Dawn working with an aggressive dog to understand and improve its behaviour and taking a dog in to board in a kennel are two different things ,you can't hope to do a lot with an aggressive dog which has been left to board with you for just a few days, (although as you are a fan of the methods used by CM you could try jabbing your finger at it/kicking it with your foot/choking it/alpha rolling it and see what happens).

I would refuse to take aggressive dogs to board and would make it clear to the owners that if a dog proved to be aggressive and needed medical attention they would be charged accordingly.

It is also possible in a kennel situation to make provision for an unexpectedly aggressive dog by having a kennel with a double gate arrangement which allows a dog to go from the kennel into an enclosure so that you can enter the kennel to clean it and the dog can get some exercise without you having to actually be in with the dog.

Id like to see the long drawn out techniques that many spout about work on a dog in kennels intent on attacking you

good post dawn.



I think its one thing saying something and another in the doing,

If you like ben I could have you come down and watch/help if you feel like it, when I get the next true Bas**** of a dog to work with.
Please dont feel like thats an insult, its a genuine offer

omg, I thought that was a bit of a mith, now that I draw the line at you wont get me humping any dog

Id like to see the long drawn out techniques that many spout about work on a dog in kennels intent on attacking you, when you MUST get the dog out to exercise it and clean the kennel, and some you must administer meds to aswell!!

I was involved with during my time as Head Kennel Assistant at a Boarding Kennels. (Like someone has said before me - sorry, forgotten who - when dogs are boarded with you, sometimes their owners aren't even aware of their dogs bad habits when left in boarding kennels but they still have to be cleaned out, exercised, etc. so there is no getting around the fact they need to be handled). Equally, as my time as a Head Kennel Assistant at this particular boarding kennels, I had two 14 month old Rottweilers to contend with. It was their first trip to boarding kennels and they were a little apprehensive (although didn't show it to the unsuspecting eye). They were good as gold when they were dropped off. Then by the time their owner had left the carpark they turned into barking, snarling, frothing at the mouth, large, chunky dogs who actually sent two people running out of reception area at the time (two other clients who had come to pick up their dogs).

Again, these had to be handled and dealt with. Typically, my bosses were going away on holiday themselves the day after these Rotties had been dropped off and as I was the only other worker there at that time it was muggins here who was left to deal with them My boss did warn me to be careful and "worse case scenario" to let them out in a large run area, that way I'd not have to actually take them for a walk if they weren't friendly by this point.

It took about 4 days (of them lunging at me, snarling, frothing at the mouth, etc) before one day they both stopped and became best of buddies with me. What did I do? I simply spent the previous 4 days attempting to not show any fear or be remotely bothered by their "threatening" behaviour. Of course, deep down inside, I was a bit apprehensive as, at the time, I'd not really done much behavioural work and I certainly wasn't trained to handle aggressive dogs at all. I just had to do what came naturally. The fact that I was working alone with these two dogs (and I'm only ickle myself - these dogs towered over me when they were lunging at me), naturally put me a little at unease but I didn't show it to them (that I know of ) Patience won out in the end. The owner was amazed to hear the tale about how they'd behaved for 4 days when they came back from their hols and saw the dogs all over me (in a friendly manner)

No two breeds are the same either. Toy breeds can be handled differently to extra large breeds. For example, if I ever even contemplated doing an "alpha roll" on a Rottie then I'd inevitably come off worse because I'm only a mere 5 foot 3 and a bit in height and don't weigh much So, although I adore the "Dog Whisperer" programmes and truly admire CM, I've never done an "alpha roll" myself.

I just don't feel that clicker training (as well as some other 'positive' training methods) work for ALL dogs. Certainly wouldn't work for my lot

Here you go Dawn

..it seems even a CM fan finds taking time/your body language (and I would say getting to know the dog and observing it ) and patience can work too. Getting a dog to be calm and coperative doesn't have to involve prodding/kicking/cutting off a dogs air supply, it isn't all about heavy handed techniques and quick fixes .

My Shamus the shorthair goes rigid and gives blood-curdling growls when worried. I`m sure if I pushed it he would bite from sheer terror. After a year he`ll let me do most things with him - although he sometimes panics. I`ve had to educate my sons and various visitors into not making eye contact when he gets worried, and when he gets growly to ignore him. I do `challenge` him sometimes by leaving my hand where it is (and looking away) when he starts to get the terrors about me stroking him. I wait till he goes quiet and if he remains tense I just move away but if he relaxes I tell him he`s a good boy.
It`s difficult because I don`t want to `reward` the growls but on the other hand He needs to go at his own pace in learning that I can be trusted.
We are getting there - he let me rub his tummy last week.
I`ve tried food but he freezes when he`s scared and won`t accept it.
Does anyone else have a fear-aggressive dog? What did you do?

I rem when I was a kid there was a short lived method where to show you were the dom to the dog you had to stare them down till they broke eye contact with you then you had to mount the back of the dog like you were humping it I still rem the foto on the tv of this lady astride a rather startled looking golden retrever