Aggressive Dog? Need some dogsitting advice.

In My Humble Opinion
1

I’m dogsitting for some friends of mine who are away on vacation, and the dog is staying with me in my apartment. She’s a great dog and we get on like a house on fire; she’s very familiar with me and basically lolls around on the couches all day. The problem is that she’s incredibly aggressive toward other dogs. And there are a LOT of dogs in my neighborhood, not to mention my building. Each time we go on a walk and happen to cross paths with another dog, she sniffs it cautiously, then puts her ears back and starts barking and trying to leap at the other dog. She nearly pulls my arm out of the socket when this happens, and she’s pretty strong.

I’m not sure why she’s so aggressive; I’ve come up with a few possibilities. She wasn’t socialized with other dogs when she was a puppy or as an adult. She therefore prefers the company of people, or as my doorman says, “She hates her own kind.” Being in an unfamiliar neighborhood is no doubt freaking her out as well; strange smells, a new walking route, and a different schedule can be pretty uncomfortable.

What can I do to stop or at the very least curtail her behavior? I get extremely nervous walking her, and have started crossing to opposite sides of the street when I see another dog approaching. I also keep her on a very short leash so I have more control over where she goes. I don’t expect to change her over the course of the week, but is there any way I can make our walks a little less stressful for the both of us?

2

Well, you’re right - there isn’t much you can do in a week. This kind of behavior takes a lot of work, time and commitment to change, so really all you can do is try to avoid other dogs if you can. Try walking her either early in the morning or just before dark, when not so many others are likely to be around.

Does she like car rides? Perhaps you can take her somewhere else where there are not so many dogs.

Do her owners have a fenced yard? Instead of walking her, you could try going there and playing fetch or something in her own yard for exercise. If they don’t have a fenced yard, do you have a friend who might let you use theirs?

3

Well, you’re right - there isn’t much you can do in a week. This kind of behavior takes a lot of work, time and commitment to change, so really all you can do is try to avoid other dogs if you can. Try walking her either early in the morning or just before dark, when not so many others are likely to be around.

Does she like car rides? Perhaps you can take her somewhere else where there are not so many dogs.

Do her owners have a fenced yard? Instead of walking her, you could try going there and playing fetch or something in her own yard for exercise. If they don’t have a fenced yard, do you have a friend who might let you use theirs?

4

Thanks for the suggestions, romansperson. Unfortunately, I don’t have a car and can’t take her anywhere. I wish I could. For now, it seems like I’ll have to stick with avoidance.

5

Consider muzzling the animal to avoid potential lawsuits.

6

Part of the problem is you are nervous and keeping her on a short leash. You are right, there probably isn’t much you can do in a week, but think about it from the dogs perspective.

You see another dog, you pull in her in, and you cross the road to get away from the other dog. There must be something wrong with that other dog.

In the short term, I would bring treats and try to distract her. If she sees another dog, and knows that means she is going to get something to eat she loves, soon it won’t be such a big deal for her. I have a dog who here who had been through 4 different homes, and given up for ‘uncontrollable’ dog agression. When we go for walks, if he sees another dog, he sits his butt right down and and stares at me, because he knows he is getting some freeze dried liver.

7

The muzzle is a good idea in case an offleash dog runs up to her or you somehow drop the leash. You can get an inexpensive nylon one at most big pet stores. Also, a muzzle is a great red flag to other owners, who might otherwise come hopping up the sidewalk to say hi and chat–dog walking is a very social activity, after all.

The best thing you could get though is a head halter, a brand called the Gentle Leader. It works just like a head halter for a horse, lets you control the dog’s head (and thus where they are looking or able to reach with there teeth) and purportedly also applies pressure to an acupressure point which calms them. Properly (snugly)adjusted they are very comfortable (1 finger fits behind the back of the head, 1 finger fits at the muzzle) A lot of people try to make them looser because they think that would be more comfortable, but it just makes it slide around more and be more annoying, plus you or more likely to lose control of the dog’s head and it will slip off. The GL is about $21 but save a lot of aggravation, fear, and is a great training tool. Get a can of that cheese whizz stuff, and whenever you guys see a dog coming, take an avoidance route, talk to the dog to get as much of her attention as you can, and give her some cheese while praising her for not making a stink.

As long as you’re consistent, and try to never go over her threshold (that place where she feels stress/fear and begins reacting to other dogs) you will begin to be able to go closer to other dogs, because she will begine to have more positive associations: “Hey, that dog is fifty feet away, but I’m getting cheese and praise, who cares what that dog does…”

The first thing to do when she starts reacting (stiffening, barking, growling) is makes sure you break that eye contact. Just like people, eye contact is a potent emotional thing, and this is where the head hater really earns its keep. Walk behind a parked car, get her to focus on you, and give her a treat for that.

