New Owner - Aggression Question

[Guest iconsmum]

OK - it's a big dog world...I guess we just agree to disagree

[Guest tatahills]

OK - it's a big dog world...I guess we just agree to disagree

Yes. I think it has to do with the person. If you believe in something it will work because it has everything to do with the way you approach it.

[Guest 4dogscrazy]

I picked up on your separation anxiety thread...you can also muzzle him while you leave him at home alone. This will keep him from chewing up stuff when you leave, since he can't be crated. SA comes and goes, I haven't really ever heard anyone who has completely cured their dog of SA. You get better at managing it though!

 

I use a squirt bottle filled with water for "crowd control" in my house. My situation is different with multiples though, but you can still use it for counter surfing, and lots of other little things that come up. I give mine to guests that come in the door, since I have never been able to get all four of mine to stay "back" to wait to greet. (I'm hopeless at door training since they won't sit?!?) You couldn't really use it for growling, but mine behave when I pick up the bottle, no need to squirt anymore for anything. Might work? I don't even get up when they are bad, I just aim the bottle at them, lol. So it wouldn't be like you are coming at him in his space, just a reminder that you WILL win if you go to throwdowns ~haha

 

I tread very lightly around a newbie in my house, I don't let them up on the bed with me, they sleep in a crate in my room at night, also eat in a crate or completely separate from the rest. I have a kitty too, so they spend a lot of time muzzled when I first bring them home. I imagine that was scary for them and you, I would have probably told him off (it's hard not to react). Can he be crated when you are home? My SA girl can be crated while we are home, but NOT when we leave. I also have a spooky/meanie girl, who does not like little kids or strange women (if they talk to her directly). When she growls, I muzzle her if it's a woman, crate if kids come over. I will also muzzle her if a lot of people are over at once, she gets confused and looks scared, so I either muzzle her (to try to let her get used to it on her own) or let her hide in her crate, which doesn't really help her get over it, but keeps the peoples safe!

 

Congratulations on your new baby though, they go through a lot when you first bring them home, and they must be so confused! Please keep us up to date! And do you have any pictures?

Edited February 20, 2010 by 4dogscrazy

[Guest eaglflyt]

Just a word about *staring into any dog's eyes* ... to dogs, this can be considered a challenge or threat to them. I would not do the direct eye stare you were advised to do. That can be a dangerous thing to do with any dog.

 

I highly suggest reading these books by Patricia J. McConnell, PhD Animal Behaviorist:

 

The Other End of the Leash

 

For the Love of a Dog

 

It's still very early and your hound is adjusting to a new home. Many of these issues just take some time, patience, and education on how to handle the situation.

 

Best wishes!

[Guest 4dogscrazy]

Agree with the above, my spooky/meanie girl is FINE until a strange woman looks at her while they are talking to her. THEN she growls.

[Guest Gemma]

Just a word about *staring into any dog's eyes* ... to dogs, this can be considered a challenge or threat to them. I would not do the direct eye stare you were advised to do. That can be a dangerous thing to do with any dog.

 

I highly suggest reading these books by Patricia J. McConnell, PhD Animal Behaviorist:

 

The Other End of the Leash

 

For the Love of a Dog

 

It's still very early and your hound is adjusting to a new home. Many of these issues just take some time, patience, and education on how to handle the situation.

 

Best wishes!

 

Agreed absolutely! These books are fascinating and extremely helpful.

[Guest lasharp1209]

Something I was encouraged to do with our current foster who has some similar issues was to move the bed to a different location every few days. Essentially it is sending him the message that you own the bed, and it does not belong to him. Just another idea of something low-risk to try in addition to whatever other steps you choose to take. Good luck!

[Guest newgreyowner7]

Thanks again, everyone. I will check out some of those books. Also, when I said we were giving him "space," I meant we are not all over him petting and fussing over him every minute of the day (as opposed to not going near him). This weekend, I did move his beds around to different locations and he didn't care one bit. He seemed much calmer than usual when we left this morning. He's doing well and will be just fine, I think (famous last words???).

[Batmom]

The easiest way to get a dog to quit being touchy about space (besides time to settle in to the home) is to laugh at him when he startles. Happy voice "Oh, ha ha hee hee ho ho, I'm not going to step on you ha ha hee hee ho ho you silly dog!" Dog felt threatened, you demonstrated there was nothing to feel threatened about.

 

I'm not big on the "everything here is mine and nothing is yours" school of thought. Doesn't mean anything to the dog and only demonstrates that people are weird, unpredictable, and therefore threatening.

 

Best luck with your pup.

[Guest MyBoys]

Our very first greyhound had the exact same issues as your boy, and like you, we were a bit intimadated when this happened. I received some good simple advise which it sounds like you are doing now. Before you approach your dog if he is laying down anywhere, stop and call his name, clap your hands and make a little noise, wait until his head is up and his eyes are open then call him to come to you. After 20 years of adopting greys I still do this with all my boys if and when they are sleeping or just resting. If they are asleep on their bed I never approach unless I know for sure they are wide awake, I know how I feel when I am awoken suddenly and startled so you can imagine how a dog would react when startled out of a sound sleep. We even had a grey that would sleep with his eyes half open so I knew with him he had to be upright before I could approach his bed. It sounds like your kids are also in tune to this so I am sure once he is completly comfortable with his surroundings he will be just fine.

