Semi aggressive dog?

[dtrkyman]

My female sounds like she was similar, maybe a little more aggressive even, never did get it out of her but never really looked into a program to try and see if I could, was pretty unpredictable sometimes it was no issue and other times watch out. As stated above i usually just tried to avoid situations that would cause issue.

[east tx hoghunt]

Thanks all for the replies.

[windycanyon]

Have you tried a class geared toward the Canine Good Citizen or such? Some dog training or kennel clubs host these. Part of that program is to teach a dog to not be reactive to other (well behaved) dogs. It sounds like he's got the foundation for behaving around people but just needs to understand how to act and work in the presence of other dogs. He's still young, so don't give up on that.

[Brad]

Et hog.
If your refearing to when my dog jumped yours. it was all my fault I didnt realize your dog was out. My dog is agresive mostly to un neutered males, he has alwys been that way. I ussually try to make sure no males are running around close by when I let him out of the truck. Or keep a lead on him.
Hope I didnt cause problems. But you remember when I brought Roux over to your house and your dog played with her, I know it was before the attack

[Jen Marenich]

Lol. The only scrap he was in neither dog broke skin.

That is a very good sign. Shows that your dog has bite inhibition, and doesn't necessarily want to harm, but wants others out of his space. I've worked with and "rehabalitated" quite a few dog aggressive dogs. Results vary depending on age of dog, how long the issue has been going on, and how assertive and consistent the handler is. You can generally work with a dog like this pretty safely. Everyone is giving a lot of good advice, find someone in your area who specializes in this type of work and seek help. Since the dog is young, and probably not as bad as you think, it may be worth your time to correct the problem vs just avoiding all situations.

[KwickLabs]

I had the exact same thing happen to Gunny. It progressed to sudden, short aggressive actions toward my other three dogs when in the aring yard and a couple of times when out training. The "last straw" was when he bit me because I was "petting his head" the "wrong way". I rationalized that this "stuff" would just go away. Being slow on taking a proactive approach was a mistake.

I did a lot of soul searching for awhile. I wallowed in "Why Me? for awhile. There is something very un-nerving about having the dog you raised from a pup, trained every day and suddenly finding blood streaming down your finger after a simple pat on the head.

Fortunately, the idea that aggression is NOT the correct way to deal with aggression was in place. The plan was to clearly define pecking order in my "four pack" and make every single moment of the day a predictable routine. Personal OB 24/7 for Gunny became his "protective umbrella".

Gunny always has a leash on when we go anywhere. When airing they all sit at the door to the airing yard and Gunny is the last to go out. He is fed last and never trained first. When training I always carry a leash with me and he is immediately placed on that leash if any strange dogs appear.

All my dogs are fed in their crates (even before this came up) and they are not just loose in the house without direct supervision. I am retired which makes this simpler.

For almost two years (time flies when you are having fun), there have been zero "events". Gunny went to several hunt tests and had no problems. As was mentioned, I know the "triggers" and avoid them. The other three "know him". When I am supervising EVERY airing session, they give him a wide berth and I occasionally use an indirect pressure by saying "Gunny" if I spot him targeting anyone. It is a 24/7 routine that is working well.

Yesterday, I carelessly did a test (for the want of a better description). It wasn't planned. It just happened. I allowed them to all walk down to the entry to their airing yard without Gunny on a leash. Daisy got too near Gunny and he jumped with a nasty growl and snap. She's part mongoose....no blood...no foul.

What I've learned is Gunny's "issues" are manageable....but it requires a consistent 24/7 approach. I can do this because 99.9% of the time he is just a really talented, fun dog to be with AND I'm retired. He is not my wife's favorite dog.

[east tx hoghunt]

Et hog.
If your refearing to when my dog jumped yours. it was all my fault I didnt realize your dog was out. My dog is agresive mostly to un neutered males, he has alwys been that way. I ussually try to make sure no males are running around close by when I let him out of the truck. Or keep a lead on him.
Hope I didnt cause problems. But you remember when I brought Roux over to your house and your dog played with her, I know it was before the attack

Lol. Your not supposed to out yourself on the Internet !!! Who knows if it would have been different anyway.