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Dog Aggression
Q:
We
have an almost 7-year old female Shepherd
mix. Other than one dog that she's okay
with, she is aggressive to other dogs.
She attacked a neighbor's dog a few years
ago which resulted in many stitches to
the other dog. In the past month, she
has instigated a fight with our male dog
three times. The other dog wasn't hurt
but it worries me that one of our children
may get caught in the middle of this.
It has further stressed me out to wanting
to just get rid of her and/or finding
a workable solution for her aggression.
We've
tried finding her a new home in the past
(no luck), and didn't want to take her
to a shelter, so we still have her. It's
extremely stressful taking care of her
and worrying about her getting out of
the house and hurting another dog. Several
of our neighbor's dogs are outside in
their yards off-leash and within her sight.
We no longer take her for walks and it's
even stressful taking her to the vet's
office.
If
it were not for our children loving this
dog, I would have taken her to the shelter
by now. What strategies do you have for
this behavior? Can it be solved with work,
or will it always be an issue?
A:
Sorry
to hear of your difficulties. Let me reinforce
you and your efforts in keeping everyone
safe. That is certainly the most important
concern.
I
might suggest you build a dog run if your
property is big enough, and keep the Shepherd
away from the other dogs until a trainer
can come out and evaluate the situation
and set you up on a behavior modification
program. By keeping her safe and everyone
else safe, you will eliminate any chance
of injuries and your stress level will
lower.
A
complete medical check up is called for
including a comprehensive blood panel
to check for possible internal problems
especially dealing with the liver and
thyroid. X-rays are needed to check for
possible hip, joint and musculature abnormalities.
You
can find a professional trainer in your
area that uses only positive training
methods through the Association of Pet
Dog Trainers ( www.APDT.com
) or The National Association of Dog
Obedience Instructors ( www.NADOI.org
). The trainer will evaluate the situation
and your dog and set you up on a training
program. They should also be able to tell
you about how long it will take for the
training to take hold and to what degree
of success you'll be able to obtain. Once
fully informed, you can make the decision
as to your next course of action.
Once
again, until then, please continue to
err on the side of safety and keep the
dog away from your other dog and children!
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