poodlefan

Medicinal grade Manuka Honey. Just supervise for a few minutes until it dries or put it on just before you feed her.

Not sure about the strongest, but I am pretty sure the Pug would have to have the absolute weakest prey drive. I've heard that before... food drive on the other hand...

Dogs display aggression for a reason - it works for them. Aggression can be a learned response, reinforced by the reaction of the handler and the object of aggression. I'd rate on lead aggression as one classic example. If a fear aggressive dog rushes to the end of the lead and barks furiously at what it fears AND that produces the desired result (the threat departs or the handler retreats from the threat) then it will react aggressively more often. Loeka, what a lot behaviourists would do (I think) is discover the trigger point/distance for the aggressive display and work on raising the threshold at which the behaviour occurs, often through a process of desensitisation and reinforcement of the desired (rather than aggressive) response. However this is where the expertise comes in. There are a range of possible ways of dealing with fear based aggression and of building social confidence. Clearly ensuring that no encounter with the object of fear goes badly and keeping the dog feeling safe are a start. Once of my dogs was used by Susan Clothier when she was in Australia to demonstrate reducing on lead aggression in a dog. My boy is non-reactive and downright disinterested in other dogs.. very unthreatening. We walked to and fro passing the other dog (also walking on lead) outside the trigger distance. Then the distance was reduced and the the reactive dog rewarded for focus on the handler and ignoring the my dog. But that was just one small process that could be used to lower the other dog's reactivity. In short, building trust and focus in the handler and ensuring that the dog did not have negative experience (and this takes time) can assist in MANAGING the issue. However never forget that the dog may still be triggered by situations it has not been desensitised to. The best way to ensure your dog's behaviour doesn't escalate is to keep it safe. Sadly, other dog owners are probably your worst problem in this regard.

I'd imagine by careful observation from an experienced professional who takes a comprehensive history of the dog. Fear aggression is lack of social confidence. I'd imagine that the body language of the dog would be quite different in fearful dog than a dominant one. What might not differ is their reaction to a trigger to aggression. Stick your hand in the dog's face and either might bite.

That depends entirely on why/how they are bred to work. Sighthounds, as the name suggests, trigger largely based on movement. The animal that doesn't run is far safer than one that does. For others, its scent and/or sound.

This is not an assumption I'd regard as a safe one. Fear aggressive dogs may trigger straight to fighting without showing a single indicator of flight behaviour. A dog may have learned that flight is not an option or not a successful one. Have the dog onlead and many will know flight is not an option. Its the very unpredictability of the response that can make fear aggressive dogs some of the most challenging to deal with. A notable dog trainer once commented that if as much time and effort went into managing aggressive dogs as went into trying to analyse WHY they aggress, then there'd be far fewer dangerous dogs around. I'm inclined to agree. Bottom line is most handlers don't care as much about why their dogs bite as stopping it. The right professional will focus on that. Oh and once a dog has escalating to drawing blood on people or other animals, I think the term "reactive" needs to be dropped in favour of what the dog is - aggressive.

The dogs and handlers having the issues don't need to languish in the backyard IF they are prepared to look hard for answers. If the issue doesn't present a danger to the dog, other animals or other people then some training clubs may be able to help. When aggression is factored in those answers are going to be found more often than not by asking people with the qualifications, experience and insurance cover that allows them to deal with animals that have the potential to harm the trainer, the handler, other people and/or other animals. You won't find too many of those volunteering down the local dog club but it can happen. "User pays" can also be interpreted as "you get what you pay for". In terms of SUCCESS in dealing with aggression or other serious behavioural issues you can waste a lot of time, a lot of heart ache, potential harm to others and potentially your dog's life looking for cheap solutions to complex behavioural issues. Most decent behaviouralists I know will find a way to help a person in financial difficulty deal with a challenging dog. However, I think it bears to keep in mind that seriously dangerous dogs are more made than born. Good socialisation and ongoing training can help. One thing about going to training is the a trainer may be able to spot emerging issues and recommend professonal help sooner rather than later. Getting help early can not only save money but potentially prevent a serious incident. Dealing with a reactive youngster sure beats having to find help for a dog with a serious bite history. But its never going to be cheap getting help for challenging dogs. If they were easy to fix, then almost any trainer could help. No book or DVD, no amount of help on an internet forum can take the place of an experienced person for such dogs.

