# Severe Dog Aggression, Bull terrier



## TankGrrl66 (Mar 29, 2010)

I am posting this one for a really good friend of mine. I would like to know if anyone here has experience with dog aggression, or better yet, dog aggression in bull terriers. She needs some help...I was hoping to find some opinions for her. She is herself a dog trainer, but is just now employed and paid as one.

A little background: Browsing though dogs at a local shelter with a friend who was trying to find a dog, we noticed a pretty bummed out looking bull terrier in rough shape. My friend, who is a bull terrier fanatic, contacted a few rescue groups asap. One of them said they would soon have room, and could help out the dog if she agreed to foster her. Done.
After an odd story with a crazy coincedence that could be a thread all its own and makes this post incredibly long...My friend ended up being given the dog by a previous adopter who was returning her. The shelter staff told me she was going to be pts for it.

When she sees another dog, she goes nuts 3/4 of the time. I mean spinning around in circles and screaming. This is on lead during walks.
My friend has crate-trained her, and can have her lie peacefully in a crate with her dog next to the crate with no issues other than the occaisional lunge when her dog first enters the room. A quick verbal NO stops that. 
She loves and adores humans though! 

The rescue told my friend to walk her in a choke due to it being the only thing bull terriers cannot slip out of. The lady said 'trust me'. There has been improvement, no lie. It really matters now, because the rescue is now suddenly full.
My friend has told me nothing has been working. The choke or a slip lead makes controlling the problem managable which is why she uses it...and she is a firm advocate for haltis. She has not tried a prong yet.
Redirecting with food? No
Correcting? Meh.
Avoiding? The only thing that has been so far, but how long can you just avoid everyone?
She hates being squirted with water by a spray bottle, but when she really gets going, it only works a few seconds at a time.
She is pretty much as bad as the white and brown pit bull (with the heart shape on its side) on the episode of the Dog whisperer where he strings it up and etc. We do not want to go that road...but just want whatever will work at this point.

Any ideas? Please tell me about how they have worked in the past for you. I'm open for discussion. I do not want this to be a This-type-training vs. this-type-training thread. Please help us help her. 
Feel free to ask questions...I left a lot out to leave it as a post and not a book...lol


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## DJEtzel (Dec 28, 2009)

This doesn't SOUND like aggression, but I can't see the behaviour so I don't know. From the sounds of it though, she's just reactive. What your friend needs to do is start further away from things (dogs) that she reacts to. If you see a dog ten blocks down the road, put her in a sit/stay and treat her. I imagine she only won't take the treats when she's in the zone and is already frantic, but if you do it leading up to it and calm her before she needs to be calmed, it works a lot easier.

Take her to petsmart to work with this, just make sure your friend has control of her. Sit all the way in the back, and when you see a dog, put her in a sit. (stand between her in the dog if you have to so that she isn't focused on the dog) Treat her, and continue on the opposite direction. Gradually build up to a shorter distance. Sit, treat, then move away. If she works on this enough and it truly is just reactiveness and not agression, then it should be noticeable easier to deal with.


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## trainingjunkie (Feb 10, 2010)

This may sound really stupid, but has the Bull terrier interacted with any dogs? Do we know that it's actually aggression and not leash reactivity or barrier aggresssion?

I was given a really scary am staff who seemed to truly hate dogs. She was awesome with people. After letting her chill out for 2 weeks in a crate watching my pack, she ended up not being dog aggressive at all. She blended into my pack and interacted with a dozen fosters. The leash and the kennel made her look evil, but she wasn't.

Fear will make a dog look like that.

Given the breed, it could be DA, but it could also be over-stimulation or leash reactivity. Distance is key. Working one on one with a very mellow dog can help, one that will ignore the stupidiy and just keep walking side by side with her at a safe distance. Taking a dog class where all you do is work in the unused space can help. Working outside of a dog park, far enough away that the dog doesn't react and then closing the gap can help.

