Aggressive dog

[Marie1958]

My neighbours dog has just started to become very aggressive towards Rosie over the last couple of weeks, everytime they meet up which this last week has only been twice, the neighbours dog will just fly at Rosie snarling and trying to bite her, Rosie is a very placid friendly dog and doesnt retaliate until she has to. I dont want Rosie to become dog aggressive or become scared of other dogs. I try not to be out in communal garden at the same time as this other dog, but today it was chance meeting after being apart from each other for about 4 days, my neighbour is on about getting her dog a muzzle or for me to shout at her dog, any advice would be very grateful for. Rosie is 2yrs cavapoo and Charlie is 4yr old jack Russell cross

 

[JudyN]

What you can do depends on how amenable your neighbour is because it's really them who should be taking action.

If this is a sudden change in C's behaviour with no apparent cause, he should really have a full vet check, though that's probably not possible. Sometimes, it's the 'victim' that has developed a health issue, so look out for any changes in R's health too.

Your neighbour needs to keep C far away enough from R that he doesn't feel the need to react - she can then change his association from seeing R and wanting to attack to 'See R - owner gives me a great treat, YAY!!' This means that he'll have to be on lead whenever they are in the garden at the same time. Muzzles may prevent injury, but being attacked will still be very damaging for her mental health and probably turn her into a nervous dog who may well become aggressive in turn.

But the easiest thing to do might be to have a schedule so you simply avoid any meeting between the two of them - or her putting C on lead whenever they come into the garden and only letting him off when she can see R isn't there (and you checking C isn't there before letting her out).

 

[Marie1958]

Thankyou JudyN for your reply, i get on very well with my neighbour which is good as we both want to find a solution to this problem, Charlie is also like this towards neighbours daughters dog so she told me today. But for Rosie,s well being i will keep them at a distance and tell my neighbour about treating Charlie when shes not being aggressive towards Rosie.
Rosie was very subdued after todays attack as if she felt she was to blame, so it is having a reaction on her. I will keep eye on Rosie healthwise also so once again Thankyou for your advice

 

[Ari_RR]

i would agree with Judy, at least for the near term... any time you want to take Rosie out to the garden - text your neighbor to make sure Charlie isn't there.

 

[JudyN]

i will keep them at a distance and tell my neighbour about treating Charlie when shes not being aggressive towards Rosie.

Bear in mind that the treat isn't a reward for not being aggressive, it's something that happens whenever Rosie appears regardless of what Charlie does. You don't want him thinking 'Must be good must be good must be good' (because then he's having to suppress his aggression and one day he might not manage to suppress it), but be calm, happy and chilled about seeing Rosie - which is why in an ideal world he should always be at a distance where he is calm in the first place.

 

[lurcherman]

Being neighbours and as you’ve said it’s a good relationship between the two so it’s easy situation the moment, I’d try walking them on leads and as say by me before pay no attention to the dogs and just walk with leads , but of course out of the corner of your eye observation is the key, the more stress you put on the issue is the main problem, as people have said if it’s a sudden change in attitude then who knows what’s going on, in general I’m always looking after number 1!! My dogs and I have a massive dislike to aggressive dogs, of which I do take action which isn’t to the owners like,