Territoriality and Barking?

E

ExNihil

Forums Novice
So, my sheltie Zena is hyper aggressive to other dogs. This isn't a problem in the home, as she is the only dog we have.

However, when I take her out for a walk around the yard, if another dog walks by she just goes ballistic. She barks, and barks, and barks and barks some more, and doesn't listen at all.

I'm not sure how to get her to stop doing this. It upsets my fiance, and probably upsets my neighbors...and i'm pretty sure it upsets the people that happen to walk their dogs at the same time I take Zena out.

So, I wanted to get advice on how to discipline and train Zena to not do this. Could some of you lovely people help me out?

Cheers,
Daniel
 
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How old is she? I'm teaching "quiet" along with a finger to the lips and it's helping some. Titan's only four months but I remember Randy, our sheltie from years ago, used to get like that at times.

Lots and lots of exercise sure helps so they're not so full of pent up energy. You can also teach them "speak" so they know to bark when you ASK and not without asking.

Good luck!!!!!!!:lol:
 
I do hope you get some help, I need it also. Crazy does the same thing. I have tried everything. What I do now is stop, make him sit, we wait then start to walk again. If he starts up again I do the same and if he will not stop, I will push him over onto his side and make him lay there till he calms down. He knows too that when he starts I am going to put a stop to it, he doesn't fight it just sits there and waits or if still going nuts he knows he going down on his side. I guess barking is top on his list and hard to break but I keep trying:yes:
 
Zena is 8 or 9. My ex and I adopted her from the SPCA four years ago, and they estimated her age as five.

When I'm walking her she won't see a shush motion unless I pick her up...She pulls toward the dogs, so it's hard to get in front of her.

And she's really, really, really ballistic when she does this.
 
To teach dogs not to react to other people or dogs, you will need to take them for a walk where there are other dogs, but with enough room, that you don't have to get too close to the other dogs. You will need some good treats. Put your dog on a leash and when you see another dog, immediately give your dog a treat, try to keep him concentrated on the treats and don't get too close to the other dogs to start with. When the dog has seen the other dog and still concentrated on you and the treats, do this several times. As time goes by, you can bring him a little closer to the other dog, as long as he still concentrates on you and the treats. If your dog still goes crazy, you need to back up and leave a longer distance between him and the other dog. It will take some time, but eventually your dog will associate getting treats when he sees and new dog, so he will be happy to see them. Don't forget to praise him, when he is doing it right. You might need to enlist some friends with a dog to practise with. Good Luck!!!
 
I ditto what Crystal1 recommended.

The idea is to get their attention away from the exciting distraction and on to you. When a dog is in an excited state, any physical correction (touch, leash correction, etc.) is just going to escalate the excitement. So you need to be on your game and be able to anticipate when she is going to start reacting. Then, before she reacts, draw her attention to you with some sort of reward (food, toy, etc.). Reward when she does not react to the passing dog.
 
This is the same problem I had with Tully after she was attacked. It is a sure sign that your dog is absolutely petrified of other dogs and is telling them to stay away. (Sorry this post is long)

Two things to begin with - one is to get a halti or gentle leader collar. Although Tully hated the gentle leader she was actually more calm and confident when she wore it. It also prevents them leaping about and is less scary for other dog owners.

The other is to work out Zena's "red zone" (not the Cesar red zone - but her threshold - the stressed out, doesn't focus zone). If she is really very fearful then no amounts of treats or talking will get her focus. She is basically having the dog equivalent of a panic attack. You need to work out how far away Zena can be before she hits the red zone and doesnt focus any more. For Tully her red zone was huge. When she goes into the zone you need to walk calmly away and when she calms down get her to look at you. Wait a little bit if you are going to treat her as you don't want her to think you are treating the walking away but only the calmness. She needs to know that you will take control if anything scary comes and you wont force her into a stressful situation.

Also, I know some people say dont pick up a fearful dog but if the other dog is getting too close and your dog is in the red zone it is better to just pick them up and let them calm down - then you can hold your dog next to the other dog and let them sniff it if they want while feeling safe. I checked this with my vet psych and she said there is absolutely nothing wrong with this.

To get her used to other dogs it is better to find a small dog(s) that she can be around in an open area (or later walking besides). I found with Tully she was better with other ball chasing dogs or dogs that were happy just to sniff around rather than be in her face (or butt). That way they get used to being around dogs where there is no stress to interact.

You mention the backyard. I'm not sure what the set up is there. My yard backs onto a nature reserve and even tho I have a 6ft fence I had problems with Tully at the fence line (one dog that attacked her used to run up to our fence). The vet psych told me to build an inner fence so they cant get to the fence line - it is also less stressful for the dog if they dont think they have to protect themselves and the home from everything that goes past. I just used some hard wire panels from the hardware shop and covered them with shade cloth - they aren't very high but it is enough for her to feel safe - altho she still does bark at other dogs going past but the dog needs to be pretty close to the fence line now.

Finally - in the yard or away from other dogs teach your dog a behaviour she can resort to if she is feeling vulnerable. Eventually this will become an alternative to barking. For Tully she goes between my legs.

When your Zena is used to being around a couple of dogs you can look at the treating when going past other dogs but it sounds like she isn't there yet.

It has taken 12mths of work and Tully still lapses into aggressive barking but it is worth it to see her confidence now and that she actually whimpers and wags happily when she sees some dogs approaching. Zena probably had some tough experiences in her past and good on you for taking on a rescue dog. Lucky Shelties are really smart so although she may not completely get over her fears there is a good chance of things being pretty good.

PS - there are quite a few books on helping shy dogs - I found "Help for your Shy dog" and Cautious canine quite useful even tho it doesn't specifically mention fear of other dogs the ideas are sound.
 
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Just a thought - she might not be barking as an "aggression" thing. Romeo barks when he sees other dogs too. Most of the time tho' it's because he wants to play coz he'll bark bark bark, then drop into a play bow and hop around alot.

How old is Zena?
 
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