behaviour

[cherry322]

I have a very aggressive dog...  she goes after every dog she sees and bit one on the weekend. What do I do?

[Suzanne Hetts, PhD]

Your first concern should be the safety of other dogs your dog comes into contact with.  Our dogs were attacked about a month ago by a loose dog.  They were injured and so was I and I will tell you that even for a professional it was a very traumatic experience.  

So step one is not to allow your dog in situations where she can come in direct contact with other dogs.  This means having a drop-dead secure fence, and never letting your dog off leash for now -  leash walks only.

I would recommend using a Gentle Leader or other head collar for control.  I'd advise against a choke chain or pinch collar because I have seen problems worsen as the dog begins to expect discomfort (choke/'pinch' around the neck) at the approach of other dogs.  

You can try a Calming Cap  - available at http://helpingfido.com/trainingaid-calming-cap.htm - as a management tool to decrease your dog's arousal at the sight of other dogs.  She should not be allowed to greet other dogs on leash right now, because it is not safe for her to do so.

I'd also recommend Patricia McConnell's booklet "Feisty Fido: help for the leash aggressive dog"  as well as her new DVD at http://www.patriciamcconnell.com/.

There are many reasons why dogs can't get along with other dogs, and you don't say whether your dog's problem is on leash only or with other dogs visiting your home or what.  Ideally, you should meet with a certified applied or veterinary behaviorist  - you can find at CertifiedAnimalBehaviorist.com or veterinarybehaviorists.org. These sorts of problems are just too dangerous and complicated to try to give you a detailed behavior modification plan in the context of this forum. Dr. Gary Landsberg is in Canada ( likely not near you) but could probably point you in the right direction.

A good set of realistic expectations will also help.  Some dogs just can't be safe around other dogs and management may be the best option - you'll need someone to personally evaluate your dog to give you a opinion.

good luck!

If there is not one near you, try to find an experienced, well educated trainer.  You can start at ccpdt.org.  DO NOT under any circumstances work with anyone who claims this is a "dominance" problem and suggests leash and collar corrections or other physical techniques as the primary way to deal with the problem.

[Brian C Hurley, D.V.M.]

We have some good behaviorists answering aggression questions in the behavior forum.  I would recommend posting the question there to get your help with your pet.