A little history: I adopted my Boxer/Aussie mix (breed identification from DNA test results) most people see her a pit bull and judge immediately. I was going to school for Veterinary technology and working in a grooming salon. She was about 1 yr old at the time. Her biggest problem is she would guard us when on a leash, but was great with other dogs. I worked with her when walking I would reassure her when people approached or just walking past us, this works great and I still have to let her know people are ok because she is still nervous (she was in bad shape when I adopted her so not sure of her history). I used to be able to drop her at doggie daycare and introduce her to other dogs when walking and she would be cautious at 1st but usually just fine after a quick sniff. For a while she would come to work with me in the grooming salon but preferred to stay in the kennel next to me while I groomed. During that time we lived in an apartment and would walk and go for hikes regularly. She was doing good letting dogs approach her even the rude ones with a little reassurance. A lot of little dogs liked to attack her and she would still do really good with them.That is until the off leash German Shepard rudely approached. I blocked the dog from Gypsy as the dog was not being friendly, then it turned to my 4 yr old son. the owner grabbed the dog just in time. We were all quite a bit shaken. So introductions are a little more tricky as this triggered a fear aggression in Gypsy. If I catch her before she starts barking we do pretty good.
We've moved a few times and added to our 4 legged family. My husband, who refuses to listen to anything dog related, because he is just so smart (not really but he believes so) wanted a dog so he got an over confident Australian Shepard. Gypsy didn't like it at first but they became friends and Gypsy had to be the lower dog on totem pole (at least that's what Fly believed). The later on I fell in love with a chihuahua puppy and brought him home. Gypsy and Yoda were great and still pretty much inseparable. Yoda just never got used to the idea of liking other people or dogs but is tolerable of them when he has to be.
A couple years ago we ended up moving in my in laws and their Jack Russel's. My husband comes by his ignorance honestly and those dogs are unruly and if I had my way would be in a home with owners willing to train them. I did a little training while I lived there only to have them undo anything I was trying to accomplish. When we moved in it took a couple weeks before the our dogs could hang out together. At the time this living arrangement was necessary. We could not afford our own place and we were taking care of my father in law who was fighting the cancer battle.
This year has been more than rough for our family and a lot has happened and changed. I had to stop grooming last year do to an accident then my health started failing dramatically. Then come summer my birth control failed and I found out I was pregnant and due to other circumstances we needed to move. Fly (my husbands Aussie) was terrible with my youngest as a baby an toddler, plus I couldn't take care of 2 big dogs and Fly missed all the hiking we would do before I hurt my back. So I found her a great home with a family that had a teenage girl that wanted a hiking buddy.
We moved into an apartment and the pregnancy wasn't going well and I was sick and hurt really bad, but I still took the dogs for their walks. Only problem now Gypsy starting acting up. Specially while I was weak. Some dogs she would bark at playfully and some she would bark aggressively, but she is strong and I wasn't sure I could handle a greeting if it turned bad so I kept her from the other dogs. Now she is regarded as the mean dog. I have been able to do a few meet and greets with some of the other dogs and she does fine. There are several dogs that clearly do not like her, but are great with other dogs in the complex. One in particular is a cocker spaniel that a little girl keeps bringing out without a leash. The first time this dog approached her, I was able to talk Gypsy through the meet only to have the dog try to take her face off. And the little girl tells the story that my dog was the one who attacked. This has happened a few times and each time I tell the girl her dog needs to be on a leash.
I love my dog and do not want her to end up being punished for others incompetence. I keep her on a leash and we go for 2 really good long walks in the morning and evening with a short one in between. I have to do a check before I take her out. I've tried to use treats, but the only thing that works outside is me reassuring her and talking her calmly through meet and greets with other dogs, but that doesn't work if the other dog attacks. I use a front lead no pull harness but still she is very strong and she has actually tried pushing off my legs with her back legs to get leverage when trying to go after other dogs.
Mostly what I want to accomplish is to be able to walk past any dog with out any issues. Mostly I just try to avoid any other dogs and a lot of the time as we walk past others being walked a stern EH!Eh! and praises in between seem to be working sometimes.....is there anything else you guys can think of?
That dog other dogs do not like on the playground
Moderators: emmabeth, BoardHost
Re: That dog other dogs do not like on the playground
Hi, welcome to the forum!