They also make hoods to limit visual stimulation. These were designed for the bully breeds! Someone can help me with a link, but the hoods might be a godsend. The dog can still see to walk, but visual is cut down enough to let you get closer. Once the dog is used to other dogs, the hoods can sometimes be removed.

Hope something in there can help.


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## TankGrrl66 (Mar 29, 2010)

I kept re-writing the post, and ended up not included the whole story of how we got her. This may clear some more of it up?

Part of it includes her being at the shelter in the same run as another dog. They took her to the back runs that the general public does not have access to after her and the other dog, a pit, got into a fight. Lots of blood. The staff told us she didn't start it, but she finished it.
She also has noticable scars all over her cheeks and under her jaw. She also looks like she has been bred a lot. We try not to focus on how horrible her life probably was, but the present and future of her well-being...and getting this issue under control.

After my friend crate trained her and had her just chillin next to (with HER in the crate) another dog, my friend decided to introduce them at a local park on lead. She put a muzzle on the bull terrier. They were ok walking within the general vicinity of eachother, so at the park she dropped the slack on the leads and let them sniff, etc. She went crazy on the other dog within seconds. 

She tried going over the basics and after a few weeks tried again. This time it was worse, and in the commotion the muzzle slipped off. A few punctures was all that happened, luckily they were seperated in time. She goes into full fight mode. No hesitation to bite at all. My friend told me that that fight was like a bomb going off. 

My own personal experience walking her: 2 teeny little dogs came running out and barking from behind a fence. She pulled this way and that, lunged, snarling and spinning....I automatically corrected her, got her attention for a split second. Tried agian a little harder, and the intensity dropped. She then kept switching from going after them, to moving forward, to them, forward...until we were past the fence. That is the only progress. It is very hard to break her focus, and as soon as she sees the other dog, all she cares about is lunging and going after that dog.

I will tell her about the redirection idea, with the distance closing in increments. That sounds like a plan to try.


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## Pepper (Jan 27, 2008)

Dog agression in breeds such as bull terriers, american pitbull terriers, etc...can sometimes be a common occurance. Some never become reactive towards dogs, while a lot show forms of aggression towards other dogs. For many it is genetic, for some it is lack of socialization at an early age. Either way, sometimes with "fighting" breeds you cannot cure dog aggression, but you can get it to a safer level. Redirection and positive training will help a lot with the reactivity. No dog parks. Your friend can work with friends who have dogs and help get their dog used to being calm around other dogs through desensitization training. There should be links in the training section, or you can do a search in the forum. I also agree with the above methods given by other members. I've dealt with this before and what works a lot of time for me is if your on a walk and there happens to ge an owner and a dog coming toward you, put as much distance between you and the other dog and bring something really yummy and smelly on the walk. Hold it so the dog has to nibble and lick at it so their focused on that and not the other dog. It's about changing the pattern. You want to change the behavior before it even happens, dont let them get even a tiny bit worked up. You have to grab the attention before the brain wants to react.


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## trainingjunkie (Feb 10, 2010)

Given this history, it is unlikey that this dog will ever succeed in a multiple dog home unless the owner is willing to crate and rotate. This goes far beyond the dog I described in my earlier post. You KNOW you are dealing with aggression.

Still, the hoods, distance, walking side by side with non-reactive dogs, obedience training, all of this will help. If it were me and I was going to take this dog for a walk, this dog would always be muzzled. AND, I would be sure to drive off any dog that tried to approach. I have driven off countless dogs by charging them and yelling "go home." My dogs just sit there and watch me do it. It's just safer for all of the dogs involved, although sometime owners of loose dogs will yell at me for doing it. 

I hope your friend can hang in there and make the accomodations necessary to keep this dog. If she can't, I tend to agree with the shelter about PTS. It isn't fair, but this dog needs to be in realistic and competent hands to keep other pets safe.

With this breed, you have to accept what they are and make adjustments. I don't own a single dog that I would trust in a dog park, although all of them go to classes and play out in the world.

Best wished to your friend.


