Advice needed, please, on possibly adopting a dog aggressive rescue dog

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My husband and I have been thinking about getting a dog for quite a whole now. Today I spent a couple of hours at Dogs Trust with a really lovely German shepard /collie mix. He's about two and is a complete sweetheart. His previous owner's provided information says that he is fantastic with children and has been around newborn babies and toddlers and is wonderful. That's my biggest priority because we would like to have a baby in the next year or two. While I was with him, he encountered lots of people and was unfailingly friendly. He was so sweet with me...by the end of the visit he was leaning against my legs and eventually lay down on my feet. Oh, my heart!

His only real issue is his dog aggression. I spoke at length with his trainer who has worked with him since he arrived. She says that they have tried repeatedly to introduce him to other dogs without success. He becomes completely fixated and, because he is not particularly bothered about food, it is difficult to distract him or encourage him to change his behaviour with rewards. She said it was unlikely he would be trained out of his dog aggression.

When I took him for a walk, he did lunge at a dog and bark. Another time, he saw a dog about thirty feet away and did become fixated, but I turned him in the other direction and he was distracted quickly enough. I'd like to think that, with judicious choice of walking routes and the use of a muzzle, we would be able to handle him. However, I don't have any experience with dogs who display this kind of behaviour. Also, although I have had dogs my whole life, this would be my first dog as an adult, and for which I would have sole responsibility. If you have experience, can you give me some advice on whether you think this would be a good adoption and, if it is, your strategies for handling dog aggression?

I think only you can decide if this adoption is something you want to go through with, as it very depends on the wider issue of your attitude to dog ownership. Many people (quite understandably) simply want a relaxed family pet that they can take out to teh park, on days out etc. with no hassle or trouble.

If you have a dog reactive dog, even with extensive training, this may not ever be possible. It's perfectly possible to have a loving, rewarding relationship with a DR dog but it's not easy (in the day to day sense). One of our long term fosters is DR - we love him to bits and I'd never, ever part with him, but it's meant that many of the things we do so easily with our other dogs - dog shows, training classes, even just days out either mean not taking him or having to do workarounds. He's come on brilliantly since doing BAT, and has improved hugely, but is at the point now where he can cope with other dogs being on a lead near him, but gets stressed by off lead dogs who suddenly approach. If you have a DR dog you will find that the world is populated by numpties who let their off lead dogs come cannoning over to you at high speed, parroting the phrase "But he only wants to be friendly" (you will learn to hate this phrase with every fibre of your being!).

I'm not trying to be negative, but am trying to give you a realistic impression of the reality of living with a DR dog. Personally, I think it's worth it, he's so amazing in so many ways but I am the first to admit we are both dog nuts, experienced, and committed rescue volunteers who are happy for our lifestyle to revolve entirely around our dogs.

Many people, quite understandably take a different view and there is nothing at all wrong with this. Take a look at some of the threads on here about living with a reactive dog - there was a good one recently called something like "My bastard dog". These are very special dogs - hugely rewarding - but not for everyone - and it's important for him and for you that you know as much as possible about how life will be.

Good luck with whatever you decide and congratulations on considering a rescue dog.

He sounds gorgeous! Only thing I'd caution about is your plans to have a baby with a tricky dog.

Even with easy dogs, it can be fiendishly difficult once a baby joins the family, as your previous balance is turned upside down. Would you be sure to have the time to be judicious about walking routes, continue his training and be careful to keep an eye out for possible fixations, when you also have a baby who needs a nap, or who wants time in the park and so on? Would it be easy for someone else to look after him if you have a tricky delivery / sick toddler / need a holiday?

It totally depends on your circumstances, but could be very challenging. We love our dogs to bits but were totally unprepared for just how much trickier life became with a baby in the mix and awful as it sounds, how much our previous 'babies' were demoted in the family hierarchy.

He really does sound great.
My concern would be your plans to have a baby in the future. Walking any dog with a pushchair can be an unknown entity. How on earth would you be able to restrain the dog with a pushchair as well. I have found it tricky enough at times. It is often made increasingly difficult by fellow well meaning dog owners who have let their dogs run free, inevitably towards you and your dog.
Having a dog and a baby is really great and often gives you a reason to make the effort to get up, ready and out several times a day to walk the dog. However it is only a pleasure and beneficial if the dog is predictable and happy to walk alongside the buggy without event.

It is hard to fall for an adorable dog but long term it would be terribly heartbreaking if he just wasn't compatible with your future circumstances.

Thanks for the excellent advice so far. The baby thing is a very important point. The thing is, he's the first rescue dog I've been able to find who is described as very good with young children. All others are recommended for older children. He is also so friendly and affectionate that it's hard to believe he could react so badly to other dogs.

I've been reading up on BAT, which sounds very promising. I suppose I'm hopeful that I might be able to make some progress with his behaviour before any babies come along. The thing is, since he's around dogs literally all the time, his stress levels are high and I'm sure that makes it difficult for him. But perhaps, once he's in a home and more comfortable, he and I can make progress together. Can you tell I'm completely trying to justify having him?

Stop, think and sleep on it.

I actively go out to adopt reactive dogs BUT that is because of my situation. I have over 50 acres of private land to walk on and grown up DC and a large amount of training and experience with dogs.