I am a big fan of the head halter, as you can tell. I think it has saved a lot of dogs, incorrigible pullers are more easily controlled and suddenly walking isn’t such an ordeal; but you may run into a few people who think it is a muzzle. It isn’t. As you will see, the dog can eat, drink, pant, and get their mouth open wide enough to grab another dog if you make a mistake, so please consider a muzzle as well if the dog is really aggressive and the dog population so dense you think you might find yourself surrounded ;).

With consistency, you can see a difference in just a week, but it takes consistent considerate positive reinforcement throughout the dog’s life to really effect that change in a more permanent sense. Your friends will thank you (or should anyway) and given the pain of having your arm yanked out of its socket and dogs and owners “freaking out” about the aggressive dog, a head halter pays you back in no time.

Initially, the dog may be annoyed by the halter, but give distracting treats and praise and eventually they’ll become used to it, and even enjoy wearing it like any other collar.

BTW, I am not affiliated with the halter in anyway, I just used to train dogs for a local humane society and think it (and consistent positive reinforcement training) really is a lifesaver for many dogs.

Good luck!

8

“What can I do to stop or at the very least curtail her behavior?”

Did you ask the owners?

I always get the canine out of the way when I see another canine approaching (find a safe spot somewhere). If the others are off leash, I use my foot to keep them away. I don’t mean kick them, but push them back.

9

You can also try bringing a can filled with pennies along with you. If she starts acting aggressive, shake the can and startle her. You want her to pay attention to you, but when she gets into the fight mode, she is not going to listen, so the startling will serve to (hopefully) bring her back into the moment when she will listen to you. You can also shake the can at the approaching dog to make it leave, and maybe she will figure you are taking care of the problem so she doesn’t have to.

I don’t normally advocate using aversive techniques, but this could turn into a very dangerous situation if you don’t get control of her.

10

I am surprised that no one has mentioned that leashed dogs are often more agressive with each other. It is as if they are over-compensating for being physically controlled. I am not suggesting you drop the lease and let the dogs have at it; I am just making an observation.

But she should sit immediately at your command, under almost any circumstances (ideally, not if some is holding a gun to your head, but that is the only exception I can think of off hand).

If she is a well brought up dog, she will respect you if you exert control over the food. Feed her only once a day, make her sit and wait after you put her food down, and use treats a lot.

Remember, she is not your guest, but a subordinate member of your pack.

11

Another thing you might try is this: When you see another dog coming, take your dog (the one you’re taking care of) a few yards away, tell her to sit, keep the leash short and keep commanding her sternly until the dog passes – “Sit . . . stay . . . you sit there . . . I said stay . . . don’t even think about it . . . sit.” But you have to do this in a voice that clearly says you’re not taking any shit from her – not loud, but stern. And if she moves, jerk her back and make her sit and stay again. I’d also work her some throughout the walk, regardless of whether another dog is around or not. Make her sit. Make her stay. Praise her when she does. Walk a little more, then do it again. In that way you will make it clear you expect her to obey you. (I do obedience training with my dog during every walk, and I’ve had her 12 years.)

But I agree there’s probably not much you can do in a week. Crossing the street sounds like a good idea, because it doesn’t sound like you’re 100% sure of your ability to control her.

12

More thanks to everyone. Yesterday we had a great walk. I took her out immediately after getting home from work, when there weren’t a lot of people out. She’s gotten much better about pulling on the leash–I think a major part of the problem is that her owners allow her to pull and use that extended lead thing so she can run ahead (the owners also never completd obedience training with her, so she’s a little rough around the edges). I used the other shorter leash yesterday and she basically walked right beside me. We saw two dogs on the walk. One was about her size, and all she did was turn her head and watch the other dog walk away. The other was a little 6-week-old puppy who lives in my building. She didn’t bark or snarl at the puppy, just sniffed at him and showed some curiosity but I didn’t want them to get too close, just in case. So things seem to be looking up. I’m getting more comfortable and assertive, and she’s settling into a routine she seems to enjoy.

13

Simple advise: Never ever sit on an aggressive dog.

14

Glad things are working out better. A short (6 foot) leather leash is much better than a flexi-lead. Flexi-leads are an abomination, really. Most people have no clue how to control their dog on a flexi - I’ve seen may half a dozen people who know how, and I suspect they trained them on normal leashes first. My obedience class didn’t allow them. I have a flexi, but I only use it for quick pees out the front door when I don’t want to actually have to go out with the dog, never for proper walks.