[matese]

Getting Cody’s dog aggression under control…...

Friday’s session his trainer bought in a 7 month old (very well trained) Border Collie. The staring and lunging began. I got him under control and focused on me. While the Border Collie sat still, Cody was fine, as soon as his trainer walked him, Cody began the lunging. Cody’s trainer took his leash from me, The Border Collie’s trainer walk the Collie around, Cody started lunging, his trainer gave him his command and Cody stopped. All the while the Border Collie was walking and a time or two the Collie got playful and would jump, Cody sat still (his trainer still had him and Cody was staring at me, but he stayed sitting with no looking or lunging at the Collie, but the entire time Cody’s eyes were glued on me, I was standing appox. 10 feet away and not interacting) I was amazed that he sat still while the Collies was being walked closer and closer to Cody, and no reaction from Cody. I commented to the trainer, “I can’t believe how good he was with her” I asked did she think all his lunging when I have him is because he is protecting me. She said kind of, the trainer said “he is the pack leader, and I am part of the pack” I have to show him I am the pack leader. At home he listens to me, he is very good, No reason for me to be stern with him. There are times when he will be looking out of the window, sees that pesty squirrel, will come running to me all excited screaming at me he wants that squirrel, I will go to the window with him and watch that crazy squirrel, There will be times he is on the deck, I am in the house ,he will see the deer in the open field and comes tearing in the house all crazy and excited wanting to go chase the deer, I go on the deck with him, try to calm him by telling him “good deer, pretty deer” but he’s just focused on wanting to chase the deer. These are the only times I jump for him, At home he knows his place, He knows I am the boss and does not get his own way all the time. I have read some dogs on lease feel threatened when seeing another dog, feel they are defenseless because they are leashed and have no way to escape if the other dog attacks, so they show this other dog they are fealess and that’s why the lung and bark. Again, Cody was raised by a little 8 y/o girl he was her dog, she walked him I am sure with adult supervision, she had him for 3 years, now she is 11 y/o, still walking him I am sure with adult supervision. I am sure the adult would not allow Cody to meet other dogs on these walks as the little girl had the leash and would not know how to handle Cody meeting other dogs, and if the other dogs were a bit aggressive the child would not know how to react, so for the safety of Cody
he was not allowed to socialize with other dogs. This is all speculation on my part. So Cody never learned how to approach other dogs in a friendly manner, I believe he wants to be friendly, just does not know how to go about it in a calm friendly way, that’s why he lunges. Again, just my thoughts. We all know ppl and dog socializing MUST start at an early age. I believe if Cody was off leash with a dog his size he would not be so aggressive. He has NEVER been close to any dog, has never sniffed another dog. His trainer says he “stares” at the dogs he has worked with, I think he stares because 10 feet away from another dog is the closet he has ever been to one. He wags his lil stump of a tail, trainer says that is not always a sign a dog is friendly, it just shows they have an interest in the other dog.. I am by no means am I trainer, All my past dogs I had as puppies, I raised them socialized them with ppl and all animals, this is my first rescue, and do not know how to eliminate or control his behavior. With the lessons we have had, I was given the tools to work with, was told what to do when he gets aggressive. Now I am told Mr Cody thinks she is the pack leader and I am part of that pack and he is protecting his pack. So now what do I do. The same question I asked the trainer. She says I have to show him I am pack leader,!!!! How does one do this when he is a good boy at home, he listens to me, we work at his lessons, he is very smart and learns so quickly I am amazed by him. One thing she told me was, when I put his food down, make him wait to approach his bowl, give him a command when I want him to eat. Is this a way to show him I am the pack leader? The poor thing is always starving, and wolfs down his food, It would case me great pain to put his food down and to not allow him to eat until I say it’s ok, but if this will teach him I am his leader and I am the one in control I will do it, IF it is going to help him be less aggressive around other dogs. If by not allowing him to eat until I say it’s ok, if this is one way to show him I am the one in control, what other things can I do to teach him I am the pack leader. I am at a complete loss here. Also the spray water bottle has been eliminated, it does no good when he gets into what the trainer calls “the red zone” he was soaking wet while lunging and the spray had no effect on him, this was a session when there were 2 Border Collies in the session with him several weeks ago. Sorry for such a long thread, I am trying to put all the information out there, so there will be no confusion with his training sessions. Also 4 weeks ago Cody started intermediate sessions, new day ,new time, new trainer, I like this trainer better then the first one, the first one was to rough with him, I think she caused him to get confused, yet he loved her and was always glad to see her. This trainer is more gentle with him, firm, but gentle. Any tips what I can do to show little boy I am the pack leader.