Help, My Aggresive Dog

[Simeon]

I have a 5 year old dalmation male who wants to kill any other male that his bigger than himself. We have tried the tablets from the vet that simulates castration but they did'nt work. I cannot walk past another dog without him going absolutely balistic. What training methods can I try.

[B00]

Thought of attending dog training sessions with him?

In the short term I'd try a muzzle, he might still jump around but anything which stops him actually mauling another dog has got to be a good thing!

[Simeon]

I am not a great fan of muzzles because if he gets jumped he can't defend himself. I am able to hold him back on the lead and as we live in the country I can walk him in non busy dog walking areas.

[Carakeel]

Try this - take a spray bottle filled with water with you when you walk him, as well as some treats. When he goes for another dog, immediately spray the water directly into his eyes, accompanied by a sharp "NO!" or "LEAVE!" Keep doing this; it will not hurt him in any way just startle him and make him aware that you do not like this behaviour. You need to be persistent though. Always take these two things with you and don't just do it occasionally. The treat should be used immediately the first time he resists going for another dog after being sprayed with the water. Make a fuss of him with praise when he gets it right and give him the treat. He should soon get the point you are trying to make. Do also take him to training classes though, even if you are worried of the chaos he may cause in the beginning. You may find clicker training worth a try. There is not aggression involved at all and it is fun for both dog and owner. Good luck with your beautiful boy!

[Carakeel]

You may also want to use a halti on his for a while. It is not a muzzle, but does fit around the dog's muzzle. He can still defend himself while this is on. It will enable you to tug his face towards you if he goes for another dog. There is no way he can go for another dog as long as you pull him towards you with this on and it won't hurt him in any way either.

[Simeon]

Thanks to all I will try your suggestions!

[clair3934]

What Carakeel said will work try useing water bombs or balloons instead drop them on the ground infront of him don't squirt or throw them at him it could make him turn on you. You should deffinately pop a muzzle on him. you say you tried tablets that simulate castration did you try Tardak this is the injection chemical castration its much better. be carefull with training classes though some of them only make the aggression worse this is what happend to me I took my boy to a class from a puppy, and he started to get bad due to the class he's much better since we stopped the classes though

[drgnrdr]

Please do not let him MATE, his aggression will be in the gene pool and will help produce aggressive pups, which sounds like what happened to Clair3934, some are just born with it, a well maintained class will not make a pup aggressive. Make sure you talk to a Certified BEHAVIORIST not just a basic manners trainer.
Go to
http://orangedog.forumup.com/index.php?mforum= orangedog
and go to "behavior" and read "dog to dog aggression" hope that can help you.

[Carakeel]

drgnrdr, that is very sound advice indeed! I agree, under no circumstances should Simeon let the dog mate as not only will it be injecting bad behaviour pattern into a gene pool, it will also most likely make the existing problem worse. Please, do not ever leave your dog alone with children, no matter how sweet you think he may be with humans. Although he may 'only' have shown aggression towards other male dogs up to now, this can change very quickly. It isn't worth taking the risk. Obviously when you have a look at training classes you will need to tell the trainers what problems your dog has. A qualified reputable trainer will not take your dog into a class unless they are confident that they will be able to handle any problems that may arise . Ask you vet about reputable training facilities. Dalmatians are such gorgeous dogs, I really do hope you can get this sorted. Good luck.

[kita1]

Hi Simeon, I had a similar problem with my Anatolian except he is the size of a Great Dane!!! and I live in a town!

He is now nearly 11 and the last few years has calmed down alot, but when he was around 4/6 he was terrible with other male dogs, especially a GSD/Rottie who was a guard dog at a local wood yard. They hated each other on site and there was no way we could walk them past each other. If I walked him past the yard his hackles would go up so much that he had to shake when we got past to get the fur to lie down again!

I am quite a strong woman but I have always used a halti on my dog, I clip the lead to the collar first then through the ring on the halti, this stops the halti riding up.

I took him to a brilliant training class all his life, but it never cured this - he is brilliant with people, kids, bitches and anything that is not a threat, but show him a male dog that wanted to take him on and you could not stand within two feet of him. It is just his nature.

Your dog will grow out of it as he gets older, but I would not unduly worry about it, as long as you make sure he cannot get to the other dog and you are in control of the situation. I used to muzzle my dog if I took him into crowds of people (round shows etc.), but like you I need him to be able to defend himself if he is attacked (as he has been a number of times).

Like I say, it does not sound to be a major problem for you as you live in the country, but I would muzzle him if you take him places like a vets waiting room etc. where there could be other male dogs. Also if you go to a training class then pre-warn them why you are going so that they can make sure any male dogs are out of the way and under control.

Good luck, enjoy your dog (I went past a GSD today with my dog and in years gone past he would have been bouncing up and down, now he just looks - I almost wish I had those years back!)