I would just be a touch cautious or someone who considers agrression to other dogs can be sorted in a one off session. They can certainly give you some advice and the tools to move forward but to my mind check ups will be more than necessary to update her and access if you hit stumbling blocks, which you will as setbacks can always occur.
Maybe she will advise you at length then send you to a regular class. Further socialisation is needed with dog to dog aggressive dogs under controlled circumstances. Just a meeting between a dog an owner and a trainer will not take you far forward as a one off thing, logic I hope tells you that further work with someone knowledgeable WITH dogs about about is going to be essential to move forward.
I'm sure the adpt trainer has this covered and your report on your meeting would be really really gratefully received on here for my interest and the others watching.
Remember on this forum and any other, for every one person brave enough to write, 10 are porbably watching who also have theproblem but don't wish to speak out or can't articulate it as well so your report would be really useful from your trainer...
To be honest the plan with chetser is to get him back into dog school,but until we can curb his aggression i can't do that and i intend to use this trainers particular school so fingers crossed.
I took Chester yesterday to the 1 2 1 session were we had a chat about Chesters background and what he was like at home, we then did a bit of heel work just make him comfortable in the strange place.
Then she brought out her own dog where Chester went absolutely mad.
We just walked Chester up and down about 6 or 7 feet away from this dog to try and see if he would calm down which he didn't, we then reversed the situation and there was no change in his behavior.
She then sat me down and told me that Chester is dog aggressive and that it has probably always been there and that when he was attacked by the 2 bulldogs this has know brought this out of him. ( which i am totally gutted about )
I asked where i can now go from here. She advised castration would help as he wouldn't feel the need to be the dominate leader all the time.
She said that we can try and curb his aggression by taking his mind off what he wants to do and making him do what i want to do.
So i go back in 3 weeks for another 1 2 1.
Pete.
P.S What she also said was that his aggression was probably genetic.
Pete, I'm sorry things didn't go so well. I wasn't there so its hard to comment. Foe ME personally, you went there KNOWING the dog is dog aggressive, so to come to that conclusion is not overly helpful ;-( Knowing he is dog aggressive to walk the dogs only 6 or 7 feet apart to me was not helpful.
I wasn't there, I'll say it again so who am I to say, but dog aggressive dogs need to be gently introduced to new strange dogs, even in an assessment. If you hadn't the strength to hold your dog she could have put her own dog in a lot of danger.
Usually with the exercise she did, which is very helpful, you would start 20 or 30 foot apart wandering about without a care in the world doing some heelwork, sits and so on, till the dogs ignore one another. Then you go ten foot closer and do the same. maybe stop and have a chat with each other calling, letting the dogs see you are comfortable with one another, that there is nothing to be worried about as you have the situation under control.... then when thatis calm you might try 10 or 12 feet apart walking past one another distracting with food or a toy as you get very close... but this all can take 20, 30, 40 minutes to get this close... and for real dog aggression it might take 2 or 3 sessions...
Its just my opinion, I'll say one last time, I wasn't there, but her assessment from putting the two dogs nearly on top of each other and your dog losing it, that he is dog aggresive is not something you didn't know in the first place.
I garee castration CAN help in some cases. But generally only those cases based on pack structure and I'm sorry but dogs on a walk are not in the dogs own pack. Many domestic dogs have no more idea about packs and structures and dominance than us, they have been single dogs all their lives!
I'm glad she has suggested to go back for further work. I hope she doesn't tax the dog quite so rigourously straight off next time and eases him in a bit more to having contact with the other dog....
Can I ask, so in the 3 weeks what active steps has she given you? Are you going to castrate him in that time? Did she mention muzzling him at all to at least make sure no accidents happen between now and then? Did she give you any books to read or homework?
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum You cannot attach files in this forum You cannot download files in this forum
