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Alfie, any update on Ted? I'm interested to hear what you get out of Dr Robert. It's been awhile since you've posted, but last one seemed to indicate that he's trying to climb up the pack hierarchy. Don't allow this to happen (easier said then done). Be careful with the tail wag - there's an aggressive tail wag - know your dog and read his overall body language (not just the tail). When he bit, was there a bark/ growl/ snarl beforehand? Let the Dr know - especially if there wasn't!!!

If it's molar or tonsil, he wouldn't be too interested in biscuits. I'm still siding with "too much choice" :rolleyes: Funny how he doesn't realise how lucky he is! Edit: assuming the problem's in his head!

A smaller dog means that you have to bend to treat - make sure that you/ aunty is comfortable with this throughout the dog's life. There's also the "big dog trapped in a small body" syndrome. None of these are bad, just the nature of small dogs. Regarding Maltese, there's an article that states that it's the most common (pure?) breed surrendered to RSPCA because of excessive barking. Not because of the breed, but the owners treating them as furry kids (which tend to happen when your dog is white & fluffy). I'm researching for a 2nd dog as well (2nd in our current pack - have had over 20 all these years). Current candidates are: Havanese, Coton, Toy Poodle & Westie

How about down when he's in ankle deep water? make it clear that it's down, not drown Mine does it on a big puddle - ankle deep for a terrier - complete with muddy splash, it was quite a sight!

Fair enough. From my experience I can say this didn't happen to us. Don't get me wrong, we've been dealing with his issues and now down to the last one (DA) which sometimes still happens (getting less & less incident though). I'd trust your judgement since you're actually in the industry Just like me being "harsh" to my clients that think they can fix their computer issues themselves (IT industry).

Any changes in behaviour? How's the stool? If the biscuits are labelled "complete & balanced" it should be OK. Maybe it's high in salt/ sugar/ etc that he's developed a taste of. Or maybe he's just picky because you've given him so much variety I'd still visit the vet just to make sure his digestive system is fine.

Can't tell the difference between halti & muzzle Can't tell she's on dog beach Can't tell that she's not on the dog's menu She's lucky it's you I would probably muzzle her if I was there Stupidity is everywhere & spreading.

Thanks Cosmolo. I'd also like to add that some (a minority of?) adopters are willing to put the effort to fixing the dog and this needs to be considered in the assessment.

Thanks for the follow-up breezy. Hopefully he finds a forever home soon. I wonder how multiple rehoming affects a dog; whether the dog would develop trust issues. In our case, Albus was a stray that ended in RSPCA, adopted multiple times then returned before we got him. He's mostly Cairn Terrier which should make him independent but very clingy even after we got rid of his SA. I'm curious if he's naturally clingy or becomes clingy because he has been left by his pack multiple times.

Hi breezy, welcome to the forum. Your problem is close to heart - I also have a dog-aggressive (among other issues) 8 year old rescue. Like yours, his profile didn't mention the aggressiveness. Unlike yours, returning him was not an option so it took 4 months of constant training before he can sit next to another dog. So it's possible to rehabilitate the behaviour. I believe that (some mentioned by others already): You trust the dog too much, too soon. He's a young adult in a new family - he needs time and leadership before he can follow your rules. Get strong buckle collar & leash (forumites suggestions are good quality). Only get training collar (check chain, dominant-dog, martingale etc) if you've been trained to use it properly. Read up TOT (Triangle Of Temptation) and NILIF (Nothing In Life Is Free) in this forum. Establish bond & pack structure - you're the boss, he's at the bottom of the pack. No compromise. Have a strategy in place - what to do when he's about to be aggressive (you won't have control once he passes his threshold). Some options: leash pop, LAT, BAT (also in this forum). This is the hardest as each dog requires different technique - this is where an expert can help you the most. Pick up his body language. Dogs don't lie. Watch for "staring contest". He will stare at a dog he's going to lunge at. Use your chosen strategy as soon as you see the stare. Do not take him to an off-leash area. Brisk walks only - play fetch/ tug indoor/ in backyard to burn energy/ exercise. Be patient - it took me 4 months (and ongoing) - the timeframe is up to the dog, not you. Please keep us posted

thank you, that's beautiful :D

Alfie, how obedient is the dog? Can you tell by his body language if he's about to bite? You said that he bit us (you/ family members) sometimes - which to me sound like a hierarchy issue.

Looks like we're pretty safe *touch wood* - my boy thinks before he swallows (or thats what he'd like us to believe ). The closest we got is #8 when he swallowed a whole chicken neck a couple of weeks ago - no incidents though. Would be good if there's a breed breakdown (labradors - bones 50%, sticks 20% etc) as I believe some breeds are fussy with their food.

You cannot turn the dog's head towards you or away from another dog using a harness. Better than breaking the neck. Given the same amount of force, a flat collar has higher risk of causing injury. The head turn happened when he got his brain back, got (and did) a drop.

We train Albus with both - harness for his daily walks and flat collar for weekly obedience school. Loose lead walking isn't a problem with either. Until he sees another dog - he has Dog Aggression, Car Anxiety and Separation Anxiety (80% cured ). The harness means I can use more force to pull him away in emergency. We were cornered by off-leash dogs a couple of times; with not enough space to avoid the encounters. First time was with flat collar (choked him), second with harness. After these, I prefer harness as I feel that it's safer. In obedience, he's fine as there're too many dogs around - he cannot focus his aggression and therefore not aggressive (only barks a couple of mins after arriving) - we use a flat collar because that's the school's standard. There's this new trendy mindset that harness/ halti is gentler than flat collar - just perception I think (and a bad one!). I heard (and believe in the logic) that a breed determines if you can use harness. For pulling breed (sleigh dog) a harness encourages pulling more than a flat collar (especially those with chest support which copies the design from a sleigh harness).