# Agressive behaviour



## Maglily (Feb 3, 2009)

Jodi is a great dog in many ways...gentle and friendly with children and 99% of all dogs. 

He will bark at people and dogs he sees going past the house (from inside or while outside). When I correct him (say NO, and if he doesn't stop, walk towards him with a firm NO , he will back away from his guard post at the top of the stairs.
(keep him away from there in the first place?)

On walks he is eager and pulls ahead to greet other dogs for MOST dogs coming our way ( although I switched to the 6' leash to keep him closer). If some dogs or people come out of nowhere while we are walking he will usually go strain to get closer then go nuts barking. If they get close enough he is calmer and eager to greet them no problems. He has only had a problem with one small dog, who did not get along with anyone, and was not good with children. He was not agressive to the 2 large dogs at the pet store yesterday, a little wary of their size i think, one wanted to play.
(When we walk for 10 mins or so , he is not pulling but settles into a walk near my side.)

BUT with some dogs he goes ballistic....like a tasmanian devil on a string. I hold him by the scruff and make him sit and say NO, until he is 'calm' before we continue.

He really doesn't like 3-4 dogs in the neighborhood, a lab-beagle mix, a big fluffy lab/husky mix, and 2 border collies, one of these usually runs by with his owner on a bike.
But as soon as we go out of the house, or to a park, I am wary of which dogs he will go nuts with. If he sees anyone when we walk out the door he is in alert mode and wants to bark.

Yesterday in another store he went nuts, I thought he was straining to greet this border collie, the collie was also straining forward , so i let him greet him. The other owner also said she likes 99% of all dogs....both dogs started barking and snarling....I've never seen Jodi snarl and go nuts like that before , so it was disturbing.

Basicially I think it is best not to try to introduce jodi to all dogs he sees bec you also don't know the temperment of the other dog, but still there must be something to do so I can help Jodi be calmer. Me being on edge when I see a dog coming doesn't help either I know.

(oh yes, the boxers....I have a fenced back yard with 2 boxers at one side and 1 boxer on the other, he goes nuts with these dogs too, defending the fence, they react the same way). LOVELY. One fence has about an 3/4 inch spaces between the boards and I am nervous about that boxer's nails. he is starting to listen to me when i get between him and the fence he backs off, but still....i don't leave Jodi alone in the yard anyhow for other reasons, but he needs to be calmer in the yard.

any suggestions ?


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## maggieh (Dec 16, 2007)

Has he or you been through any sort of obedience training? Even with the little ones there is a huge "before and after" difference just by knowing what behavior to reward and what not to reward. I know I was surprised to think about what I accidentally reward sometimes and that just going through a beginner class has given me a beautifully social well behaved pup. Good luck.


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## Maglily (Feb 3, 2009)

QUOTE (maggieh @ Apr 5 2009, 01:01 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=757569


> Has he or you been through any sort of obedience training? Even with the little ones there is a huge "before and after" difference just by knowing what behavior to reward and what not to reward. I know I was surprised to think about what I accidentally reward sometimes and that just going through a beginner class has given me a beautifully social well behaved pup. Good luck.[/B]



We did do a beginners basic obedience training (top of the class, not so sure). he was about 5 months old.

he is very good at "stop" and "up" (when I am following him in the house and want to pick him up. He is good with "come", eg. if going down the hall to go into a bedroom, I will say no come back, and he will just listen and slowly walk back. he will do things without needing treats.
But maybe I need to bring treats with me and reward good behaviour on walks.
Thanks. Maybe he needs another class.


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## maggieh (Dec 16, 2007)

I bring treats with me on walks and if there's another dog I think she might get too interested in we go off to the side and start working "watch me" with treat rewards. After a while she got to the point where another dog meant Sweetness got a treat, so that seemed to help. 

If not, are there trainers who will work with you on an individual basis instead of in a class? That way you'll be focusing just on your pup's needs.


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

In order for a correction to influence a behavior, it must have 3 pieces
1. The correction must be immediate to the behavior (as soon as the unwanted barking begins)
2. The correction must be strong enough that the dog views it as a correction (obviously your no is not adequate)
3. The correction must be immediately followed by a chance to do the correct behavior and be rewarded (rewarded for being quiet)

If you cannot do all 3, you are actually STRENGTHENING the barking because you have unknowingly put it on a variable schedule of reinforcement. This is the same idea as playing the slot machines in Vegas. People keep playing because sometimes they get rewarded and if they keep doing the same thing, it will happen again. Barking is self-rewarding. So all the times he barks and isn't stopped, he is rewarded. Thus, this behavior remains strong and your intermittent aversives don't have much impact at all. 

Using a baby gate to prevent him from being at his perch can help. 

The best way to curb barking is to ask your dog for an incompatible behavior. This could be a sit, down, roll over, carry a toy, run to the kitchen to the cookie jar for a treat. EVERY time he starts the barking (you must be consistent so you don't continue to strengthen the behavior) interrupt (a loud "eh" or clap your hands) and ask your dog for the new behavior and reward! Then keep your dog engaged and remove him from the room doing some fun training or grabbing a toy to play fetch. 