You will have to make major allowances for the dog. You may want a family day out, can you guarantee that the place you are visiting is ok for your dog, will you be able to give your dog 100% attention when walking it every time all the time?

Do you have anyone willing to look after a reactive dog when you go away, kennels are usually totally out of the question for reactive dogs.

Many reactive dogs can get to a stage where they are happy in many situations but that will take a lot of training and time (but is sooooo rewarding) however you also need to be happy that you can cope with how the dog is now.

Training a reactive dog can be more expensive as you may need to go to a trainer in one to one sessions as group situations may be too difficult to start with.

However nearly all dog reactive dogs seem to luuuuuurve people, they can be so loyal and the bond you get with all the work you do is just fantastic but it will be a full time job for maybe many many years. You could take an easier route.

Sorry if I sounded negative. I completely understand your dilemma.
It is a good point about his stress levels in his present circumstances.
My mum took on an aggressive terrier of unknown origin and with love and time in a home environment she was eventually fab. She never forgot the aggression triggers though so we had to make a huge effort to avoid them. Overall it worked out.
I think you are giving this full and proper consideration so I'm sure you will reach a decision that is right for you.

Re BAT it is great and can work really well with some dogs. However setting it up in real life can be tricky. It needs to be done with people who have their own dogs and are willing to stooge dogs. Do you have a large group of doggy friends to help with this? If you try to use random dogs in parks or out walking it will be too hard to manage to be effective.

I agree that the dog will be stressed in kennels however that can cause some dogs to shut down and react less. You may actually find that his reaction can be worse when he is out and about in a new home. So do not think that he will improve when you get him home. He may with lots and lots and lots of hours and hours and hours of time. Did I mention that Dog react dogs are time consuming

Also being really harsh the dog settled down with you - he will also do this with other people maybe other people who have more experience and do not want children. I do not think a Dog reactive dog is a threat to children more the a dog reactive dog is very time consuming and will the dogs need will always need to be considered even if it does not fit into family life.

I have a fear aggressive dog who is dog reactive. He will lunge and snap right up in the other dog's face if it gets too close. This tends to occur when off lead dogs charge up to him, or we are on a narrow path and come face to face with another dog, on lead or off. He is by no means the worst dog aggressive dog in the world, and can be friendly to some dogs, but it is hugely stressful. He is a darling with people, loves everyone, but he is easily stressed, highly strung and nervous. It can be exhausting trying to manage him. He is anxious on the lead, despite nearly two years of positive training, and very strong. I no longer even attempt to take him on family days out if it will be crowded because he becomes utterly terrified and unpredictable. He also hates the car. That said, I can and do kennel him, and he's fine. The kennel is a good one, the owners experienced, and he is exercised on his own and kept in the quietest block overlooking fields. I know he's ok there because he eats, something he never did when I left him with a home boarder who had her own dogs when he was younger (I knew nothing about dogs, and assumed he needed doggy mates to be happy). We also have a 6 month old pup who is so laid back he's practically horizontal, so we take him on picnics etc and leave our fearful lad at home on his favourite chair with a kong and a bit of peace from the youngster It's a tough one, tbh. If I knew how hard it would be, I wouldn't have taken our boy on. But once your heart is smitten, you're doomed really. I will never choose to take on another fear aggressive dog, though. The puppy is so much easier to manage, and fits in with our lives seamlessly.

Ooooh, this is so hard! I keep thinking that, rationally, I shouldn't go forward with it. There are perhaps just too many unknown quantities and, given that he's already been passed about a bit, I would hate to contribute to further disruption in his life if I couldn't manage him.

But...he's lovely. And I think I have fallen for him a bit. And maybe I could be the person to provide him with the stable and reliable home he deserves.

I think I will definitely need to sleep on it. I'm planning to go see him next week, so I'll have to give it a lot of thought before then.

One of our dogs was completely unsocialised and terrified of everything when he first came to live with us. He used to lunge at other dogs and race up to them and bark if they were on a lead. I'm not sure that he was actually dog-aggressive or just afraid. We managed to divert his attention with toys, moving in another direction, finding treats... He has never bitten or hurt another dog. When the dcs arrived we were a bit concerned and sought help as we wanted to keep him. Problems can be overcome! It can be a steep learning curve. We have 3 dogs and all of them have presented their own issues. They're all different and have their own needs.

Thanks for all the helpful comments and advice. I went back to see the dog on Thursday and had a few questions answered very positively by his trainer. She confirmed that he'd be fine in a kennel if we were to go on holiday, which was one primary concern.

While waiting for her to speak to us, he and I sat in the reception area of Dogs Trust, which is obviously full of dogs! He did really really well. He sat next to me or lay on my feet for most of the time. He barked a bit when other dogs walked close by, but was distracted quite quickly. He also said hello to every person within reach of his lead and charmed them completely. Clearly, he was showing off his best behaviour, and it totally worked because I'm bringing him home next Saturday.

I know he's going to make me walk in the rain and he will shed all over my house, but I can tell he'll be worth it. My husband has said that he's very keen for us to find a good trainer to help ensure we're the best possible dog owners, so I'm hoping we'll make progress with the aggression issue.

I'm now filling my Amazon basket with toys, bowls and a Furminator. I can't wait until next Saturday!