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## zimandtakandgrrandmimi (May 8, 2008)

STOP BRINGING HER AROUND OTHER DOGS.

now. immediately. you have to put her in a position where the strength of the behavior starts to fade. ever notice how some behaviors kind of appear and then just get steadily more frequent? they are self reinforcing behaviors and this is the very worst of them.

so you have to break it off. if you can: no seeing, no hearing and hopefully no smelling other dogs. period.

doing this gives you the opportunity to start hardcore instilling focus and control behaviors on cue. Watch Me, down, focus, heel etc....go at it like you are competing in competition obedience and first prize is a bajillion dollars but your opponent is <insert your fav training guru here>. any cue you can come up with that can be used in a situation to gain control...teach it so it is rock solid with EVERY distraction except dogs. the Rev Up/Cool Down sticky in the training forum(along with a few others) are good for this too.

Then you can slowly.....very slowly start reminding her that other dogs exist. leashed. from hundreds of feet away. Watch her. learn to note when she starts to tense. you need to not let that happen..you need to turn her away the instant she becomes aware of another dog. stinky treats, toys, affection and those preprogrammed control cues you should have beaten solidly into her head at this point is how you do it. NEVER allow it to continue beyond that snap of an instant she is aware of the other dog. 

i think you should see a pro but that there is what i did(multiple times with a number of DA dogs..with slight variation from dog to dog). and it worked. but it only worked because i was patient and persistent and consistent and didnt deviate AT ALL from that mantra. A pro could really help but if you cant do that...take what you can from my post and feel free to ask questions. ive rehabbed severel dogs far more gone than what you describe.

but you have to isolate her so the control behaviors can really be made rock solid. you cant teach her control when she's wigging. 

id also suggest a thick and wide martingale collar. they do the least damage of the constricting collars and a two inch wide collar or wider gives really great control of BOTH the head and the neck. but that just may be my own preference..it seems to work the best though


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## Cracker (May 25, 2009)

Zim has the right idea, and the experience. 
DJ, this dog is truly aggressive with no bite inhibition (whether from fear, learned behaviour, health or genetic issues etc) and recommending her to take her to a Petsmart full of unsuspecting people and dogs is not a good idea. 

Tankgrrrl,
I would first and foremost have a complete physical exam with blood work to test for any endocrine disorders or tick borne diseases that may contribute to the extreme reactions. It's hard to modify any behaviour if there are hormonal or physical issues underlying it. 

A veterinary behaviourist (DVM who specializes in behaviour) is a good place to start. They can not only do or recommend a battery of tests, but also assess the behaviour itself and recommend a good behaviour modification plan (similar to the one Zim has recommended). Proper assessment is key and even experienced trainers can have difficulties assessing behaviour in EBT's due to their unique builds and facial features. You can't fix it if you don't know what's broken.

And yeah, I have to repeat NO MORE OTHER DOGS for a good long while. 

Good luck to your friend and I hope something can be done.


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## zimandtakandgrrandmimi (May 8, 2008)

ps. the other stickys you want to look at are NILIF, Doggy Zen and the sticky on targeting because you can use targeting to teach a "place" type command where you can point to where you want the dog to down. 

if you go my route...you really do need to get creative with the control commands. and you need to teach them slowly, one by one. You need to also do a lot "off" type cues and "wait" type cues. when you first start reintroing her to other dogs you will need multiple cues because you NEVER want to repeat yourself like "come...come....COME..." and so forth. that and some cues wont be appropriate for some situations. and others will require multiple commands like you need to call the dog back to a specific spot and THEN get her to down..kind of thing.

and im guessing this dog is probably pretty prey driven...that seems to be a trend with DA dogs...least in my experience. which is a good thing. because its a similar behavior pattern to aggression...you can offer prey games as a sort of aggression substitute...and they can double as mediums to teach control when the dog is amped up...something you want to do before you start the reintro process.


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## TankGrrl66 (Mar 29, 2010)

Thank you all so much for the advice. I will be printing out this page!

