Help with new dogs behavior please!

I already have a 1yr old female lab, who is as good as gold! But a few days ago i got a 4 yr old cross, also female.

We have basically got her as she has been living with a disabled owner for the last year or so who has been unable to walk her. So she has literally been housebound. She is a sweetheart at home and wouldnt hurt a fly. Her and my other dog get on fine at home no problems.

My problem is this. I have started taking her out for short walks and to begin with she was fine just pleased to be out. But now if another dog comes anywhere near her or really even relatively far away, she starts barking and looks quite aggressive. Then she turns on my other dog - even though she was fine at start of walk. I try to carry on walking and she eventually calms down. the thing is i am assuming it is stress - she has obviously become so used to being in that she feels lost outside. But i would love her to have happy walks!!

I have always had easy, mellow dogs before so any help please?!

Others will come on here with more practical advice, but from the sounds of it she is very fearful, unable to get away from the situation she takes it out on your other dog. If she's effectively been housebound then she may not have had sufficient socialisation and this will take time.
Becky

Hi, forgot to add that i cant seem to get her attention or distract her in any way. So any tips on how i might be able to do this?

You could take her to dog training classes - there are some for adult dogs who have not been to classes before. We had two bitches who used to start with each other if they barked at something else so I would be careful as you don't want this to escalate and two bitches fighting can be nastier than two males as they sometimes won't stop.

I agree with this 100% I had 2 bitches get into a fight and it took ages to seperate them, luckily no harm done.

Have you considered using a clicker or similar to get her attention?

Hi Honeysmum I agree with Becky I think your dog is uncertain/fearful/unsure how to behave. Attacking your other dog is a form of displacement activity.

You could try getting her more used to other dogs, take her out alone sometimes and sit/stand some distance away from where other dogs walk. Take with you some favoure tip bit like liver pieces or chicken/a toy and distract her with this when you see another dog approaching then if she ignores the other dog give her the treat and lots of praise . This will help to teach her other dogs mean good things. If she is ok with this gradually move a little nearer to the dogs. Try not to anticipate her reaction or shout at her as this will increase her anxiety, be calm and up beat .

It would also be a good idea to attend training classes where she can meet other dogs in close proximity while under supervision.

Here is an article which may help you and details of training classes...

http://www.dogsey.com/dog-articles.php?t=8050

http://www.apdt.co.uk/list_trainers.asp

I should have said the article is based on dog/fear of humans but Shadowboxers excellent advice can be applied to various situations .

Thanks very much everybody - good advice!

Funny but i didnt even think of using a clicker even though i used it v successfully with my other dog.
Cheers!

You are going to have to be patient with her, it can take months before a rescue feels comfortable in its new environment, She has had a big upheaval, loss of previous home and owner, new owner and new dog companion she must be very confused, but do try to find a good trainer and get along to some classes as soon as possible.

Also remember it is not words that dogs recognise so much as tone of voice and body language, to her she may be in a foreign country with you speaking a language that she doesn't understand yet. I am going through that at the moment with the rescue I got last Sunday, we have made progress tho, she does understand "In" when I want her in, but no reaction so far to her name or any other words - we have a long haul ahead of us but luckily for me I've been down this road before and know the end results will be worth all the trouble. Kath

some great advice already.
If I were you, I'd be tempted to take her back to square one, as if she was a young pup.
Take her out on her own for short and happy walks, sit somewhere, with her on lead, where other dogs may walk and keep her attention with tasty treats...anything that works for her.
Try to enrol in a good training class, check out the apdt website for local trainers.
For now, I wouldn't walk her with your other dog as it may upset all the work you have done with your lab, if it keeps being atatcked when out and about with your new dog.
Good luck.

Just one thing on training classes. A trainer who I highly respect has told me that you have to be very careful taking fear aggressive dogs to 'normal' training classes - he says that most of the dogs he ends up having to do one-on-one training with have been made worse by being forced into a situation they are not comfortable with.

I do support the others suggestion of training, but I would say make sure that whoever you go to understands the situation and that your dog is not forced into close proximity with other dogs until she is ready to deal with it - e.g. get her a bit more used to other dogs gradually first as per Minihahas suggestions.