[Guest newgreyowner7]

Our very first greyhound had the exact same issues as your boy, and like you, we were a bit intimadated when this happened. I received some good simple advise which it sounds like you are doing now. Before you approach your dog if he is laying down anywhere, stop and call his name, clap your hands and make a little noise, wait until his head is up and his eyes are open then call him to come to you. After 20 years of adopting greys I still do this with all my boys if and when they are sleeping or just resting. If they are asleep on their bed I never approach unless I know for sure they are wide awake, I know how I feel when I am awoken suddenly and startled so you can imagine how a dog would react when startled out of a sound sleep. We even had a grey that would sleep with his eyes half open so I knew with him he had to be upright before I could approach his bed. It sounds like your kids are also in tune to this so I am sure once he is completly comfortable with his surroundings he will be just fine.

 

 

Thanks. We haven't had any more incidents and we have walked past him when he was sleeping without waking him up -- more accidentally than deliberately -- and he's been fine. I'm hoping he stays fine because now he's falling asleep in all kinds of places and there are five of us walking around all evening. It will drive the poor boy crazy if we keep getting him up every few minutes or seconds. He was slipping around on our hardwood floors, so I bought some small carpets and runners to put around to help him out, and now he will just plop himself down on any one of those and fall asleep. He even curls himself up on the little mat by the kitchen sink and sleeps there and I lean over him to use the sink and he's fine with it.

 

It's just all very new for us as our last wonderful dog was a lab and we could do no wrong, ever, in her eyes. We love our new boy, though, and it's fun trying to figure him out.

[Guest MyBoys]

He sounds like he will be just fine, you guys are doing all the right things to help him adjust to his new home. I probably didn't explain right, I don't wake my guys up just to walk past them I do however make sure they are fully awake when I want to approach them for whatever reason, but I normally just let them have their beauty sleep

[3greys2cats]

You are correct, dogs aren't that complex, they don't understand the complexity of the situation, except that this stranger who is yelling at them is now walking toward them with an object that they don't recognize. What do you do when someone goes at you with a bat? Fight or flight. If the dog is cornered, there is no flight. Personally I think this suggestion could get the hound or the person holding the object harmed. JMO.

 

What they do understand is that a confident, in control person is telling them to give up that space. That is something they know and understand told to them in as close to dog language as we can get. The dog wants it.

 

I've never used a broom or a tennis racket on a dog of any breed. I use positive training techniques to encourage positive behavior and build the bond with the dog. When a dog trusts and respects you, force isn't necessary. It won't matter one bit how confident you are when you use force on a dog that isn't hesitant to use his teeth.

 

I agree, positive training techniques encourage positive behavior and greyhounds are a gentle breed, no intimidation tactics needed. Glad to hear that he is doing better

[Jackandgrey]

Something I was encouraged to do with our current foster who has some similar issues was to move the bed to a different location every few days. Essentially it is sending him the message that you own the bed, and it does not belong to him. Just another idea of something low-risk to try in addition to whatever other steps you choose to take. Good luck!

 

Seriously is proving ownership of stuff really that important to any good relationship between dog and his person? It is always far more important to me that my dogs understand that they are safe and that they can trust me to be consistent and reasonable.

[Guest tatahills]

Seriously is proving ownership of stuff really that important to any good relationship between dog and his person? It is always far more important to me that my dogs understand that they are safe and that they can trust me to be consistent and reasonable.

 

 

Only if your dog is having behavior problems. Some dogs don't need any of this.

[Guest Swifthounds]

If you have a good relationship with your dog with well defined expectations and mutual trust and respect, you won't have a dog with behavior problems. Almost every behavior problem a person thinks a dog has is really a human problem.

[dlgwarner]

A lot of great advise here. While conflicting advice can be confusing, it can also enable you more options to find what works best for your hound in your situation. Last year, I found myself in a similar situation and received lots of great advice, but one VERY VALUABLE piece of advice I haven't noticed in any of the previous replies. So I'll add it now (highlighted in red so it doesn't get lost in my brief story).

 

In the first three months of adopting Ringo (who had never exhibited an aggressive hair on his body till that point) caused me some concern when he growled at my son for the first time (he happened to be enjoying "Ringo Crack", a fresh marrow bone at the time.) My initial reaction was to try to "correct" the aggressive behavior so it was clear to him that aggression towards people was not acceptable since my family's and visitor's safety was of paramount importance to me. I too, posted here and researched a lot and incorporating the great advice (especially from Batmon) we very successfully resolved things within a few days. Along the way, my adoption coordinator LF counselled me to NOT reprimand growling since it can create a "silent biter." Growling is a dogs way of communicating his dislike of something (taking food, touching a sensitive spot, crowding his space, etc.) If you train them not to growl, a dog could tolerate something they don't like (without letting you know) until they respond by snapping or biting. Her personal example was her foster flunkie (bridge angel) Big John. He HATES having his feet touched. Apparently though, when he was in the racing kennel he was taught not to growl when his feet are handled. John had originally been profiled as easy going and kid safe, until LF unwittingly went to clip John's nails and was bitten without any warning. Big John still became a wonderful sweet pet, very tolerent of kids and certified therapy dog. However, his was muzzled for every nail clipping from that point forward.

I'm not writing this to alarm you, but rather to simply pass along what I consider sage advice. I appreciate growling as a meaningful communication tool and have taught my kids and DH the same. I fully endorse the advise of consistently demonstrating confident leadership for your dog, creating a space "he can call his own" and using various means of making it clear to him that aggression towards people is not acceptable. We've had Ringo for 18 months now and he rarely growls, (except during tug-of-war, which is part of the fun for him). The rare occaisions that he has, we acknowledge his message with a firm confident response like "okay Ringo, thanks for letting me know." Then giving him a little more space, but also a scratch behind the ear to let him know he got his point across, but to still maintain "loving dominance" (that's a term I just made up.)

Edited February 26, 2010 by dlgwarner