"Mean" dog support/advice? (sorry, long)

[fuzzypicklehead]

I posted a few weeks ago about the "surprise" dog that DH brought home from work. (owner went to prison & abandoned dog with a vulnerable person who was facing eviction because of dog)

Well, Mr. Dog is a troubled soul. Don't get me wrong, he's wonderful at home, great with the kids and loves training, games, and agility. But he's been pretty much kept in a city flat his whole life (6.5 years), and the rural environment is completely new to him. And dogs. He really does not like other dogs (except perhaps for lunch).

We've had him neutered and taken a behaviorist's advice to start him on calm-eze to relieve anxiety. He's started obedience school and has had a couple of positive encounters with other dogs. But he bit another dog on Sunday and DH is really rattled. Because things had been going well, DH let him off the lead for a game of fetch, and on retrieval Mr Dog spotted a Jack Russell coming up from behind DH and attacked. (JR dog was frightened but unharmed, and couple with him were ok when DH apologised)

IMO it was really foolish of DH to let him off lead in a relatively new, high stimulus environment and the dog had given a couple of anxiety cues that DH should have responded to. But they both came home really shaken and unhappy.

Now DH is feeling disheartened, and I don't know what to tell him. I think deep down he thought that if he loves Mr Dog and treats him well that they would just live happily ever after. I think that MAYBE with lots of training then in six months to a year we might have a calmer dog with decent recall who can ignore passing hounds.

Has anybody had success with dogs who just don't like other dogs?

Please don't be down hearted. You are doing all the right things but this will take time. Your dog didn't get this way overnight and he won't get better overnight though he will get there gradually.

Hopefully DH has learned his lesson - DOG ON LEAD when out and about. Personally, I would also consider using a muzzle. We have greyhounds so they are completely relaxed about them, and they give you an extra layer of peace of mind. Ours use the lightweight plastic ones which allow them to breathe, run, drink and even sneak little tiny treats.

You are working with a behaviourist and attending classes, he's neutered and you're committed to being a responsible owner.

Don't make it too difficult for yourself or set yourself up for failure or stress by letting him off lead, or going where it's very busy/lots of off lead other dogs. One option you could consider is using a safe secure off lead area for training and play. Many greyhound charities regularly have/rent these and a really popular option is to use an indoor riding school - perfect environment. The greyhound field we use regularly is also used by dog owners of other breeds (huskies etc) and people training who just want an undisturbed space where they can be off lead and secure.

Slightly off topic, I think there is actually a huge business opportunity for someone to offer such a space for dog owners to be hired out in blocks of time - perfect for dogs in season, recovering from ops, training pups, sighthounds, dog reactive dogs, huskies etc.

Good luck.

Yes yes yes yes, I have seen many many dogs that have been rehabilitated with the correct behaviour management so this is not a lost cause.

You do however have to take baby steps and also make decisions for the dog in difficult situations. You need to spend time with the dog to see what the trigger situations are and this will take time.

I am a little concerned that your behaviourist advised castration for a fear reactive dog so maybe look into APDT trainer as they will definitely have the tools to help you.

BAT is the way to go and you can quarantee great results if this is followed consistently.BAT Info

I recommend a head collar so that you have total control whilst you are training. If you follow BAT you should never be close enough to a dog to start with to have a bite but sometimes things happen out of your control.

There is a yahoo group for reactive dogs that may inspire you also anything by Pamela Dennison who has done a lot of work and had remarkable success stories with reactive dogs. She is American but has lots of material to inspire!

Off topic Scuttle we have a field that we hire out for dogs exercise a 20 acre field that can be broken into smaller chunks for intensive training. or used at full size for anti social dogs, old dogs, dogs with recall in progress etc. We also use it for reactive dogs to meet other dogs in safe environments. We are not millionaires yet but the field is always booked.

How wonderful Cuebill! I know that for a lot of charities/rescues, it's more of a service than a money spinner, but I think there are so many dogs that need this type of safe space at various points in their lives. Just recently we've had a foster bitch who came into season after arriving with us, two new emergecny fosters and now one of these has needed an operation so we need to be careful while she is convalescing. Though she's a nutter actually.

If you are anywhere near S Wales/SW then do PM me - would be delighted to bring some business your way!!

Thanks for your replies. We actually had the dog castrated before we talked to the behaviourist, in part because the next door neighbors have an entire female and I don't fancy any accidental puppies. (Although the gardens are seperated by a fence and hedge, Ms. Next Door Dog did manage to get through once when Mr Dog had a squeaky toy that she wanted.)

I do use a head collar, and I find it very effective in getting him to walk nicely. It also holds his jaws closed if he lunges, as an added security. I've also been looking into Thundervests, which make sense to me. Has anybody tried one of those?

TBH, I really think DH needs to be trained almost as much as the dog. Maybe the obedience classes will help with that!