How to help my dog

Hi ladies and Gents!

First time posting here, but I need some advice. My dog just turned six, and she is very loving with me and the people she knows. She does not like strangers, which I don't mind because it actually has come in handy a few times before.

What worries me is that she is VERY dog aggressive. I had to stop taking her to dog parks, and am really limited with where I can take her in general. There cannot be any other dogs around.

I do not know what to do, but I was considering getting her a puppy (of course I want another dog as well) because she is very good with kittens, cats, rabbits and very small dogs. I thought maybe it would help with her aggression.

Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated. And TIA!

Re: How to help my dog

I would recommend talking to a vet that specialises in behavioural issues or a behavioural trainer first before bringing another animal into your home. Although she has been good with others in the past, it might be different if they have to share a home full time.

You can try Mutt Manners or Bark Busters.

Re: How to help my dog

I wish I could get the Dog Whisperer to come over

Re: How to help my dog

Posted by katiebug

I wish I could get the Dog Whisperer to come over

Re: How to help my dog

I actually thought about doing so, but I believe he helps in the Los Angeles area.

Re: How to help my dog

Re: How to help my dog

He gave Ceasor the dog??? I could NEVER do that.

But I am going to look into the show. That would be so cool. I have this fear that my dog is unfixable.

Re: How to help my dog

I wish I could help but Kasey loves other dogs. I just wanted to suggest you do some research on Cesar before contacting the show. After reading some of the things he does I wouldn't let him touch my dog.

Re: How to help my dog

My dogs name is Kasey too!

What have you heard?

Re: How to help my dog

Re: How to help my dog

I am so afraid that there is nothing I can do. I really would like to have another pup some day.

Re: How to help my dog

Animal Aggressive means just that..."animal" aggressive. She can never be trusted with another animal, whether it be kitten, puppy, rabbit, small or large. She appears to be pit in the photo, is she?

I own an 8 year old female pit, animal aggressive. She can NEVER be trusted with another animal.

I strongly suggest you do not bring another animal into the household.

Re: How to help my dog

Re: How to help my dog

Animal Aggressive means just that..."animal" aggressive. She can never be trusted with another animal, whether it be kitten, puppy, rabbit, small or large. She appears to be pit in the photo, is she?


I appreciate your advice, but you are wrong when it comes to my dog. I have two cats, whom she was not raised with, but have lived HAPPILY with for 3 years. She has NEVER been remotely aggressive towards the cats, and she is home with them alone frequently.

My future mother in law has a rabbit, that she lived with for 6 months, that she lays with and is completely non aggressive with as well.

The only animals she has shown aggression towards, are dogs, and mainly larger dogs, she has been fine with small dogs.

She is a black Lab mutt. I have been told that she has features of pit, but I cannot say for sure if she is part pit or not.

Re: How to help my dog

I wish I were wrong, unfortunately I am not. You state in your post she is aggressive towards dogs, then you state small dogs. Based on the photo, your dog is not a lab mutt, she is a pit mix. In 1992, I had two dogs. A pit mix and a chihuahua mix. Both lived together for 6 years without incident. One summer day we all came back from a walk and the pit mix, without any warning clamped down on the chihuahua and killed him instantly by crushing his skull. Again, animal aggression is just that. It is just a matter of time.

Message edited 4/1/2008 9:23:07 PM.

Re: How to help my dog

Well life is great. I am sorry your dog did what it did, but I assure you, I am not afraid of my dog doing anything to my other animals. Also, I can confirm without a doubt that she is a Lab Mutt, not a Pit mix. You are going off one pic of her head turned. She looks like a small lab, she is only up to my knee, but some people have asked, never a vet or professional mind you, if she had pitt in her.

Additionally, i said she has NOT been aggressive towards small dogs, I am talking mini dogs. She IS aggressive towards medium and large dogs.

Just because of your experience, does not mean that out of no where, after years of living with other animals she is going to snap. I have experienced just the opposite with animals of a woman who did foster care with dogs. She had one dog she had to keep separate from the other dogs, but LOVED rabbits, so he would hang out with them all day. He died two years ago with out incident.

Also, some animals become more aggressive with age, some less. Your pit may have been the one that becomes more aggressive. She is an animal, so i can't determine what she is going to do in 4 years, any more then I can determine what my next door neighbor will do.

