Which solution for fear aggression?

Question

I have read about two totally opposite ways to deal with fear aggression. I am curious what people think is the best solution.
I have a 7month old Shepherd/lab mix who we found 2.5 months ago wandering the streets. She is in good health and is now spayed. She was obviously mistreated because she has an unnatural fear of strangers. When we go on walks or to Petsmart she barks and growls when people try to approach her. She is totally docile inside with her own family (includes a 5 yr old and a cat).
Is it better to give her lots of positive attention when in these situations (so she associates strangers with good things) or give her the "no bark and/or sit" command so she knows that this behavior is not acceptable.
I just don't want her to think that it is OK to act this way towards people.
So which way should I go, positive or negative reaction when she acts this way.??
Also any other advice/websites/books would be great.
Thanks.

Answer 1

Hi. Let me see if I can help you & your pup.
First off: PLEASE DO NOT TAKE YOUR PUP to PETSMART or PETCO or anyplace like these.....people bring their dogs into these stores and they MAY NOT HAVE BEEN VACINATED & YOU & YOUR PUP COULD BE IN HARMS WAY. It's fine to go by youself (with your parents etc...just not with you pup).
Lots of people forget this very important point. Since these places are not checking any "record of vacinnations" these pups have received when they enter the store...you will always find someone out there who will not get their pup the shots they need and then your pup is exposed to illness.

Next...I read what others have let you for answers and I agree with some...but when they ask you "what is your pup afraid of in Petco etc." this is wrong. YOUR PUP, as you stated was found "wandering the streets" and you were extremely kind to give her a FOREVER HOME. She needs your constant LOVE & SUPPORT. Not negative reaction.

Since no one really knows what has happened to her whileshe was alone....people could have been very mean to her and she then will respond with AGGRESSION. And her AGGRESSION would be well-founded. She has learned that not all people are friendly, she is simply "protecting YOU & herself" from "a sense of danger she feels is presents".

I would simply stop taking her anywhere in a car, except the vets for at least 6 months. Let her become totally responsive to you and your family members. Teach her with kindness that people/children/adults etc can be very kind and she will learn kindness.
Next step: After she is fully settled into a rountine at your home....you can let her meet the mailman/maillady etc and people when you talk her for walks around your neighborhood. Teach her to "SIT" and "STAY" and "DOWN" and "BACKOFF". These are easy to train, and will help with any problems she is having trusting people. Use these commands at home and she will respond when you start taking her for walks.

Since she is a larger pup (Shepherd/lab mix) people may have felt afraid of her and responded to her negatively. :-( This is so sad, as larger pups need tons of LOVE AND EMOTIONAL SUPPORT AS MUCH AS SMALLER BREEDS.

So the bottom line: Give her POSITIVE, LOVING REINFORCEMENT FOR AT LEAST 6 MONTHS SO SHE KNOWS THAT YOU ARE IN CHARGE & will PROTECT HER FROM PEOPLE, SO SHE DOESN'T HAVE TOO. :-)

Your question is very welll thought out and I applaud your kindness and wanting the best advise for your pup. I do hope this has helped.

Here's a star for you and you pup and your question. :-)
Many Blessings, Patti

Answer 2

The positive attention in that situation will only encourage her to act that way more. The better thing is to get her in a better state of mind, then praise her.
Remember, praise encourages the dog to keep acting how they are acting, so if she is acting fearful and aggressive, you need to correct the behavior, then reward her when she is acting positively.
Most people are happy to help you train your dog, so just get some people to assist you. When she acts that way, get her to sit/stay, and when she is acting calm, ask the stranger to slowly approach and ignore her. When she is comfortable with the stranger's prescence, the stranger can then talk to her. If she acts positive to that, have them hold out their hand for her to sniff and then pet her. When the dog acts calmly anytime through this whole process, pet her to reinforce the good behavior, but if at anytime she barks or acts scared, give a quick correction with a slight pull on the leash.
Be patient and keep repeating this and she will learn to appropriately deal with strangers.

Answer 3

It does not matter what happened to your dog in the past, what matters now is that she learns what is acceptable and what is not. Also, her fear may be genetic and may have nothing to do with being mistreated or she may not have been socialized as a pup which would also lead to fear aggression. What you need to do is get the dog into an obedience program where the dog will learn to focus on you and she will get socialization at the same time. You may need to get the dog a muzzle for safety purposes. You also need to understand you may never have a dog that will allow people to pet it but you can get the dog to the point of being able to walk it without the aggression.
I would steer clear of any Petsmart or Petco training programs and I would look for a knowledgeable trainer that knows how to deal with aggressive dogs. This type of trainer will be able to evaluate your dog and give you the best suggestions.
When you pet or try to soothe your dog when she is being aggressive you are re-enforcing the aggression.

As you see there are many different opinions on how to handle the situation but the truth is, no one should really offer you suggestions without seeing and evaulating your dog because not every solution will work for every dog, this is why finding a good trainer is in you and your dog's best interest. I suggest you look for classes in breed clubs or training clubs, both of these places will have knowledgeable people that will be able to help you with your problem.

Here is a site with lots of info and it has some articles on aggressive dogs.
http://www.leerburg.com/articles.htm#dom

Answer 4

If your dog wasn't housebroken, coming here for advice is great. Might solve the problem. If they don't, they haven't caused any damage.

I have evaluated probably 250 dogs for aggression. I've treated about a dozen. I've recommend some of the 250 dogs be put down.

Of the dogs that I've treated, this is not fun, it is DANGEROUS. If you make a mistake someone could get hurt and hurt very badly. Do you want to take that chance?

