Up until a year ago, he was nice to all other dogs. Now he tries to attack every dog he sees. How can I put a stop to this? He is great at home. He's like Eeyore, but when he gets outside he wants to go after them. I can't take him to the dog park anymore and it's not fair to take his sister (Jack Russell) and not him. WHAT SHOULD I DO?
2007-03-15 02:23:21 · 6 answers · asked by Benjamin L 1 in Pets ➔ Dogs
First have a vet check to make sure there is nothing physical that has caused this change. Secondly,have a certified behaviorist consult. If he is not neutered,have him neutered. This may lessen male aggression.
2007-03-15 02:34:23 · answer #1 · answered by W. 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Either your dog is trying to over protect you or your dog is spoiled and doesn't want any other dog getting your attention. Best thing to do is get a friend with a dog and bring the other dog over.
Put your dog on a leash and have the two meet. When your dog starts barking, move the dog close to you and talk calmly to the dog and pet him. Tell him to stop and assure your dog that everything is okay. Let your dog know that you aren't being attacked and that you are showing him that he's getting your attention even with other dogs around.
This won't happen on the first meet. It will take lots of meeting, but it's worth it to take your dog to the park to have fun.
2007-03-15 09:33:42 · answer #2 · answered by aplusjimages 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He could be 'protecting' her.
Try the can method. Put him on a leash. When he starts to attack, shake a can with a few pennies in the bottom. The sound will startle him and he will stop. Then give him a treat and praise.
Continue this over and over until he stops worrying about other dogs.
Personally, I would start going for walks with just him, use the can. Then add the sister in along with the can.
PS They have clickers at all the pet stores now, but I don't know if they are as startling as pennies in a can.
2007-03-15 09:28:27 · answer #3 · answered by WriterMom 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
There could be a couple of issues...the first question is...is he neutered? It is very common to see this temperament change in an unneutered male (its a testosterone "thing"). If he is neutered and/or you dont see a significant change afterward, then I would take him to a behaviorist. A trained professional will be able to determine if his aggression is his effort to protect you from other animals, if he is trying to act like the dominant dog, or if hes responding to your response to the other animals. (Some examples of the later:, is he jealous of the attention your giving or are you showing apprehension through your body language.) A good behaviorist doesn't only look at your pet, but tries to see if you could be inadvertently encouraging his behavior.
2007-03-15 10:17:26 · answer #4 · answered by Meresa 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I agree with the above post. First, make sure that everything is okay medically (thyroid and liver problems are particularly associated with aggression). If he is fine, start working with a behaviorist. Aggression is not something you should try to correct on your own.
BTW, clickers are used as a signal of a reward to come - they are NOT meant to be used to interupt or punish a behavior.
And, dogs realize that life isn't fair. If your female is fine at the dog park and needs the exercise and socialization, take her. Find other ways to exercise and spend time with your male.
2007-03-15 10:06:26 · answer #5 · answered by melissa k 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Thats not a question, its a statement, you should put the question where the question is ment to go not in the next part
2007-03-15 09:26:20 · answer #6 · answered by ?Gems? 5 · 0⤊ 3⤋