Your dog was socially overstressed at the party where the first incident occurred. Overwhelmed dogs often behave in a defensively aggressive manner, saying "back off!" doggie style, when they feel things are getting too close for comfort or they have had enough. It is understandable, considering they have no idea what the big gatherings are about, and, as...
Gidget may have brought some old habits, and old expectations, into her new home. During the "honeymoon" phase of a relationship with a new pet, it is easy to fall into habits of overattentiveness. Figuring out what our dogs need requires attention and sensitivity.
People rely on their knowledge about dogs in general and their understanding of their own...
I suggest you seek hands-on help from a qualified behaviorist who, using positive methods, can assist you with desensitizing your dog and building his social confidence. You also need to be taught how to best to respond to your new pet, to improve his behavior and at the same time build his trust. The slightest poorly timed reaction from you, especially if...
If you are concerned about your dog's temperament, I suggest you seek assistance from a behaviorist who can evaluate your puppy and, it is hoped, reassure you she simply is extremely dominant and tenacious. A certain number of dogs display abnormal behaviors that are unresponsive to typical training methods. Though rare, these dogs need an expert help to...
Your dog sounds like a puppy version of the problem Samoyed in question No. 2. Although I don't think you necessarily have an actual "aggression problem" just yet, at least not the sort that conjures up images of injuries and lawsuits, there is cause for concern any time a dog shows high dominance and a lack of inhibition when faced by larger, even more...
The behavior your dog is driving you to wits' end with is known as urine marking behavior. It is the method dogs have for leaving their calling card, so to speak, or chemical scent mark, upon upright objects. Marking any upright surfaces both within and outside their homes, dogs identify their presence in the area. This may work to establish a census of...
The bad news is, if you ever leave the animals loose together, unsupervised, you are crossing your fingers and taking a chance. I'd be hard-pressed to take the kinds of chances with my "baby" cat and a 7-year-old dog with an unknown history that could result in the cat being injured or killed. What you do know is the dog shows a propensity to be aggressive...
Well, your dog certainly sounds intense! If he were an employed field dog, he'd probably be an overachiever retriever! Because you have gone through obedience training with him, I am less likely to leap to the conclusion that this problem stems from your family's failure to establish authority over the dog. He sounds more like an over excitable, somewhat...
Apparently your little dog is a bit too big for her Corgi breeches! Unfortunately, sometimes big dogs get born into little bodies. When the right combination of tenacity, drive, "gameness," dominance and a history of success in early "battles" make their combined appearance in a small adult dog, both dog and owner can be in for big trouble. Sooner or later...
What a horrible experience! I feel sorry for all involved-you, your family, even the dog. But most of all, I feel sorry for the children involved. Children have such faith in dogs as trustworthy friends, and when bitten, they oftentimes blame themselves. Your son must feel really badly that all of this could transpire, and he may feel afraid to trust...
It sounds to me as if you have tried quite a few different approaches, and I'm sure you are frustrated. But every one of the attempts to remedy your dog's mouthiness you have described is based on a parent-to-child sort of disciplinary relationship, and not on a more dominant or leading canine group member's communication of authority to a subordinate. In...
Yes, you probably can modify your dog's behavior, with some time, patience and the right tools. Begin by getting into the car with him several times every day, just for a moment, right before any major positive events, such as before a walk or before a meal. Get in, sit with him restrained and quiet on a leash (no wipers yet), praise and even pet him when...
Your dog has learned to stop barking on command but hasn't been taught the self-control and discrimination necessary with regard to appropriate barking. A good approach is to first teach your dog when she should bark, and when to stop. This is done by setting her up with stimulus you will consider alarming, which justifies her alarm barking. The only...
Well, here is a tough problem, because dogs will be dogs, and very young children can bring out what we perceive as the worst from our pets, specifically aggression toward them. Yes, what you have described is aggressive behavior from your dog. It sounds like it stems from a dominant ranking attitude in the dog and perhaps some defensiveness as well. Just...
If Billy has been crated in the past it might be a good idea to consider using it again, at least for a while. Many people are very reluctant to crate their dogs when they aren't home, feeling giving the dog its "freedom" is more kind. But in cases in which dogs get themselves into trouble of a destructive sort, more harm may be caused by letting the dog...