What you are describing may not be fear aggression, but simply a lack of socialization. Despite what all of the well intentioned folks might tell you here, you CANNOT determine that over the internet. You have to SEE the dog and SEE what is going on.

You need someone who is a PROFESSIONAL in this area. Not someone who has had three dogs in their life and think they know what they are talking about.

Talk to your vet and others to get recommendations.

How would you feel if you did the wrong thing and the dog truly hurt a little kid?

Answer 5

Fear aggression is a very hard thing to get rid of. That puppy was obviously mistreated before you got her, its very hard to rewind your dog's life. That dog learned to be fear aggressive at an early age. Its kind of the mentality, i'll attack you before you can hit me or kick me. Thats what your dog is thinking when it sees something scary or intimidating. Just try to calm your dog and tell her its ok. Pet her and show her there is nothing to be scared of. Let any guests coming into your home know that your dog is fear aggressive so they know how to approach the dog. You don't just want strangers or children running up to your dog b/c that could cause a fear aggressive resonse. Good luck and its probably going to take a very long time, if ever, to rehabilitate your dog.

Answer 6

While I believe in positive whenever possible, there are times when you need to make sure that your dog understands that his/her bahaviour is NOT ok. Growling/barking at someone who is not doing much of anything to them is absolutely not ok. Honestly, if you are on a walk, or at Petsmart and this is happening - what exactly is she fearful of? If someone walks hear her to buy whatever is on the shelf next to her does she act this way?

Without actually seeing your dog, you should be really really careful about the advice given. But I honestly have to wonder if this really is fear aggression. From the way that you described it, it may be possessive aggression. She has owned you - and she is feeling the need to "protect" you all from anyone that gets near.

Dogs aren't stupid. They can sense good people and bad people and there is no reason for a well-balanced dog to act this way towards any and every person that approaches him/her.

I think first and foremost you should
1.) talk with your vet. Many vets can determine if it is fear aggression, leash aggression, possessive aggression and therefore can help you decide a course of action
2.) get a personal trainer that is recommended by your vet based on the vet's analysis of your dog's behaviour. Your vet will most likely want to walk your dog (without you) by someone (e.g. a vet tech, a person in the waiting room). If your dog doesn't act the same way, then it's not fear aggression, she is protecting you. And that means, she thinks she is higher up on the totem pole.

In terms of training. Personally, I would use negative reinforcement. And that doesn't mean abuse or beating your dog. My dog suffers from on-leash aggression (he barks at other dogs, not people). I carry a can of coins with me and if he so much as changes his body stance he gets a correction (prong collar). If he lunges or begins to bark, he gets the can. And he stops. And you know what - yesterday I walked by my very first dog in months and he barely even whined. He is learning that his behaviour is not appropriate.

Please see your vet and a trainer - get some good ideas of questions or suggestions from us about how to deal with it - but ultimately, you need to ask the vet and a trainer about them!

Answer 7

If you give her any sort of attention while in these situations, positive or negative, you are going to be reinforcing the fear, and only making her that much more afraid.

Instead ignore her. I'd avoid Petsmart for awhile. Start slow. Take her to a park and let her watch people. If someone starts to get a little closer, and she doesn't react, then praise her. You want to start slow.

If a person is 99 feet away from her and shows a reaction, ignore it. If the person is 100 feet away from her and she doesn't react, reward her. Gradually bring her closer to the person. Rewarding her for every inch she doesn't react. If she reacts, end the training and go home for the day. Start a few feet back the following day.

You may also want to look into positive obedience classes, and possibly agility to boost her confidence as well.

Answer 8

I am dealing with a similar situation right now. My dog was feral for about six months, so she is very frightened of everything;strangers, kids on bikes, motorcycles, etc. She also doesn't handle a busy environment very well. This sounds like your dog is very uncomfortable in a busy store with all kinds of people, carts, kids, other dogs, noise, etc. At this point it is not even a good idea to take your dog and put her in a situation like that.
When I hired my trainer, the first thing he said to me was to keep the dog at home until I could control her outside the home. That includes her fear level and the growling.
We started with obedience training, rewarding good behaviors and correcting the behaviors we didn't want. (And for all you non-believers, I don't use treats for rewards, just pats and "good dog").
For instance, if she barked hysterically out the window when a kid on a bike went by, we checked that behavior in a NON-negative way.
After we got basic obedience down, we started de-sensitizing. In other words, you get your dog used to the things she fears until she is bored with them, and ignores them.
It has been a few months, but I am now able to take my dog on walks in the neighborhood without worrying that she will eat a child. I can also take her into small business environments to meet people, such as the gourmet biscuit store in town. She has been to the Petsmart once, but I did not let her meet anyone-we just walked around and got used to the noises and smells.
The biggest thing I got out of this, (besides being able to control my dog), was the realization of what being a pack leader truly means. When your dog looks to you for leadership and protection, you are finally in control and they don't have to worry about it anymore.
I love how well my dog has turned out, and I do have to mention that no physical restriction or negative reinforcement was used to train her. Just good old-fashioned patience and practice.

Answer 9

When a stranger comes towards her get her to sit and when she does act like this give her a tap under her chin so that her teeth come into contact with each other but not so it hurts her just a tap and in a firm voice say NO!( all that does is breaks her attention and makes her focus on you) and if she stops give her lots of praise remember 10 times more praise than command.

Answer 10

Dogs are "pack animals"- you have saved her and she has chose to be a part of your "pack".
You do not know what happened to her before, so......If her behavior is not acceptable to you let her know it is "NO".
The trainers at Petsmart will have some real good advise on how to socialize you dog.

Good luck with her - shepherd/lab you have a very loyal, protective friend.