> Thank you both for your feedback!
> 
> The analogy about training at dog park being like taking a test during a rock concert was spot-on.
> 
> ...


I tend to not like using treats as a bribe unless it's last resort, but with enough patience the dog will come around with the tactic mentioned by blenderpie. I'd like to mention another method you could use, just to give you another option .

Completely. Ignore. At least for a few weeks. Take him on walks, don't engage. The reason I'm suggesting this is because it sounds like a dominance issue. Unneutered dogs tend to be bolder, and put off an aura of dominance. This is just my personal experience. 
Your dog doesn't like the fact that the other dog is acting stronger and wants to put it in it's place, but since he sounds slightly insecure he does it out of an anxious state of mind and triggers a fight with the stronger dog. He's trying to defend you, a member of his 'pack' because he doesn't sense leadership from you. 
So just totally ignore him. No talking, no petting, no playing. Just try it- at least for a few weeks. I think you'll notice a difference. When you walk him, stand taller (not like obnoxiously taller, just with your back a little more erect) and pay no mind to him. If you know of a person with an unaltered dog, meet with it. First at a distance- with the dog sitting by the owners side. Walk him past the dog, about ten feet apart at first. Don't slow down if he tries to go for the other dog. Keep the same pace, not slow or fast but normal. Just focus on walking forward. Repeat at ten feet until he gives up, then give him lots of reward by roughing him up a bit and petting him. The next day, start at ten feet again until he gives up. (unless he already has, in which you can move in more, a foot or so.) Repeat the process slightly closer to the unaltered dog. As soon as he walks by without reacting, end the session and take him for a walk. Reward his good behavior with a happy rub down. It'll just be a matter of repetition. Every. Day.
I forgot to add- treat the encounter with the unaltered dog as normal as possible. Act like it's not even there. I recommend taking him for a little walk before the encounter too. Don't jump the gun too much with moving in. Keep sessions short. Always start the day at ten feet. After a few weeks of this, he should treat the encounter normally in which case take him for a walk with this dog. Hope this helps!


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