Can a dog prone to attacking other dogs be retrained?

[Akane]

A dog aggressive mastiff was successfully retrained last year at the dog classes I attend. She had been locked up and ignored for the first 2 years of her life without ever seeing another dog or more than the same 2 people who fed her. No socialization at all. They started with her fenced off from the others working on obedience and slowly worked up to being around the other dogs. She may never be dog park material but the owners take her on leash around other dogs at petstores or events and she no longer attempts to get loose or off the property to attack them.

 

[Sallyschickens]

Again thank you everyone!

Great Mastiff story Akane!

I am not so "worked up" anymore and thanks to Jamie the great, I mean, dog trainer, I see light at the end of the tunnel for "Kate". How lucky am I to live near her???

After her initial evaluation, (hope she passes!) Kate will begin intensive psycho therapy (I mean dog training

). I can't wait to update you all with her progress (and mine too). I hope she will earn the name of "Kate the Great"!

Really, save for her aggressive-ness toward other dogs, she is a wonderful, caring livestock gurdian dog and pet. She even has her own kitty that she licks and follows around everywhere. She really didn't have a fair shake during the first 10 months of her life, in fact, the Mastiff story reminds me of how she was probably treated before they dumped her at the high kill shelter.

Cross your fingers for Kate!

(Until then she is under lock and key.)

And to you Jamie the dog trainer----->

!!!

 

[Godsgrl]

I'm sorry you are facing this situation with your dog. I just wanted to throw out there that IF you should decide to rehome your dog, and she attacks/kills another dog, you are liable as her previous owner. Since you knew about the problem before hand. What a tough situation. What about contacting Dogtown in AZ? They take dogs who really have no other place to go, and do their best to rehabilitate them. Good luck

 

[Sallyschickens]

Thanks Godsgrl,

I would never rehome her b/c she has these issues. The only option is intense training or, well, you know.

Luckily I found Jamie the dog trainer (yea BYC!!) and she deals with aggressive dogs...finally a light at the end of the tunnel. Hopefully at the end of her initial evaluation, Jamie will deem Kate trainable.

Kate has been in the house or on leash in the fenced back yard since the incident happened this morning. I also fixed the fence. She will stay on leash until Jamie can evaluate her and hopefully accept her into her 30 day training program sometime next week.

Believe you me, I know how serious this is.

 

[OccamsTazer]

I have dealt with some pretty messed up dogs, and IMO, it is very rare for a dog to be too emotionally damaged to recover.
In cases like yours, where the dog is otherwise great and emotionally healthy, there is always hope.

That kind of aggression is usually based in fear and insecurity combined with poor early socialization, but it can be overcome

Anecdote that may make you feel better: My wonderful boy Kojak was a total wreck when I got him. Severe long term mange, heartworms, and major abuse. For the first four months, he would do nothing but sit and the end of the hall and stare at the corner. SO and I would be in the living room, watching TV and playing with my other dogs, and he would just sit alone and stare at the wall.
One day he bounded into the room holding a toy and dropped it in front of Artie (another dog)! I burst into tears, actually...
It was a long slow road, but today he is a completely different dog. Playful, outgoing and wonderful. Being part of a family and being around emotionally whole dogs (along with a lot of training) pulled him out of it. He still has scars, he's quite shy around new people and he'll wreck the house if he's alone, but he's a new pooch today.
Of course his response was less outwardly dangerous so it's a different thing. He turned inward and shut down, it sounds like your girl is being rather...proactive.
But don't lose hope, dogs are resilient and can heal from things that would destroy people. It sounds like you hit the jackpot with Jamie

 

[Sallyschickens]

Thanks Occam!

She was once just as emotionally scarred. She wouldn't bond with us (wouldn't even look us in the eye) and she tried to run away every chance she got. It took almost a full year for her to enjoy being in the same room as the rest of the family.

Now, just like your dog, she finds joy in her toys (even though she may be a bit old to suddenly act like a puppy

) and she loves her old sister Saint, who is very well adjusted...aka "whole". I like that term.

There is still no excuse for an "aggresive to other dogs" dog...I'm not giving her any excuses here.

 

[Sammimom]

Often with training, a dog-aggressive-dog can be taught "appropriate" ways to interact with other dogs...but it does take lots of work on the part of the owner to follow through with daily training as instructed by the trainer. Good luck, because it sounds like with all the other great qualities your dog has it would be a shame to have to put her down. My friend is going through this with her rottie right now, she bit the new neighbor puppy (badly) and is now undergoing training too.

I definitely wouldn't trust an invisible fence, many times dogs decide it's worth it to pass the barrier.

 

[Jamie_Dog_Trainer]

I am really looking forward to working with Sally and Kate. IMO from talking to Sally Kate's aggression isn't what I would call severe. She is moderately aggressive. The dog has never drawn blood on another dog. From my initial conversation with Sally, her dog is more of a bluffer, though she does make physical contact with the other dogs she mostly makes a lot of noise and bowls them over. That kind of aggression isn't that serious in reality.

If Sally had told me that Kate had put other dogs in the Vet Hospital I would be more concerned. But, at the moment, I believe Kate is quite workable.

 

[nyice]

Two of ours are dog agressive, one more than the other, and both sucessfully completed obedience. We just know that at all times we must be vigilant and not put them in a situation where they will fail.
Neither of my pits have ever ben in a fight (I have had to pick them up on walks many times when another dog off leash charged us) and we take many percautions to make sure they never do. You may never be able to trust 100% with other dogs, but knowing your dog and it's triggers helps.

 

[Miss Red]

I know my Heeler I never, EVER take anywhere without a muzzle. Just because she is a heeler, and is protective of her people. She goes with me to TSC all the time, and they know her there. She's bit people on occasion but they were in her place and I wasn't home, even though she knew them she knew I wasn't home and was NOT letting them in 'her' house. She's did once tear up my best friends dog in a squawble over food. Thankfully neither time charges were pressed.

I had a dog that was so dog aggressive once, that if she even SMELLED a dog she would raise her hackles show teeth and there was no taking that away from her. She was eventually put down when she attacked and killed a neighbors dog that got out.

I hope everything goes well with Kate, because she shares my name. Good luck with your girl! I bet she's beautiful with bernard in her.