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my boyfriend and I are looking after our neighbors 2 dogs while they are on their honeymoon so we are currently handling 3 dogs. Walks with all 3 have been great...they walk side by side, ignore other dogs, and make for an all around enjoyable experience. The bond between them is now strong, and they have learned to coexist peacefully among one another, whereas before they would constantly compete.
This is the regimen that Mason is currently on. He now walks, eats, and sleeps with the other two dogs. My bf and I are also stepping it up to maintain peace and order among our new pack.
So my question is, with all this mental stimulation, bonding and exercise...how does Mason still find it in him to be aggressive towards another dog?
Hours after our excellent walk, I suggested my bf take all 3 out in the backyard for some playtime. But as he rounded the corner the other neighbors' (not the honeymooners) dog started barking hysterically and Mason managed to pull my bf 10 ft towards the barking dog and attacked it. Mason ended up with fur in his mouth and a puncture wound above his eye. This is serious. The other dogs under our care handled the situation differently, the male just wanted to mount the barking dog, and the female just kind of walked around but was alert.
what can be done so that Mason resists the need to attack what appears to be a "threat" to his territory? When he does get excited and his hair sticks up I give him a quick correction and make him lie down until he is calm....but if the 'enemy" dog so much as looks at him, he gets riled up again. UGH
I'm wondering if Mason and the other dog just will never click - bad chemistry, bad energy. Certain dogs we see regularly on our walks trigger Rook's aggression. Too bad Cesar is not with us when this happens. Is the other dog neutered? Is he giving your dog the eye and challenging him? I suppose if Cesar were around to help you out he would, of course, walk both of them on either side of him as one pack, as he has shown us on Dog Whisperer. However, one would have to be very calm and assertive while doing that. I'm not sure if you want to try that. By the way, was the other dog loose with no owner around?
I guess right now you could start with checking the scene before going out and give Mason a reminder tap with the back of your heel like Cesar does. Also, using a very short leash (1 foot) might help keep you from being dragged because he will have less momentum (?). Be proactive to prevent a reaction.
I know that I failed to read and respond to Rook's body language when we were about to get out of my car in my driveway. I saw his ears move forward, body stiffen with alertness, and hair go up, but I ignored it, and got pulled to the ground as he lunged at something right by us (probably a cat). I also got dragged a bit, and bloody painful scrapes down to the tissue on my hand. He was so focused on whatever it was that he didn't know he injured me. I know now not to ignore any signs that something is up.
Don't worry too much about what happened. I think Cesar would say to move on to make things better, right? And keep on walking the three dogs like a pack. You're doing a great job!
the other dog is a female golden retriever and she barks at anything and everything that walks by. For the most part, Mason is good about ignoring her. I guess this time around the retriever had a more aggressive bark which triggered Mason to charge her. My boyfriend was handling Mason and another male dog (unneutered) at the time and they both managed to pull him towards the retriever. The retriever was on a leash with the owner and a group of people...it took 3 people to hold her back.
Last summer, Mason was attacked by a dog that got loose during one of our walks (no serious injuries). I failed to claim my space and protect Mason. But since then, Mason has walked past the same dog ever since showing no signs of aggression or fear...so I am thankful for that success. I know dogs don't live in the past but I think what he learned from that situation is to become overly protective of his territory (like the dog that attacked him). There are dogs on either side of our property, either tied up or in an outdoor crate and they both bark nervously whenever Mason or anyone walks by. And when they're in our yard playing, Mason turns into a nervous aggressive wreck. Thankfully, I have the ability to calm him down its just the behavior never ceases on its own---will it ever? There goes my negative mindset again....another case of its the human, not the dog, right?
Thanks for your story Rook, and your words of encouragement! It helps to know I'm not alone in this struggle.
Wow! Dogs tied up? Dogs in an outdoor crate? Are the owners as conscientious as you are? Or are they clueless to Cesar's way? Dogs tied up is a formula for building up frustrated energy. I'm not sure about outdoor crates. Perhaps the neighbors' dogs do not get enough exercise and discipline. Then Mason picks up on that. Cesar says "exercise, discipline, and then affection", with playing being part of affection.
