Dog aggression

[Bigeye74]

My ridgeback has become intollerant of aggressive dogs. There isn't any problem with a dog if it comes over for a bum sniff but if a dog acts aggressively she goes nuts and i struggle to control her. Is this normal?

Bigeye

[terambulan]

Is ur dog leashed when t'other dog approaches? Ur dog could be trying to protect u from the advances of t'other dog.

[Bigeye74]

This has only happened when she is on the lead.If she's off the lead she just keeps her distance from angry dogs.

[kita1]

How else would you expect her to react?

You are preventing her from running away or fighting back by having her on a leash, what else can she do?

Try and prevent strange or aggressive dogs coming over to her (shout a warning to their owners) otherwise it could develop into a real problem.

This article is worth a read:

http://www.flyingdogpress.com/sayhi.html

[Bigeye74]

That is a v.good article. My hound is on both sides of the coin here. She can be somewhat over playful when meeting others and is often told to get lost. There isn't an issue here as she is improving with time.
She also puts my friends rude pups in their place (as used to be done to her).
Her reaction and level of it to outright aggression is what caught me out.
I haven't punished anyway but I will now start informing owners to walk round.

[lankeela]

Rather than expect other owners to avoid your dog, it is your responsibility to put your dog on a lead and take her away from the situation. As for the aggression issue, these dogs can be very dominant, and I am suprised the breeder did not explain that to you and tell you how to deal with it.

Enrol her at training classes so she gets socialised with other dogs in close proximity and they will teach you how to handle her in such situations.

[Bigeye74]

Lankeela,
I have always been aware that she could be dominant. What shocked me was the level of her ferocity. The Jack Russell involved had dragged its owner snarling and barking in my direction. Once she picked up on it off she went (nuts). She was on the lead. Socialation isn't an issue.
Finally what questions should i be asking the 'runner' of a training class to ensure that I am going to get decent training.
(in case you look at my history, I in no way repremanded my dog, I just carried on moving forward and away)

[lankeela]

Having read the article, some of it I agree with and some I don't. I would definitely ask people not to allow their dogs to sniff her, but I would also warn her sharply that she is not to react to them. On approach I would say to her 'don't you dare' in a sharp voice, and make her sit or lie down till the dog has gone past or away.

If you do nothing she will think you want her to retaliate maybe to protect you, but you need to be telling her that you are very grateful for for help, but you will let her know when you want her to stick up for you.

By not doing anything she will just escalate the level of aggression until she is going in first whenever she sees a dog.

Find a training class and explain the problem and see what their reaction is. If they say we can help you socialise her with other dogs and overcome her fear/dominance/protective streak call it what you will, then you should be ok, provided you do your bit and keep her well under control.
If they say we can knock that out of her, then stay well clear! Try to find a class that is run by a member of the APDT, google that and you will find a list of trainers.

Doing nothing is not an option, as you will have a very difficult time exercising her if you cannot trust her and control her, which will in turn make her more difficult to handle.

[kita1]

I agree Lankeela.

The article I gave: I too agree with some of it, but not all. I think its the same with any trainer - nobody agrees one hundred percent with any one else. It just explained in more detail than I could here and the majority of it is good advice.

Bigeye: I misread your question slightly, I thought you meant that your dog had been attacked by an off the lead dog. I get this loads when I am out - even last night I walked out of my door and 50 yards down the street a staffie came running out of a back street straight across the road at my dog!! I have had to pull dogs off his back before now! I think the worst was a golden retriever that was out with two kids, it came flying over in a full on attack - I had to grab it and hold it off my boy, luckily he did not retaliate and I managed to get the kids to put their dog on a lead and walk it away. It was a well known fighter (suicidal springs to mind as my dog is the size of a Great Dane!) and thankfully I only saw it with adults after that, I think the kids went home and told their parents about the incident.

Yours was a totally different scenario as both dogs were on leads.

[lankeela]

http://www.apdt.co.uk/local_dog_trainers.asp

Click on your county for details of trainers near you. Find out if they run classes or just do individual one to one training. You really need classes so that your dog gets used to being around other dogs.

[Bigeye74]

Lankeela,
she is used to other dogs and I trust her 100% off the lead. She is good with all dogs on the lead apart from rabiid looking ones (like the JR that started all this) that are doing their upmost to lay on a full assault. I will follow your link and see where it takes me.

thanks Bigeye