My friend is pretty much stuck with her due to these issues...the rescues have declined to take her. One even offered a sort of courtesy home, where she is spoiled rotten for 3-4 weeks and then euthed.
She lives with one of her parents who is also pretty much her landlord + a few other renters... and the landlord does not want the dog around any longer if at least some progress does not happen...yeah, no pressure or anything! 

However, I do agree that if if push comes to shove and this dog has to go to a shelter...she should just be PTS. There is no way I would want the dog to hurt/kill(I could very easily see her killing another dog) someones pet etc bc they did not know the extent of her DA. 

We will both be going over the stickies and all the replies to the thread, and putting it into practice. This all sounds a hell of a lot better than some other suggestions we have gotten from other people (ie: prong collar and correcting hard enough to yank her off her feet, those nylon chokes to lift her up and well, choke her with...)
I would much rather go the positive route...

Thank you for all the advice! We are going to have to start with some dogs around a mile away...Wish us luck 

Thanks again


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## DJEtzel (Dec 28, 2009)

Cracker said:


> Zim has the right idea, and the experience.
> *DJ, this dog is truly aggressive with no bite inhibition (whether from fear, learned behaviour, health or genetic issues etc) and recommending her to take her to a Petsmart full of unsuspecting people and dogs is not a good idea. *
> 
> Tankgrrrl,
> ...


Yeah, I definitely realize that now. When I posted, I didn't have a lot of information to go on and couldn't even tell if it was aggression.


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## RedyreRottweilers (Dec 17, 2006)

DJEtzel said:


> This doesn't SOUND like aggression, but I can't see the behaviour so I don't know. From the sounds of it though, she's just reactive. What your friend needs to do is start further away from things (dogs) that she reacts to. If you see a dog ten blocks down the road, put her in a sit/stay and treat her. I imagine she only won't take the treats when she's in the zone and is already frantic, but if you do it leading up to it and calm her before she needs to be calmed, it works a lot easier.
> 
> *Take her to petsmart to work with this, just make sure your friend has control of her. *Sit all the way in the back, and when you see a dog, put her in a sit. (stand between her in the dog if you have to so that she isn't focused on the dog) Treat her, and continue on the opposite direction. Gradually build up to a shorter distance. Sit, treat, then move away. If she works on this enough and it truly is just reactiveness and not agression, then it should be noticeable easier to deal with.


DJEtzel, you are going to get someone hurt or worse if you keep giving advice like this in situations that you do not have the experience to comment on.

This is not the first time.

You need to back off, and take about 10 years to gain real experience before someone takes what you write to be correct and gets themselves or their dog seriously injured.

Bullterriers are a unique breed. The bullterrier of years ago makes a fighting pibble look like a walk in the park. This type of temperament will surface in this breed from time to time. A game BT is a force to be reckoned with in itself.

I have nothing to offer the OP because I do not have enough experience dealing with this sort of thing. Difference is, I KNOW I don't.


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## Cracker (May 25, 2009)

DJEtzel said:


> Yeah, I definitely realize that now. When I posted, I didn't have a lot of information to go on and couldn't even tell if it was aggression.


Good that you realized it. It's a learning curve I know. It is VERY IMPORTANT to take into account breed, history, health issues and competency level of the handler/owner and then ask MORE questions before making any assumptions as to whether a dog's reaction is true aggression or "simply" reactivity. I know of many good dog trainers with years and years of experience who simply do NOT deal with aggression as as rule because even they are wary of assessments and do not want to put anyone at risk. 
It is always safer and smarter to recommend in-person assessments FIRST and that the handler is referred to the true experts. All of the DA dogs I work with (which are a few, but not many) are first referred to a DVM behaviourist for assessment. Even if they still recommend the methods I use (which they do) CC and OC, it is important that both the owner and I have a full idea of what we are dealing with.


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## DJEtzel (Dec 28, 2009)

I stated that I didn't know if it was aggression or reaction. I said it sounded more like reaction, which based on OPs first post, it did. She did not give any of the relevant information, and that is not my fault. 