I also think that certain reactions or aggressive behaviors will always be part of Rook's natural makeup, and may not be trained out of him, but we have been able to tone it down and block those behaviors. I of course would love if he never barked at anyone or any dog walking by our house, but I know he thinks it's his job, and he does it very well. We just have to control it and stop it from escalating. I also notice that after power walking and running, he is less aggressive while being territorial. If we miss a day of proper exercise (2 hours a day or more), his bark changes and becomes more aggressive and "scary" sounding. Cesar can tell the difference in energy by the sound of the dog's bark.
Sometimes it's hard when people around you don't practice anything similar to Cesar's way. Then there are others that do have a natural way with relating to dogs and have great control and common sense. Someday Mason may ignore out-of-control dogs.
My parents have a neighbor dog tied up to a tree across the alley. When I bring Cirrus to the backyard to play, that dog seems furious! Maybe even jealous that she is balanced and he is not.
Anyway, head up, and keep on showing great leadership! And let's make it a greeeeeeeat day!
good days definitely outweigh the bad, I just have to remind myself that sometimes. Mason is healing well, his eye is a little swollen but thats normal. Today the golden retriever was out and barking at him as usual. I gave Mason a quick correction and he ignored her completely. There is hope, I just have to be on point at every moment- thats what being a pack leader is all about!!
Do you think Mason's routine was interupted when the other two were on the walk with him? Maybe the other male sent out the signal to egg him on and he lost himself? When you had him on his walk today and the similar situation occured, he had his Pack Leader with his regular routine, and would not cross the line.
I just am making an observation.....maybe the other male wasn't well balanced, and Mason too the lead?
well yes, Mason is the type that doesn't adjust very well to change. But we've walked all three at various times throughout the year, so the activity is not new to him. The other male under our care is unneutered and loves chasing after other dogs to mount them. I'm sure this influenced Mason to go after the golden retriever. Its just frustrating because Mason views these types of situations as do or die. If he is surrounded by excited dogs, he is always the one that will lash out. We're working on it though but theres always room for improvement, any/all suggestions are welcome.
I know Cesar has a lot of good advice in the archives of "Ask Cesar". I sat and read them one day for hours. He did mention about un-neutered dogs and how that can effect those around them. Go to the site and read the archives...
It sounds like Mason is making strides under your leadership.
Something that gets to me sometimes is Buddy's pulling on the walk. I get the Ilusion collar on...the backpack with weights, and he does great! Then I think okay, we'll just do the regular collar today...and whoosh! He's back to pulling again!
Wonder if the collar and the backpack signify a job to him?
Mason, I always think of Cesar's comments about "red flag" when an approaching dog is unstable/out of control, and how it can affect your own dog's reactions. When I see a lack of leadership by the human, I have my dogs sit and face the other way until they pass. Today a lady was yelling at her dog as if scolding a child in long English sentences ("No, what did I say! Stay down here by the water! No, stay down here! Go in the water! Get over here!"). Poor dog did not know what the --- to do! I was so tempted to tell her to stop talking to her dog like a human. She was definitely the unstable one. So, we just changed our route.
As far as not being neutered, I'm sure that's why Rook gets ticked off with a dog I was hoping we could walk and be friends with. At a certain proximity, his hair goes up, growls, and lunges, even after walking as a pack for an hour. Definitely not the reaction I would expect. I'm not going to force them to be friends. They are not ready to smell each other. And I'm definitely not ready for them to (I'd have to have Cesar do this!).
Cesar has mentioned the problem of presenting unneutered Katrina dogs at his dog psychology center in that Dog Whisperer episode. It was kind of touchy, and he had to really watch and prevent any negative reactions.Of course, Cesar had complete control. Then when they were neutered later, his pack noticed the difference, and they still accepted the dogs with no problem.
Buddy, yes, your dog probably feels like he's got a job when he's got his backpack on, plus, the Ilusion collar ensures the collar is at the sensitive spot that gives you more control, right? One time I was walking Rook and Cirrus, and of course my dogs are focused, in the zone, looking straight ahead, and someone passed by asking if Rook was in some kind of special training. I just said he was focused.
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