Rescue Dog is having problems
So I'm having a huge issue with a rescue pit mix that was supposed to be well socialized but clearly isn't. He's smart and an all around great dog...until we get him outside. He's extremely aggressive with people and especially other dogs. First meeting with my dog at my kid's house went so poorly my baby mama won't even let him back.
Problem is his behavior is so extreme it severely curtails walks (making the problem worse because I can't exercise him correctly) and I'm reasonably certain my landlord is zeroing in on me for targeting.
I'm at my wit's end here. He was literally one day from the kill shelter when I got him. I'm 100% positive he wasn't being fought or even overtly abused at all in his last home, maybe just not socialized well as a puppy.
Thoughts on how to get him on the right track?
Posted Nov 5, 2015, 8:46 PM UTC
You need to talk to a behaviorist. They will observe the behavior and help you to focus training/socialization based on your dog and their particular behaviors/learning curve. You can also post in r/dogtraining, they give great advice and links. You can expect that sub to ask lot's of questions and want specific information on what you mean by 'aggressive' and what his reactions to different stimuli is. They also have a 'reactive dog support group' with lots on information and links specifically geared towards dogs like yours. In the meantime you can try and eliminate certain elements from the above scenario. First, if you don't have 100% certainty that when your dog is leashed that he will not be dangerous to others you should invest in a basket muzzle. It's hard as an owner to do that, but it will help alleive some level of anxiety when you have him outside. Additionally start tryinging to pinpoint his triggers: loud kids, traffic, dogs approaching, female/male dogs, squirrels, etc. If a walk starts to go downhill and you are losing control , end the walk. Work on stimulating him and excercising him before walks so his threshold is lowered prior to going outside. Only POSITIVE reinforcement. Reactive dog's are just waiting for confirmation that the things they find scary are actually negative. If they are scared or overstimulated on leash and you add a negative reinforcement like punishment it will only solidify in their mind that this is a negative association.
This is the best answer OP.