Please help with aggresion problem

[veryworried]

My 2 year old lab/boxer x apparently got out of the yard today, and treed a cat, charged my neighbors fence (their dog inside) and growled at my neighbor (wouldn't let him off his property). She lived with an Akita from 10 weeks old until September of this year when the Akita pased away. She is well trained and has only growled at 2 peopl ewhen I'm with her (both smelled of alchohol). I consulted a trainer, but he recommended trusting her judgement and said she was very well trained. She had puppy classes starting around 12 weeks old, has gone to the bark park, and since the Akita died gone to doggy daycare intermittently.

 

[Doberluv]

I disagree with your trainer, that she is well trained....or properly socialized to be aggressive to your neighbor, preventing him from leaving when he's in his own yard. I also disagree that you should leave it up to her judgement. I'm sorry but that's about the dumbest thing I ever heard.

This is beyond the scope of Internet advice IMO. You need to keep that dog under your control at all times, no exceptions. This is a liability for you.

You need a certified behaviorist who does not use aggressive methods to treat aggression and who comes recommended by some reputable sources.

I wish you all the best and hope this can be worked out.

 

[veryworried]

My biggest problem is that I have not seen this behavior, and therefore don't know how to even prompt it. She has always been nice when meeting people with me, including trainers from the humane society and petsmart. She listens very well to me and my 3 roommates. I don't know how to train a behaior I can't replicate.

 

[Doberluv]

So you didn't see this happening? Who told you, the neighbor? Do you believe him or could he be exaggerating or lying? The only other thing I can think of is that your dog was being dog aggressive to the other dog through the fence, got all worked up and re-directed the aggression to the neighbor. I guess, if it were me, I'd double my caution about letting her get loose and just keep on socializing her....keep up on that and her obedience classes...maybe get a second opinion. It's hard to speculate over the Internet when no one can see your dog's body language or anything else. I hope it will be OK.

 

[veryworried]

My neighbor told me when I came home this evening, my 3 roommates were already home. When the first roommate got home she was laying on the back deck. Later she started barking and my roommate went to check on her and found someone shutting the gate. We think maybe some neighborhood kids openned the gate, but we don't know. I may just go pick up some padalocks tomorrow.

 

[Doberluv]

If someone is coming into your yard, she is probably doing her normal territorial defending thing. What nerve of the kids to open your gate without asking. I think the padlocks are a great idea.

 

[Lizmo]

If someone is coming into your yard, she is probably doing her normal territorial defending thing. What nerve of the kids to open your gate without asking. I think the padlocks are a great idea.

I totaly agree! I really think any dog is going to defend his/her territory when some one is coming in like that.....especailly when you are not there.

 

[casablanca1]

It doesn't sound like the dog was guarding her own yard, though - she got out, remember? She was apparently in the neighbor's yard, and preventing him from leaving his property.

 

[elegy]

i would absolutely not be leaving this dog outside without supervision again.

 

[Doberluv]

It doesn't sound like the dog was guarding her own yard, though - she got out, remember? She was apparently in the neighbor's yard, and preventing him from leaving his property.

I thought there were two episodes. In the first of the thread, I got it that the dog was at the neighbors growling and keeping him from leaving his own yard. But then

When the first roommate got home she was laying on the back deck. Later she started barking and my roommate went to check on her and found someone shutting the gate. We think maybe some neighborhood kids openned the gate, but we don't know. I may just go pick up some padalocks tomorrow.

This made me think this was another episode where she was in her own yard, the deck and was barking and the gate was being shut which made me think that she was in her yard and someone was messing with the gate which made her get territorial.

Nevertheless, the dog needs to be kept from leaving the yard and watched just in case some kid comes in the yard. If she is this aggressive as she was to the neighbor (in his own yard) I'd be watching her like a hawk.

 

[Lizmo]

It doesn't sound like the dog was guarding her own yard, though - she got out, remember? She was apparently in the neighbor's yard, and preventing him from leaving his property.

Yes I know, but the OP said she was on the deck and the gate was shutting..so it made it sound like the dog was in her yard.

 

[veryworried]

Sorry everyone, I am very new at this. When she growled at my neighbor, she was out of her yard. When someone shut the gate later, she was back in her yard. I didn't get the impression that she was as upset later when the gate was being shut.

 

[ToscasMom]

Ok I am not a trainer but I do think the important piece here is that you have to take better precautions against her getting out of the yard at all. Looks like some of th precautions are more against others letting her out, which is why I think the padlock is a good idea. That way, nobody lets her out but you or the designated person(s). That way you will never have to worry again about neighboring kids or anyone else putting her in danger again. She got out and got a little bit of freedom beyond her domain and probably just was a little stressed about how to handle it. She's not used to that and it's probably smart not to let it happen again. Just my two cents.

 

[veryworried]

I called a few trainers today, but I can't take her to town with me for a couple of days. I am not sure if I should take her to someone she knows or someone who is totally new, because I don't know if we can get the aggresive response out of her if she meets the trainer while I'm there. I have not seen this behavior, even though I have tried to sneak up on the fence several times. She seems to behave just fine when I'm around so I don't know what her trigger is.

 

[Lizmo]

Soudsn like she may have some seperation problems?