Another vote for Ebay - Oz and US!

If the gas in the lighter was butane (I'd say its probable) it would have evaporated, not been ingested. At normal temperatures and atmospheric pressure its a gas - they have to pressurise it to make it a liquid. It might be worth a call to the Poisons Info line to check

Based on the level and uniformity of prey drive I've observed across numerous dogs, I still hold for the Saluki.

My guess is its someone who's been hit in the stomach by a utility gundog travelling at speed.

I'd say its no greater than the chance of bacteria contamination from playing with a dog that's consumed faeces or licked its bum. I don't allow my dogs to lick me on the mouth and I wash my hands before eating. Instilling some basic hygiene is IMO all that's required to manage any risk that dogs might present.

Given the cost and time it takes to equip yourself to handle such dogs successfully,the insurance and liability issues that attach to dealing with dog aggression and the volunteer basis of many dog clubs, I don't see a quick solution to the issue. I'd like to think that dog owners might spend $200 on their own dogs. I appreciate that not everyone has the money to spend but if sufficiently interested, most people might find it. The challenge is convincing folk that its a good investment IMO.

From what I have observed, I'd have to say the Saluki. They seem to have stayed truest to their original purpose.

You're right. It doesn't. But it sure lessens the chances of the dog developing unwanted ingrained behaviours (eg leash pulling) AND means that issues requiring professional help are likely to be identified (and hopefully acted on) far earlier.

The short answers are: * most training clubs are set up for group classes. It's disruptive and at times downright dangerous to expect one instructor to manage a reactive dog alongside others in such classes. * Few training club instructors have the necessary skills and experience to deal with the issue. Its really a job for a professional and most clubs are savvy enough to know that. As I've said a few times in the last week or so, the skills required to teach manners and basic obedience and those required to analyse and provide behaviour modification are not one and the same. * The insurance/liability issues for your average dog training club would be massive. Most exist to provide pet dog training to the community and some have dog sports as well. * The best assistance/guidance my club can provide on this issue is to direct the handler towards an experienced professional who's got a track record of successfully dealing with such dogs. I don't think we should apologise for that - better someone get the right help first up than the problem be made worse by well intentioned amateurs. Of course if folk want to avoid needing professional help, the best thing I can recommend is to enrol your dog in dog training classes from the get go. Many dog owners seem to view dog training as a curative, rather than a preventative strategy - much to the detriment of their dogs.

I suspect this may be a large part of this new behaviour. Getting a professional assessment is a very good idea.

How much exercise does your puppy get outside your yard on a daily basis? How often are you training her? What breed is she?

Possibly. What other markers and rewards (eg. praise) did you use to indicate she had done the right thing?

Thank you, PF. His front leg has been badly damaged. Oh shite. Really sorry to hear that. One thing you might try is to go back next Sunday at around the same time as the attack and hand out flyers asking witnesses to contact you. I'm sure other dog owners will be concerned to see the owner of this dog tracked down.

I hope your dog is OK Elfin.

A very talented DOLer and her two utility gundogs passed their Utility Gundog Ability Tests yesterday and are the recipients of the ANKC's first UG (Utility Gundog) titles. Someone needs to share a very big brag!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Basically the really tall dogs commando crawl the tunnel and the chute.

doglova: Why not? Anyone who even mentions the word "pack" or "pack leader" in the context of dog training should consider that dog packs sleep together. Its a matter of personal choice as I see it. Dogs for the most part are social animals. If you keep only one dog, consider for a moment how you are meeting that dog's psychological needs if you dont allow it to at least sleep near you. Had I not had one of mine sleeping in the bedroom (on the bed) he'd be dead now. You don't get to find out if your dog is violently ill in the middle of the night if its in the back yard.

In other words, you would not have done what these parents did. You too, would have acted differently. Show me a breed bred to use its teeth in its work and I'll show you a breed with a lower than average trigger to bite and/or potentially a lower than average bite inhibition. Sure all dogs can bite but some bite more than others. Breed DOES matter. What matters more is socialisation and supervision with children.