# New rescue is dog aggressive... Help!



## Rebzicle (Jul 2, 2013)

Hi everyone. I'm new to this forum! I just adopted a rescue dog on Saturday (it's Tuesday) and I need some help and support. 
A little background: I am a college senior who has wanted a dog for years and years. All I could do while I waited was research dogs and training. I love the YouTube channel KikoPup, all things positive reinforcement training, and have read up on dogs quite a bit. All in all, I thought I knew what I was getting myself into, and truly believed I was ready. Another thing about me: I am seeing a therapist for general anxiety and depression. I talked to her about getting a dog and she believed it would help me a lot. I'm not violent or anything (there's a lot of stigma to do with mental health issues, and I don't normally tell people about it - most people I meet have no idea I have these problems). I have two jobs that I love, and I live in an apartment in a relatively quiet area. I have my own room. 
So. I adopted Olive, an adorable, mellow, sweet Jack Russell terrier mix. I got her from a rescue organization that my oldest friend's mom fosters for. They told me she was the easiest dog, mellow, sweet, a little insecure, but that we'd be a perfect match. She had been fostered by another woman in the organization for a year before I got her. 
At first when I brought her home, she was terrified, but seemed to like me. She follows me everywhere and I've been giving her lots of small treats and taking her out on walks a lot. She is terrified of men, but that I can deal with. It's other dogs that are the real problem. She is extremely aggressive toward them, barks and snaps and growls and lunges. I thought it was just barrier frustration, but even when I let her go greet them she just stiffens, nose to nose, no attempt to greet, and acts like she's going to attack them. I am not worried about her attacking them, but that they will attack her. A lot of dogs on our walks are off leash. 
The whole issue is something that I theoretically know how to deal with. I know about counter conditioning, and I have been doing the best I can. The problem is that I've plummeted into a severe depression. I lost all appetite, I can't sleep, I'm crying all the time and I feel totally helpless. I'm worried that I picked the wrong dog, that I'm not a good home for her, and that this will never get better. My boyfriend is coming to visit this weekend and I'm terrified that she'll growl at him the whole time. I feel like I made a horrible mistake, but I owe it to this dog to give it time. Please help me :[ should I take the dog back to my friend? Should I keep trying? I feel awful and so guilty. I really thought I could handle this. 

Thank you for reading this long wall of text. I hope you don't think I'm a horrible person. :[


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## Shell (Oct 19, 2009)

First, you aren't awful for feeling overwhelmed. If you had expected to take on a dog with problems, it might be a different case (but you'd still be normal for feeling overwhelmed) but since you had good reason to expect a sweet and mellow dog, it is no surprise at all to be stressed out. 

So let's consider some things that would be worth trying before you consider returning her. 

Your boyfriend visiting: cross that bridge when you come to it. If she growls at him, she growls at him. That just presents a chance to teach her that men aren't all terrifying. I had a puppy foster that was terrified (and aggressive about it) of new people, men worse but ALL new people. But a slow and easy (and treat filled) introduction to a few new people AND her gaining trust in me, and she was like a whole new dog. So when your boyfriend comes to visit, I suggest that he ignore her completely. Have her crated (if she's crate trained) or leashed. He can toss some high value treats like bits of cheese or lunch meat to her when he comes in without approaching her or speaking to her or looking her in the eye. Let her choose to approach him (on leash) or wait until she's very settled about him being there to let her out of the crate.

Other dogs:
For now, no greeting unknown dogs. Going face to face is a bad way for most dogs to greet and can set up confrontations. If you have a problem with loose dogs on your normal walking route, try to find a different location to take her for walks that has either almost no dogs or is very strict about dogs being on-leash. For example, I used to take a leash aggressive dog for jogs at the fairgrounds when no events were happening and to the ball fields of an industrial park after business hours (public was allowed but few people know that)

It is really early, she needs to get settled in at your house before you can start dealing with her behavior with other dogs. There is a method called the "Two Week Shutdown" that I like a modified version of for new dogs (slightly more action and slightly more freedom but still really quiet and mellow)

Ask the rescue about training classes. Ask if the dog has been to any training classes and explain your issue (that she's far more dog reactive than expected) and see if they can provide a discounted or free training class. POSITIVE TRAINING ONLY; while some dogs can do just fine with "balanced" training, ones with fear issues in particular can be made much worse with corrections or harsh handling. 