Your "correction" for the issues outside the house is not working because of the above AND because your dog is being reactive due to anxiety and fear and you are INCREASING those emotions by getting physical with your dog. Reactive behavior is very common in small dogs, usually due to lack of socialization. It can be counteracted by building confidence in the dog, remedial socialization, and desensitizing your dog to fearful stimuli (ie border collie running by). Ideally, you should work with a trainer in person. It is important for someone to evaluate how you are interacting with your dog because owners often have body language that is making the behavior worse and you cannot self-evaluate for this. In addition, the desensitization process is something that requires knowledge of dog body language and behavior as well as someone who can properly set criteria for your dog's progression. You want a trainer who is well versed in small dogs with this issue and uses only positive, motivational methods of training (ie clicker training, never something based on corrections). 

Search for trainers: http://www.apdt.com

Books:
Scaredy Dog by Ali Brown
Click to Calm by Emma Parsons
Culture Clash by Jean Donaldson
Cautious Canine by Patricia McConnell
Feisty Fido by Patricia McConnell
Fearfulness Pamphlet by Ian Dunbar

All are available from Dogwise.com


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## cleooscar (May 28, 2008)

My oldest has the same issue as well. He's been to puppy socialization, beginner, intermediate classes along with beginner and intermediate agility classes. he's pretty obedient but has dominant tendencies. If Pasha sees another dog when we go for a walk in the neighbourhood, he goes ballistic. I don't know if it's a territorial thing. I tried corrective behaviour but don't think I do the 3 things that Jacki mentioned in the right way. Thanks Jacki for the tips, I'm going to try to be more vigilant with the corrective training.


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## Maglily (Feb 3, 2009)

QUOTE (cleooscar @ Apr 7 2009, 12:36 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=758522


> My oldest has the same issue as well. He's been to puppy socialization, beginner, intermediate classes along with beginner and intermediate agility classes. he's pretty obedient but has dominant tendencies. If Pasha sees another dog when we go for a walk in the neighbourhood, he goes ballistic. I don't know if it's a territorial thing. I tried corrective behaviour but don't think I do the 3 things that Jacki mentioned in the right way. Thanks Jacki for the tips, I'm going to try to be more vigilant with the corrective training.[/B]



I think I will have to do the same, bring treats, re-direct his attention on sits, stay etc. it is frustrating not knowing the right thing to do. Jodi has dominant tendencies too. Jodi barks like he means business but for many he is barking and pulling to get closer just to sniff or play. 
Thanks for the comments.


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## Maglily (Feb 3, 2009)

QUOTE (JMM @ Apr 5 2009, 01:25 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=757587


> In order for a correction to influence a behavior, it must have 3 pieces
> 1. The correction must be immediate to the behavior (as soon as the unwanted barking begins)
> 2. The correction must be strong enough that the dog views it as a correction (obviously your no is not adequate)
> 3. The correction must be immediately followed by a chance to do the correct behavior and be rewarded (rewarded for being quiet)
> ...


Thank you for all of this advice!!! I will be referring back to this post.


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## Maglily (Feb 3, 2009)

Thanks to JMM , Jodi, is improving with your suggestions. I have been doing this almost every time Jodi barks. I will go to him and ask him to SIT, and he gets a treat. I hope it doesn't become rewarding him for barking, vs. for sitting. But I don't think so.

This morning he barked I think at some noise he heard outside, he was in another room and I called out SIT and he stopped barking, he came to me and sat...waiting for a treat. I gave him the smallest of treats and he was satisified with that.

He definitely still has his moments, but he also responsed and sat even while in full berserk mode while outside on the deck. He went wild when he heard the neighbor's boxers also outside on their deck/yard. But a loud SIT and having the treats in hand got his attention and he was quiet. He was quick to alert when they made some more noise but much easier to calm down again. If he can do this while loose in the yard and not attack them thru the fence it will be great.

I think being cooped up all winter didn't help his behaviour, all the outside noises, dogs, people walking by are new again and he needs to be de-sensitized. 
I will sit on the steps with him and watch things go by and repeat the SIT etc.

The trick while out on walks is to keep the treats very handy so that the reward is there exactly when the barking starts.


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

I'm glad things are improving. 

Dogs get smart to this...I had one whom I taught to run to the kitchen and sit for a cookie. Since I always interrupted after 2-3 barks, he eventually would bark 2-3 times and run to the kitchen...if I didn't come, he'd come get me LOL Can't say I minded.


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## Maglily (Feb 3, 2009)

oh that's cute...they are smart aren't they? Jodi will lift his front leg when I say FIX if the leash is looped under his leg. 

He's getting there, it took 3 or so times walking then sitting as we rounded the corner today, with 2 growling boxers behind the fence to distract him. I was impressed that he sat while they were there. He tried to attack the fence _then_ sat for me. 

He is back in the kitchen now, barking. Better go see what His Highness needs.


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