Loyal K9 Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 We have a 8 months old Sheltie, he is an ex show dog. We only have him for 3 weeks. At home he is a friendly dog and gets along very well with my terrier. They play together and if one gets a pat the other will want one too. Unlike my terrier he is a more cautious dog. When he sees people at home he first barks then approach them in a friendly way. I think he is a good watch dog. The problem that I have is when I walk him. He sometimes bark at people but he is getting better. With dogs is a different issue. When another dog approaches him he moves back or tries to "escape" from the lead/collar. If he can no longer step back he snaps. He has done this twice but he didn't seem to hurt the dogs. He also barks at other dogs when they get close enough. How do I fix this behaviour? I want him to be comfortable and friendly toward other dogs and people. One day I want to be able to walk him without lead like my terrier. Currently I say NO when he barks but I don't know how to make friendly toward other dog. I have difficulty trying to stop him from pulling the lead and calm him down. Advise please. Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Midol Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 (edited) My vote: Fear based aggression. My solution: Experienced behaviorist. Aggression either gets worse or it gets better, it doesn't stay the same unless you isolate the dog. Every encounter is making it worse. BTW: I don't believe it's really possible to reverse fear based aggression but you can remove the symptoms (so he won't show he is aggro) but I'd never trust him around strange dogs. Edited January 17, 2009 by Just Midol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kavik Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 I agree that it sounds fear based. I would also suggest getting a behaviourist in. Something for you to think about is that he may not ever be relaxed and friendly around other dogs, he may always be cautious. It is important to be aware of this so that you don't place him in situations where he may become stressed enough to become aggressive towards other dogs. Until you get someone in to help, I would not take him to places where dogs are likely to try to come up to meet him, as he will continue to behave in this manner and the more he does it, the more difficult it will be to fix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 When he sees people at home he first barks then approach them in a friendly way.I think he is a good watch dog. Hi No , he is not a good watch dog... as he is barking out of fear/uncertainty, from what you've written... Without knowing his background.. at that age, I agree with midol and kavik- get a booking with a behaviourist, have him professionally assessed, and get advice on how to work with him. Trying to correct his problems by yourself could make things worse... and as we cannot watch you walk your dog.. or be there to observe all his(and your) body language.. we cannot give accurate advice . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 With dogs is a different issue. When another dog approaches him he moves back or tries to "escape" from the lead/collar.If he can no longer step back he snaps. He has done this twice but he didn't seem to hurt the dogs. Until you seek experienced professional help, don't allow this to happen. You cannot "cure" timidity by constantly making the dog fearful and forcing him to defend himself. If you remove his ability to escape what he fears (ie the leash tightens) then you force him to fight. Keep other dogs out of his face. Do not allow them to crowd him. He needs to be confident that you will keep him safe from what he fears. I expect that if you do that, you'll see a lot less barking. Are you doing any training with him? Obedience training can assist with building bonds between dog and owner. A good professional trainer can do a lot to build confidence but it needs to be done carefully. The very last dogs your dog needs to meet now are friendly bouncy, in your face dogs, especially those larger than him. Give him some space. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corvus Posted January 18, 2009 Share Posted January 18, 2009 Perhaps this would help you understand why your dog behaves this way: http://www.animalbehavioranswers.com/id167.html I don't think there are any C.A.T trainers in this country, and you need the cooperation of some bomb proof dogs, but I think it helps to understand where it's all coming from and why telling the dog what NOT to do is not usually a big help in treating the underlying problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loyal K9 Posted January 18, 2009 Author Share Posted January 18, 2009 (edited) Thanks for the advise. I have contacted an experience dog trainer. She said most of the time this type of behaviour can be fixed/modified with some works and persistence. Edited January 18, 2009 by Loyal K9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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