Hi You may remember a few months back I wrote that Jake was starting to growl etc. it has become much worse, this morning he bit my daughter, really scared her and has marked her hand. This behaviour with Jake is getting worse, she was trying to simply come through a safety gate at the bottom of the stairs and he growls and lifts his lip, he wouldn't let her past and when I opened the gate for her he lunged at her and grabbed her hands. He also does this for silly things,like telling him out of the room if someone is eating etc and also if the dog is in close proximity to me and they tell him to move he growls. I don't think its a jealousy thing with me as he has also behaved this way towards me. I had Jake spade a few weeks ago in the hope that it would help but doesn't seem to. I'm at my wits end, I really don't want to have to get rid of Jake but I must put my children first. Any advice greatly appreciated.
Re: Dog is behind aggressive. Need help. I'm so sorry you're having to deal with this, how worrying for you! I'm afraid I've only had one dog so am no expert but if it were me I would speak to my vet to make sure there were no underlying health issues and then I'd ask for a referral to a behaviourist who would hopefully come and assess Jake in your home and give you some insight into his behaviour and how to deal with it whilst keeping you and your family safe.
Re: Dog is behind aggressive. Need help. Oh gosh,I bet it scares you all ,it would me and I can't help you out as I'm the same as Barbara,first dog for us too. There's a lot of experience on the forum though so I'm sure some good,clear advice will follow ( not that yours isn't absolutely good and clear Barbara!) x
Re: Dog is behind aggressive. Need help. Oh, that's awful, you poor things. Can you jog my memory, how old is Jake, and what is his background?
Re: Dog is being aggressive. Need help. Hi Jake is now 10 months, I have had him since 8 weeks old. This behaviour started at 8 months, at first I though it was a fear reaction but it's getting worse. He's not protective of his food etc, I can do anything I want whilst he's eating and he doesn't bat an eyelid. This behaviour happens almost as if it's when he doesn't want to do something, like when being told out or to move etc.
Re: Dog is being aggressive. Need help. Sue, I think the best thing you can do is to see a good dog trainer or behavioural expert, to evaluate what is going on here. Pippa may be able to give you some hints on how to deal with the situation. I hope you get it sorted; I am sure it is something that can be dealt with but just don't really know what advice to give you. Difficult over the internet without seeing what's going on!
Re: Dog is being aggressive. Need help. I'm inclined to agree that a behavioural specialist might give an independent view of what's going on. I had Lady looked at when she was about the same age as Jake because there was some suggstion she might have aggression issues.This turned out in our case to be unfounded, but we did end up with a useful report and plan from the specialist to help us deal with her deep insecurity that was actually at the bottom of what was going on with her. We, like you, were afraid of what might happen if her behaviour didn't change. In our case it was that she might "attack" a stranger. We got pretty close to having her re-homed, although her wild behaviour leading up to her breaking my wife's leg really badly was a factor too. She's now grown upinto a timid but well mannered affectionate dog. I've actually only had one dog in recent years so I haven't really any other experience to draw on, but I would have thought that aat 10 months old Jake is probably just testing the boundaries. Hopefully some much more experienced advice will be along soon.
Re: Dog is being aggressive. Need help. Thanks for the replies. I have been in touch with a dog behavourist and is unavailable today but will get back to me tomorrow. Hopefully she might be able to get to the bottom of things. Other than showing aggression Jake really is a lovely boy and dont have any other issues with him apart from the usual chewing etc. I really don't want to have to rehome him or worse have him put to sleep because he has bit someone. Fingers crossed this behavourist will be able to help.
Re: Dog is being aggressive. Need help. Oh my this is very scary for you. It's hard not feeling like you can trust your dog, and worrying, I am sure, that you feel it is getting worse. Hope you get some solid answers and a good plan of action.
Re: Dog is being aggressive. Need help. Hi Just thought I'd update. I've spoken to a dog behavourist and training will commence in the new year, was the earliest time she could do it. It's going to cost £300 and sticks with us for a year and deals with any other problems that may arise along the way. If it puts Jake back on track it's worth every penny in my opinion. In the mean time she has giving me some advice on how to deal with him when he behaves aggressively. She explained that at the moment he is an adolescent and is trying to push the boundaries to see what he can get away with. Little devil, sounds just like my teenage daughter only she doesn't bite.
Re: Dog is being aggressive. Need help. [quote author=SueM link=topic=3716.msg41952#msg41952 date=1387387098] Hi Just thought I'd update. I've spoken to a dog behavourist and training will commence in the new year, was the earliest time she could do it. It's going to cost £300 and sticks with us for a year and deals with any other problems that may arise along the way. If it puts Jake back on track it's worth every penny in my opinion. In the mean time she has giving me some advice on how to deal with him when he behaves aggressively. She explained that at the moment he is an adolescent and is trying to push the boundaries to see what he can get away with. Little devil, sounds just like my teenage daughter only she doesn't bite. [/quote] Sue, have you asked your vet for a referral to a reputable behaviourist? It is an absolute minefield trying to find a good behaviourist and my first port of call would be my vet. Absolutely anybody can call himself/herself a behaviourist, it is a very unregulated industry. Best of luck.
Re: Dog is being aggressive. Need help. Hi I haven't spoken to my vet about a reputable behavourist. I just looked on the Internet for a local dog trainer. Maybe I should give them a quick ring.
Re: Dog is being aggressive. Need help. I'm not suggesting this is necessarily the case but I'd also be cautious about anyone who wants a lot of money up front.....definitely talk to your vet
Re: Dog is being aggressive. Need help. I think that's a good point re money up front. Might be an idea to get the vet to recomend someone. From what you've described it doesn't sound too serious and I would have thought an assessment with a report and some suggested strategies with maybe a follow up would be enough to start with. It's basically guidance on any issues that kick off the behaviour and then some strategies to avoid or discourage it is what's needed.
Re: Dog is being aggressive. Need help. Hi Sue, aggression can be very complex, and is usually founded in fear (the dog's). I totally agree with going through your vet. Particularly as there are still trainers around that believe in rank reduction techniques. Which can make your problems a whole lot worse. A good behaviourist (not just a dog trainer) will help you get to the root of your problems. Good luck
Re: Dog is being aggressive. Need help. I agree this sounds like an awful lot of money up front. Our trainer deals with behavior issues too, he trained as a behaviourist after being a police dog trainer and handler. He does home visits, one-t-one's etc, but all dogs are different and need different levels of input, for varying lengths of time. A fixed fee, particularly if up-front sounds a little mercenary to say the least, I would like to back up the others and recommend a word with your vet first. Good luck. Jac
Re: Dog is being aggressive. Need help. hey everyone I know im supposed to write I new feed but its only a quick question yesterday a friend of mine gave my 6 and half month pup a bone from the butcher I had no problem with this it was a new experience for him and he looked like he was enjoying it just before bed time I decided to take the bone off him before he choked in the night my partner treid first and bailey (the dog) backed up and growled this has never been a issue before with food I shouted and he dropped it as I went to pick it up he did exactly the same with me difference is I jut opened his mouth and took it off him hoping I didn't get bit in the process. is this the first signs of aggression or I he just testing to see what he can get away with? today he has been absolutely fine ive even stuck my hand in his food wile he was eating to see if I got a reaction and he didn't bat a eyelid so now im totally confused
