Serious Aggression Problems....HELP!

[Guest Ben]

Hello all,

I posted on this site a couple months ago with some agression problems with our then young cairn. I have taken the advise to heart, but it doesn't seem that I am making any progress, so here I am again.

Our 7-month old cairn, just spayed, doesn't seem to understand who is boss in general. She gets very aggressive at times, drawing blood from me on a daily basis. Every single time that she gets bitey, I turn her over on her back, grab her muzzle, and stare her down until she gets up. I have been doing this for 3 months and the response is always the same....she gives up and looks away, I let her go, and she comes back with renewed aggression. She is also very guarded about her food and her favorite toys. Last night I was bitten very badly for petting the dog while she was eating. We went through our routine of her on her back, and when done, back at the angry growling, baring her teeth, snapping at me. It never seems to stop....I am at complete wit's end with this, but I can't come to work every day bleeding and not having the use of my sliced up fingers! I also use timeouts in her kennel, but that doesn't seem to help either....

We thought we were doing everything right, we really have no other problems with the dog whatsoever. She is only in the crate at night time, isn't destructive during the day when roaming the house alone, and never has potty mistakes. If anyone has any advice it would be very very greatly appreciated.

Also, one other thing we have run in to....at night if Marley is not in her crate, the smallest of noises will cause her to growl/bark, has anyone seen this? If she would sleep at night outside of the crate, we could be done with it all together....

Again, great site, thank you all for any help that you have to offer.

Ben

[CarCarDawn]

Hi! You certainly are having a real dilemma with Marley - - - - my dog, Riley was a lot like her until he reached a year or so. I got really aggressive with him when he was that way with me. By that I mean - - - I would give him frequent time outs in his crate and walk away and also hold him on his back while holding his mouth closed and yelling "no, no, no"!!!!!!!!!! Then I started a series of training exercises - - - - like come, sit, stay, etc. and would hold him on his back again and again - - - for some reason - - - this seemed to work with him. All of a sudden he became more docile and bit less frequently - - - it took forever to get to this point!! Today he is the most affectionate and loving lil guy - - wouldn't bite anyone!! I also supplemented this behavior with lots and lots of chew toys ( could be he was still teething and they hurt) every time he would bite someone. I think it just takes patience and letting them know who the "boss" is!!

[Guest Guest]

Read this article.

http://www.caninechronicle.com/features/misc/agression.html

Set up a routine, stick with it and make the dog work. Obedience training helps tremendously.

Good luck.

[T-REX]

Some dogs know what they want and will be very aggressive about getting it. They'll bump against their owners to demand attention. They'll take over certain spots in the house and nothing will induce them to move. They will insist on playing or being petted and won't take no for an answer. Essentially, they want to call all the shots.

Aggression can take more serious forms as well. It's not uncommon for dogs to growl or grumble -- or in some cases, to bite -- in order to have their own way. This type of aggression never goes away on its own. In fact, it's the most common behavior problem that

sends owners to behaviorists and trainers looking for help.

Aggression is a complex problem because it can be caused by many different things. Some dogs simply have dominant personalities. Even if they never show signs of actual aggression, they'll always try to get their way. Other dogs may be insecure or angry. They're the ones most likely to growl or bite.

You can tell a lot about your dog's personality by the way she expresses her aggressive or dominant tendencies. Here's what the signals usually mean.

"Hey, talk to me." It's fairly common for dogs to nudge or gently butt their owners simply because they want some attention. This type of behavior usually isn't a problem as long as dogs aren't acting pushy under other circumstances, says Pat Miller, a trainer in Salinas, California.

"I want to be in control." Dogs that are always nudging people and who also play roughly, take over choice spots on the furniture, or refuse to move when their owners try to squeeze past are showing more serious forms of aggression. They want to be in charge, and they're taking steps to fortify their advantage. Unless you stop them quickly, they'll continue trying to be dominant and will get pushier and more difficult to be around.

Since biting, growling, and other forms of aggression can be quite dangerous -- not only to you, but to other people as well -- you may want to call a trainer for help. But the basic principles of "demoting" a dog and making her more cooperative aren't very difficult to apply.

For example, play games in which you and your dog cooperate, like throwing a ball or going for walks. Games such as tug-of-war, however, create a mood of competition, which only reinforces a dog's desire to come out on top.

Territory and possession can mean a lot to dogs, which is why aggressive behavior often includes taking over the furniture and refusing to move. As long as your dog is showing signs of aggression, you should keep her off the furniture all the time. Dogs see the furniture as a "choice" location, and by keeping them off, they'll come to understand that their position in the family is subordinate to yours.

Doorways are another form of territory, and you should make sure that your dog always goes through after you and not before. In addition, don't let her lounge in front of a doorway or a flight of stairs, says Robin Kovary, director of the American Dog Trainers Network in New York City. Your dog should happily give way to you, not the other way around.

Taking your dog for long walks or doing regular obedience work are superb ways to control aggression. It strengthens the bond between you and reinforces your role as the leader. It also will tire her out, and a tired dog is less likely to be aggressive, says Kovary.

