Help: Aggression. - Page 4

I really feel for you! So sorry. You don't mention the physical condition of the dog, you do mention vet checks reguarly though. I just read on a different board that EPI dogs can also show unwarranted aggression. If your dog happns to be thin and has loose stools it might be another thing to check for. Wish I could be more help, but like most here I think you need big time help, find out if it is medical, or let him go before you get seriously hurt.

The IDEXX and in-house thyroid panels are notoriously inaccurate. That's why the blood needs to go to Michigan State or Jean Dodds. My dogs' internal medicine specialist has repeatedly seen the IDEXX and in-house thyroid panels give totally inaccurate results. Since a dog's life is at stake here, you want to use a lab that will get it right.

As for choking the dog out, etc.--first, make sure this is not a medical problem. How will you feel if your dog is hung until he passes out, and you learn later that he had a brain tumor or some other illness? Second, dogs have been killed by hanging. It's easy to miscalculate. Finally, none of these training methods will make the dog safe. He may be OK with you, but he will never be safe with others. Even Leerburg, who is an enthusiastic advocate of hanging dogs, will be the first to tell you that this will not make a dog safe.

Again, a proper medical workup will not be cheap. This is not a $60 trip to the vet.

 Have you contacted the breeder?  Have they seen this problem in any littermates or any of their other dogs?

This is a really bad situation you have there, as you well know.  I agree totally with a complete medical to hopefully rule out any sort of problem stemming from that.

Secondly if putting him down is totally out of the question and you are willing to pay to have someone correct it and help you control it then I would suggest Caeser Millan (I'll get attacked for this one!) 

Agree rule out health condition first.

BTW when looking for trainer for that dog once the medical condition is ruled out, look for someone that deals with "sharp" dogs, they will be of more use to you. If you would be in NY area Steve Simpkins (haussimpkins) is the best guy to deal with "sharp" dogs, he is very good at reading dogs, and he enjoys the challenge.  

Chicki, I think if finances etc allow, a trip to Caesar would certainly do no harm, i think Caesar rocks! My first port of call would be the vet though.

I agree if not Medical, I would look into "rage syndrome", it is not fun and very dangerous. Not all breeders believe in this until you have a dog or have been exposed to one. The reason I am leaning this way, is he attacked a female. I understand over the food, but also without provocation from her.  I have known 2 rotties with it, you can never predict when they will go off, and they are serious about killing you when in this frame of mind, it does progress as time goes on. You need experiance to help you and the poster who defines "experiance" is correct. I do not care how much you love this dog, right now he is a danger to your family. I wish you the best and the best for him also.

If it was medical, wouldn't the dog have gone all the way and actually hurt her? I have never dealt with a medical case such as the tumors but I would think the odg would have actually opened her up, as the pregnant woman posted. At any rate I'd have the dog medically cleared first, then you are going to have to get a crash course in doggy language and behaviour. I'm hoping that it is just a spike in his hormones and as others have already said, he is making his claim as the Alpha in the household. A truly dominant dog wouldn't need to show all of that aggression to make his point.

I recomend contacting the breeder if you can. It's to bad we cannot see the pedigree, as that might help explain the behaviour as well. I suggest you take everything away from the dog, no toys, no freedome, no food without working for it, as you have been doing. I wouldn't let the dog out of his crate for anything more than relieveing himself and working for his dinner, never offleash, and never without choke collar. Put one on him now and DO NOT TAKE IT OFF until this is over. Right now treat him as a convict in prison, do not be nice to him, do not give him an inch. He must understand you run the show and everything in his life come from YOU. YOU are now his GOD and he can't so much as breath without your permission. It sounds harsh but if you want to keep your dog, this is the way he is demanding to be treated with his behaviour. Personally, if it was my dog, when you whacked him with the broom, I wouldn't have stopped until he pissed himself or ran to his crate.

If everything checks out medically, it's probably just a case of being given too much freedom. Dogs thrive on structure and yours should have had major limits put on him at 6 months, when he started acting cooky towards people. Your own lack of rules has put it in his head, that he is in the right acting this way. If you cannot change that picture in his head, you will need to place him with someone who can or have him PTS. This is exactly why my dogs do not live in the house most days and when they are let in, thet don't get up on the beds/couch, they enter doorways after I do, they play with toys only when I play with them and they don't have a guaranteed meal everyday.

I'm glad that you asked for help and that you recognized a few things need to change. You already have him working for his food and took away the toys, that's a good start but you need to take everything until he submits to you, then you can give him tidbits here and there, start playing with him 1 on 1, let him out of his crate to be tied to you when your fiance is home. If he starts acting up...back in the crate, no freedom for a few days, give him water when he relives himself and let him go a day or so without a meal. I would probably not let him around your other dogs ever, that isn't fair to them. Anyway, I wish you luck and hope you contact someone who can help you hands on. Don't feel gulty for what you take away from him, just remember, this is giving him a chance where PTS is the end period.

This is heart-breaking. Speaking purely as a dog lover, this is a very difficult and troubling situation. It is odd sometimes that the ways we spoil our dogs out of love is understood differently from the animal point of view. What feels like a disaplay of human affection may translate into various acts of submission on the owner's part in the dog's point of view. And so the dog learns more and more over an extended period of time that you are communicating to him your position of being him.

I understand how good it feels to spoil our dogs, cuddle and kiss them, even allow them to sleep on the bed. We buy them special snacks and toys. And we expect in return their love and devotion. Some dogs may see this as continuing reinforcement of your subordinate role. He reinforced his alpha position by not only the attack on the female but your stepping in to protect her. In his eyes this might  have been an act of extreme insubordination against his pre-eminence. By turning his aggression toward you, he made a very strong "correction" by letting you know you have stepped out of your role in the pack. He will continue to do so unless you change you behavior and beliefs toward him and his aggression. You need to see his acts from his eyes not yours.

As this is a critical situation, you need a drastic intervention. It might be a good idea to have him checked out medically - just in case. But the vet needs to be made aware of the possibility he might get agressive in order take precautions.

You need to immediately assert your dominance over him and there can be NO DEVIATION FROM THIS INTERVENTION. IF YOU BACK DOWN EVEN ONCE, YOU WILL HAVE TO TRY 10X AS HARD TO MAKE UP GROUND.

A friend of mine crated his dog. If the dog needed time of of the crate (and it has to be of an adequate size), he had to earn it. He was fed and let out regularly to relieve himself and stretch his legs. Out of the crate he was always on a short lead. He was exercised on a lead. Good behavior was rewarded with time out of the crate and increasing periods of exercise. During that time he was expected to behave. Muzzle him if you must. Returm him to the crate AS SOON AS HE MISBEHAVES. He needs to adjust himself to a regimen you decide. Be firm not cruel. Be persistant and patient. Stay calm and controled. Dogs feel safe when they are secure in their place as followers in the hierarchy with humans. Do not let him take an inch, but reinforce good behavior dispassionately (positive: time out of crate; playing with a favorite toy, etc. and negative: time out of the crate, removal of the muzzle, etc.) You may need to always take precautions with this dog that you may not like but you will be saving his life if you do.

Here's a tidbit: extremely dominant dogs are so confident in their place in the hierarchy that they don't often display extreme agression - only in extreme situations. Dogs that display an unusual amount of aggression tend to have been chronically exposed to an environment that created a sense of instability, anxiety, and insecurity. "Spoiling" will do that.

 Hope some of this helps.