I had a DA pitbull mix that wasn't anything like that, which made me think reactive. He wasn't reactive, just aggressive. If she had noted that he'd been in fights with dogs before, there's no way I would have said what I did. She left that out, which was the biggest point in the whole story, the way I see it, I did nothing wrong, except for the fact that I probably should have asked more questions, which I admit I should have first.

And I do have experience with reactive dogs and my aggressive dog, which is why I commented in the first place. Neither of my dogs are reactive or aggressive anymore, which since I'm the only one working with them, I imagine is because of me. I must know something of importance in this case.


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## zimandtakandgrrandmimi (May 8, 2008)

a word about muzzles.

I actually dont recommend them in most cases for a few reasons.

they give a false sense of security because...

they slip off. even the most hardcore, heavy duty muzzle can come off easily in an aggression scenario if you have a really stubborn and battle crazed dog.(as you saw.)

they can CREATE barrier aggression issues as well as fear issues because you are taking away the dog's defences. 

they cause fear in humans. this may not seem like a bad thing but with a breed like a bull terrier(oft mistaken for a type of pit bull)...you make problems for yourself by putting the dog in a muzzle because you are basically *legally* admitting the dog is dangerous in general.


instead of a muzzle...manage. like i said..isolate her. that is sooo key. it can de escalate these behaviors as well as keep other dogs safe. My recommendation is usually only muzzle a DA in a situation like where you have a vet appointment for example....though i dont even do that. i call the vet when im outside. they call me on my cell when they are ready for us and then i physically carry Bolo in with a tshirt thrown over her head so she cant see them. 

initial isolation in the training process is really the key imo to teaching a truly DA dog to be social. isolation and careful management.

meaning..schedule walks at times and in areas where 

a. place is not frequented by lots of dogs
b. time is the time when there are the least amount of dogs to be found
c. place is set up so that you can constantly see a good distance in any direction. you want to be able to see them coming from a mile away if possible. 

on walks, stay vigilant. if you see people with dogs, say something like "she is in training because she hasnt learned to play nice with other dogs. Please dont let your dog approach". and say it BEFORE anything else...even a growl...happens...that helps you legally if something were to happen because you warned them and you didnt let YOUR dog approach...that puts the fault on the other party..you might also mention you deliberatly take them walking there to try and avoid other dogs if you can. 

and i dont care if this is superman's dog and your fence is made of kryptonite...NEVER leave her alone outside. EVER. you are asking for trouble if you do. 

another...only let certain people handle her. develop a program of management with little things like im suggesting in this post. Your designated handlers need to a. be physically capable of holding this dog back and b. fully conversant with your management plan and trustworthy enough to stick to it. you cant afford dumb or lazy mistakes if you want to save this dog's life.

These kinds of little management type techniques are the ones that will help your friend keep this dog long enough to really make a good attempt at rehabbing this issue because you guys need to take this very slow..it will not happen overnight.


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## RedyreRottweilers (Dec 17, 2006)

DJEtzel said:


> I stated that I didn't know if it was aggression or reaction. I said it sounded more like reaction, which based on OPs first post, it did. She did not give any of the relevant information, and that is not my fault.
> 
> I had a DA pitbull mix that wasn't anything like that, which made me think reactive. He wasn't reactive, just aggressive. If she had noted that he'd been in fights with dogs before, there's no way I would have said what I did. She left that out, which was the biggest point in the whole story, the way I see it, I did nothing wrong, except for the fact that I probably should have asked more questions, which I admit I should have first.
> 
> And I do have experience with reactive dogs and my aggressive dog, which is why I commented in the first place. Neither of my dogs are reactive or aggressive anymore, which since I'm the only one working with them, I imagine is because of me. I must know something of importance in this case.


Good for you for making progress with your own dog. At your age, it is unlikely that you have the experience base that is needed to address issues such as this one. You show this by telling the person to take this dog out to a public place to work with it. 

Giving advice like this can be very dangerous when people use it in the wrong way.

Being unwilling to understand and take the justified criticism of your post is even worse, IMO.

I'm done.


