I need advice badly...please help

I really do not want this to turn into what my other thread turned into...

i just really need help with Oakley's MAJOR problem...

basically, my aunt said it the best...."when he wants something, there is no stopping him...he will do anything he can to get to it"

and if this includes growling/snarling and snapping at myself, my boyfriend (which he did today), or anyone else in the family, then so be it, he doesnt seem to care.

98% of the time, he doesnt get what he is going after...but the problem keeps getting worse.

Its really bad on walks...when he wants to play with other dogs...when he cant, he starts jumping up, snarling, and snapping at me...it gets scary, not to mention im sure, scary for the other owners, wondering what the heck is wrong with my dog, and prob scared for their lives if he gets loose...even though, if he did...he would run over wagging his tail, and start playing...


same goes for anything else...he is obsessed with paper...and likes to steal it and shred it up...the other day, my aunt was trying to stop him from getting a roll of bounty, and he lunged at her, caught his teeth on her hand, and didnt break skin, but caused a nasty bruise...

My aunt (despite the fact that she isnt consistent with him) has raised dogs most of her life...she used to breed huskies, so she has had a lot of experience with many dogs...my bf had a dog all his life as well...basically everyone i know that has owned dogs, has commented on the fact that Oakley is just not normal...

and i am starting to see it more and more...

i am beginning to think that there is possibly something medically wrong with him, because his behavior is just so uncharacteristic of anything i can find...

i was reading that strays(which oakley was at one point) can become aggressive since they had to fend for themselves...but i can take food away from oakley's bowl, while he is eating, and he couldnt careless...so its not like he feels the need to protect his food...same with his toys, he will let me take them away with no aggression (unless he starts playing tug of war or something, but its a very different type of 'aggressiveness')

it seems like he is a COMPLETELY different dog, and a scary one at that.,...something takes over his brain...and i am so scared that he is going to seriously bite someone one day...

please, help...

we want to take him to an animal behaviorist, but the only one around here, i called today, and they closed!! grrr...

where else could i take him, where i could get help, someone to check him out....

just any advice would be great.


Thanks so much

Sounds to me like he has decided he is the alpha figure of the pack. He gets to dictate what goes on, when it goes on, and where and how it goes on. I really wish you would try the NILF training and be consistent. It may take a month or more because he is already set in his ways and used to bossing you all around. It is normal for dogs to get nutty around other animals, Gunnar did it too. Take him to class where he can get used to working and focusing on you even with distractions present. I'm sure some will disagree with me but this is totally workable if you are willing to clock in the hours. Where is Creature Teacher when you need her????

Mack was starting to get to be the same way and I tried the NILIF training method and also isolation therapy (or treatment whatever it is called these days) and I think it worked ok. You might give those things a try. It couldn't really hurt.

hmm...once again im sure evryone will have better posts then this,, il just give you something to nibble on...
it seems oakley doesnt have respect for you. and he thinks hes alpha. with the food bowl thing, he must have just learned that when u take it away,and relizes its not like ur never gonna feed him again. nipping at you and growling when he doesnt get his way is unexceptable!! poor you. one thing..i bet he does things to show dominance over you doesnt he, well ur gonna have to show him boss(im guessing you know how by now)
A good thing for him would be called a puppy message. everyday you take him go in a quiet area , hold his collar and pet him with long nice strokes. pick a key word maybe "relax". with this word repeat it agian and again. do not stop the puppy message till hes lieing down and calm , dont let go of the collar! what ever key word you use, he will begin to recognise, when you use that word you want him to calm down. i suggest if you see the dog at a distance still, while walking and he sees it too. tell him to sit, stroke him and say the word(when you think he understands it). this at least tells him you want him to calm down. if he listens say "go play" let him play with the dog...if he doesnt ...dont interact with the dog (i know this doesnt sound like it will help his socilization, and you probably will have to stop him from playing with other dogs in the beginning, but this must stop, its not fair for u)plus just being around other dogs socilizes him
tell me if u think this could work?
(u might just wanna try doing this inbetween the other suggestions given)

You know what I think would really help you?

Read this page
http://k9deb.com/socialis.htm

he has been to 2 levels of obedience classes, and did just fine with the other doggies...as far as i have seen, he always wants to play, although he can be a bully...

he doesnt really dictate it, thats the thing...NEVER has he gotten to see another dog when he acts like that...

there have been times where he met another dog on a walk, and was great about it, and as we are walking away...he gets aggressive...

Trust me, i want to do the NILIF thing, and i do kind of do it, but not everyone in the fam will cooperate...like today..ive told my grandma more than once NOT to give him food from the table...and if she really feels the need to give him human food, then put it in his bowl (like 2 feet away) and make him sit, and then he can eat it...today, right in front of me, she started giving him salmon, off her fork, right from the table...i stopped her, but OMG, still! how hard is it to understand?!!???


