aggressive bernese mountain dog - Page 1

my friends bernese goes after other dogs and starts running and charging at the other dogs and the owners get scared becuase they don't want their dogs to get hurt. The berner is ready to start a fight with the other dogs. Any ideas on how to stop this behavior or train him so he won't do this?

For starters, I would suggest that the Berner not be permitted to be OFF LEASH anywhere but in it's own fenced-in yard.

Beyond that, this isn't something to try and learn over the Internet--your friend needs to find a good dog trainer who will work with the owner and the dog together, teaching the OWNER how to teach the DOG what is and is not acceptable behavior.

But first and foremost, this dog should never be off it's leash.

Aggression is a problem that has been emerging in the BMT for a short time. Your friend would not happen to live in florida would they? We have a horriable breeder that is producing fear aggressive dog.
As for your friend's dog, has this animal had any socilization as a puppy?
Has this dog had any obedience classes of any sort.
How have they handeled his outburst in the past?
I second the dog should never be free of leash.
And that your friend will ne the help of a professional trainer.
Most BMD problem are fear based and not "True" aggression.
And lastly has this dog been fixed? Because he doesn't sound like breeding material.
Fry

Fry, yeah, this unfortunately is not the first Berner I've heard about showing aggression issues--although without seeing the dog, it's naturally impossible to tell if this dog really has a problem, or just has inexperienced & untrained owners who know squat about handling him.  I always hate seeing a 'new' breed pop up in the media [TV shows, movies, commercials, ads, etc.] because as surely as morning follows night, not only do we start seeing more specimens of the 'hot' breed, we also start hearing about temperament issues--almost always aggression in some form, more's the pity--and close behind that comes the health problems. 

The best thing that could happen for the Berner is for them to fall out of popularity, as has happened to some degree with the Border Collie of late.

I have seen a few aggressive BMD ...some of it is in the breed, there were also used as protectors, but most of  it is in the handling. With all powerful dogs, they need a strong assertive handler. I suggest handler (re-)training with a good trainer (not at petsmart)...
as a general rule...if you treat your dog like a child...the dog will treat you as a fool...

T&T........."if you treat your dog like a child...the dog will treat you as a fool.."".....