# Anxiety on walks and aggression towards other dogs



## churp (Jan 6, 2011)

Hi all, 

New to the forums and a first time dog owner. I adopted my Stanley about 4 months ago from a rescue shelter and he is a lovable little mutt (still trying to figure out what he is....latest guess is a lab/weiner mix). He's roughly 1.5-3 years old (that's the figure the shelter gave me) and it's thought that there may be some abuse in his past. 

Stanley is wonderful indoors...he is a loving, affectionate, great companion and I have been working with some success on teaching him commands. He had some aggression issues with visitors to my apartment (growled and barked at some of my friends when they came in), but he's getting better with that (I usually walk with friends into my apartment now so he feels secure). 

He can still be aggressive towards strangers outside though, which can be problematic as I live in a town where people tend to be pretty outgoing while you're walking down the street. 

This leads me to my question - his biggest problem is aggression towards other dogs. Whether it's indoor or outdoor, he is very prone to growling and snapping at other dogs, regardless of their disposition. I've tried to get his attention by calling his name, telling him to stop, snapping the leash, etc. but he doesn't listen, almost if he's in "attack" mode. A few disciplinary/correctional methods I've tried don't seem to work, either. He will then tense up for the remainder of the walk, pulling a lot and being generally stubborn. This happens even if he notices another dog in the distance - all of his attention will be on the other dog and not the walk. I've tried socializing him with friends' dogs, figuring it would be a more comfortable setting for him, but the result is pretty much the same.

I've looked around the 'Net for some advice, but most of it seems geared towards socializing young dogs, which of course doesn't help as he's already an adult. I was thinking of getting him a calming collar or giving him calming treats before walking him so he's relaxed when I take him out - do these work? If not, do you have any advice on how to calm him? I would really like to start taking him to dog parks but I am afraid he might go after other dogs.

P.S., just thought I'd add that he is not aggressive towards cats. I fostered a cat briefly a couple months back and he was fine around the cat, if anything a little fearful and avoidant.


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## MissMutt (Aug 8, 2008)

In terms of people, have you tried having visitors give him treats? I'd be interested in knowing how he responds if someone who entered your apartment were to completely ignore him (not talking to him or touching him, not even looking at him) and simply gently toss his FAVORITE treat on to the ground. You can have folks on walks do the same.. or, so that they don't pet him or reach for him, simply tell them he's "shy" and "in training." That should be enough to shut most people up.



> This leads me to my question - his biggest problem is aggression towards other dogs. Whether it's indoor or outdoor, he is very prone to growling and snapping at other dogs, regardless of their disposition.


He's a small, rescue dog? I'd bet the rent that this is fear-based reactivity rather than true aggression. He's putting on a show by barking and lunging in attempt to keep the other dog at bay.



> A few disciplinary/correctional methods I've tried don't seem to work, either. He will then tense up for the remainder of the walk, pulling a lot and being generally stubborn.


A big NO to corrections for this type of type, as he might learn that the sight of other dogs = getting punished, which will, in turn, proliferate the negative association he has towards strange dogs.

Are training classes a possibility for you? They're a great way to put your dog in the presence of other dogs without having your dog interact.

I would NOT try socializing him with friends' dogs, especially if you think he's going to react.. in fact, I would remove all social pressure (so that he knows he will NEVER be forced to interact with a dog he's not comfortable with) and teach him that YOU will handle the situation when there is a dog nearby, by getting in between him and other other dog, teaching him that cookies fall from the sky when dogs walk by (adjust your distance from the other dogs so that he's NOT reacting while you're feeding him - you want to slowly desensitize him to the presence of other dogs). 



> was thinking of getting him a calming collar or giving him calming treats before walking him so he's relaxed when I take him out - do these work? If not, do you have any advice on how to calm him?


Many people have success with DAP calming collars.. I have not heard great things about calming treats because the amount of calming supplement in them is too low. There ARE supplements you can give your dog to help calm him.. L-Theanine (marketed for pets as Anxitane) is one of them. I give my dog the people version daily with great results. It is an "up and coming" supplement for fear/reactivity/anxiety. 

There is also something called a Thundershirt.. the premise of it is that pressure around the dog's torso creates a calming effect. You might be able to achieve the same with a snug-fitting t-shirt or Ace bandage around his belly, just behind his shoulders.



> I would really like to start taking him to dog parks but I am afraid he might go after other dogs.


Big NOOOO to dog parks. One, because he will not be comfortable, and Two, because his displays of barking and lunging might get him bullied or attacked by dogs who aren't willing to take it from him.


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## churp (Jan 6, 2011)

Thanks so much for the advice! To answer your question about friends giving him treats, yes, this works a good deal of the time. He had a somewhat topsy-turvy relationship with my neighbor..he liked her at first, then when he figured out she had a dog got growly around her. She gave him some treats and they get along great now, so long as her lab's not around. 

Obedience training is a possibility, yes. 

What's interesting is that if other dogs are aggressive towards him - namely, there are two pitbull watchdogs near my apartment that bark a lot - he doesn't seem to want to return their aggression.


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## MissMutt (Aug 8, 2008)

If the treat-giving works, DO IT! If you're worried about him gaining weight, cut back a bit on his meals on the days that he gets a lot of treats. 