So I think (btw thanks for the history, we LOVE details here), from what you say that actually, Gypsy has never really been quite as confident as you thought. I don't think shes ever really been protecting you 'because you need protecting', but always because SHE is worried/anxious, and because you are her most valued resource and if she were to lose you, omg that would be the end of her world.
I realise this sounds like a fairly picky difference to point out, but when you think of a dog as protecting YOU, you think of them as having a certain degree of confidence - when you adjust that and think of them as worried about something, worried about losing a valued resource, you see that the confidence isn't really there.
That leads us to what to do now - boost her confidence in herself - again it is really telling that now you are pregnant and struggling and not well, shes more worried - because she needs YOU, and you are weak... therefore she may be at risk.
This also starts to explain why she's not improving - shes at risk, shes too worried to take a treat but she trusts you when you say its ok... but then sometimes (and I really don't want to make you feel bad because life happens!) it ISN'T ok and a dog has a go at her or tries to attack... well then, she was right to be worried!
So - first step here is avoid other dogs, like the plague, like your life depends on it - see other dogs, turn around, run (waddle), hide, get the heck out of there.
She doesn't actually need to see other dogs, (theres some scientific proof of that, its us that likes it, dogs don't need it) - long term its healthy for her to be able to exist without stress, near other dogs, and ideally to be able to interact normally with them, but she does not NEED to see them now, and she NEVER needs to be friends with random strange dogs you may see out and about. She will only ever NEED to get along with any dog she lives with, thats all (and you already know she can do that).
It is not going to be easy, though you are already doing this to a certain extent - walk at quieter times of day, pick routes that are quiet or offer a lot of hiding places, be mentally prepared to change direction or route as necessary.
Do not make her greet or pass other dogs close by - even if you reassuring her is keeping a lid on her reaction, I think its almost certainly not making her feel better long term (or her fear would be reducing).
I would also take iwth you the highest value rewards you can figure out - so, cheese, hot dog, livercake - really work on finding whatever floats her boat. She won't be able to take a treat when she is near another dog, but your goal right now is to find out when she CAN take a treat and when she can't.
Start in your apartment, if she loves something there, what about with the door open and her leash on - yes or no? If yes, head on out, can she manage to take a treat outside but with no people or dogs in sight?
When you find the point where she says 'nope, no treats now' - thats her threshold (almost certainly, a few dogs WILL eat when really stressed but not many, and they are quite obvious in their snatchy taking of the treat and the mindless chew/swallow that often involves the treat being dropped and not noticed).
You want to stay within her threshold, so back up to the point where she was happy taking treats.
IF you actually find that she will only take treats with the apartment door open, on her lead and she wont the second you step outside then that is where you work with her, just hopping in and out of hte door and rewarding her for it - its unlikely but it does happen!
If thats the case let us know, Im not sure what you do about potty breaks - hopefully she has somewhere like a balcony to do it!
Ideally she will be able to walk and accept a treat from you - so now you avoid dogs and when you see one IF there is the distance, reward her for seeing it - ifthe dog is approaching or you think its going to get too close, get that distance THEN reward, do not risk a dog coming too close and her being over threshold for the sake of trying to give a treat.
What will be happening here is more than just random walks where you avoid dogs and give her treats - by avoiding and taking obvious evasive action, you are showing her, YOU will deal with this stuff, she can trust you to take the appropriate action. By avoiding dogs you reduce her stress levels so she can think and work with you much more easily. By rewarding with high value foods (you could use toys if these are better for her but it has to be THE highest value reward she has) you are starting to classically condition her to feel a new emotion on seeing other dogs, that of pleasure, rather than fear.
So I think (btw thanks for the history, we LOVE details here), from what you say that actually, Gypsy has never really been quite as confident as you thought. I don't think shes ever really been protecting you 'because you need protecting', but always because SHE is worried/anxious, and because you are her most valued resource and if she were to lose you, omg that would be the end of her world.
I realise this sounds like a fairly picky difference to point out, but when you think of a dog as protecting YOU, you think of them as having a certain degree of confidence - when you adjust that and think of them as worried about something, worried about losing a valued resource, you see that the confidence isn't really there.
That leads us to what to do now - boost her confidence in herself - again it is really telling that now you are pregnant and struggling and not well, shes more worried - because she needs YOU, and you are weak... therefore she may be at risk.
This also starts to explain why she's not improving - shes at risk, shes too worried to take a treat but she trusts you when you say its ok... but then sometimes (and I really don't want to make you feel bad because life happens!) it ISN'T ok and a dog has a go at her or tries to attack... well then, she was right to be worried!
