Back from the dog shrink.

[VivaLeBeaver]

DH will laugh when I tell him that we were actually sat on a leather couch for the consultation.

Psychiatrist says that mad dog is fear aggressive. We're not to tell him off at all for snarling, biting, etc. We have to ignore him and remove ourselves from the situation. We should give mad dog some cheese every time we come into a room, out of a room, stand up, move, fart, etc. Well dh has to, not me as mad dog loves me now and its just dh he can't stand.

He has to wear a muzzle when we're out and about and isn't to be allowed in a room with dd's friends.

If dh wants to sit at the table and mad dog is under the table then dh has to throw some cheese to the other side of the room to get dog to move away so dh can sit down. I hope dh will work with this........I'm worried he's going to be of the "its my table, I'm going to sit down whenever I like without throwing bloody cheese for the dog" mood.

We were there 80 mins so at £165 that's more than £2 a minute!

Viva we saw an improvement within a few days. The aim is for him to run to his spot when the door bell goes and stay there while a visitor comes into the house - when the behaviourist told me this I thought, not a chance! But, 2 weeks later, and he remained in his spot while I took a shopping delivery today and even ran to his spot without being asked when someone came up the garden path. He's still barking aggressively, mind, but it's very early days. He's also stopped jumping up at familiar visitors. There's lots of other training and behaviour stuff going on, too much to write here, but it all seems to be falling into place. And I feel in control of the situation, instead of getting anxious and flapping around.

One thing I noticed is that he is not liking the new 'rules' and seemed a bit stroppy for a few days. Also now he can't jump up, he's decided he will bark to get attention, but I have the means to control this now.

BUT, consistency is the key!

That's great stressed but we're trying to be positive here. If you don't agree, then feel free to hide the thread.

Lougle - I don't really know a lot about the dog's background. I got him straight from the breeder but he was six months old when I got him, breeder said he's never met a man before coming to me.

Stressed - I spent some time researching behaviourists to make sure I went to a properly qualified one. Yes the info about ignoring him and chucking cheese is about and something I'd found and something we were doing. But there's also advice out there about telling him off, etc for growling and biting. So which is right? It was slightly more detailed than ignore him and throw cheese.

I'm just happy having an expert tell me which way is the way forward as we've already tried one method and then gave up and tried another. I need to do the right thing before this becomes established behaviour and he has to be pts.

I think what stressed doesn't seem to understand, is that by the time you've got to the behaviourist stage you have exhausted all other options. You've done the reading, talked to other owners and you need direction.

I made liver cake - it was strong smelling, but not stinky if you see what I mean... and definitely cheaper than cheese.

I think Stressed had overlooked the fact that the OP is dealing with a dog which is potentially dangerous.

In a society where dog attacks are a big concern, it's absolutely irresponsible to advise that someone asks doctor Google how to deal with their aggressive dog.

I am a vet, I take on behaviour cases regularly, and yet I still refer cases of severe aggression to a CCAB as they require specialist assessment and management. Behaviour and ethology are complex sciences. There is no one size fits all treatment. If you pick the wrong result from your Googling you could have someone's blood on your hands.

Exactly, if it had been a bit of barking or furniture chewing I'd have happily carried on googling. I don't have a crystal ball and don't know if this would have got better by itself, stayed the same, escalated, ended up with someone badly hurt.

A number of people who have seen my dog IRL have told me to get rid, a friend of mine who is very much a doggy person is scared to bits of him.

I'm trying to be responsible and trying to nip it (ha ha) in the bud as I'm worried the longer it carries on the harder it is to stop. I need to know that if in the worst case scenario I do have to rehome or pts that I've done everything possible. If this £165 saves his life and/or saves someone from getting badly bitten rather than just the current inhibited bites it'll be the best money I've ever spent.

I think there is a world of difference between going it alone trying to train your dog and knowing when to get help with a seriously stressed reactive dog. I have read your threads Viva and think you have done the best thing. I'm sure your dog is worth every penny.

Another one here who thinks working with a professional is worth every penny. The key is to choose good ones. For trainers, APDT and for behaviourists, APBC - both serious professional bodies. I'd also say that if a dog's life is at stake, or the safety of a child, an investment in the price of a night out at a decent restaurant is worth every penny.

To give a smaller example, when we decided to start doing clicker training, I paid to attend classes with a local APDT trainer. I'd previously done dog training to Gold award standard, already read several books, and watched umpteen videos on YouTube but there is simply no substitute for an experienced professional watching, guiding and helping you to understand and use techniques safely and correctly. The investment in classes was worth it and I'm returning later in the summer with another dog. Every dog owner I know who's serious about training also continually invests in regular training with professionals and extra tuition - improvement guided by experts is the goal.

The other issue in a case of biting or otherwise potentially dangerous behaviour, is that working with a qualified behaviourist demonstrates unequivocally that you are serious about behavioural change - if a case ever comes to the attention of the authorities that track record of investment (both in time and money) could be enough to save a dog's life. Standing in front of a magistrate saying "Well, I googled it" won't cut it.

Viva, wishing you all the best.

I am so glad you found someone to help OP, I hope you see a big improvement!

StressedRose an aggressive dog should always be assessed by a professional, anything else is just irresponsible.

get cheese slices the cheaper the better as all your going to get is a fat mad dog that just rolls about snarling I love my behaviourist she is fab for jaydogs issues bless him he is a ball of neurosis . (mine is free though from dogs trust)