|
Posted by: Buzz on 2012-01-13, 18:59:38
First off - 13 is plenty old enough to control a dog, I don't know what those people are talking about. It's how you act and think, not your age, that the dog cares about. My 3 year old nephew can control my collie. Aggression is a very serious issue. There is a lot of help out there about it. Look on the dogbreedinfo website -dogbreedinfo.com/ - this is a very good site about dogs with lots of articles on dog training. The most important thing is to make sure you are the top dog. If this is the case it makes everything else much easier. Does your dog pull? This is one thing to really watch out for. If he pulls then he is in charge of the walk and first in line to deal with strangers. To me what you said sounds as though he feels insecure - as if he has the responsibility of meeting strangers and doesn't know how to go about it. However it's impossible to know just from your post. You are very responsible to have muzzled your dog and I would keep that muzzle on until you get a completely desirable reaction from your dog. I have only had one problem with dog-dog aggression and that is with the two dogs I am currently looking after. They are terriers and very aggressive towards others. First I have taken charge of them by only allowing them to do what I want, when I want them. I don't let them jump up. I stopped them pulling using slip chains - these have a bad reputation due to misuse but if used correctly they are the single best method of stopping a dog from pulling. To use one correctly you first put it on correctly so that it will slacken immediately you let go of it. When the dog walks in front of you, you give a jerk - not a yank, you're not trying to choke the dog - and the dog gets back into position and the chain slackens. A couple of snaps is all it should take and the dog will walk perfectly. If used correctly these are a lot better for a dog's neck than having him pull on a collar - instead of a constant pull all you get is a couple of small jerks. Any sized dog can be controlled with a slip chain. Don't listen to those who don't understand how to use one - they are indeed often abused, but so are cars and alcohol. To stop the dogs from barking at another dog I say "A-A! " very sharply to get their attention (it is such a harsh couple of syllables and it is also how dogs tell each other off - so better than "no "). If they carry on I grab their scruffs and shake them. If they see a dog and don't bark, I praise them profusely. It has taken a week and they are silent when another dog is around, they just watch it and wag their tails and look at me, even if it's barking at them. The important thing is to stay consistent - never let them bark at another dog and never let them walk in front of you. This way a dog will know his place and be confident within it. Another way if you have a friend with a dog - and perhaps a better way, though I have never been able to try it - is to have your friend walk his dog closer and closer to yours. You need a big field for this so the other dog starts off a long way from yours. Keep giving your dog treats every few seconds and lots of praise. Try to keep his attention. As soon as he starts barking at your friend's dog remove all treats and praise, ignore the dog and get your friend to move his dog away. Then start again. There could also be an underlying reason your dog acts the way he acts - labs and collies aren't aggressive by nature. The first thing you should do is talk to your vet about it as he could have something wrong with him. |
