AGRESSIVE DOG

[Sorienew]

I'm dog sitting for a friend and the dog is aggressive to my dogs. She doesn't want them near me. I have had to break up 4 fights already! No blood but it could get worse. Any ideas on how to keep this from happening. I've tried to keep them apart and the do fine it outside with me. The guest dog will not go out unless I'm out there!

Thanks

[Pat W.]

I'm dog sitting for a friend and the dog is aggressive to my dogs. She doesn't want them near me. I have had to break up 4 fights already! No blood but it could get worse. Any ideas on how to keep this from happening. I've tried to keep them apart and the do fine it outside with me. The guest dog will not go out unless I'm out there!

Thanks

 

 

I'm guessing that you were unaware that this would happen. But I would crate the guest dog or confine to a single room by gate or door while your pups have the opportunity to be out. When its time to potty, if you really really need to take everyone out out once put guest on a leash. Ideally potty guest separate from your pups.

[kristyp]

if you can't handle the guset dog see if someone alse can take care of him

[rosefarm]

Make sure that you are in control of the situation, and don't let the guest dog bully your dogs, stop it at the first signs and don't let it escalate. If she/he doesn't let your dogs near, nip it in the bud when it starts and crate when it happens. Also something that really has helped us, not to go too Ceasar Milan, but walking as a group for some reason has fixed many of our grievances. Lily used to be too aggressive trying to play with old by Archie, until we were able to walk them together because of the Invisible fence, it was an almost immediate acceptance. Perhaps the idea that as a pack they patrol the borders, lets them know they are on the same team. I don't know.

 

Keep the new dog on a leash as posted above until it earns the right to be free. Keep all possessive articles (toys/bones/food) up and give out when appropriate.

 

Good luck, good luck, we're with you with the guest dog thing. Living in a 4 dog house has been fun this week.

 

--Denise

[BustopherJones]

As ridiculous as it may sound, try a water pistol; it gets the point across without harming the dog or associating the punishment with you personally.

[Bo Peep]

As ridiculous as it may sound, try a water pistol; it gets the point across without harming the dog or associating the punishment with you personally.

That's exactly what I'm doing with my new rescue. When she starts growling or raising her lip I have a squirter bottle and give her a spray. She doesn't know it's me that doing it, PLUS it makes her stop fast and go WTH? It's really working.

[SnickerKitten]

I'm also a big fan of the watergun. I take one with me to the dog park so I can spray my Stormy when he decides the other dogs aren't running enough for him. It's also worked well when another dog has gotten aggressive with him.

 

Lori (going nuts with 5 cats, 2 foster cats, my border collie, my rescue nutcase (PLEASE someone take her soon!!!!) AND my mother's hundred pound chicken shepherd..errr... german shephard)

[Debbie Crowder-BaaramuLuke]

Bless your heart for taking care of someone else's dog.

 

IF it were me, I'd treat this dog as a client, one you need to take wonderful care of, but who is seperate from your own dogs, completely. Give it lots of love and praise out of view and earshot of your dogs, feed it separately, and house it as seperately as you can, then go about your own life with your dogs as normally as you can.

 

Fights are hard on you--you could end up seriously hurt, your dogs can get hurt, and that dog you have been entrusted with can get hurt. Even simple injuries can end up life-threatening if they go at it full force, since dogs tend to go at necks. I know many fights are just vocal posturing with some slobber throwing, but do you want to find out she means it?

 

Imagine how your dogs feel, having to defend their right to you to this new being...who may be just an insecure only-shild bully-dog. Unless you have to do this frequently, I'd skip the training. Just MHO.