aggressive - Page 2

Hi Pete the info sounds very much like where i bought the pup from as they were bred from a working police dog in WA the guys name is Steve Baraiolo does it ring a bell as he is the only one breeding them here mainly for police&security regards Tom

Hi, I'll begin by saying I'm NOT a trainer, but I have a Mal who started becoming aggressive, especially with men who had objects in their hands (I think someone attempted to make her a bite dog and misread her temperament-- she would make a fabulous narcotics dog, but definitely not a bite dog...) Anyway, there were multiple things that I used to tackle this, and maybe some of these ideas might help...

1) Before beginning any discipline, I try to work on exercise first-- I don't know about your Mal, but Val has so much energy that when we butt heads she could dig in her heels for HOURS. By exercising first, it puts her in a much more receptive mood and kills a lot of her fighting desire. Plus, exercising is fun and helps to build a great bond!

2) I loved my OB instructor, because she figured out my dog quick. She looked at me and said, "Your dog is attention driven." And then she admonished me for letting her get away with things like leaning on my leg and other "cute" behaviors that she used to manipulate me out of correcting her when I needed to. Take a moment and see if your OB instructor can help you find out what drives your dog-- that basic understanding helps soooooo much. What I didn't realize was how much stopping her "cute" behaviors helped me on almost every level-- i.e. by refusing to let her lean on me, she had to stand alone, which emphasized her building her own confidence instead of relying on me. With her having her own confidence, she no longer felt the need to snap at things that got close to her security blanket (me). If you think your dog is attempting to bite because he's herding, make sure that you examine other moments where that behavior is being exhibited and control them as well, i.e. don't let your dog lead you or push you on walks, make sure he waits at doors for humans to enter/exit first, etc... By demanding that desired behavior at all times, you should have more success in problem areas.

3) I walked her around on leash, even while inside, with a small prong collar. When I would sit down, I'd make her lie down right next to me and then step on her leash so that she couldn't lunge towards anyone walking by or shy away from them either. At first, she fought the collar like crazy, but I'd just give her a firm no and then ignore her behavior (since my Mal is very attention driven I discovered that ignoring her was my most powerful tool. She'd eventually go crazy from being ignored and then changes tactics-- this means she'll start trying good behaviors instead, and those I would reward with affection :) ). It took some time, but she eventually figured out that not everyone walking by was going to try to hit her or something crazy like that. I imagine you could attempt something similar at your home, by keeping your dog (from a safe distance) in a lying down position. By giving a firm correction and then ignoring your pup as people get up and sit down on the couch, you can start to set the stage. What you want is for the dog to continue lying down and not react to others moving, so keep at it until that behavior becomes a well-developed pattern. I don't know about you, but my dog only dared being aggressive with others-- she's never directed it towards me. If you have the same kind of respect from your pup, this might be a good first step.

Again, I'm not a trainer, and my dog's aggression came from nervousness, which meant my main focus had to be on building her confidence up (I used the dog park A LOT, which was great because the pack encouraged to play and act like a dog, not a nervous wreck, and took her to places like Petco where I asked understanding dog owners to help me help Val overcome her terror of strangers...). If your dog is driven by a herding instinct, then maybe you need to let that exercise itself out with fetch, tug, etc... By showing your dog an acceptable release for those drives, you might have more luck in creating that firm boundary that you want in your home.

Just some ideas, didn't know much about your situation, but I hope some of them help! :D

tom, i do not know steve, the guy who did the original imports is called ben. many have cashed in on his work since tho. i can pass your number to him if you want, i won't pass his on. please do not put any contact details on the forum, use pm if you want to discuss further.

Id set the sucker up, and correct any such nonsense.  A few sessions with a prong and line or E Collar, problem solved. Do a lot of tug work and obedience and keep him busy, but come down on him hard for any kind of foolishness.

i would prolly try figure the level of experience of the handler, his family situation and gain some knowledge of the particular dog before i gave out free info like that over the internet.

tomo, if you are experienced you would not be posting the question, if you are inexperienced you prolly should not pick a fight with yr dog based on the advice of an internet stranger, if these Ben's lines, which i am trying to figure out, then please do not force them into a confrontation on your own. the risk is not worth the potential benefit for an inexperienced handler with family sharing the same space as the dog......i am not joking.

Thanks Pete, I take back the "JK" !  Good advice.

Still think what Neville and I were advocating about teaching the pup
to go and lie down away from feet may be of some use to Tomo.

thats what malinois do..their more human aggressive than any other dog..why do you think their used more and more for police work..because they know the dog will bite a man..a lot of GSD's wont bite..if you dont want an aggressive dog a malinois is not for you..go one step lower to a gsd or even lower like a lab  hell get a damn poodle