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## TankGrrl66 (Mar 29, 2010)

DJ, I thank you for your advice (reading the petsmart thing, I just ignored it right away because I knew that was just asking for insanity with this particular dog!) and understand that you cannot read my mind...I thought I made the point that she goes ape over other dogs clear enough. Sorry I did not include the fighting info...but blaming it on me just because someone else called you out on it wasn't cool at all. No hard feelings, just...Don't do that! 

She is not the easiest to handle, but I find her pretty easy to deal with (size wise) bc I'm used to my GSDs. When she gets all crazy passing other dogs is challenging, but she will now be around no other dogs for awhile. At least, seeing or hearing them anyway. I don't think we can get the smell of them out of the house...
We can't even get close enough to tell people "shes in training" or anything. When I first was observing her level of aggression by just following my friend as she walked the bully...a dog came too close and my friend had her sit, holding her and covering her eyes. The dog was shaking and doing her screaming bit, but at least stayed in a sit...so I think we have something to build on (the sit). 

Thank you all for your suggestions. Sounds good! We are both college students with big hearts and empty pockets, so anyone else offering their experience is fantastic. Our goal is just to get the DA manageable enough so miss bull terrier can have a better life and find a permanent home.

She almost found a home, but the couple was renting and her breed was on their "list". It makes this all the harder...wish us luck.


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## zimandtakandgrrandmimi (May 8, 2008)

TankGrrl66 said:


> DJ, I thank you for your advice (reading the petsmart thing, I just ignored it right away because I knew that was just asking for insanity with this particular dog!) and understand that you cannot read my mind...I thought I made the point that she goes ape over other dogs clear enough. Sorry I did not include the fighting info...but blaming it on me just because someone else called you out on it wasn't cool at all. No hard feelings, just...Don't do that!
> 
> She is not the easiest to handle, but I find her pretty easy to deal with (size wise) bc I'm used to my GSDs. When she gets all crazy passing other dogs is challenging, but she will now be around no other dogs for awhile. At least, seeing or hearing them anyway. I don't think we can get the smell of them out of the house...
> We can't even get close enough to tell people "shes in training" or anything. When I first was observing her level of aggression by just following my friend as she walked the bully...a dog came too close and my friend had her sit, holding her and covering her eyes. *The dog was shaking and doing her screaming bit, but at least stayed in a sit...so I think we have something to build on (the sit). *
> ...


the bold....that sounds a lot like my dog...which if that's the case...that may change the gameplan a bit. the way my pit bull, Bolo is...well...if that's the case...we should keep in touch.


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## TankGrrl66 (Mar 29, 2010)

zimandtakandgrrandmimi said:


> the bold....that sounds a lot like my dog...which if that's the case...that may change the gameplan a bit. the way my pit bull, Bolo is...well...if that's the case...we should keep in touch.


That doesn't sound good...I must be mistaken then, thinking her sitting there is a good thing? We will be working on the obedience and gradually building in distractions and THEN other dogs from far away and etc...but what about it would change? I am all ears...we both want what is best for her.

What changes would need to occur? Feel free to reply to thread or PM me. We can KIT via email or whatever works best for you.


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## zimandtakandgrrandmimi (May 8, 2008)

TankGrrl66 said:


> That doesn't sound good...I must be mistaken then, thinking her sitting there is a good thing? We will be working on the obedience and gradually building in distractions and THEN other dogs from far away and etc...but what about it would change? I am all ears...we both want what is best for her.
> 
> What changes would need to occur? Feel free to reply to thread or PM me. We can KIT via email or whatever works best for you.


no...sitting can work...its a control behavior so that is a very good sign that you can get her to sit at all. the problem...the warning red flag to me is the fact that you used the word "screaming". was it actual _screaming_? high pitched kind of shriekyness...sounds almost like the dog is panicking with joy?


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## TankGrrl66 (Mar 29, 2010)

Panicking with joy? As if she does not know what to do with herself she is so riled up to go at the other dog? Yep that nails it. Add a little demon in there to. It is the kind of scream you just do not usually hear out of a dog.
This was in a sit, with her eyes covered and her being held quite firmly in place(she was trying to do her spins, slip out of the collar, etc) and the other dog walking by, scared, with its owner. The dog kept looking at its owner as if to say "WHAT is WRONG with that dog?!" 
We have A LOT of work to do! 

