Female dog aggresive with other dogs when they first meet?

Question

I have a female weimaraner (4 years old) and she is aggressive towards some dogs but not all, I do not see a trend towards smaller dogs or dogs of her size. She goes up, sniffs than pounces, she had never drawn blood. I also have a male 11 years old and she teases him but NEVER bites or pounces on him. He let's her get away with everything.
She has a bossy attitude but she is kind to some dogs and not to others. We love to take her to the beach to play with others but I am starting to feel a little uncomfortable.
Can anyone point me in the right direction? Would a shock collar work? Professional help? Back to dog training 101?
Thank you for any help you can provide.

Answer 1

Weimaraners are the most aggressive and unpredictable of the Sporting dogs, so I'm not surprised you're having a problem. Shock collar? Definitely NOT. She may interpret the shock as a bite from the other dog and attack it for real. And for the same reason, don't use a PINCH (prong) collar either - these can escalate aggression problems and severely injure the dog if you have to restrain it. Use a chain or nylon choke collar high up on her neck - right behind the ears.

First, make sure she's getting enough exercise - Weimaraner's are real athletes that need a thirty minute strenuous run twice a day every day. A lot of anxiety and aggression is pent up energy. Wear her butt out with thirty minutes of ball playing or a run next to a bicycle before you meet another dog.

Be very careful around smaller dogs - they would suffer a lot more damage if she bit them. Arrange to meet someone with a small, calm dog outside in a neutral area. Don't let them get face to face. Immediately take a long walk side-by-side until your dog is calm and relaxed and accepting of the other one. Then stop and very casually introduce them on LOOSE leashes - but be ready to instantly jerk her back if she does anything aggressive. Restraining dogs on tight leashes when will almost guarantee a fight. Let them sniff each other for a few minutes, then walk again. Do this every day with as many different dogs as you can.

If she shows no improvement and still goes after other dogs, you will have to do lots of work on sit-stay and down-stay (on ONE command!) and walking without the dog pulling you. Don't hold your dog back when another dog approaches. That makes her feel tougher - like a guy in a bar who doesn't really want to fight, but with his friends holding him back, he's all mouth. As soon as she starts staring at the other dog and you see those ears alert - you know what's coming. Correct her with a quick jerk on the leash and turn in the opposite direction. She can't be barking if you're briskly walking away. Then turn back toward the other dog and do it all over and over again until she won't even LOOK at the other dog.

Prearrange a meeting on neutral ground as often as you can with people who have non-dominant dogs. Make your dog lie down and stay. She can't be posturing and aggressive if she's lying down. Just make sure the other person doesn't let their dog hassle yours when she's being good. Have a long conversation with the other owner - long enough for your dog to be completely relaxed. If she starts to get antsy, you can tap her on top of the head or nudge her in the side to distract her. It's best if YOU walk away first - if the other dog leaves first, yours may see it as an opportunity for a sneak attack.

Take her to dog obedience classes where the dogs are all being good. Many AKC recognized dog training clubs all over the country have advanced classes where the dogs are well behaved. The trainers generally have more knowledge and you pay less. Go to www.akc.org to find a club in your area.

You may need a professional trainer to help you with this, but let me warn you. Many of the people charging big bucks as "trainers" are not very good and may have no more experience than you do - especially with aggression problems. Ask you local vet for a recommendation. Make sure you check out references from their satisfied customers. Check with the BBB for complaints. And DON'T send your dog away to be trained. It's a waste of money - you can't build a relationship with a dog that doesn't live with you.

Read some great books on training. (Try not to pick books randomly - there are a lot of bad books out there also!) These are some of my favorites and you can get them on Amazon.com
What All Good Dogs Should Know - Volhard
Good Owners, Great Dogs - Brian Kilcommins
Dog Tricks : Eighty-Eight Challenging Activities for Your Dog from World-Class Trainers by Haggerty and Benjamin
Don't Shoot the Dog - Pryor
Training Your Dog: The Step by Step Method - Volhard
Dog Problems - Benjamin
Cesar's Way - Cesar Millan
Also, watch the Dog Whisperer on the National Geographic Channel. Cesar Millan is the best trainer I've ever seen on TV.

Answer 2

Contrary to what many believe, female dogs can be *much* more aggressive than males (particularly toward other females). I have a neutered male Aussie mix and a spayed female German Shepherd. For a while I lived with someone with a spayed female Chow Chow. All was well for about six months, then the females started getting into fights that more often than not drew blood. The Chow Chow's owner was not willing to do extensive training, and so that was the end of that relationship. (I also made the mistake of trying to break up a fight and got BITTEN by the Chow Chow.)

My trainer said that shock collars are great for a lot of things but NOT for aggression. The aggressive dog is likely to perceive the pain of the shock as coming from the other dog, and the aggression will escalate. The trainer suggested that all the dogs be taught to be more "polite". This meant that they all had to sit and stay when I opened the door. I had someone help me hold them while they learned this. Then I would call each by name and give only that dog a treat when it came. They were learning to take turns. I did this every time we came in or out (yes, it is a lot of work and why the Chow Chow's owner didn't want to do it). Same thing any time treats were given and even when feeding regular meals.

At the beach, keep her on leash and when you see that she notices another dog, get her attention with a treat *before* she gets in a snit. She'll learn that being relaxed and paying attention to what you want will get her treats.

I highly recommend getting a professional trainer, as female to female aggression can be very serious.

Answer 3

You've gotten some very good advice here! It does sound like she's simply stating to the other dogs that she's the alpha. She wants to be the dominant dog. In meetings such as this, physical harm does not *usually* occur, unless she meets up with another dog that refuses to be subjugated. Then, you may have a squabble on your hands.

I would go with *all* of the good advice you've already gotten. Also, if you can keep her on a leash for a time, make her sit and stay (and mind her manners) every time another dog goes by. It will take some time and patience to break her of this, but it will be worth it. A professional trainer may be a good option for this, as your dog would have other dogs around to work with in a safe, controlled environment.

Best of luck to you!

Answer 4

Your female is the alpha dog in your house.
If she was not socialized well as a pup she could be aggressive but this sounds like normal reaction to meeting new pets.
I have Weims also. My female pounces on other dogs wanting to play. She loves to chase and be chased and then tackled and put on the ground. She plays hard and sort of rough.
A shock collar would be ideal for this type of training as you can correct her right at the exact monent she is displaying unwanted behavior ans you do not have to be near or touching her to correct her.
I have them and use them for certain things This would be the easiest way to train for this type of behavior.
It sounds like the problem is not huge at this point and you can most likely control it with some effort and if you feel it is getting worse or you need help look for a behavorial trainer to work with.
Good luck and have fun with your weims.

Answer 5

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Answer 6

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Answer 7

Take her to an obedience class, this can not hurt the situation. Dogs have a very suttle nonverbal communicatio with on another this can be the reasons for her pouncing on one dog and not another. the social hierarchy of the dog world also plays an important role in what you discribe.
seek experienced professional help.

Answer 8

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Answer 9

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Answer 10

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