What can I do to help my dog become less aggressive towards other dogs?
Written by Luvs Dogs on October 25th, 2008
KKingS asked:
I adopted my dog from the pound, and he has trouble getting along with some other dogs. He has no problem with small dogs or ones that act somewhat submissive–he actually likes them. But he will growl and snap at larger dogs. I can’t take him to Petsmart any more because of his behavior. What can be done to help this? Will obedience training help? Are there things I can work on with him at home until we do the training? He shows NO signs of aggression towards any people, only dogs. I don’t know his history, since we got him from the pound, but he does have scars on his leg that the vet believes were bites from another dog. Could this be part of the reason for his aggression? What are other reasons dogs are aggressive towards other dogs?
Thanks for the answers so far (except the one about drowning him, because that is not my objective and it’s illegal).
The vet believes he may have some pitbull mixed in. He is also already neutered.
I do keep him on a leash, but he will pull hard and stand on his hind legs to try and get at another dog, even if it is across the street.
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I adopted my dog from the pound, and he has trouble getting along with some other dogs. He has no problem with small dogs or ones that act somewhat submissive–he actually likes them. But he will growl and snap at larger dogs. I can’t take him to Petsmart any more because of his behavior. What can be done to help this? Will obedience training help? Are there things I can work on with him at home until we do the training? He shows NO signs of aggression towards any people, only dogs. I don’t know his history, since we got him from the pound, but he does have scars on his leg that the vet believes were bites from another dog. Could this be part of the reason for his aggression? What are other reasons dogs are aggressive towards other dogs?
Thanks for the answers so far (except the one about drowning him, because that is not my objective and it’s illegal).
The vet believes he may have some pitbull mixed in. He is also already neutered.
I do keep him on a leash, but he will pull hard and stand on his hind legs to try and get at another dog, even if it is across the street.
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7 Comments at "What can I do to help my dog become less aggressive towards other dogs?"
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Socialization is the key
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cut the nuts
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there is a thing called the alpha male or pack leader he sounds as tho he is jus that and some dogs like that will never get along with other dogs its jus in there nature to attack other dogs jus for ur saftey and his keep him away from other dogs he sounds as tho he is jus getting his peeking order down but u dont wanna chance him hurting another dog in the process…when u take him out jus leash him and if he has to be around other dogs keep him at a distance from them
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If he was attacked by a dog in the past, it would definitely contribute to his aggression now.
To help him, you need to be sure you’re not signalling him to growl. When you see a large dog coming, you most likely tense up, probably tighten his leash, perhaps tell him “it’s ok”. These are all signals to him that things aren’t ok - dogs are experts at reading our body language and you’re passing your tension down to him. You need to act matter of fact, keep him walking, talk to him in an up-beat voice saying “let’s go”, try not to tense up.
And yes, obedience classes would definitely help. You need to check around, though and find classes with a qualified instructor (NO Petsmart classes). He needs to be around larger dogs to get over this and you can help him through it.
If you have friends with large dogs who are friendly, you can use them to help you. You can practice walking him past the other dog - with enough repetition, he should improve. But classes with a good instructor are a good bet.
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My dog was exactly like yours. I spoken with her everytime when she saw other dog and, finally, started to change.
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Socialize him.
Take him to dog parks.
Don’t let him loose off the leash till he’s been sniffed and fits in.
Wear a muzzle in and then remove it once any signs of aggression are over, about 20 minutes in.
If he’s so bad you can’t let him loose to run, then hold him on a leash, muzzled, and let the dogs sniff him. Take him every single day till he shows no reaction. Then, you can take the muzzle off someday and he won’t bite. Once you get to that stage…he will be able to play with them and learn that dogs aren’t always going to attack him.
If he is a pittbull terrier, your cause is lost. They are bred for fighting and a fighting pittbull can not stop an instinctive trait.
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my GSD was reactive around other dogs as a pup, our vet recommended taking him to a shy/reactive dog class. not only did this class teach me the basic commands, but it also showed me what to look for as far as certain signals the dog would show before he became aggressive. and how to redirect his attention to me and not the other dog. it has taken some time, but before the class a dog couldn’t be across the street without mine going bonkers. now he is comfortable around strange dogs. i wouldn’t recommend a class from petco or petsmart, you need to take your dog to a certified trainer one who specializes in reactive dogs. check with your vet for a recommendation. oh, and from my experience it costs around $160 for an 8 week course. hope I helped you a bit, good luck with your dog!