So - first step here is avoid other dogs, like the plague, like your life depends on it - see other dogs, turn around, run (waddle), hide, get the heck out of there.
She doesn't actually need to see other dogs, (theres some scientific proof of that, its us that likes it, dogs don't need it) - long term its healthy for her to be able to exist without stress, near other dogs, and ideally to be able to interact normally with them, but she does not NEED to see them now, and she NEVER needs to be friends with random strange dogs you may see out and about. She will only ever NEED to get along with any dog she lives with, thats all (and you already know she can do that).
It is not going to be easy, though you are already doing this to a certain extent - walk at quieter times of day, pick routes that are quiet or offer a lot of hiding places, be mentally prepared to change direction or route as necessary.
Do not make her greet or pass other dogs close by - even if you reassuring her is keeping a lid on her reaction, I think its almost certainly not making her feel better long term (or her fear would be reducing).
I would also take iwth you the highest value rewards you can figure out - so, cheese, hot dog, livercake - really work on finding whatever floats her boat. She won't be able to take a treat when she is near another dog, but your goal right now is to find out when she CAN take a treat and when she can't.
Start in your apartment, if she loves something there, what about with the door open and her leash on - yes or no? If yes, head on out, can she manage to take a treat outside but with no people or dogs in sight?
When you find the point where she says 'nope, no treats now' - thats her threshold (almost certainly, a few dogs WILL eat when really stressed but not many, and they are quite obvious in their snatchy taking of the treat and the mindless chew/swallow that often involves the treat being dropped and not noticed).
You want to stay within her threshold, so back up to the point where she was happy taking treats.
IF you actually find that she will only take treats with the apartment door open, on her lead and she wont the second you step outside then that is where you work with her, just hopping in and out of hte door and rewarding her for it - its unlikely but it does happen!
If thats the case let us know, Im not sure what you do about potty breaks - hopefully she has somewhere like a balcony to do it!
Ideally she will be able to walk and accept a treat from you - so now you avoid dogs and when you see one IF there is the distance, reward her for seeing it - ifthe dog is approaching or you think its going to get too close, get that distance THEN reward, do not risk a dog coming too close and her being over threshold for the sake of trying to give a treat.
What will be happening here is more than just random walks where you avoid dogs and give her treats - by avoiding and taking obvious evasive action, you are showing her, YOU will deal with this stuff, she can trust you to take the appropriate action. By avoiding dogs you reduce her stress levels so she can think and work with you much more easily. By rewarding with high value foods (you could use toys if these are better for her but it has to be THE highest value reward she has) you are starting to classically condition her to feel a new emotion on seeing other dogs, that of pleasure, rather than fear.
West Midlands based 1-2-1 Training & Behaviour Canine Consultant
Re: That dog other dogs do not like on the playground
Thank you! A lot of these things I already do, like walking her at quieter times, Avoid other dogs like the plague. She is great when it comes to going potty outside, but no we don't have a balcony. Of all things I think the treats outside will be the hardest, I even tried her favorite rope toy. I did add a small walk in the field across the street to her routine where she "goes hunting". She hunts for mice but I tell my son we are hunting for deer as we have actually walked into the middle of the herd and she was so busy with her nose to the ground she didn't even notice; I didn't even notice until it was to late, but she did really well.
With the cocker spaniel that runs around with a little girl (maybe 10 yr old) that thinks it needs to take on my dog, she is finally using a leash (maybe after I told her to 3 times or the fact that it started going after other dogs too, she finally got smart or her mom did).
I did watch her more with my mom's Irish Setters and some times I think what I see as aggression (other dogs and their people too) she sees as play. Avoiding other dogs is a good option and works great for me, I'm not one to make small talk and really don't want to know what so & so is doing in apartment 3B...with you know who.
So we will do some work on confidence.
And the longer I walk her the more she behaves.
With the cocker spaniel that runs around with a little girl (maybe 10 yr old) that thinks it needs to take on my dog, she is finally using a leash (maybe after I told her to 3 times or the fact that it started going after other dogs too, she finally got smart or her mom did).
I did watch her more with my mom's Irish Setters and some times I think what I see as aggression (other dogs and their people too) she sees as play. Avoiding other dogs is a good option and works great for me, I'm not one to make small talk and really don't want to know what so & so is doing in apartment 3B...with you know who.
So we will do some work on confidence.
And the longer I walk her the more she behaves.
