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Ok, another question about a shelter dog. Beagle/? mix, about 40 lbs. 2-3 years old. Name: Velvet. Mission: Destroy anything smaller than her.
Velvet is very, very strange. She is good with people, including children, although she can be a little mouthy. She is very intellegent and knows how to sit and give paw after just a few sessions. Down is coming quickly.
The problem is she is very aggressive to cats and smaller dogs. To the point where if she sees them, she goes on red alert and can't look at anything else. If I tell her to sit, she does at my left side and does not break her sit unless the offending animal gets very close (like maybe within a foot or two). However, I absolutly can not get her to look at me until the animal is gone. It doesn't matter if the animal is close, or 50 feet away, she locks on it until it is gone or I remove her from the situation.
She has great potential, but I have to keep an eye on her at all times, even a moments inattention and she trys something.
So here's what I have been doing. I started her on a a Gentle Leader, less because of control issues, and more as a signal to her that it is time to work. Since many volunteers walk the dogs on regular leashes/collars, it putting a Gentle Leader on them helps them to see me as a trainer and tells them to focus. She stays at my left side, or directly in front of me at all times, no exceptions. When people approach, she is not allowed to move or break her sit. If children approach her, she must lay down or they are not allowed to touch her. We take lots of walks to burn energy, and she heels fairly well. On days I am there, she is not fed out in the yard, instead she earns every bite of food from my hand. Mini NILIF if you will.
The two major issues are her aggression toward smaller animals, and the fact that she is not very motivated by treats/toys/attention. She will always be a difficult dog who requires a strong, experienced owner, but I would like to get her to where she can focus on her owner if a smaller animal is in the room. Tips? Anything I can do better/different? I fell like I'm at a loss here, I've never dealt with a dog who had to be watched so closely.
Velvet is very, very strange. She is good with people, including children, although she can be a little mouthy. She is very intellegent and knows how to sit and give paw after just a few sessions. Down is coming quickly.
The problem is she is very aggressive to cats and smaller dogs. To the point where if she sees them, she goes on red alert and can't look at anything else. If I tell her to sit, she does at my left side and does not break her sit unless the offending animal gets very close (like maybe within a foot or two). However, I absolutly can not get her to look at me until the animal is gone. It doesn't matter if the animal is close, or 50 feet away, she locks on it until it is gone or I remove her from the situation.
She has great potential, but I have to keep an eye on her at all times, even a moments inattention and she trys something.
So here's what I have been doing. I started her on a a Gentle Leader, less because of control issues, and more as a signal to her that it is time to work. Since many volunteers walk the dogs on regular leashes/collars, it putting a Gentle Leader on them helps them to see me as a trainer and tells them to focus. She stays at my left side, or directly in front of me at all times, no exceptions. When people approach, she is not allowed to move or break her sit. If children approach her, she must lay down or they are not allowed to touch her. We take lots of walks to burn energy, and she heels fairly well. On days I am there, she is not fed out in the yard, instead she earns every bite of food from my hand. Mini NILIF if you will.
The two major issues are her aggression toward smaller animals, and the fact that she is not very motivated by treats/toys/attention. She will always be a difficult dog who requires a strong, experienced owner, but I would like to get her to where she can focus on her owner if a smaller animal is in the room. Tips? Anything I can do better/different? I fell like I'm at a loss here, I've never dealt with a dog who had to be watched so closely.
