Disabled dog & agression towards other dogs

[Happyday]

Hi All,

I am new to the forum although I joined many months ago this is the first time I have posted anything.

My dog became paralysed about a year ago after suffering from 2 slipped discs. She has come along way since, showing very slow signs of improvement, but unfortunately is she unable to walk unaided.

The problem that I am experiencing now with her is agression towards other dogs. She was a rescue dog and I have had her for 4 years so intially she was used to being with other dogs. She is a terrier type of dog which I dont think helps as she can be fussy with who she does and doesnt like. However it seems that since her disability she is becoming worse. She becomes fixated with them to the point of hyper-ventilating and barking.

I was just wondering whether anyone could give me advice on how to control her, and prevent this, as it is becoming difficult to control with one hand holding her lead and the other holding her rear harness.

Thank you for any advice or suggestions

[Lucys human]

Hi
I know exactly where you are coming from my Lucy can bark at other dogs especially bouncy dogs that could knock her over and yes there are times i could do with an extra hand or 2.
My Lucy has wobbly front legs so she is in a front harness, i also usually have my 2 other dogs with me as well.
I have just got my Lucy an all in one headcollar that leads from the side of her head and what a difference that has made to her because of the way my Lucy walks a normal headcollar or ordinary collar doesn't work for her but this doesn't yank her head just keeps her at my side in a controlled manner.
http://www.gencon-allin1.co.uk/products.html
Also do you get uptight when you see dogs approaching. The more relaxed you stay the more relaxed your dog will be.
If i feel my Lucy is about to react i stop and distract her and my other 2 by holding a treat in front of them but they don't get it till the dog passes then lots of praise.
Do you let her greet other dogs as letting her say hello to calm dogs will make her less reactive to other dogs.
I take my Lucy to the beach once a week at a time i know the dog walkers come so she has regular interactions with other dogs.
I'm sure others will have better ideas but i hope i've helped a little
Gail

[Happyday]

Thanks Lucy for your reply. I do let her have a sniff and say hello to other dogs if they are off the lead, but sometimes she will sniff and walk away others she sniffs then growls and tries to attack them. If the other owners dog is on the lead I dont even let her go over as she would have already started to growl and bark and the other owners have normally backed away by then.
Maybe a head collar might help, she currently has a harness around her chest, but her upper body is becoming so strong, it might be time to change how she is controlled.

thanks again

[sdrakkan]

When a dog feels they can't defend themselves, they often will lash out first rather than wait. The leash creates a HUGE problem for dogs, because they don't have a choice between flight or fight. And being a terrier, everything is magnified. Head collars are wonderful for controlling this. Practice with dogs a few blocks away when it doesn't really matter to him, and see if you can get his attention on your face. The word I use is "Watch" but any word will do as long as you are consistent. Holding the treat next to your face helps them with focusing on you. I work with this at that distance until I will bet 5 bucks he will look at me instead of the dog every time. Then I move up a bit. If he doesn't do well with the closer, then go back. It's really a slow process to begin with, but you have to do it small steps at a time and go back when he can't do it at that level. This works with ANY dog that has leash and/or aggression problems in general. With major cases, I put a 3-6 month time on it since it really depends on how dedicated the owner is to trying to manage the problem.

[Lucys human]

I'm Gail my dog is Lucy
Do you take the dog for a walk or do you find yourself following your dog where she wants to go.
I found that Lucy was most aggressive when she was in control and i had a few battle of wills with Lucy before she would let me choose where we walked.
I think one of the problems of having to walk a dog in a harness is that the dog is slightly in front of you rather than walking to heel, also they feel vulnerable and being aggressive works the dog and owner that is scaring them goes away. It is very hard to do normal dog training things with a dog in a harness, you can't really turn round and walk in the opposite direction for a few paces to break your dogs focus then turn back nor is standing in front of your dog also to break their stare and focus on the other dog a feasible option.
I think its trial and error and adapting normal dog training principals to find one that works for you and your dog. If your dog is food or toy orientated then you can use that to distract her as dogs pass.
Good luck
Gail

[sdrakkan]

The trick to getting a dog to listen to you in any situation is making yourself more important than what they would rather play with/watch/eat/kill/ect. The basics of any puppy training class is practicing EVERYWHERE, and never in a situation to begin with that an item/thing is nearby that is more important than you. If the dog will pay attention to you with a dog walking behind it, that is the ultimate goal and wonderful, but with a dog that is known to get upset with dogs nearby will get triggered by the sound alone and using body blocks will not be enough to calm the dog down to ignore. Some dogs with only minor leash aggression this method may work, but there is always the possibility of getting bit if you try to hold the dog back using your body. I cannot tell how bad it is without seeing the dog in action since most signals are small and it's hard to get a feel of the level of the aggression since everyone describes it so differently.

Fixation is bad, I won't lie to you about that. But taking the time to work with her again so you also don't get stressed and anxious when dogs approach is equally as important. Once you have seen that side of your dog, it's hard not to have flashbacks to those times where she was a, well, bad dog. This changes your posture, your voice, and how you hold the leash. I had to work with my own parents when we got a dog back with horrible cat fixation; he had killed and ate two at his prior residence. It took three months before we could get within a block of a cat. I even had to start with a cat sound rather than a real thing 2 blocks away because the fixation was so great. Now he is able to sniff cats I hold without fixation on the cat, only my face when I ask.

As far as controlling harnesses go, if you are using a basic back clip harness that has a ring up front, clipping your leash to that ring will actually give you a semblance of how a true front-clip works. The head collar is what I used for all three of mine, but they all accepted it without fighting. With her requiring a rear harness this may be a harder thing for her to accept. There are two main brands out there, The Gentle Leader and the Halti. The Gentle Leader fits tigher than the Halti and doesn't tend to over as well but the Halti didn't give me the same control. Keep the receipt and follow the instructions. Ultimately the dog will decide which is easiest for her to accept and for you to use.

I don't require my dogs to me at my side at all times. They are required to back up, halt, or turn when I ask so I know they are still attentive to me without being at my side. Even though they are now 6 (All siblings) I still do things like sitting, staying, and various items while on walks as a reminder and as something different. It also reinforces those commands that are simple, but for dogs it's a new situation. Sitting in the house versus sitting on the sidewalk with a dog behind a fence is very different in smell, sound and visual. Really good bribery is great for when she does really well. Mine love green beans, but I know many that use small pieces of meat or cheese. It's all up to you to see what works and don't try to rush her. Great training cannot be done in a week. My dogs will jump through hoops, get me a beer, and say their prayers, but they also listen to me everywhere no matter what is going on. And that, is priceless.