Hello!

Hi everyone

Just want to say hello and introduce myself and Pepper, our 12 month Brindle staffy rescue dog. We have had him since November 2012.

He is absolutely gorgeous but need some advice as he has become very dog aggressive and despite a dog behaviourist who did one to one training (he went for all the other dogs in normal training classes and we were asked to leave) is getting worse. Would love some advice on this as going for walks is proving to be very difficult and embarrassing. My two little ones are nervous wrecks when we take him out and I'm not far off it too!  

Thanks  

Hi &

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Youv had him from a few months old then? has he always been this 'bad'? How often does he get walked and for how long each walk?

hia from me and sasha  
well done on rescuing pepper,he's gorgeous ,sasha is also da and i know how you feel,she will never play with another dog(she was attacked twice)being a rescue dog i dont know if you know much of his back ground?

Hi & welcome from darcy & me well done on the rescue. Have a read through this thread we were just discussing another members pooches DA it may help :- https://staffy-bull-terrier.niceboard.com/t42517-dog-aggressive-staffy-old-girl

Hi and welcome from Rocky and I

Hi and welcome from me and Daisy  

I'm afraid I have no experience with Dog aggresion but some others members do

When we had Pepper he was in foster with three other dogs and there was no problem. He has been neutered and I have trained him using clicker and treats. It all started once he turned one. There was no history when the rescue centre had him, apparently he was found wandering streets at 6 months and took to local pound. We walk him twice a day for around an hour each time. Luckily there are a few fields on the way where we can let him off the lead and he is happy as Larry with his squeaky ball. I try and avoid the situation by always being on the look out, I distract him and get him to sit, reward for being good but sometimes it just happens so quick, he is getting stronger and I don't want to put a muzzle on him. What annoys me the most is dog owners who can see mine is starting and they do not recall their dog who is off the lead, then I get called names and irresponsible for having a dangerous dog! I cross over the path and always try and find open space and wait for the other dog to pass. I really can't think of anything else to do. also he has started being nasty towards our cat which was never a problem before. Is it his hormones??

Hiya from me and Vinnie, sorry no experience here either. 

seems funny he was fine with the other dogs at the rescue and with your cat and now he is'nt  ,staffies do play hard and what might seem like aggression is'nt.you seem to be doing all the right things with him,have you got some one you know that has a really friendly dog that you could go on lead walks with to get him used to being around other dogs again?

Hi from Tip and me

I did go on regular walks up our mountain with my friend who has two labradors. Again he was great with them and then decided he didn't like them anymore. Luckily nothing bad happened as we were able to get all the dogs back on leads and away from each other. I just have to accept that I can't socialize him with dogs anymore. The behaviourist told me that as long as he is fine with humans then not to worry about it and take him out to places where there aren't hardly any dogs around, which is ok but it's hard to plan family days out when we want to take the dog.

Thank you everyone for your welcoming messages and advice. It is much appreciated :-D

Hiya from me and Moo

Hi and welcome from me and my two, hope you enjoy the site

Hi and welcome to the forum from Rocky and me

To Sarah;
If you're open to discussing this issue with me over the phone, feel free to call me on my Cell: my name's Steven.
I've been training Canines for Over 30 yrs, Professionally; and often offer free advice for this whom share their hearts with the Great

steven please dont post your number on here thanks

... Bully Breed. And Specialize I'm dogs with disorders.
Without hearing more necessary information, I'd assume that this dog is establishing its Alpha position Or (which is more likely the case >) being overly protective.

If your prior handler (trainer) did their job Right, you will know how to do walking/aversion techniques. Do you?

Hi Sarah

It may be something curable but it may also be something that you have to get used to. My young boy has become a little unpredictable as he gets a little more confidence and picks and chooses hos mates. Generally I keep him on lead around other dogs unless we know them and everyone is happy . A long line can have great benefits for you as he has the freedom and you still have the control
For me it is a case of learning and anticipating , not getting tense when passing other dogs but there are at least a couple of dogs we regulalrly see on our walks that for some reason he does not like so don't get tense , put him out of the way and use distraction . Watch me is a great command for this with a nice tasty treat of course

Big hello from Chiquito and I

Hi &welcome to the forum from Gwen and I!

Thank you Steve I will contact you for a chat if that's ok. I try aversion techniques, sometimes they work. I've always got my cooker and treats, I use the watch command followed by a treat or his squeaky ball which is a great distraction. I find having a run around on an empty field wears him out and then he carries the ball home in his mouth which stops him going for other dogs. The only problem there is its not very often the fields by me are free of other dogs and then they become his focus, heckles are raised , lunging forward and a scary bark, as he doesn't bark in the house. I think he trying to lay down his alpha male traits he ignores my youngest boy who is 8. Thinking about it he doesn't like it when the cat comes near me or my husband. He straight away jumps up and I have to tell him down or send him to his bed. Mmm, very protective

Hello and welcome to the forum Hope you manage to resolve your problem

Hiya from me and Axl! Pepper looks absolutely gorgeous in your profile pic, what a lovely face! Welcome to the forum

Hello Pepper!

Maybe there is another calm, strong dog you can practice with - who has an experienced owner. Introduce them, let them play - if Pepper turns then start again from scratch. Others on here will know more about this technique than I do. It is important not to freak out.

I can imagine this must be very upsetting for you. They do get annoying in their "teens" but don't assume any behaviour is set in stone. Perhaps you could post on our general discussions forum or training forum - and ask for advice specifically from people who have had this experience and have turned their dogs around.

Also - in what way does he have a go? Is it growling, baring teeth and so on? What happens to his tail? You could also keep him on a very long lead when out playing.

Finally: there are all sorts of levels of behaviourists. There are some more experienced than others. Maybe somebody on here knows someone rock solid in your area.

Hi and welcome to the forum from me and the zoo xx