Agressive dog!?

Question

hi i posted a question about my dog chasing cars ealier today, but i've got another query. Another family member (who the dog likes alot and respects) took him for walk today and apparantly he was nipping whenever he was being held at the collar and restrained [from chasing cars]. I'm concerned about this agression. The dog is the most friendliest dog ever all of the time, apart from when he is being held back from the cars he loves to chase. What can i do? I don't want a nippy dog! This scares me even more than the car chasing, becuase i can deal sort of alright with that, but when i'm holding him by the collar and he's turning round to nip my hand, thats a problem, becuase i've then got two things to worry about. Please Help!!

Answer 1

When you go to grab the collar to hold back from chasing, lift his front feet off the ground. When he goes to bite you pop him on the top of his muzzle hard enough to make him sneeze.

Lifting him will help in the force he uses to try to run or get away. Popping him on the muzzle when he goes to bit, along with a firm gruff NO! will soon stop the biting. You have to be consistent in this in order for it to work.

What he is doing is redirecting his intent on the chase to biting. Redirected aggression happens when the dog gets so wired on one specific thing (attack training, chase, fighting etc ), so when this is thorted his intent will go to the closest object (you).

For the car chasing use a 6 ft. leash & let him start the chase but when he reaches the end of the leash jerk him back. Dogs learn through association so he will learn that every time he starts the chase he is stopped dead in his tracks. Again you have to be consistent. It is also better if you use a choke chain when walking & not his regular collar, Again association plays a roll. When he realizes that the choke chain is for going for a walk.

The choke chain when used properly is a very effective training tool.

Hope I was able to show you some insight into the reasons & how to correct it.

Answer 2

***I really hope that you don't start hitting your dog based on the terrible advice here. Striking, smacking, and intimidating your dog will certainly make the fear worse. ***
Well - your dog has shown you that he's scared and/or intimidated by a collar grab, so it'd be good for you to work on that. It needs to be said that a look at some dog body language sites would be smart - don't get yourself in trouble.
http://www.diamondsintheruff.com/bodylang.html
and
http://www.canis.no/rugaas/
The time to desensitize your dog to a collar grab and to turn it in to a positive thing for him is *away* from those situations where you must grab the collar. Practice a collar grab when you're in a relaxed atmosphere. Have a bowl full of mind blowing treats (steak, cheese, baked salmon, whatever) and aim your hand as though you are about to do a collar grab (but don't) Say "Yes!" and treat. Repeat.
Observe your dog carefully. If there is the *slightest hint* of nervousness, fear, or nippiness, then STOP.
The reasoning behind gradual desensitization is that it's possible for a person to associate something like a collar grab with mega treats and Good Stuff. As I said, start slowly and don't put yourself in danger.
http://clickersolutions.com/articles/index.htm#problem

Answer 3

he is not nipping out of aggression, and that is a big relief for any pet owner! He is only getting frustrated at being held back from his "prey".

While it may take some intense working to solve his car-chasing, the nipping will not be hard to stop. You need to remind him that you are not just a living leash, but that you are his boss.
When dogs are displeased with another dog's behavior, they will usually respond physically rather than verbally, by nipping or biting the other dog to correct him. You need to do the same. When a car passes by you on your walks, the instant he even looks toward the car, get his attention back on you. A quick side-jerk on the collar should be a good way to start. You always should match his energy level with an equal force. A mild reprimand for a strong misbehavior will not catch his attention. As you hold him by the collar and he starts to nip at you, give a shake, a quick jerk upwards, or any other similiar physical reprimand and tell him no. You will need to be more forcefull than might seem neccessary until he begins to remember that you are his leader, and not just his restraint. Until he checks his behavior, even if just for a second, you will need to increase the force of the reprimand.
Once he glances back toward you as if remembering"oh yeah, he's supposed to be walking me", he is beginning to check his behavior. Even if he just glances back and immediately jumps around again. it is a start.

good luck!

Answer 4

this dog needs a structured obedience class with a qualified instructor. Nipping is a sign of aggression and annoyance with the person who is "supposed to be in control". If you don't get a handle on this type of behavior it will escalate. However, the good news is an obedience class is not expensive and if you do the homework training, visit your class once a week and follow your instructors training recommendations this common problem will likely disappear. Training, Consistency and Repetition will equal Respect, Good Manners and a Happy Dog. Check you local newspaper for classes starting, ask your vet to recommend a class, call a boarding kennel and ask if they can recommend a trainer .... and don't wait too long ....

Answer 5

Find a dog trainer. Go to apdt.com to find a list of positive trainers in your area. The dog doesn't sound aggressive based on what you described, but you are actually creating problems by letting this behavior continue. The sooner you find a trainer, the better. In the meantime, don't hold his collar if you can avoid it. I didn't see your earlier post, but holding his collar is apparently not a good way to control this dog. Good luck.

Answer 6

My dog likes to chase cars too, he's even broken off the leash and bit me when I went after him. Every time you go outside go to the same place for him to go potty, if he resists, tug on the collar with the leash. Gettng a choke chain might help as well, it sounds mean, but it doesn't actually choke them, they ease up before it hurts too much, and it also teaches them not to tug on the owner. If the dog bites, use the same word every time to make him stop. You can't say "Bad boy" today and then a week later, switch to "No." dogs get used to hearing tones, that's how they learn their names and such. So pick a command and say it sternly, and pop it on the snout once, he's not likely to try again after you yell. When he does good outside, like not chasing cars, reward him with treats when he gets in. I give my dog a piece of cheese every time he's good outside, and i don't when he's bad, he's learned the difference and he's much better.


I hope this helps.

Answer 7

Put a muzzle on him while you are trying to walk him with cars...practice walking back and forth with cars driving past and every time he gets excited to want to chase and/or tries to nip give him a firm NO, a yank on his leash and make him sit, stay and focus his attention on you and only you. This would work best with a choke chain so when you give a little jerk he's going to respond a lot better than a regular collar. If he keeps trying to refocus on the cars hold his leash tight so he can only look at you, when he shows you his undivided attention give him a good boy and a pet and continue on and repeat every time he shows anxiety to chase again. Also giving a tap with your toe in the tuck up area works to refocus their attention on you, not hard just a prod just like cesar millan does on the dog whisperer to get their attention. I had to do that to get my dog to stop going nutso at the horses next door, she finally ignored them and focused on me and she is still pretty much ignoring them now.

Answer 8

i have a mongrel who nips every know and again and when you grip onto her copllar she bites i took her to the vets to see wat i can do she just said that dogs dont like being held like that espically when there is something intrested they want to sniff or chase she said the best way is to hold your dog around the chest not by the collar but be warned this might not work it has worked on my dog

Answer 9

Training is the best option. It doesn't sound like the dog is aggressive it sounds like he was determined to chase a car and someone stopped him.

Answer 10

Take him to training classes.