What do you do with a dog gone crazy?

Question

We think our female was inbred from a puppy mill because I have never had a problem with a mastiff. She will be nice to people one minute and then the next she will start barking like she doesn't know who they are. We had tried to socalize her, but she just is antisocial. She could be fine in the house one minute, but then the next she chewed up our carpet and the crown molding and it would be one thing if she was a puppy, because you expect some chewing, but she is a grown dog. We can not find her a new home because she is a one family dog. She killed our nieghbors dog. I just don't know what to do with her. I am afraid she might turn on someone one day and bite them. I don't like putting animals down, but in this case should I?

Answer 1

Dog aggression is any behavior meant to intimidate or harm a person or another animal. Growling, baring teeth, snarling, snapping and biting are all aggressive behaviors. Although aggressive behaviors are normal for dogs, they're generally unacceptable to humans. From a dog's perspective, there's always a reason for aggressive behavior. Because humans and dogs have different communication systems, misunderstandings can occur between the two species. A person may intend to be friendly, but a dog may perceive that person's behavior as threatening or intimidating. Dogs aren't schizophrenic, psychotic, crazy, or necessarily "vicious," when displaying aggressive behavior.

Because aggression is so complex, and because the potential consequences are so serious, we recommend that you get professional in-home help from an animal behavior specialist if your dog is displaying aggressive behavior. Our Behavior Helpline can't assist you with aggressive behavior problems (see our handout: "When The Behavior Helpline Can't Help").

Types Of Aggression
Dominance Aggression: Dominance aggression is motivated by a challenge to a dog's social status or to his control of a social interaction. Dogs are social animals and view their human families as their social group or "pack." Based on the outcomes of social challenges among group members, a dominance hierarchy or "pecking order" is established (see our handout: "Dealing With Dominance In Dogs").

If your dog perceives his own ranking in the hierarchy to be higher than yours, it's likely that he'll challenge you in certain situations. Because people don't always understand canine communication, you may inadvertently challenge your dog's social position. A dominantly aggressive dog may growl if he is disturbed when resting or sleeping, or if he is asked to give up a favorite spot, such as the couch or the bed. Physical restraint, even when done in a friendly manner, like hugging, may also cause your dog to respond aggressively. Reaching for your dog's collar, or reaching out over his head to pet him, could also be interpreted by him as a challenge for dominance. Dominantly aggressive dogs are often described as "Jekyll and Hydes" because they can be very friendly when not challenged. Dominance aggression may be directed at people or at other animals. The most common reason for dogs in the same family to fight with each other is instability in the dominance hierarchy (see our handout: "Canine Rivalry").

Fear-Motivated Aggression: Fear-motivated aggression is a defensive reaction and occurs when a dog believes he is in danger of being harmed. Remember that it's your dog's perception of the situation, not your actual intent, which determines your dog's response. For example, you may raise your arm to throw a ball, but your dog, perceiving this to be a threat, may bite you because he believes he is protecting himself from being hit. A dog may also be fearfully aggressive when approached by other dogs.

Protective, Territorial And Possessive Aggression: Protective, territorial and possessive aggression are all very similar, and involve the defense of valuable resources. Territorial aggression is usually associated with defense of property. However, your dog's sense of territory may extend well past the boundaries of "his" yard. For example, if you walk your dog regularly around the neighborhood and allow him to urine-mark, to him, his territory may be the entire block! Protective aggression usually refers to aggression directed toward people or animals that a dog perceives as threats to his family, or pack. Dogs become possessively aggressive when defending their food, toys or other valued objects, such as Kleenex stolen from the trash!

Redirected Aggression: This type of aggression is relatively common, but is a behavior that pet owners may not always understand. If a dog is aroused into an aggressive response by a person or animal that he is prevented from attacking, he may redirect this aggression onto someone else. A common example occurs when two family dogs become excited, bark and growl in response to another dog passing through the front yard. The two dogs, confined behind a fence, may turn and attack each other because they can't attack the intruder. Predation is usually considered to be a unique kind of aggressive behavior, because it's motivated by the intent to obtain food, and not primarily by the intent to harm or intimidate.
Individual Variation
Dogs differ in their likelihood to show aggressive behavior in any particular situation. Some dogs tend to respond aggressively with very little stimulation. Others may be subjected to all kinds of threatening stimuli and events, and never attempt to bite. The difference in this threshold at which a dog displays aggressive behavior is influenced by both environmental and genetic factors. If this threshold is low, a dog will be more likely to bite. Raising the threshold makes a dog less likely to respond aggressively. This threshold can be raised using behavior modification techniques. How easily the threshold can be changed is influenced by the dog's gender, age, breed, general temperament, and by whether the appropriate behavior modification techniques are chosen and correctly implemented. Working with aggressive dogs can be potentially dangerous, and should be done only by, or under the guidance of, an experienced animal behavior professional who understands animal learning theory and behavior.