It reminds me of the beagle I had when I was younger. When the beagle was very excited about getting something that was 'prey' (tennis ball, thing to chase), there was that same high pitched element there. Not good at all!

Feel free to KIT, I would love to hear from you.


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## LazyGRanch713 (Jul 22, 2009)

DJEtzel said:


> Yeah, I definitely realize that now. When I posted, I didn't have a lot of information to go on and couldn't even tell if it was aggression.


If it IS true dog aggression, and the bloodwork and check up go smoothly without any hint of a medical problem, I would also advocate NOT NOT NOT using a prong collar with a dog with DA...prong collars on DA dogs seem to make the problem worse IME. I'm not a big advocate for GL's or Haltis, but I've seen it take the "edge" off some dogs who were really trying to "get" at something, and it helped "calm them down" long enough to actually learn something. JMO.


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## qingcong (Oct 26, 2009)

TankGrrl66 said:


> This was in a sit, with her eyes covered and her being held quite firmly in place(she was trying to do her spins, slip out of the collar, etc) and the other dog walking by, scared, with its owner.


Not that this is the solution to your problems cause it sounds like your dog is way over the limit, but for future reference, physically restraining a dog who is in that excited mode will intensify that mindset. It triggers what's called opposition reflex; it causes the dog to fight against the physical restraint. 

Blocking their vision is a good management solution, but it's probably pretty hard to do with a dog who's all over the place.


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## trainingjunkie (Feb 10, 2010)

A calming hood can really help. They are used in bully breed classes to lower reactivity. I think gentle leader even makes one. You need to habituate your dog to it, but it can be a real help. 

Calming hood. They can still see to walk and stuff, but it tones down vision enough to walk with less drama.

A big prong collar correction is most likely going to end in a real decent redirected bite. And that's if the thing doesn't break open during heavy use. Wouldn't make my list of "tools of choice."


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## zimandtakandgrrandmimi (May 8, 2008)

TankGrrl66 said:


> Panicking with joy? As if she does not know what to do with herself she is so riled up to go at the other dog? Yep that nails it. Add a little demon in there to. It is the kind of scream you just do not usually hear out of a dog.
> This was in a sit, with her eyes covered and her being held quite firmly in place(she was trying to do her spins, slip out of the collar, etc) and the other dog walking by, scared, with its owner. The dog kept looking at its owner as if to say "WHAT is WRONG with that dog?!"
> We have A LOT of work to do!
> 
> ...




you need to get her to a point where you dont have to hold her.

the general goal here is to teach her to control herself. 

Im not a fan of calming hoods because its not a natural way to manipulate context so i cant really comment on their use other than what i have seen im not convinced its the best thing.

if this is like what my dog has...it isnt aggression in the traditional sense. its a sort of screwed up prey drive. which in a lot of ways is very much worse. I really hope its not like my dog but if it is...

you are going to likely have to get into the type of training that basically allows you to turn on and off your dog's aggressive behavior...and you will have to provide an outlet for it. i had to figure that out with Bolo the hard way. when i first started addressing this issue with her i basically banned all behavior that even looked like aggression(bad advice and i didnt know what i was doing yet)...and it blew up in my face. she went into this long continuous period of always being super stressed out and amped. ever had to deal with an insomniac dog? one that literally does not sleep for more than an hour a day? hell....pure torturous hell. the fix? a hard game of tug with a dogsitter and it suddenly stopped. she needs to express those instincts that always have her on the hunt. 

another good idea is before a walk, exercise her. I use a flirt pole as both a means of burning off the bulk of her energy before a walk so that she has less "fight" in her and to teach control behaviors while in amped up ferocious mode. in some ways it is an inverse of what bite sport trainers do to bring out aggressive behaviors. 

ill pm you my email addy when i get a minute..


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