Advice please ( dog on dog aggression)

Hi all

apologies for the long post
bruno the staffie - rescue dog 5 years old...

as many of you know I have Bruno the staffie ( terror) who does not and has never liked other dogs.

As some of you will also know I am now pregnant and due to have said baby in December.

After some frankly horrendous walks recently where Bruno has reverted to his "horror" self when other dogs have been around I am looking for some advice - honest please !!

Basically due to a previous rather bad experience with a behaviorist who failed to tackle Bruno's dog aggression, i steered well clear and really accepted that he was never going to be a friendly chap.

However I am now getting slightly worried about what will happen when the baba comes and how I will cope with it being very difficult if not impossible to walk bruno with a buggy and also being able to avoid other dogs and cope with his behaviour.

Where I had thought we had got to a point where bruno would not automatically react to other dogs unless right in his face we seem to have deteriorated back to immediate grolwing and barking at them even when they are across the road. Whether he is feeling more protective of me - who knows??

Bruno is aggressive with other dogs and will automatically go to snap if they get too close but straight away his tail is straight and wagging, he will growl and start to bark and strain on the leash - however its the same reaction with big birds like seagulls and crows, the hoover and the lawnmower. I think its a fearful aggression as he has been fine when very gradually introduced to 2 pups and 2 bitches and has been walked with 2 bitches quite happily..

So my question is - do you think i should attempt another behaviorist to try and at least get him to ignore other dogs or pay attention to me when out - as ideally i would like to be able to walk him with a buggy safe in the knowlegde that I could get him to focus on me when we see or came across another dog?

I dont want to get to a stage where I have a baby and a dog who is hyper because I struggle to walk him daily and then perhaps might act out in other ways in the house.

Any advice is welcome and appreciated. I lurve bruno to bits as you all know but I worry that he is goign to become a real worry for me when the baby comes ( and in no way do i think that he is any threat at all to the baby - I just mean that I feel he will be neglected and therefore a bit jealous because of walking limitations - all due to his terrorist behaviour outside !!)

thanks in advance all !!

dani

Sorry you have this worry Dani. I can't give any advice, I'm afraid, I'm just not qualified. I'm sure someone more expert will be along to help. Hope you get "the boy" sorted hon. Hugs to you all xoxoxoxox

Same here not qualified to give any advice,although I am wondering if you are right about him being more protective of you.Really hope someone can give you some help and ideas and you can come to a satisfactory solution.Maybe a different behaviourist wouldn't be a bad idea.

Does Bruno display the same behaviour when walked by someone else, or is it only with you? Don't know how to describe this but do you feel, not exactly fragile, but more protective of yourself? Are you walking more slowly/carefully? If so maybe Bruno is picking up on such things if he is only, or mainly, acting up when he is with you.

I think it may be worthwhile trying another behaviour consultant. You really need someone there to observe exactly what Bruno does and precisely when he starts to lunge etc. It would also be very helpful to have your body language/reactions assessed as you may unconsciously be doing something that is encouraging him.

An experienced behaviourist should be able to help. Was the last behaviourist a member of the APBC? If not, try to get referred to one of their members.

i am working with a staffy who has some similar issues. it is important as you say that your dog be safe to walk when you have the baby. we are using clicker training to reinforce correct behaviours. it is something you could discuss with another behaviourist. I have been working with this dog for just over a month now and I think the penny is begining to drop - in so much as at times instead of his usual naughtiness and noise he looks to the owner for direction, when he does that he gets a click and a bit of sausage. It helps that his owners are dedicated and actually do the things in the plan.

Awww Dani, the Brunster strikes again!

My 2 definitely and without a shadow of a doubt knew when I was pregnant. It could well be that and you are probably a little more wary, without even realising it. I think seeing a behaviourist is a good idea, because it will help to put your mind at ease. Check out the APDT website and even ask your vet or a nearby rescue centre for the name of someone?

I'm sure you'll get it sorted, you've done so well with the Brunster already, this is probably just a blip.

Keep us informed and hugs to all
Ailsa xxxxx

Don't give up hope. I'm sure you'll get it sorted.

Do you get very tense when you see a dog approaching, maybe even more so now that you are pregnant or just anticipating Bruno's reaction? If so he would definitely pick up on this. I think some clicker training would be of great benefit. You still have time before the baby comes. Don't despair, there is definitely someone out their to help you and Bruno. xx

hello all
and many thanks for your replies


Yes - i do get tense when other dogs approach - I always have and really cant help it - partly though cos bruno immediately strains as soon as he sees another dog so straightaway there is tension on the lead......how do I not do this - its easy to say relax but knowing what he is capable of does not make it easy.