What You Can Do
First check with your veterinarian to rule out medical causes for the aggressive behavior.
Seek professional help. An aggression problem will not go away by itself. Working with aggression problems requires in-home help from an animal behavior specialist.
Take precautions. Your first priority is to keep everyone safe. Supervise, confine and/or restrict your dog's activities until you can obtain professional help. You're liable for your dog's behavior. If you must take your dog out in public, consider a cage-type muzzle as a temporary precaution, and keep in mind that some dogs can get a muzzle off.
Avoid exposing your dog to situations where he is more likely to show aggression. You may need to keep him confined to a safe room and limit his people-contact.
If your dog is possessive of food, treats or a certain place, don't allow him access to those items. In an emergency, bribe him with something better than what he has. For example, if he steals your shoe, trade him the shoe for a piece of chicken.
Spay or neuter your dog. Intact dogs are more likely to display dominance, territorial and protective aggressive behavior.
What Not To Do
Punishment won't help and, in fact, will make the problem worse. If the aggression is motivated by fear, punishment will make your dog more fearful, and therefore more aggressive. Attempting to punish or dominate a dominantly aggressive dog is likely to cause him to escalate his behavior in order to retain his dominant position. This is likely to result in a bite or a severe attack. Punishing territorial, possessive or protective aggression is likely to elicit additional defensive aggression.
Don't encourage aggressive behavior. Playing tug-of-war or wrestling games encourages your dog to attempt to "best" you or "win" over you, which can result in the beginning of a dominance aggression problem. When dogs are encouraged to "go get 'em" or to bark and dash about in response to outside noises or at the approach of a person, territorial and protective aggressive behavior may be the result.


Also check this web site for help also your vet can help too:

Answer 2

No don't put it down. The first thing Iwould do is talk to the breeder. Let them know what is going on and if they have had any other complaints similar from the same litter. I would also have you vet take a look at what is going on to decide the best treatment. I am not sure you should do any group training or socialization since he already killed a dog.

Definitely keep him away fromm people that are not you and you significant other. You don't want a law suit. No offense but you are lucky if you haven't already been sued by the owner of the other dog.

Answer 3

From my limited knowledge of Mastiffs, they are usually pretty social with people but from what I believe they are not crazy about other animals.
You should talk to the vet and a animal behaviourist.
Edited to say that I do not think all is lost - don't make the decision to have this dog put down, you might be able to fix these problems. Good Luck to you and your beautiful dog.

Answer 4

See if you can locate a dog trainer that trains dogs for guard dogs to put in business at night. They understand aggression and could probably put her to work and her biting would be of benefit for her.

They would do a temperament test on her and see if she would suit their purpose. It is also possible, like you said, that she is mentally challenged and is a genetic freak. Many back yard breeders know nothing about the genetic make up of the dogs and breed in all kinds of genetic faults and predispositions for health and structure. It is very possible that she is one of those dogs.

Hope you can find her a good home.

Answer 5

I don't know if you have cable TV but if you do there is a show called " The Dog Whisper" you call or write to this man and he will come to your home for free, it is part of his show and he corrects your dogs issues. He has never had a dog that he can't fix. This man is amazing. I have used some of his tatics on my dog and they work!! Check the Internet for the Dog Whisper, You will find him under Cesar Millan, or National Geographic Channel Dog Whisper. These are the web sights when I looked them up for you. www.channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/dogwhisperer for his direct web sight you can go to dogpschologycenter.com/dogwhisperer/ but the easiest way is to go to google and type in Dog Whisper and all of his sights will come up and you can choose the one that you feel is best for you. This man is amazing, when everyone else fails he comes through with all the answers. I know if you go with him you will have a healthy happy pet, and family.

Answer 6

Ever seen the movie Old Yeller? Sometimes life is hard and we need to do what's best for everyone including the dog. Has the dog seen a vet? Maybe there is something that can be done that way instead of the other.

Answer 7

You need to call the Dog Whisperer, Cesar Milan. He can fix her. Seriously, it wouldn't hurt to try, if you live in So California. He can do "pack therapy" with her. If that's not possible, get a trainer to come to your house who is willing to work with you. Try www.dogpro.org. I got that from Cesar Milans website. It's the website for The International Association of Canine Professionals (IACP) Good luck!!

Answer 8

hmmm still trying to figure out why your area didnt take the dog away for killing another dog talk to a trainner an if that dont work i am sorry to say but put it down before it bites a person an you got alot on your hands then most homeowners inc doesnt cover dogs

Answer 9

Have you tried a trainer? If you can't afford to give it that last effort then I would consider euthanasia as awful as it sounds, you can't put her up for adoption or put her in the pound because if she gets adopted without any further training you would be responsible for any bad behavior she still has. Sounds like she really either needs serious training or putting down.

Answer 10

I would try talking to you vet. to see if they have any sugestions, if that doesnt work try to find a trainer that could help with the behavioral issues, and leave putting it to sleep as a last resort. It might just need some good training a love!!

Answer 11

Have you tried crate training her? It's hard without meeting the dog, but it's possible that she is a little neurotic from being scared all the time and hasn't learned how to act and react around people. How long have you had her?