Aggressive dog discussion/help? (Mandy-progress and plan update)

Mikey

I don't know why I haven't asked this before. (Just reminded me in the obedience thread about petsmart)

Background on Mandy: She's a husky, she's deaf now and has a low grade tumour that's had radiation. She is doing really well healthwise and our vet has given the go ahead for working with a trainer/behaiorist. (Quote "Mandy's a tough dog, she won't be stressed out by that-go for it")

Her Agression: Mandy has always been aggressive with other dogs. SHe was seperated from the litter because she was beating them up and not letting them eat (A mistake I think...) and we did puppy school, but only got two sessions in because of a family illness. She was then too big and too aggressive to go back, though looking back-we should have.

Presentation: She seems and looks interested in a dog-but will attack and lunge even when the other dog is giving submissive signals or play bows. She 'seems' to not understand dog body language.

Attacks: She has hospitalized my ex's dog once, it wasn't bad, but she got his ear and he had a hematoma so that's why it bled-he was fine after the vet. So she has had one real dog bite.
Otherwise she's not made contact, and she's not an ounce aggressive with people. She's super sensitive around kids and elderly-never jumping on them.

What we've tried: I've made attempts over the years-like walking with other dogs. And she will-well; but when they get close enough she snarls and attacks even with a muzzle on. We did the petsmart session and the trainer basically said he couldn't help and to seek out behaviorists.

Currently: We're doing a session with Mikey's trainer soon to see what she thinks. She's a certified master dog trainer, and does no treat pack leader training.

Goals and wishes: Goal is that she could be in the same house, or campground with Mikey without attacking. They've camped together but both dogs had to be tied the whole time, a distance away from each other. Wish? That she could play with other dogs.

I guess my question is: What *kind* of trainer do you think we should be starting with? I'm not sure a pack leader is the right type (we'll go anyways of course) but what do you guys think?

fawkese1

you cannot solve aggression issues by using corrections/aggression...i would look for a behaviorist who doesn't use corrections....

you may also need to accept that she might always have issues with other dogs...tho...i'm not sure, i haven't got any experience with dog-dog agression other then a little bit when i was volunteering at the shelter.....that is one of the things i'd like to learn to deal with tho...???sorry not of much help here...

Mikey

No-thank you!!
It has been something we've just accepted and dealt with for the most part. But we've seen Ceasar and other's on TV take dogs who were just like her and really turn them around-so that possibility has us *itching* to do something Also with Mikey in the family now-it would just be so nice.

Criosphynx

yeah for twenty minutes on TV. You can't trust *edited* results.

Iam at work so I'll hit this up in a second brb...LOL

Brittany

I agree that it is definitely edited. But even if he works with the dogs for 4 hours or 4 weeks...eventually he is able to fix the behavior.

Mikey

Touche...but I did see the dog filmed in a dog park playing afterwards

Criosphynx

this is from poor or no socialization during critical periods. She litterally cannot speak or understand dog...its japanese to her.

dog aggression and human aggression are not related AT ALL so you will never have to worry about her with people (within reason of course)

what kind of counter conditioning or desensitization occured before this? This is like asking a puppy to sit that has never heard the word before. Walking her with other dogs, right away is inviting failure.

this can happen...not with corrections, not with flooding...you have to counter condition/ desensitize her, SLOWLY and correctly.

she will likely never play with other dogs as that is a developmental problem IMO. She may become dog selective, but not dog social.

Criosphynx

No. He suppresses unwanted behavior. Big difference.

Criosphynx

see above post.

Mikey

Totally that's what it feels like to us. And we can't get her to use Rosetta stone programs on the computer either

Just wanted to point out we didn't have some crazy dangerous dog -she's just like that with dogs

Hmmmm....See that's why I want opinions!!

Desensitization-was walking near each other-in view, and with people she knew walking the other dog. Also we let her get used to the dogs smell ahead of time-giving her a sniff of the dog's mom/dad first. But that's about it. We can't even use the TV to introduce her to dogs because she mauls the tv when dogs are on it

This may sound ridiculous but we almost want to take her to the dog park (In a car) and let her see dogs playing.
We were walking her and Mikey together, and a dog came along. So my mom and mandy walked off the path to sit (that's what she does when dogs come, it's automatic now, get out of the way and sit like a good girl) and Mikey and the dog met and had a good sniff and kiss etc.

Mandy was looking at Mikey like "OMG are you stupid? Your supposed to attack!! What in the world are you doing"
(I know it's totally bad to anthrapamorphize like that, but that's how we felt she felt)
We thought maybe if she could watch (safely from a car maybe) positive dog interactions? I dunno...



That sounds promising

Soooo *whistles casually* what kind of things should we be doing to desensitize etc. do you think?