Let your dog know there's no such thing as a free lunch, that it's her job to earn your attention. Don't give her anything -- food, petting, or anything else -- unless she does something for you first. Make her sit before going outside, or practice other commands before putting her food on the floor.

[bradl]

Good article. Small request: to prevent copyright issues and ease 'forum database bloat', when referencing an article already hosted elsewhere, try quoting no more than just enough to give some context, and then link to the external article. Example:

Some dogs know what they want and will be very aggressive about getting it. They'll bump against their owners to demand attention. They'll take over certain spots in the house and nothing will induce them to move. They will insist on playing or being petted and won't take no for an answer. Essentially, they want to call all the shots.

Aggression Explained - iVillage Pet Column

[T-REX]

Ok bradl . Thanks !

[Guest Ben]

Thanks to all for the helpful information. After reading and taking a close observation to Marley's behavior, I have realized that I think I am dealing with two different things:

1 - Marley is an aggressive player and needs to be directed to not play as rough

2 - Marley can also be aggressive in certain situations

What I mean by aggressive in certain situations is that the true aggression seems to come out when she is eating, in her crate, or very tired. I have been handling this lately by mostly putting her on her back, staring her down, and calming her that way. I can already see her making the association between her going on her back and the words that I use, almost to the point of her calming down when she hears my words.....hopefully that is a sign that we are progressing.

With her roughhousing, it seems that Marley chooses to express herself via non-aggressive nipping. The only problem is that her idea of non-aggressive and my idea of pain are two different things. I have noticed that even when myself or my wife arrive home, she is very actively wagging her tail and getting excited, then running around like a possessed dog and nipping at us. I have been calling out in a super high-pitched, loud , sharp and annoying voice, "NO BITE!". My yell scares her out of biting mode and freaks her out a little bit. Usually, after I yell, she'll run around in circles and come back for more a couple of times. After more "NO BITE"s, she'll just roll over on her back at my feet and all stops. This seems to work pretty well, but when it doesn't, we just put her for a quick 10 minute timeout in her crate, which seems to work pretty well too.

Anyway, again, thanks to all for your helpful advice....I feel much better and think that we are making progress. Now if we could only get her to not bark so much at random noises, especially at night, we would have the perfect little monster )

Thanks again,

Ben

[CallisMom]

Ben - an idea for the nipping when you walk in the door - try and teach her the "down" command instead of focusing on the nipping. It has made a world of difference with Calli. She get's so excited now - when she sees us she puts her head down with her butt in the air, tail wagging (yes, and piddles too)! But it is much better than the hysterical running and jumping that she was doing before. Of course - I don't really know if her behavior changed because we taught her "down" or if it is due to age . . .

[bradl]

CallisMom has a great point. The 'down' is a fantastic way to teach and reinforce both good behavior and the correct pack position (i.e., not the top). Basic obedience stuff can be self-taught, but a good obedience class is a tremendous boost, can be a lot of fun, is a weekly treat for the dog, gives you a 'live' support group, and so on.

[bubba]

2 - Marley can also be aggressive in certain situations

I have noticed that even when myself or my wife arrive home, she is very actively wagging her tail and getting excited, then running around like a possessed dog and nipping at us.  I have been calling out in a super high-pitched, loud , sharp and annoying voice, "NO BITE!".  My yell scares her out of biting mode and freaks her out a little bit.  Usually, after I yell, she'll run around in circles and come back for more a couple of times. 

At night Cooper likes to race around in circles like a madman...round and round the living and dining room. It's actually quite comical! Anyway, since my husband is out of state during the week and I am home alone w/the dogs, Cooper, and I don't know how he did this at the speed of light, would turn his head and nip my foot as he would pass where I was sitting. After a couple nights of this, I would pay closer attention and as he made his approach, I would move my foot just enough that it would hit his nose as he attempted to nip me. Took him less than a couple of nights for him to learn that is not the thing to do to mom, and he no longer does it. Now with the new puppy Yoda, they are both racing around trying to catch each other and it's even funnier!

Good luck!

pat.

[CallisMom]

pat - the mental image has made my night - LOL!!!

[Guest Guest]

Sometimes when my little guy gets out of control with biting, which is rare, I grab him by the scruff of the neck, look him in the eye, and tell him ENOUGH, in a stern voice. Sounds like you are doing the alpha roll at times, and this does not work on every dog, in fact it can make some more aggressive. What I do seems to work well with Digby and he realizes pretty quick that he can't wriggle out of it and that I am the one in charge. But I am sure this won't work for every dog.

There is no need for harsh punishment with my Cairn, but a firm touch and a stern voice usually calms him down.

But all Cairns are different, and I have heard stories of some of them being out of control. I often wonder though, if somehow the owners are contributing to this behavior though and don't realize it. I say this because my breeder had 20 different Cairns and had complete control over all of them. You would think there would be a nasty one in the bunch, but she knows how to handle them and had complete control. Keep researching dog behavior and this should lead in the right direction, because sometimes as owners we do things, think it is the right thing, and it's not. I know I have made many mistakes over the years.

[bradl]

Amen.