Talk to your therapist for about your depression. Stress is normal over a new dog but it is obviously affecting you in more serious ways. Even a rescue dog with no particular problems takes a month or two minimum to settle in, maybe if someone can help you get past the first month with the dog then you'll feel more confident and in control of your life with her.

Spending time doing small games and quiet bonding time at home with Olive can help get you through the frustration and fear of the tough times outside with other dogs. Hide treats around the house for her to sniff out, play fetch inside (or in the yard if you have a fenced yard), teach silly tricks like roll over or shake left paw/shake right paw etc.


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## PatriciafromCO (Oct 7, 2012)

Shell is great !! am sorry you are feeling overwhelm.. You have only had her for such a short time, she doesn't know to look to you for direction and security.. Time spent with her doing just the basics goes such a long way.. Giving her a daily schedule will help help her settle in and gain confident. Avoiding what over whelms her (right now) while yall are bonding in time spent, really helps her focus to you and learning.. Short safe uneventful walks are better then learning every walk out the door is a nightmare of confrontation. Playing in the house learning OB skills centered around the daily schedule and home builds a good relationship foundation that you can build on.. Gives the two of you to enjoy learning who each other is , and the trust that comes with it.. You will need to tackle the outside world, But it doesn't have to be all at once before she has settled in that you and her new home is safe... Little is better then too much all at once... Hope your feeling better soon...


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## Shell (Oct 19, 2009)

Thanks Patricia 

Check out these links for some information on dog reactivity, management techniques for reactive/aggressive dogs and dog-dog communication 
Behavior Adjustment Training
Notes from a Dog Walker
Dogs in Need of Space
Essay on Calming Signals

Also check out this http://www.dogforums.com/dog-training-forum/179202-other-dogs-walks-ugh.html

At this point, it is nearly impossible to say how a month or two of training will affect your new pup. I would definitely dig into how the dog acted while under the care of the rescue. A year is a long time to be fostered for a small breed dog. Even our pit bulls (harder to adopt due to apartment and insurance regulations and massive overpopulation) are rarely in foster for a full year. I am NOT saying the rescue mislead you, just that the foster mother may have lead a very different lifestyle than you or lived in a very different area (few loose dogs for example or even few dogs on walks in general; maybe she had acreage etc).
Knowing what methods they were using, hopefully good methods with success, may help guide you in dealing with her.

It is easy to be overwhelmed, it really is. But take a deep breath, be patient and don't jump to any actions you cannot retract (returning the dog mainly) until you've really assessed the dog, your lifestyle, your needs and the dog's needs. 
If you can afford it and want to keep the dog, a good trainer or behaviorist might be very useful; not just for their training knowledge but to help keep you on track working with your dog.


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## Rebzicle (Jul 2, 2013)

Thank you so much for your kind words and advice! I talked to my friend's mom who is part of the rescue and who fostered Olive for the last two weeks, and apparently her previous foster mom NEVER took her out. Just the backyard, the adoption events, and that's it. As far as the walks, we've been sticking to just up and down the street today and she's been a lot better. I've been trying to counter condition her to all people, not just men, and have gotten some friendly people to toss her treats. She has been calmer when people walk up which is a good sign. We saw some dogs from a distance and I shoved chicken in her face while she stared at them and then we walked the other way, and it was fine. Only a little growling at one of them.
I can tell she's a really smart dog and I think she will learn (I hope she will). I talked to my therapist about the depression and she agreed that I need to give this whole thing more time, but that if I still feel this way after a month or so, it would be better for me and Olive if I bring her back to the rescue. We'll see, but for now I'll do the best I can to work on some of these issues and see if it gets easier. I really want this to work!


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## Shell (Oct 19, 2009)

Argh, a year of no walks will make nearly any dog nutty. My personal dog is one of the most stable and confident and dog friendly dogs that I have ever encountered. We use him to test for dog aggression and reaction for new rescues, he will NOT start a fight. But if I avoided walking him off my property for even 2 or 3 weeks, he'd act like a fool and I cannot even imagine how bad he would act after months of no mental stimulation (sniffing walks, meeting people etc) and no real exercise (even small dogs need exercise and JRTs are high energy-- they NEED to walk and go places).

I'm so glad you are seeing a little progress and are feeling good about at least trying to make it work. 

Give it a month and if you see progress, give it another month. 2-4 months is a normal time frame for a dog to make a major transition (like between houses that are so very different). You should see progress, and maybe some setbacks, during that time but mainly progress.

