How Do I Deal With My Dogs Aggression?

Friday 20th September 2013 @ 10:33 AM. (NZST)

Jess Allsop

Jess Allsop - Trainer

Question: Hi. I have a 2 year old dog who was rescued from the pound about a year ago. She has always been very timid and is afraid of most men. A few months ago she got into a fight with our old neighbours dogs, and had a few bad cuts and bite marks on her face. Ever since then she has shown aggression towards other dogs, on and Off the lead. I'm not sure of her breed but I think maybe Bisenji cross Labrador. I don't know what to do to stop this behaviour. We have another dog and she's nice to her. Thanks

Hi Josie,

Thanks for your question about your scardy- cat dog. Some dogs are just more nervous than others, and they have less "bounce-back" when they have been frightened. With pound dogs it is common for us to assume they are sacred of certain types of people because they have been badly treated in the past.
Even though this may be the case, we see a huge amount of very well loved dogs that suffer the same problems, this can be genetic (the mothers are the most likely carrier) or environmental, the most likely cause actually being a lack of exposure and good experiences.
Fearful dogs are the most likely to bite, so her fear towards men needs to be carefully managed. In regard to her dog aggression, it also needs to be carefully treated, and the best way forward is to reintroduce her to some good match dogs, ones with good manners and calm social energy, to ensure she can slowly build up her confidence again. Any aggression in dogs can be a serious problem so I would strongly recommend considering some professional lessons to help her (and you) gain some confidence again.

Thanks Jess.

Jess Allsop - Training Dogs For Life