So unless you have some articles and substantial evidence to back up 1) that my dog is a Pit and/or 2) that all dogs that show aggression towards other dogs, will eventually turn on either their owners or other animals such as cats, I will have to take your response as opinion

Re: How to help my dog

From what I understand, LIG is not that off base about animal aggressive dogs. I was talking to my neighbor who is a breeder (specifically of Dogue de Bordeaux which for centuries were fighters) and the way he explained it is this:

A dog that displays any kind of aggression does stand the chance (at some point or another) of "snapping". His dogs, though incredibly well trained and behaved are never left alone together b/c he's afraid at some point something *could* happen.

Now, I don't know your dog personally and have never seen your dog in action so I can't say but at the very least if you have *any* kind of concern about aggression, have your dog checked out by his vet. There are many medical reasons for aggression. In addition, speak to a trainer, but like breeders make sure you research them well, as there are many lackluster ones out there.

If after fully researching this and getting your dog checked out, you're still not sure, I would suggest reconsidering getting a puppy. I understand you may really want one, but you need to consider if in the end you would just be setting your current dog up for a horrible problem and/or possibly risking the new puppy's life.

If you would like, I could speak to my neighbor and see if he can recommend a trainer.

Good luck I hope this all works out well for you!

Re: How to help my dog

In your post you stated you were told it is possibly part pit. Your dog is a pit mix, however, that is not why I say your dog is aggressive. You said so. I suggest you speak with an animal behavorist. Perhaps then you will realize the seriousness and potential for disaster. At no time did I say anything about humans. You now brought that into the mix. I do not understand why you are so defensive. You post in a public forum.

Re: How to help my dog

We thought our dog was aggressive but we had a trainer come in to our house. He said our dog had excess energy and helped us correct it.

I suggest getting a good trainer to evaluate the situation.

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Re: How to help my dog

I am was not really becoming defensive, I just find it fascinating that you keep saying that my dog is a Pitt mix, even if she were I would not care, when I know the mother was a Lab. Of course I am not sure of the father, it was between two dogs, so I cannot say for sure if she has Pitt in her. And both fathers were mutts, so who knows if they even had Pitt in them.

So no, I can't say she does not have Pitt in her, but I also cannot say she has Pitt in her. I cannot say if she has poodle in her either. She is a mutt. But what I can say, is that I know for a FACT that she is a Lab Mutt, since her mother was in fact a black Lab.

I would not post if I did not want opinions, but when people state opinion as fact, yes it gets on my nerves.

Re: How to help my dog

Jennie, I would appreciate if you could get a name. I am really interested in getting the situation resolved. I know I may never be able to get another dog, but either way, I would like to know where I stand.

Does anyone know how much a trainer usually costs?

Re: How to help my dog

Re: How to help my dog

As for your dog being dog aggressive, I would recommend taking her/him (sorry i didnt catch the dogs gender) to a place called Quail Run Kennels in Medford. The gentlemen who runs the class has trained police dogs and I have only been in the class two weeks and my girls are benefitting greatly. We do have dog aggressive dogs in our class, 5 to be exact, and the trainer is working to break them of tht bad habit. I trust this man completly, he has good comtrol of the dogs and is very straight forward with the owners. The classes are held on Sat/Sun at 11:30 and 12:30 and they welcome visitors to watch before they sign up. You should go down and just see if it would be helpful, it would only be an hour out of your day and it could change the rest of your dogs life. Message me and I can give you details. Best of luck!!!!
Secondly, I am new to this forum and in no way want to ruffle anyones feathers-BUT I own three WONDERFUL, LOVING, HARMLESS PITBULLS, two are purebred and one is only part pit. My girls have never ever been agreessive towards people or dogs. I feed them together all at the same time all right next to each other and not once has even a lip been raised. I do not crate them while we are not home, it's all in the way you train them. I am tired of people looking at them in disgust like my girls are gonna maul them, trust me when I tell you I am more likely to cause damage then they are. People need to stop being so close minded. I have seen aggressive golden retriever, malteses', boxers, it depends on the dog not the breed. My neice and nephew come over and play and pull and hurt these dogs while playing and they dont even blink, they love kids. If you dont blieve you are more then welcome to meet me at any dog park with them to see how loving they really are.

Re: How to help my dog

Posted by Prettypit0

Secondly, I am new to this forum and in no way want to ruffle anyones feathers-BUT I own three WONDERFUL, LOVING, HARMLESS PITBULLS, two are purebred and one is only part pit. My girls have never ever been agreessive towards people or dogs. I feed them together all at the same time all right next to each other and not once has even a lip been raised.