When we are out I might as well not be on the end of the lead for the attention he pays me when he sees another animal - so have lost his attention straight away.

Yes, I probably am a bit more careful at the moment - I am certainly walking slower and more carefully with being pregnant so more than likely he is picking up on this - however if I am doing that now and he is feeling protective now I dont think that will change once the baby is here - he will probably be worse trying to protect baby too - so I need to nip it in the bud now.

I dont actually ever expect to get him to like other dogs - I do want him to pay attention to me though long enough to turn around or avoid the other dogs before something kicks off.

So guys - what kind of training do you think is best. i have to say i dont find him easy to train with food - he will do it for about 10 minutes then loses interest and simply ignores the food treat you are giving him - and has ALWAYS ignored food bribes whilst out walking and other dogs around.

I have never really tried clicker training so I suppose could give it a bash.

The behaviourist I tried - I basically did not like as he firstly said it was bruno's diet and wanted him to go raw - he hated it - and wouldnt eat.
then he said he had an injury - which he did thats when we discovered he had hip dysplacia - so fair does but it didnt change his behaviour

Further to that though he just recommended a head collar and used his stooge dog which was a collie ( which stared him down all the time) and it really didnt work bruno fought the head collar to get at the dog and now despises collies more than any other dog !!! LOL

I didnt really feel confident with the training methods as he was of the opinion that Bruno should not be allowed on the sofa, that he shouldnt be greeted etc etc. And I have to say I dont follow that method - he is not and never has been aggressive towards us - he does as he is told in the house and will get off sofas and beds when asked, he isnt aggressive over food toys etc and is generally well behaved in the house. - Am I wrong do I have to take it back to the very basic training - I dont want bruno to lose his staffiness - you know his character and it doesnt bother me that he likes the sofa - so do i !

OUtside as far as i am concerned is the only problem - he is a horror when he sees another dog - he just gets so worked up - i definetly think its fear and like I say with the two dogs he has been socialised with ( both friends dogs) he has been fine and even when one of them went for him over a treat he didnt bother and backed down....

He still reacts to other dogs when OH is walking him - althbough I have to say probably not as badly as he is more relaxed - but part of that is he is stronger so knows he can hang on to bruno and possibly avoid a situation with other dog - also he is not the main walker - he rarely meets another dog when out with bruno as they go out late at night or with me at weekends where we try to take him to quiet places with no dogs....

sorry again for the long post but hopefully this may explain some of it.

I am not sure about another behavioursit as they are so expensive and we dont really have the money just now - especially with me not really having a lot of faith in the last one. I might persevere with clicker training myself and see if we cant get a little bit further on this way first..

I wish I had some advice, I don't, but do wish you all the luck in the world! xx

HI Dani!
I am in no way, shape or form a behaviourist or expert, so don't want to comment too much, but a couple of things you posted about sounded familiar.

Ember, our last hulk of a puppy, was not interested in food, no way, no how, everything else when out gave him more of a buzz, just like Bruno. Saturn is the same when he sees another dog, but not to be aggressive...the total opposite, which can be just as problematic.
Anyway, with Ember, I had a steep learning curve and I learnt to touch him!!!! Saturn is the same. To call their attention back to me I tickle them in their favourite speck, which is at the top of their rear leg...their waist if you like. To interrupt an unwanted behaviour, I tickle them and speak softly. It works, every time, once I have their attention on me I then entice them furthur with a really yummy treat ( cheese/hotdog) again, gently praising. Once the other dog has passed and I have thier attention...I give loads and loads and loads of praise. Sometimes I stand still with them to allow the other dog to pass, other times I walk past, tickling and speaking softly, with a relatively tight lead...
basically I'm saying, if food doesn't work, I'm wondering how effective a clicker will be and if finding Bruno's 'thing' is what you have to do...be it tickles, high pitched squeaky talk, or a specific toy, maybe a small squeaky toy, concealed in your pocket...just to make him go 'oooooo what's that...'
Hope that helps.

I don't think it sounds like he should be banished from your sofa at all, dogs and furniture is a personal choice,all I would say on that is (and I know you will) just be extra vigilant with the baby...do you want Bruno jumping up there if the baby is on there? That's the only reason our 2 stopped going on the sofa...think in years to come if your new arrival is having a meal on the sofa watching tv...do you want the Brunster joining in????!!!! I knew the Biff really couldn't! He's so clumsy!!!!! Don't think you should stop him just 'cos he doesn't like most other dogs, don't think you should stop him full stop, as long as you and OH are happy, why should you??!!!!

Hope this helps in some small way!
Ailsa x