Not every dog reactivity issue can be completely fixed, but I will say that I've had two majorly reactive dogs as fosters and one progressed enough to get her Canine Good Citizenship certificate and the other made significant progress to at least the point of being controllable on normal walks (although neither could deal with loose dogs running up to them, but that's bad for many dogs). Each took about 3 months to see good progress and continued to improve until they were adopted and after adoption according to their new owners.


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## Rebzicle (Jul 2, 2013)

Yeah, I agree about dogs needing mental and physical stimulation to thrive. I frankly can't understand how this woman still fosters dogs, but I guess it's better than a shelter. Maybe. 
I'm really intrigued by this BAT concept! Do you have any experience using it? How do I use it in uncontrolled situations? 
You've been so helpful, and it's really nice to feel like I have some support. I don't know many dog owners in my area, and that makes it really hard for me :[. Thank you again!


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## Shell (Oct 19, 2009)

Rebzicle said:


> Yeah, I agree about dogs needing mental and physical stimulation to thrive. I frankly can't understand how this woman still fosters dogs, but I guess it's better than a shelter. Maybe.
> I'm really intrigued by this BAT concept! Do you have any experience using it? How do I use it in uncontrolled situations?
> You've been so helpful, and it's really nice to feel like I have some support. I don't know many dog owners in my area, and that makes it really hard for me :[. Thank you again!


I think BAT works very well. The hardest part is not having setbacks by running into loose dogs that approach your reactive dog. Which is where doing research into suitable walking locations can help a lot. It can't prevent every loose dog, but some places have far far fewer than others.

For unleashed dogs with owners present, I will start by shouting "Call your dog!" then "My dog will hurt your dog" and then "Get your bleep bleep bleeping dog or I will hurt it"

Honestly, I will chase away or kick or hit with a stick (depending on the level of aggression) a loose dog. It is not just about MY dogs' safety but my own safety too. I know that for any medium+ sized dog, my sneaker covered foot isn't going to do real damage. 

Just for fun, try searching (search is on the upper right hand corner of the page) "Fostering Miss Frankie" and "Foster Pit Bull Luna" to see photos + a little of this and that on my two reactive fosters who I had for 5 months and 6 months each. You can see how many positives there are with even difficult dogs and some of the photos show the type of progress being made.


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## cookieface (Jul 6, 2011)

Welcome to the forum! I can't add to the excellent advice Shell has given, but I do want to offer some virtual support. I think it's normal to feel a bit overwhelmed when you first bring home a dog. Like you, I did tons of research and preparation and thought I was ready for anything. Then Katie came home and my whole world was turned upside down - and she was an amazingly well-behaved puppy. Hang in there. You might start a log of Olive's adventures so you can keep track of her progress. It's sometimes hard to notice small changes and get discouraged; keeping a written record can help you see her improvement.

Also, I've suffered from depression throughout my life, saw therapists, took SSRIs. I hope _you_ see progress, too.


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## Rebzicle (Jul 2, 2013)

Thank you everyone so much for your responses. Cookieface, I really appreciate your virtual emotional support! 
So I did a lot of reflection and spoke with the people in my life who are closest to me: my mom, my therapist, my boyfriend, my friend's mom (the one who fostered Olive for two weeks before I got her and who's known me since I was 4) and my friends. Everybody had different advice to offer, but the general theme was summed up by Friendly Former Foster Mom - wrong dog at the wrong time. I love Olive and she's a wonderful little dog who has a lot going for her, but the issues that she has are a bad match for my own personal issues. My anxiety on our walks, no matter how much I try to cover and manage it, is tangible to her, and it makes her own fear worse. She deserves someone who can stay calm for her when she can't be calm herself, and sadly I'm not able to do that for her at this stage in my life :[. You don't know me, so I can understand if you feel disappointed or upset, but I think that this will be better for Olive and for me. My friend who fostered her is going to take her back and work with her on her issues and help her find someone better for her than me. 
Thank you again for your support and understanding. I feel like I've let you all down when you've been so kind, but this is the right decision for her and for me.


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## Shell (Oct 19, 2009)

It sounds like a good solution that she is going back to your friend who fostered her for a short time and who is able to work on her issues. It would not have been good to send her back to the home where she never went on walks because then she'd never get any training and never be really adoptable.

This is a good learning experience for you too and will help you when start to look again for the right dog for you. You'll know more about what questions to ask the foster family and your friend can help find out the background on a dog too.

