Aggressive dog

seedy · #1 Oct 31, 2009, 10:58 AM

My 2yr old rescue mastiff/rotti cross is a teddy bear at home with me and my kids, but as soon as he's in public - he's a monster. He wants to attack ALL other dogs and lunges at people, especially children. I have been trying to socialise him for 10 months but dont seem to be getting anywhere. I have used a behaviourist for the last 12months, but to no avail. HELP!!!!!!!
I dont want people thinking I have a vicious thug of a dog.
PS - I also have a staffi and he is fine with her.

tickle · Oct 31, 2009, 11:09 AM

Well, you do a have a thug of a dog if he behaves like that in public, especially around children. He incorporates two breeds that can be very agressive, not only in public but with people visiting a home that they dont know. Its too bad that his previous owner/owners didnt do the right thing by him. You are to be commended for taking on a dog like this, especially hving a staffi already in residence. it could have turned out much worse. Some dogs cant be rehabilitated.

Cesaro Milan has some pretty good videos about re-training, and I actually think he is the best ever with dogs. If I find a link I will edit this post, or you can google his name and visit his website for more excellent information. Good luck !

tick

Catsmine · Oct 31, 2009, 11:45 AM

You have a very scared pup there. Was he abandoned or taken? I have had good results with breaking the lunging habit with a noise distraction.

This "behaviorist" has been working with you for a YEAR? Has any progress at all been made? How often do you see them and how much practice between sessions do you do?

Aurora_Bell · Nov 2, 2009, 10:18 AM

I recently had to put down a bull mastif shepard with serious aggression issues. He to was a perfect gentel man when in the home but as soon as some one came to the door, walked by the house, or we were in public, he would act like a lunatic. Aggression isn't some thing that a dog nesseccarly becomes, it's genetics. If you have been working with a behaviorist for a year and your dog still has aggression issues, you may want to consider a different approach. And most of all you need to be so careful with young ones in a house with a scared, and or angry dog.

tickle · Nov 2, 2009, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aurora_Bell

I recently had to put down a bull mastif shepard with serious aggression issues. He to was a perfect gentel man when in the home but as soon as some one came to the door, walked by the house, or we were in public, he would act like a lunatic. Aggression isn't some thing that a dog nesseccarly becomes, it's genetics. If you have been working with a behaviorist for a year and your dog still has aggression issues, you may want to consider a different approach. And most of all you need to be so careful with young ones in a house with a scared, and or angry dog.

I have actually heard of two other instances where these breeds, bull mastiffs, mixed with whatever, which appears to enhance their agression, being put down because nothing else could be done and the people were just too afraid of handling him, trying again and again to rehabilitate the dog and of course, like you say, Aurora, home and out were just not an option.

Bull mastiffs the pure breed, are really not too bad but need a firm hand to control, but need not be aggressive. That is a big dog to handle.

tick

Aurora_Bell · Nov 2, 2009, 11:19 AM

Agreed. In Canada, if you give away a aggressive dog, and that dog bites someone, the original owner of the animal can get charged with criminal neglect and could be held accountable for whatever the out come of the bite was. I wonder if it is something in the Mastif breed that just can not handle a "mix" I know several people who have pure bred bull mastif's and they are truly gentel giants! Very friendly dogs. But they are very possessive and like you said need a strong hand in controlling them. I even lived in the country but when I spoke to a rescue group ( I tried every other option before putting him down) They said, that if a child can not approach your door step out of fear of being bitten, then the dog needs to go. It is law that a child needs to have a safe walk way to a FRONT and BACK door, in case of being chased by person or animal.

JudyKayTee · Nov 2, 2009, 01:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aurora_Bell

Agreed. In Canada, if you give away a aggressive dog, and that dog bites someone, the original owner of the animal can get charged with criminal neglect and could be held accountable for whatever the out come of the bite was. I wonder if it is something in the Mastif breed that just can not handle a "mix" I know several people who have pure bred bull mastif's and they are truly gentel giants! Very friendly dogs. But they are very possessive and like you said need a strong hand in controlling them. I even lived in the country but when I spoke to a rescue group ( I tried every other option before putting him down) They said, that if a child can not approach your door step out of fear of being bitten, then the dog needs to go. It is law that a child needs to have a safe walk way to a FRONT and BACK door, in case of being chased by person or animal.

I'm a liability investigator and I've never heard of the law about previous owners - do you have a source? I realize you are talking about criminal law and I investigate civil actions but I would like it for reference purposes.

I'm also involved in animal rescue and, in fact, have had dogs given to me or "adopted" by me after surrender by the previous owners and never had a problem. It appears to be unfair to the animals if the only choice by some sort of law is to put the animal down in order to avoid liability for any future behavior. I see all sorts of legal problems when a person adopts ANY dog if this is law.

In NY (which is where I am) vicious propensities enter into a liability investigation. Aggressiveness is something else, not considered, so I am interested for that aspect, too.

I have also never heard the "front door/back door" rule/law and would like a source for that.

I investigate a lot of dog bites - the worse one I have ever seen was an attack by an Akita (just for the record).

Catsmine · Nov 2, 2009, 05:22 PM

You have a point, Shaz. Tempramental instability is one of the (2) reasons I am so vehemently against "designer dogs." The other is re-introducing medical problems pure breed owners have worked long and hard to eradicate.

Seedy, think seriously about neutering if he isn't already, then look at maybe having to find another dog. I always hate to say that, but sometimes the human children have to take precedence.



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