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My dog is afraid of other dogs!
I have got a question. My dog is sweet and well behaved but she will attack other dogs. When ever she sees a dog she will chase after it and start biting it.This is a big problem because my neighborhood is filled with dogs.What should I do.
Answer:
The first thing you have to do is make sure your dog is always on leash. If your dog has the opportunity to chase after other dogs and start biting at them, then your dog is being successful at an inappropriate behavior. You have to first stop the opportunity to be successful.
The best scenario is to have a person you know who has a non-reactive dog. Work with this person to determine what your dog’s threshold is. How many feet away from the non-reactive dog can you get with your dog before your dog begins to react? Note that some dogs are not reactive to all dogs. Sometimes a dog is only reactive with noisy dogs, or fast moving dogs, or small dogs, etc. If your dog is only reactive with certain types of dogs, you will need to determine that and work with a person with a non-reactive dog that fits the criteria that causes your dog to react.
So once you know the type of dog that sets your dog off and the distance you have to be from that dog such that your dog is not showing a reaction, then you know the starting point from which you will begin desensitizing your dog to other dogs.
It helps to use a Gentle Leader (http://www.premier.com/pages.cfm?ID=29) on your dog during the training process. A Gentle Leader can be purchased at most pet stores or online. The Gentle Leader will give you more control of your dog as well as help calm your dog. Make sure, however, that you get your dog acclimated to wearing the Gentle Leader PRIOR to working on the desensitization process.
You will need to have a very high value treat … something that is the most wonderful treat in the world to your dog. You can try things like roast beef, liver, cheese, etc. It helps if you only use this special treat during this training process because your dog will begin to look forward to working on this problem because he’ll be looking forward to this special reward.
Throughout this process, it is extremely important that you NOT pull on your dog’s leash. You don’t want to trigger your dog to react. And you don’t want an aversive (getting a yank on the neck) to be what the dog associates with seeing another dog. You want the dog to start thinking, “Hey, every time I see another dog, something good happens.”
Have the person with the non-reactive dog initially remain still. Take your dog to the spot where you determined earlier that he is not reactive to other dogs. Now you will begin desensitizing. Take a SMALL step closer to the other dog. If you selected your starting point correctly, you will see a small reaction in your dog. You might see your dog watching the other dog, for example. You want to use the special treat you’ve set aside for this training and lure your dog to focus on you. Luring means that you place the treat in front of the dog’s nose where he can smell it and then slowly move the treat toward where you want your dog … in this case, sitting and looking at you. Once your dog is sitting and looking at you, be sure to give the dog this special treat. It’s important at this stage to have the dog sitting because it is a behavior that cannot be presented in conjunction with lunging. So, if the dog is sitting and looking at you, he cannot be barking and lunging.
You want to take this process VERY, VERY slowly. Remember that it is very important not to push the dog to the point of barking and lunging, or nipping and biting. Depending on the severity of your dog’s reaction to other dogs and the distance at which you must begin this training, it will probably take months, and perhaps even years, before you can get close to another dog. But don’t rush the process or it will take even longer.
In situations with aggression, it helps to work with a behaviorist to modify your dog’s behavior. Contact your veterinarian for recommendations on behaviorists in your area.
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