Dog Agressive

[brandon]

Our new little adoptee Mowgli, is we're guessing 3-4 months, but is very dog agressive.  Seems to hate all other dogs, except for Bava, and it really took a lot for him to accept Bava, now they are best buds.

Anyways, I've never had to deal with this before, and it really seems odd in such a young pup, does anyone have any ideas on where I can get training tips or info on how to work through this?  We're thinking puppy class, but wow, I'm sure that is going to be a challenge.  I seriously think he needs an older dog to put him in his place a time or two, but bava is so gentle with everything he would be the last one to do it.

[Anky]

Not to be obnoxious, but are you sure that he's really aggressive and not just playing different?  Reason I ask is alot of people are taken aback by how puppies/dogs play sometimes.  It looks horrible, but it's really not. 

I'm starting to get really concerned about the GSD puppy that I helped my friend get.  He has no other dogs to socialize with really, and he's a very aggressive playing puppy.  My friend swears to me that he's OK with other dogs inside but if he gets outside with them he tries to kill him and go for their throat.  I tried to tell him that he's just playing ("Nawwww Hun, I know da diffrence, and he's tryin' ta kill em.") I say "OK if he's really aggressive at 16 weeks Honey you have a HUGE problem on your hands then" 

I told him to bring the puppy over to play with my dogs.  They all love puppies.  Hobo just sees everyone as a play thing and you can get pretty far with him, but cross the line too many times and he puts you in your place (Puppies not people).  And in case the puppy really is aggressive, Hobo's indestructible .  Araby is a socialite.  She does NOT take to puppies not following doggy protocol (Shes the reason Sanity has so many white spots/scars on his face.  He was a socially retarded puppy).  Nee loves puppies but outside he gets kind of crazy and I didn't want him to squash him.  Inside or on lead he'll lay down to play, but outside is no hold barred.

He doesn't want to bring the puppy by.  "He's too little"  Well soon he'll be the right size but it'll be too late.  I'm really frustrated right now.  I feel like I made a huge mistake, and the last thing we need is a huge aggressive GSD running around.  They aren't firm with him, they think crating is cruel (Even though he ate the hose for the dryer and the kitchen floor), ARGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!  I did manage to get them to take my old crate.  "Just in case" 

OK sorry I went on a tirade there.  Honestly, TRUE aggression in puppies is very rare.  I would just watch for signals, maybe he's afraid, can he get away?  I totally agree with the other dog putting him in his place (You wanna borrow an English Setter bitch?  You can even keep her!), but it's hard to find a dog you can trust enough to do that if you don't know of one already.  I'm sorry I jacked your thread and I wish you good luck.


Ang

[Tulsas' Dad]

Hey Brandon!
I went through the same thing with Tulsa.
I adopted her at 1 year old and was warned about her leash aggression, her dislike for men and children, and her dislike for other dogs.
95% of it was the leash.
I took her to the dog park everyday, she could run off leash and approach people and other dogs on her terms, but I was never so far from her that I couldn't stop an altercation. Yes, she did have some, she wanted to establish herself as the 'Queen' of the dog park, and would bully other dogs to submit to her. She wouldn't fight or bite, she just used her size and attitude to establish herself. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't, sometimes the dog she was trying to dominate wasn't buying into the program and would jump on her and show their displeasure. It only lasted a split second, and there were no wounds to either dog. Tulsa would fall back, regroup, and show the proper respect to that dog. More often than not, they would be playing together before we, or they, left the park.
I'm thinking that Bava allows Mowgli to be the boss because it's the path of least resistance. (Newfs are so cool in this respect.) I got my food, I got my water, I got my water, I got my water...oh look! A toy I can drop in my water!
Obviously I am a proponent of 'Off Leash' dog parks, the dynamics of a dogs socialization and desensitivatio n are of extreme importance to dog owners.
When my 90+ lb. GSD mix can play with a 4 lb. Mojo, and let it chew on her neck, well, my job is almost done.
And Ang,
If your friends GSD doesn't learn some manners, it's not your fault. And I agree with your statement that dogs are not naturally aggresive. It's lack of socialization at an early age that causes fear in an older dog, and that fear can lead to uncontrolled aggression, or unexpected aggression. Tell your friend to be on his toes.
John

[brandon]

Oh, he's definetly showing agression, this is while he is on-leash.  His hair stands up and he starts growling and barking and lunges toward the other dog.  I think it probably is fear agression, and hope it's some sort of stage that we can either work through or he will grow out of.  We don't have any dog parks that I know of, or I think that would be a great idea.  Guess we'll get him in a puppy class, and work on showing him that other dogs besides bava are pretty cool. 

I think bava does let him be the boss a lot of times.  I can't really figure that part out with them.  Bava will happily lay on his back and play with the puppy which would be submissive, but he will also grab him by the scruff of the neck and sit on him, they're both puppies so who knows

 He really has no manners and is just a blank slate at this point.   He is one of those out of control dogs I've always read about and have never owned myself.  It's definetly getting better and he is learning his boundaries, but wow this takes a lot of patience on our part to not want to drop kick the turd  

He's only been with us for two weeks though, I cant expect miracles overnight.

[DixieSugarBear]

Sounds like you guys are doing great.  I am sure Amber can work some of it out with you.  In our class there were a couple of hard to handle pups that she had playing nice in no time.

Lisa

[DixieSugarBear]

Has he displayed any aggression to Bava?  Bava is such a sweet boy. Are you guys going to the PetSmart Halloween party?