I know someone with a service dog in training for her mental health issues and he is the calmest, steadiest huge lug of a dog. He's a bulldog/pit bull mix and weighs in about 80 lbs of solid muscle. Nothing phases him, at all, and so he's the perfect dog to calm her down when she starts to panic. He's a rescue and there are dogs like him out there (temperament I mean, in all sizes and breeds)


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## cookieface (Jul 6, 2011)

You haven't let anyone down! You made the right decision for you and Olive. Like Shell said, use this as a learning experience. When you're ready and find the right dog for you, the forum will still be to help.


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## Rebzicle (Jul 2, 2013)

Shell said:


> This is a good learning experience for you too and will help you when start to look again for the right dog for you. You'll know more about what questions to ask the foster family and your friend can help find out the background on a dog too.
> 
> I know someone with a service dog in training for her mental health issues and he is the calmest, steadiest huge lug of a dog. He's a bulldog/pit bull mix and weighs in about 80 lbs of solid muscle. Nothing phases him, at all, and so he's the perfect dog to calm her down when she starts to panic. He's a rescue and there are dogs like him out there (temperament I mean, in all sizes and breeds)


Yes yes yes. This sums up exactly how I feel about the experience. I've learned more by having a dog than I ever could learn by doing research, about what I need from a dog and what adopting a dog can be like. I didn't ask the right questions in the first place, and assumed that they were being completely upfront with me when I should have been more cautious. I realize that I need to do some searching to find a dog who is steady and calm, but I won't let this deter me from adopting. 
And of course I would never send her back to her first foster. Her second foster mom is so much more proactive about helping the dogs, and she has the most unflappable personality on Earth, so I think Olive will really thrive with her. 
Thank you so much Shell, for your understanding and solid advice, and for taking the time to help a total stranger on the Internet. You are a special and rare kind of person!


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## Rebzicle (Jul 2, 2013)

Thank you for your kindness and understanding, cookieface! I was so worried that I would be judged and criticized, and your empathy really helped me feel safe and welcome here. Thank you!


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## Shell (Oct 19, 2009)

Aw, shucks 

Here's one big thing about foster based rescues-- the coordinators or board members only know what they are either told by the foster home OR observe directly for themselves. So unfortunately, especially in larger rescues with a lot of foster homes and a high turn over of dogs, the people arranging adoptions have to take at face value what the foster home says about a dog. Unless they see something obviously to the contrary of course and even then, sometimes a little misbehavior is attributed to the stressful situation of an adoption event etc rather than the dog's typical behavior.

Here are a few questions that I would ask if I were adopting a dog from a foster based rescue (and I would ask them to both the foster home and to the adoption coordinator)

--how did this dog come to be in your rescue?
--what, if any, background do you have on this dog? Health, home, training etc.
--has he been treated for any medical problems while under your care? If so, what is the outcome? (minor, continuing, chronic, etc)
--how long has he been in foster care? How many foster homes? 
--if he changed fosters, why?
--has this dog met children, cats, male and female adults, small animals like rabbits, and other dogs? (of course not all of those matter to everyone, like cats for example if you don't have any)
--how many dogs (estimated) and what size and sex and breed/mix?
--how does he deal with other dogs while he is on a leash? Off a leash? On a leash when another dog is off the leash?
--has he shown any resource guarding? food, objects, people? Against other dogs and/or against people?
--what sort of training methods have you been using? Does he wear a no-pull harness, a prong collar, a choke chain, a flat collar or plain harness?
--what is a typical routine day like? Length of walk? Setting (park, neighborhood, private property/acreage)?
--Any destructive behavior? Crate trained? House trained? How long is he alone during a work day? Doggie door or let out to pee?
--Any separation anxiety? Anxiety in other situations like car rides, crowds, small rooms, crates etc?
--Has he ever bit another dog or another animal? Under what circumstances? 

I've been asked many of these questions (not all by the same people but over various dogs) about my own fosters- or have just told the potential adopter the information before being asked- and the rescue and I have willingly answered all of them, including when the answer may seem negative or when it could or has caused a potential adopter to back out. That's because being honest is what sets dogs up for success in permanent homes.


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## Rebzicle (Jul 2, 2013)

These questions are perfect! I am going to save them. 
Yeah, I think the original foster misled the rest of the staff about her issues also. It's a small rescue, but they didn't know how severe Olive's issues were because the foster never said anything. Thank goodness she's not fostering Olive anymore!


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