help with my lurcher dog.?

Question

i have a 1 year old lurcher and he is agressive when i take him for a walk, he wil be fine one minute then the next he wil run up to me and start biting me really hard and gets really agressive and nothing i do stops him, he wil carry on until he has had enough. this happens constantly throughout the walk, even when i mussle him he stil jumps and attacks.. any idea why he does this and how i can get him to stop?

someone mentioned i might not be walkin him enough, i take him to a whole load of open fields that are joined on together where there are plaenty of rabbits he can chase after and can run as much as he wants, and i am out with him for an hour and a half a day. nothing seems to work, even in these open fields where he has all this space he stil runs to me and attacks me, i have tried ignorin him and givin him treats to distract him and nothing works.
he sits and obeys me at home then when we are out he turns into another dog and the agressive side comes out.

Answer 1

Firstly never respond with violence. You are encouraging the dog to respond in a vicious way.. When It wants something to attack..

Secondly as he is so young there are many things that you can do. Firstly Keep him on a lead( Extendable if need be) This will allow him to play while you are still in control.

You can help this process by removing yourself from the situation as soon as it starts.. Don’t talk don’t shout and don’t give any attention at all.. Even negative attention is better than nothing.. just walk or move away.. When she has settled return to what you were doing.. Don’t allow the greeting or play to become too excited as then she may get confused.. Always play with a toy not your hands as this will encourage her to think of you as a toy..

If you would like to reinforced that what she is doing is not a good thing you can introduce distraction.. Keep a biscuit in your pocket and when she gets to silly and starts to bite as her to sit and then give her the biscuit when she gets it.. She will learn to please you as that is what you will want.. A dog that fits in and is well trained.. They are very cleaver and can become your best friend if you put the effort in now..

So to recap.. No shouting or reprimand. Always define what she can and cannot play with e.g. a toy is good a hand is not.. Do no encourage him to play with you in a silly way as this is a confusing message.. give it a min before you go up to him allow him to calm down first as it is not a good message to rush straight over to her and play instantly as she is too excited.. . Learn new things like sit paw rollover and heal or fetch.. These things are positive to do with the energy instead of playing rough..

Well done for trying to get it right from the start. Its a lot of work but you can do it..

I would also suggest giving training classes a go it helps to have the basics well down before solving other issues like this.. It sounds like play to me but it could end up being nasty if left unchecked in the long run.

Answer 2

First of all, you need to be in charge. If you do not know how, get help from a trainer who is experienced in aggression, preferably someone also experienced with Hounds.

He is young. Does he do this because he sees (or thinks he does) rabbits? I have Whippets and when the chase instinct is 'on' they can become rather frantic and be so focused on the prey they are totally unaware of much else. Hounds are generally very non-aggressive and this would be my bet. He just wants to course. This does not give him the right to bite, but maybe with some insight you can work through the behavior. If he only acts up in the field, maybe stay out of the field until you have better control and he has matured some.


BTW- the best treats in the world are not going to make a bit of difference if he is in a chase mode. Haltis are NOT a good idea for a sighthounds (or any breed imo). They are very fast and could very easily hurt or break their necks with a halti.

Answer 3

He needs to be trained! I dealt with a lurcher same as yours. The dog simply didn't realise that he was the house pet! Felt he owned the place and took exception to anything that moved (Usually people while on walks).

This could lead you into trouble. I worked with the dog in conjunction with a dog trainer i know. We alternated 1 hour from my time with an hour from his (One to one training). It took 3 weeks to get the dog ready to start training classes. He is fine now!

Check out for your nearest dog psychologist (Canine behaviourist) and hopefully he/she will help you. I have to say ... Usually dog psychologists and trainers do not work together, there is a bit of a wedge between both but the dog trainer i'm speaking about has come up trumps on a few occasions, thinks i did the same so we have no problem working together, well ... I do my bit on my own with dog then he does his !!!

Good luck

Answer 4

This is a super high engery level dog and your walks may not be comming close to the level of exercise this dog needs.
These are sighthounds that were bred to run down and kill small game. You need to find an enclosed area like abaseball field where your can turn this dog loose and let him go.
As a general rule this in not a aggressive breed of dog. They are just not like that in tempermant. It soundsl ike he is getting to wound up and taking it out on you. You need to make it clear to him this behavior will not be tolerated and that you as the leader of the pack are not going to take being treated like this.
If he gets out of control I wouuld end the walk right there put him on a leash and a very short one and make him heal all the way home or to the car. Game over. And evey time he gets like that in the future game over. If he loves to walk or be out and do things with you he should pick up that if he exhibits this behavior you are done and he has to go home.
Good luck with him. I love sighthounds but they can be a real challagne as they tend be to an independant type of dog. But they are so graceful and beautiful.

Answer 5

Yes, definately go for training as soon as possible; in the meantine make a start;

1) Get him a Halti headcollar or a muzzle, then he can't bite. The second time he wont want to wear it, you must be firm and put it on before you leave the house.
2) Carry a water pistol and spray him in the face when he bites, get a trainer who can teach you how to use training discs.
3) Have him neutered to reduce his dominance.
4) Understand that he is living in your territory, not the other way around. Put him on the lead around the house when you want to feed and groom him, you sort out the times and daily routine, not him. Be firm, strict and a bit off hand with him.
5) Get him out of the house and clear away all of his toys, put them in a cupboard. Just alow him a chew stick once a day, but don't let him guard it. If he doesn't eat it then get him out of the way then chuck it out.
6) Turf out his bed once a day when he's not around, shake out the blankets, remove toys and chew sticks, get your scent on his bed.
7) You are the dominant dog, so you are responsible for supplying the food, and you control the food supply. Put him on the lead while you prepare his food, he has to sit quietly at the other end of the room not dance around your feet. Tie him up if you have to, unless his behaviour is so bad that he nips out of frustration. Your behavioural trainer can give you some training to do around food and mealtimes.

Heres the web address for the Association of Pet Behaviour Therapists, they only work in consultation with a vet (You can't train out illness), they have a good range of booklets written in plain english.

Answer 6

I have never heard of this problem before I think he is just playing
but this behaviour is not acceptable you need to get some help the sooner the better.I don't know much about Lurchers but I think it is there nature to chase and kill hares it sounds as if he is doing a milder version of that to you perhaps you could buy him a fluffy toy and throw it for him to bring back.(he will probably rip it to pieces but that is better than biting you)
Dog training classes are good enrol in the nearest one to you and please do what they say they will be able to cure this habit but it is down to you at the end of the day.
good luck

Answer 7

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Answer 8

A lurcher is a working long dog, so work him, he can then utilise his energy in the manner he was bred for.

Answer 9

it seems that he still thinks he is a puppy and doesnt mean to bit hard.. you need to control him and firmly say no.. and mean it. ignoring him helps to . if he bites you totally ignore his play till he gets the picture that it is wrong to bite hard. bren

Answer 10

do not react when he attacks you, he will think you are oplaying. make sure he knows you are the boss - get him done if not already as this will make him more docile and take him for regualr walks - make sure hes not bored!