How do you handle unacceptable behaviour?

[chickflick1066]

My foster dog (FD) has been with me for eight days now and has settled in really well. We've got a really good routine set up and he's getting two walks daily with 2-3hrs adventures at weekends so getting plenty of food. He has two meals a day, fresh water and companionship for most of the day. He is not great with other dogs though :/ He prefers bitches and is much better off the lead as I find they sort it out between themselves better that way. Today after an excellent walk almost 99% off lead we had two incidents which I feel were unacceptable behaviour. A boy about 6 years old cycled past us and said to me "My mummy loves those doggies" - he didn't go to stroke FD he just spoke at him and FD growled at him

And then we went to the pub for 1/2 a cider afterwards. There was a spaniel underneath a table with his owners. FD and spaniel sniff each other initially with no issue and I walk into the pub with FD, order my food and get my 1/2 cider and head off to sit outside. We see spaniel again only this time when FD sniffed him he started to growl at spaniel - I go to pull him away and he starts barking and lunges at spaniel.

This behaviour is unacceptable but I am not entirely sure how I can address it. I do my best to avoid other dogs by walking early or late in the day but it's not always possible and although he's good most of the time I need to know I can control his behaviour when we're out in public. And the growling at small children? How can I work on FD's tolerance towards children?

[Ari_RR]

How old is FD? Neutered or intact? What kind of dog (breed.. Or what kind of mix?)

[chickflick1066]

Oops I meant to include that information. He's a 3yo neutered male boxer.

[Nettle]

You handle it by accepting that an unknown dog will have issues and so arranging its life so that it is not exposed to extreme triggers. Space is crucially important to dogs, so the more space around the dog the better.

Incident 1 - the dog was telling you the boy was too close. So you deal with that by stepping between dog and boy and moving dog away. Not pulling him away, but pushing by walking sideways with your thigh against the dog. Dogs understand pushing: dogs push each other. Pulling is a human thing and scary to dogs because it leaves the dog 'on its own' with the stressor.

Incident 2 - spaniel seen when FD was going into pub meant FD had space around him, but when FD came out of pub, he came out of a confined area (a doorway) and so spaniel appeared threatening. That would ideally have been dealt with as above. Again by pulling you left the dog isolated with the stressor and so he escalated his fearful behaviour.

This all takes a while for us humans to learn, so don't feel you are being criticised - you are great to come here and ask. As you do more work with FDs you will get slicker at pre-empting fearful reaction by planning ahead on the space issues.


BTW it's only unacceptable behaviour to you - to the dog it was the best course of action at the time, given that he couldn't run away.

[chickflick1066]

I don't feel criticized at all, thank you for your reply. He's really strong so I do struggle to pull him away from a sticky situation when it has escalated but I think the use of thigh to push him away is a good tactic. He's really hit and miss with other dogs. Yesterday a small, shitzu type dog got treated to FD trying to pounce on him. x3 minature poodles today just got a sniff and he walked away. It's really hard to gauge him!

[emmabeth]

It does help to examine your own attitude too..

'Unacceptable' - as Nettle said, to whom, and why?

It is unacceptable for a dog to growl at a child.... because it means the dog is worried/scared/trying to communicate something important. Not because growling is 'bad', growling is just communication!

The reason I mention this is because we are conditioned to see growling, lunging, barking, biting etc as 'bad' behaviours - the dog that does these things is a BAD dog - but thats not actually true - all dogs can do these things. The dog that actually does them, does them for a reason (frequently fear!) because he feels they are his only option in specific situations.

Its made harder by the fact that everyone around us in public places is also likely to believe that a growling/lunging etc dog is a 'bad' dog, and social pressure is then on us to 'do something' - ie punish - which is the worst thing we can do!

So - the idea is you don't get close enough or allow potential triggers to get close enough, for him to feel he has to react. Also, reward him for all the good reactions, as low key and non-eventful as they may be the more you can classically condition the good stuff, the better he will be!

[Ari_RR]

He's really hit and miss with other dogs. Yesterday a small, shitzu type dog got treated to FD trying to pounce on him. x3 minature poodles today just got a sniff and he walked away. It's really hard to gauge him!

yeah, but it will get easier with time.. And he's only been with you for 8 days.. Just keep paying attention and soon enough you will just feel it... Your state of of mind travels through the leash to him, he picks up the vibe from you... It's a 2-way street, just pay attention and you will feel his vibe soon.... And try to see other dogs/people before he does so you can evaluate them and decide what to do - turn around and avoid, or pass by, or let them meet and greet....

[JudyN]

I'm in a similar situation with Jasper, as I struggle to both restrain him and manouevre him, and it's difficult to predict how he will react. I think you need to be wary of letting FD off lead on the basis that the dogs usually sort themselves out better that way, because he could decide that he really doesn't like a small/young/submissive dog and give it a pounding, which could be disastrous for the other dog. So wherever possible, avoid the meeting at all rather than letting them sort it out.

With Jasper I realised that young unneutered males are a big problem. Unfortunately he can tell whether they are this sort or not before I can!

[doggiedad]

train and socialize.

[chickflick1066]

I am trying to socialize him on a daily basis but I am PETRIFIED of him injuring another dog. He's good 95% of the time, but it's the 5% unpredictability.

[jacksdad]

you have only had this dog under your care for less than 2 weeks. technically, he is still 100% unpredictable. it takes a lot more time than just a few days to truly get to the know what a dog will or won't do.

right now, socialization (at least the way most people think of it) is really a low priority. your high priority is to manage his stress...so give him days off as much as possible. on days off you do your best to avoid his "fear triggers" 100%. meaning either at the greatest distance possible OR so that he never even see's them.

then on days you are working him to over come his fear, at this point the BEST thing to do is find his safe distance from "scary" and every time he looks at "scary", treat. he he growls...still give he the treat. reason...you are working to change his emotional response. and to do that, every time a kid walks by, rides, by, runs by etc...he needs to have that event (the environment) predict SUPER YUMMY or good things. HOWEVER, if you notice that at a particular distance you are getting a lot of growls, or barking, or lunging etc. that is an indication you are too close and need to get more distance.

At 3 years old, it is FAR more important that he be able to view other dogs/kids, walk past other dogs/kids, have them walk/run/ride etc past him...than it is for him to be able to play with them. UNTIL his underlying emotional association is changed towards dogs/kids, ANY up close interaction is 100% too risky.

Take a little pressure of him and your self and don't even worry about him playing/interacting with dogs/kids right now. lets "worry" about that "tomorrow".