Dog Agressive Beagle

[goodwinr]

Hello Everyone,
New member here. Hoping for some suggestions. We adopted a 13 inch black and tan beagle 6mths. ago. What I've always wanted.
We asked all the right questions and visited with him in his home. The people said he was a stray when they took him in 3 years ago.
Now they had to move and was unable to take him with them. We were told he was great with other dogs, children and people. Not agressive and well behaved. We'll we run into a ton of issue, but none we haven't been able to correct except for the agression towards other dogs. We walk daily, but the minute he see's another dog he goes NUTS. Howling, yelping, lunging and spinning around in all directions. I immediately stop and try to brake his consentration on the other dog and get him to sit, making use of training treats. But he won't stop or sit for me to do this. I have learned to just stop the walk and return home. So the days we don't run into another dog in the park or on the street he gets a great walk, but most of the time we have to return home and try again tomorrow.
I'm not sure what else to do. We watch the program all the time and have used many of the methods which have worked with other issues. But nothing is working with this. We need some help.
Renee

[Fundog]

The rescue told us that our little Dottie Monster (an English Setter) "plays well with other dogs," too, but the day we went to pick her up, we discovered immediately that she had some fear aggression toward our other dog, whom we took with us. I don't think the rescue "lied," but rather, that Dottie simply had shut down around the other dogs, and did not give them an accurate picture of her behavior. It took some time and vigilant supervision to get Dottie to feel comfortable around Annie. But almost two years later, Dottie is still not comfortable with any other dogs-- just Annie. When we meet other dogs, I have to let people know that Dottie is not comfortable. I put my body between Dottie and the other dog, and block the other dog from being able to enter Dottie's personal space. This lets Dottie know that she can depend on me to protect her from any other dogs that make her feel uncomfortable. This also prevents Dottie from feeling the need to "do unto the other dog first, before it can do unto her." This prevents Dottie from lunging herself at the other dog and attacking. Instead, Dottie will move behind me, and let me keep her safe.

So that being said.... believe it or not, dog/dog aggression is a very common ailment among many participants on this forum. The reason treats and distraction is not working with your beagle is because he is too stressed and overwhelmed by the proximity of the other dog. Dogs cannot eat when they are stressed, nor can they focus on anything else but what is making them feel stressed. The good news is, by turning around and going home when you encounter another dog, you are actually doing something right! The other good news is, there are other things you can do besides just going home, or to make it so you don't have to go home so soon. Some more good new is, there is a "threshold"-- the distance a dog must be from the stressful thing in order to not feel stressed. Sometimes that distance is just across the street, sometimes it's a block away, and sometimes it's from inside a building, behind a glass door or window. The hard part is finding out what that threshold is, and working with that, by letting your dog see the other dog, then look at you and get a treat. This will only work if your dog is far enough away from the other dog that he does not react. Over time, you can very gradually shorten the distance. One day you will be able to see another dog, then simply cross to the opposite side of the street, without any problems.

[Leigha]

I also have a have a fear-aggressive beagle as well. What helped me is to monitor the situation first and foremost. If I saw a dog way off in the distance that mine hadn't yet reacted to, I started by putting him in a position that he wouldn't be able to see the dog. So, if I saw a dog WAAAAY down the street, we'd turn and go the other way before he saw the dog, or if there was a car nearby I'd take him behind the car and work with him on commands for a few minutes while the other dog passed, then I'd continue on in my original direction. After a while of that (it allowed him to calm down) I'd let him see the dog WAAAAY far away, and if he didn't react "yay that was great have a sweetie" and then we went the other way, or got behind the car, etc. Then it got a little closer. Eventually, when I saw another dog I'd let it get fairly close (Bruiser could still see the dog, but he hadn't yet reacted) and I'd put him in his sit and put myself in front of him so that I was between him and the other dog. This blocked his view of the dog partially. I'd let him look, then ask for his attention with a watch me and if he broke his gaze at the other dog he got a treat, if he didn't break his gaze, but didn't bark that was okay, if he had a bad reaction we'd very quickly get up and go the other direction from the dog. It's gotten very much better with him, but we do still have a lot of work to do. He's generally fine now as long as other dogs don't bark at him. If the little buggers bark at him he's not so calm.

[goodwinr]

Thank you fundog for your kind words and suggestions. The threshold with our dog goes as far as in the house behind a glass door.
If he catches wind of a dog in the area around our house he is at the door going nuts. I removed him from the door and wait till he calms down. It doesn't seem to matter the distance with him. We'll just keep trying.
Renee

[jacksdad]

Thank you fundog for your kind words and suggestions. The threshold with our dog goes as far as in the house behind a glass door.
If he catches wind of a dog in the area around our house he is at the door going nuts. I removed him from the door and wait till he calms down. It doesn't seem to matter the distance with him. We'll just keep trying.
Renee

I was never able to get a safe zone with my dog either. I know we tell people to figure this out, but sometimes I think with some dogs there isn't one. there were times my dog would react to a dog over a 100 yards away, but "ignore" a dog who was practically right next to him. then it was freak out over the dog close, but ignore the dog a way, way off in the distance.

if that is your dog, try and keep a rough 20/30 yard distance if possible and just do your best to avoid dogs for a little while. once your dog calms down it might be easier to figure out his safe zone. my dog has one now and it's measured in just a few feet most of the time. but starting out, he was all over the place.

In the house is a tough one. the advice is often to close the curtain or blinds. with my dog it didn't matter. and to make it worse, he could be asleep or otherwise not even near a window, but he knows when a dog passes the house. I have yet to figure out a good way to deal with this. for now I try and redirect his attention as best I can. Fortunately as he calms down with dogs outside, he is also calming down inside when they pass.