This morning, i was totally ignoring him, and he was getting pretty stressed about it...he was howling, and barking, trying to get me to look at him, but i wouldnt...then of course my grandma came upstairs, and started petting him...so he just ignored me, and got the attn from her...and if i tell her to ignore him, she will like, look at him, and talk to him, telling him that she is not allowed to pet him...

sooo frustrating


BUT regardless of all of that...it still does NOT change the fact that his behavior IS abnormal...he does have to work for almost all of his treats, and food, and walks, he has to earn is way to keep moving...

he follows commands pretty well, and has been really good lately when coming when called...


but then there are these 'episodes' and its too much to handle...the way he acts is just not normal. i think he is missing a screw or two...

Did you read that link I gave you?

did u 4read what i said. i got all that info from my trainer. its not really for obedience, you may have taken him to many obedience classes, but none of them must have helped you in this area, so i reccomend trying it?

saje...yup, ive read that...and the prob is in my post following yours...


lea...thanks, that is good advice...but thats the thing...i do that...and when he is just being silly, he calms down...when other dogs are around...its bad...and i am scared to do it too much, because he will lunge at me, twisting and turning, doing ANYTHING to get away.....and he isnt really allowed to play with other dogs...only if the other dog walker allows it, and that rarely happens (its happened about 3 or 4 times in like 6 months that i know of) and when he is...both dogs are on leashes, so they cant really play...but the meetings have alway been friendly, never an issue...and the food thing...i wasnt taking it away to be mean, from day one, he never cared if i messed with his food...like some dogs get...or if i take away his favorite bone or something he was chewing on, he usually just sits up and stares at me, like ok, haha now give it back! and will howl or something if i dont...and will get more and more restless if i am just holding it...but if i put it out of reach, he gets over it, and doesnt care

just frustrating..and scary...i dont want to have to get rid of him...

very true...

thats one thing i am trying to figure out...where can i take him to...maybe i should take him to a vet to get checked out...it just doesnt seem that they can be as helpful as a behaviorist...although they have experienced oakley's posessed side when they gave him a shot...

I do hope you can get someone to help you....sounds too serious to try by yourself . Good luck !!1

well the behavorist is closed for now right..just keep calling
also just keep socilizing, i beleive hes socilized, like u say but othr dogs can be great teacher s aswell

closed as in closed for good...they arent opening back up



unfortunately, he doesnt really have any doggie friends around here...he has gotten to play with some (when he ran away) and at other various times...when we had him in doggie day care too...and where we got him from, he was living with like, 10 other dogs...so i feel bad that he cant play...but its kinda hard since my friends who have dogs...most are just too old to play (my friends dog just went through a surgery...things like that)...and i dont think a lot of ppl want my mutt playing with their rare purebred champ

my bro has some friends with dogs, but they have issues too...like ones a toy dog, and is scared of a blade of grass moving...and the other one is like 10 weeks old, lol...so grr!

hmmm.u need to find a rough young one...ooooh!
pet stores like big ones llike superpet or petsmart would be good

i am so confused...those stores would be good for what?

o just to meet other dogs.

ooh, yeah

i take him there...


and its no good...cuz he'll see another dog, and cant get to it, and starts the whole thing...and it prob freaks ppl out...so they dont want their dog coming near oakley...


its hard to tell people "oh dont worry, once your dog gets close enough, oakley will stop acting like he wants to tear your dog to itty bitty pieces, i swear!" lol

You've read about social isolation?? Of course it's best if you can get all the family members to participate but I think it would be worth trying on your own if you really want to fix the problem. They really wouldn't have to do much. And if not then no matter what you try you're on your own.

You better warn your family that if they don't cooperate with what you've learned and what you want to work on with him, that if they don't do what you say with him, he will one day need to be euthanized most likely. Your whole family has got to turn this around to where all humans are his very clear leaders. Everyone needs to participate.

I do hope you can get some help from a good trainer. His life depends on it and depends on your in charge attitude, not harshness, but your control of everything he likes in life...everything. Stand up tall and be confident. Take charge.

He went through two obedience classes. Do you practice every day? That's what he needs. That will show him too that you are the one in charge, you're directing his day, his life. You're setting the rules and he is to follow them so he can survive. He wants food? He needs to sit. He wants a pat? Sit first. He wants a toy? Sit first. He wants to go outside? Sit first. Everything he wants, he must perform an obedience command first.

Make this dog see he is not the one who calls the shots. NO EXCEPTIONS.

get help from your vet. . . .