Bringing treats on walks will work as well. When you see another dog, try to either cross the street, move as far away as possible, etc, and FEED him before he begins to react. If you keep doing this, the distance at which he reacts (dog 20 ft away, 10 ft away, etc.) will gradually decrease. You will be creating the association in his mind that dogs = treats! Remember to start off slow and let HIM dictate how much he feels comfortable with. If you have access to a park or other setting where you can watch a lot of dogs go by at a far away distance, it would be GREAT for this type of training.

It is important to remember that these are not obedience training issues.. what you're seeing from your dog are emotional reactions that produce a behavior. To change the behavior, you have to change the emotion (anxiety, fear, etc.) By pairing unpleasant things with yummy or fun things, you will eventually achieve this.


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## doxiemommy (Dec 18, 2009)

I totally agree with the advice you've gotten so far! I have a fear reactive dog, Harper. And, really, if your dog is reactive, he's not being disobedient, or aggressive. He's afraid, and is kind of doing the "I'll get you before you get me" thing.

When reactive dogs are on leashes, they often feel limited in their ability to protect themselves should the need arise. They feel restricted, and it can worsen their fear. I've noticed Harper is much better interacting with other dogs without his leash. 

When I started working with Harper's reactive issues, we spent a few weeks walking in places where we wouldn't be likely to see other people or other dogs. Sometimes that meant driving to a place we could have our "alone" walks, or walking in our neighborhood earlier or later than our neighbors. Doing this gave us a chance to have calm, peaceful walks without Harper (or me) getting stressed. This helps, because when a reactive dog has a bad reaction it affects their hormone levels, and they can be stressed for days or even weeks after. 

Then, we started throwing in a walk or two here and there where we might see other dogs, BUT, if we saw one, we'd cross the street or walk up a side street, or turn a corner, whatever it took to get a good distance away from the other dog. The actual distance you need to get away is up to your dog, it's his "safety zone" where he feels safe and doesn't pull or lunge or growl. Then you can watch the other dog go by, and treat your dog.

Gradually, the point is to shrink the "safety zone" so that you don't have to get so far away for your dog to feel safe!


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## Kai Reddtail (Nov 15, 2010)

I'm having the exact same problem. Taichi seems to think every other dog is out to get him so he lunges and snaps if we're close enough. I try and get to a distance he finds comfortable and feed him treats in sight of the dog.

I think we're making some progress, but it's slow going. Can't really blame them, right? They're reacting that way because they're very afraid. Just takes time and patience. Good luck!


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## churp (Jan 6, 2011)

Hey guys, 

Thanks for all the advice, much appreciated. I tried walking Stanley on a quieter route yesterday which I thought would be away from other dogs, but I found there were dogs barking at him from inside peoples' homes. He didn't seem to tense up as much, but is this still feeding into his fear? Should I give him treats in these situations? Keep in mind that if another dog initiates aggression towards him he tends to cower or wait to see what happens.

Is it possible that his aggression is the result of him not getting enough exercise? I walk him twice daily, admittedly not for very long as my schedule is a bit limited. His walks are enough for him to use the bathroom and move around a bit. I've been meaning to take him somewhere where I can get him off-leash once in a while so he can run around - there's a huge park across town where this'd be possible, but my concern with that is that he might run away. He seems to do well with play time inside my apartment - he does like to play rough, so I'm wondering if that might be a good activity to redirect his aggression to?


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## doxiemommy (Dec 18, 2009)

It's always a good idea to make sure your dog gets enough exercise!  Every dog is different and pent up energy can exhibit itself in different ways for different dogs. BUT, it really does sound like he's reactive. And, you said if the other dog initiates aggression first, your boy gets scared. So, it really IS kind of like "I'll get you before you get me" except sometimes, the other dog beats him to it! 

I had to chuckle when you said you had tried a quieter route but other dogs were still barking from inside homes. I have had that happen, too!  I have driven different routes to find places to walk with Harper, and not seen any dogs in the neighborhood, and then, when we walk there, of course, there are dogs that were inside ! 

The problem with giving him more exercise in the form of walks is that you run the risk of scaring and stressing him if you see other dogs. So, I'd still try to find quiet areas to walk him, and try some longer walks. Then, add in some extra play time at home. 

As far as letting him off leash at the park, I wouldn't do that. First, if he sees another dog, he may run off. Second, it's usually not a good idea to let a dog off leash unless it's a fenced in area, OR the dog has very very good recall (coming when called). If not, you run the risk of harm to your dog! 

BUT, you can put him on an extra long leash, so that he can run around quite a bit, but, you still have control!


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## LazyGRanch713 (Jul 22, 2009)

churp said:


> Hey guys,
> 
> Thanks for all the advice, much appreciated. I tried walking Stanley on a quieter route yesterday which I thought would be away from other dogs, but I found there were dogs barking at him from inside peoples' homes. He didn't seem to tense up as much, but is this still feeding into his fear? Should I give him treats in these situations? Keep in mind that if another dog initiates aggression towards him he tends to cower or wait to see what happens.
> 
> Is it possible that his aggression is the result of him not getting enough exercise? I walk him twice daily, admittedly not for very long as my schedule is a bit limited. His walks are enough for him to use the bathroom and move around a bit.* I've been meaning to take him somewhere where I can get him off-leash once in a while so he can run around - there's a huge park across town where this'd be possible, but my concern with that is that he might run away*. He seems to do well with play time inside my apartment - he does like to play rough, so I'm wondering if that might be a good activity to redirect his aggression to?


Is this park dog friendly with a leash law? If he's not liking other dogs, the last thing I would do would be unleash him in a dog friendly area where people might be out walking their leashed dogs. Accident waiting to happen.


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