Guys you have been so helpful so I hope you don't mind if I ask yet another question. Thankfully the vet has given Bob the all clear regarding his leg and has said to start again with gentle lead walking and build up to off lead again - which is great news! Just one thing that is bothering me though.. since he was snipped the other month, he has shown a bit more aggression towards other dogs. Usually those that are bigger/same size as him. Maybe a fear thing? I'm wondering if it's because he was kept isolated from the outside world for a while during his recovery? Anyway, could anyone share any tips or techniques that we can apply when out and about to stop this happening? Our trainer said to reward nice good behaviour when he meets other dogs. But I didn't ask what to do if he was aggressive! He is such a gentle boy and this new behaviour is somewhat upsetting. Thank you in advance for any help/advice. Lou x
It could have been the isolation, but to be honest unless it was very long I'd say it is unlikely. It's possible though. I did have some problems with Charlie getting nervous around other dogs, but his isolation (in total) was 12 months....it might also be because Bob is neutered now. This is a change, you have removed testosterone, which interacts with confidence (I should add only some people believe this is a factor - I happen to believe it though). Regardless of the reason, I would say you need him to interact with other dogs in a safe, structured environment - so he gets lots of positive associations, and you have lots of opportunites to reward the right behaviour. Have you had a look for any socialisation classes for older dogs? These really can be a godsend. If you get people who know what they are doing, they are excellent. They have all sorts of techniques like introducing dogs through a fence, and pairing potentially problematic dogs with other dogs who have the inclination to 'step in' between two dogs that are squaring up to each other and things like that. Sometimes (as with Charlie) you can be paired with only bitches if it's a dog/dog thing with Bob and so on....do have a look at see what might be available. Completely appreciate that these types of things aren't available in all areas though. So your alternative is trying to find play dates, and opportunities for Bob to be around lots of friendly dogs in another way. Which is trickier, of course. Do you think you are getting enough help from your trainer? Might a behaviourist help and give you a few tips?
Can you describe more fully what he does that you worry is aggression? What the situation is, where and when this happens? I see the other dog is his size or more, are they male? Intact? Is Bob neutered?
Yes I agree he needs some doggie company! Ive got friends with dogs so will sort out some time with them. It seems to be bitch, entire dog, neutered dog regardless. It's not everytime he sees a dog but sometimes he suddenly turns on them after saying hello. I might also speak with our trainer to see if we can do some socialisation classes. They do a lead walking with other dogs thing on a Saturday. That could be worth trying. Just put him out there a bit more.
More details would help....but most aggression seems to be based on being nervous - a sort of flight or fight response, and the dog chooses fight.... If you are really concerned he is getting aggressive with other dogs, seeking professional advice - ideally classes with access to lots of other dogs - introduces in a supervised, safe way - so he can have lots of fun, friendly interactions, would be the way to go....if possible.
I forget where you live, Lou, but I can recommend these people: http://dogcommunication.co.uk/wp2/index.php/category/articles-news/
We are down in West Sussex JulieT . We got the all clear from the vet last week so Bob had his first off lead walk in ages today and was really good. We didn't see any other dogs though. I definitely think it's a fear thing maybe the lack of testosterone could be the reason he's not feeling as confident like you said. But I think we'll get him booked into a socialisation class or something in the near future and I've arranged a few walks with friends who have dogs too over the next few weeks OH said he was out the other day and met a few dogs and he seemed fine with them so that was encouraging. We are rewarding him well when he greets a dog nicely
It may or may not be related to his neutering. Shadow has been to-and-fro with this a bit, and he's entire. When he was a young puppy, he didn't have any issues, but when he entered adolescence, he started being beaten up by every male dog out there. It briefly got better and then the tables turned and he started being the instigator. It seemed to be sorting itself out (since we don't have any real opportunities for planned doggy socialisation with unknown dogs), but then, when we were in the UK, he was a horrible monster again. It seemed as if he was being possessive of Willow, because he was a lot better when she wasn't around. Now we're back home, we've had a single meeting with unknown males, last night, and there wasn't an issue at all. So it could definitely be a confidence thing with Shadow feeling better about these meetings on home turf, or maybe something to do with the stress of travelling. If it is confidence with Bob, then certainly structured socialisation can't be a bad thing, as long as the other dogs are the right sort of dogs to help him. A public class might not be the best idea, because the chances are that the dogs attending will have poor socialisation skills themselves, so you could end up with double the trouble. Some behaviourists have "stooge dogs" that are very good at settling down fearful/aggressive dogs by giving the right calming signals. A one-on-one would probably be more beneficial to both you and Bob, I'd have thought.
