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Growling and trying to attack dogs
So, we took Matilda to training when we 1st got her ( she was almost 2) and was terrified of other dogs. And a couple months ago we started to take her to the dog park, she would just carefully sniff them and then chase them ( out of play) and now all she does is bark at them and try to attack them, but she seems fine with puppies ( even if it is like a puppy that is bigger then her, so it has nothing to do with size) she loves playing at the dog park but now we dont take her there anymore, is there anyway we can get her to stop doing this?
Answer:
The best way to get a dog accustomed to something she is afraid of is to do it VERY slowly. The dog park is probably too much for Matilda at this time. Instead, get her comfortable with one adult dog, and then two adult dogs, etc. (It is not uncommon for dogs that have issues with other dogs to give a lot of slack to puppies. Most dogs understand that puppies are still learning and will be inappropriate at times.)
The first thing you will need to understand is the distance at which Matilda is perfectly comfortable with the other dog. Is she OK with an adult dog at 50 feet, but not at 49 feet, for example? If so, then her threshold is 50 feet.
Once you know that, you can begin to desensitize her … to help her to be less sensitive around adult dogs. In our example, you want her to start being OK with adult dogs closer than 50 feet. You MUST do this slowly. Her trust in you depends on this being done at a pace with which she’s comfortable.
We want to change her perspective, how she feels, when an adult dog is around. If every time she gets 49 feet from an adult dog, she gets a piece of roast beef, she’s likely to become much more comfortable with an adult dog at 49 feet. After all, an adult dog at 49 feet now means she gets a piece of roast beef. Basically, we are substituting her fear response with a calm response which gets her that roast beef. You want to be sure to reward only her calm responses. Once she is comfortable at 49 feet, move to 48 feet. And continue.
You must use a friendly, adult dog as the dog she is approaching. There should not be any “real” reason for her to fear this dog. The dog should be friendly and socially appropriate.
Do not pet and coddle your dog when she is frightened. Although it’s a typical human response that would be welcomed by most humans, what it tells a dog is that she is correct in being frightened since you are rewarding her fear. As difficult as it is, do not give in to the temptation. Instead, reward each and every sign of courage. And be sure to continue working on this process at Matilda’s pace … it’s important that you make sure she does not cross over to the line to the point she is so stressed that she feels she has to bark and chase the other dog.
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