Seeking behavioural advice and training tips

[Sarebear1983]

Hello new to the forum so hope this is where this post is supposed to be ....

I am writing this post about my two year old Staffordshire bull terrier/Border Collie cross Coby.

We have had Coby for 2 months, he was advertised on a pre loved site as free to a good home. This didn’t raise any concerns as he seemed friendly enough if a little excitable when we went to meet him. The previous owners told us that he was fine to be left alone, good with other dogs, good on the lead, had good recall and had stopped chewing. She also told us that they themselves had had him for a year but due to moving abroad they were looking to rehome him, she was aware that his previous owners had mistreated him but did not specify how.

So far over the course of two months none of this has been true, we did put it down to the change in circumstances but some of his behaviour seems to be getting worse.

He seems to be very dog aggressive when on the lead and although we have tried a number of training exercises to try and curb this behaviour he is still lunging barking and attacking without provocation. Initially we were walking Coby with a harness and lead but due to his dog aggression this made him quite hard to control. We have since started walking him with a Gencon lead, this had made controlling him easier but he is still responding negatively to other people, dogs and horses. My sister has a cairn terrier schnauzer cross and we have tried to socialize Coby with her but she is also a rescue dog and came from a home that had a number of dogs, as a result she is quite aggresive towards Coby so we have decided that this is not the best thing.

Similarly when I take him for walks down the beach he is oblivious to me calling him back and seems more preoccupied with large puddles and going in the sea (He’s obsessed with water), due to his dog aggression this worries me if he were to see another dog I have no way of calling him back. I wouldn’t normally let him off as a result of this but I have found and area where on most occasions there are no dogs present.

Both me and my partner work and Coby is alone in the house for about 5 hours a day, although he has a number of toys and bones he is chewing mail and the spindles of the banisters on the landing, we have put this down to boredom but are unsure of what else we could do to keep him occupied while out at work, the only thing that seems to be working at the moment is leaving music on for him, and removing anything that he might like to chew.

We have however managed to train him to sit and wait at the road side, to sit down in front of us instead of jumping up when we return home and he seems responsive to commands given within the home, so we know that he is capable of learning new commands and behaviours.

So he’s not a total lost cause. I believe that the majority of his behaviour while out walking is down to nervousness and little to no socialization with other dogs and people.

We know that he is not going to change over night and are willing to put in the time and effort needed to train him, we both feel he has been passed around enough but we are at a loss as to what to try, so any help advice or tips would be greatley appreciated.

Many thanks in advance and sorry about the lenght of the post

 

[gypsysmum]

So sorry to hear of Coby's problems. Well done you for persevering with him.

The most common cause of dog to dog aggression is fear. The most common cause of fear is lack of early socialisation. Puppies should meet lots of other puppies and dogs during their critical period of socialisation between 8 and 12/14 weeks of age. After this time they go though a fear period and it becomes much more difficult for them to cope with novel situations such as strange dogs, people and situations.

It is possible to socialise and older dog but takes a lot of time and commitment. The dog needs to be exposed to the fear stimulus but at such a level that a fear response is not triggered. This usually means using distance to lessen its impact. While the fear stimulus (other dog) is present the dog needs to be happy and enjoying himself so that a positive association is made between the fear stimulus and the dog.

On a practical level this means taking Coby to places where you can see other dogs but at a distance that suits Coby. He needs to be calm and relaxed and then you could play a lovely game or feed him treats. This needs repeating until he takes no notice of the other dog and looks for the game or treats. Over time decrease the distance very gradually being prepared at all times to increase it again should he react badly.

During this time you will find that you come into close contact with other dogs by chance. On these occasions you could try the bar open - bar closed technique. As soon as you spot another dog you open the bar and dispense treats thick and fast until the dog has gone when the bar should close. Move Coby as far away as you can but try to do it without tightening the lead. Each time we tighten the lead around other dogs we send negative signals to our dog. Try to draw him away in a positive way using treats and a positive voice tone.

When you spot another dog coming try to keep your body language and voice upbeat to convince Coby that you are happy to see other dogs!

If Coby was well socialised and has just learned to react badly to other dogs then he should recover. Poorly socialised puppies may always struggle somewhat to cope around strange dogs. They can learn, however, to cope around familiar dogs so I would persevere with the family's other dog by going on long walks together and staying as relaxed as you can while practising keeping Coby distracted when necessary.

The aggressive behaviour is part of the Fight/Flight response and is not a voluntary thing. He cannot help it. He feels unable to flee so he has no option but to fight off the scary stimulus. He will be worse on lead as he feels trapped. It is not to say he will not do it off lead but some dogs are much better off lead. It can also vary around different breeds etc depending on his experiences in his earlier life.

The destructive behaviour at home is a whole other problem. It is often caused by boredom but can be because the dog is missing his owners.

For boredom you could try stuffing some Kong toys with food and treats and leaving them down for him. Anything he likes to chew and that will keep him occupied such as rawhide chews etc.

If he is missing you then he needs to learn to be more independent from you. For this you need to have periods where he gets no attention and learns to settle without it. Try not to let him seek attention from you all the time. Wait until he is settle and quiet and go to him instead. Try not to let him rest touching you all the time so that he learns to rest alone.

When you leave the house be very off hand with him for ten minutes before you go and be very cool when you return. This makes your absence less of a big deal for him.

A behaviourist for either COAPE or APBC might be a good investment for the future as they will work with you in fine detail tailored to your and Coby's specialist needs.

 

[Sarebear1983]

Hello

Thanks so much for your reply :thumbsup:

I recently read about the bar Open/Closed technique and we are planning on trying this with Coby this weekend using another family dog who is around the same size as Coby. When he sees another dog are we best to get Coby to sit and wait, while he is fed treats?!?

We will be using some cooked chicken and hopefully this will be enough to gain his interest, though would be intrested to know if anyone has any suggestions on high value treats.

His behaviour in the home is improving daily and so far this week so good. He seems to have stoped chewing things that dont belong to him (for now!!!), I had thought about getting a Kong stuff-a-ball as I had heard these are tough even for heavy chewers and can keep them occupied for hours, anyone have any experience with these and are they worth the money.

I will try your suggestion about being cool with Coby before we leave the house as I think some of its down to boredom and some is down to seperation anxiety, and I do want him to be independant of us but I understand some of neediness (for want of a better word) is due to his rehoming and treatment so far.

 

[Raven oaktree]

Ohh you poor thing..but I just want to hug you for not giving up on this boy have you thought about crate training him?. If used properly they are fab tools for keeping your dog/home safe from harm when you are not there to supervise. I would advise looking for a fab behaviour therapist too. I am working with an amazing lady who is working wonders with my dog. Mine charges £15per session..but I wont need many sessions and after that the training classes are only £7 well worth the money to have a happy healthy dog that can cope in society..

 

[L0tta]

Hiya,

All the best with your doggy - amazing that you are fighting for him!

Regarding the kong - I have two rottweilers and I must say, they are crap haha sorry for the negative feedback but I find more stimulation from wee brain games bought from Poundstrecher. I got it for my girl as I felt bad for leaving her alone when I went to work - but she shows no interest because she just cannot get anything out from it it is too tough I would say because they must get the wee treat now and then so they can feel that the toy is giving something but the Kong is just well..not for my dogs!

Regarding leaving your dog at home I agree with above. You MUSTN'T leave the house stressed! Make sure you have time and calmly leave same for coming home. Dog will react straight way if you leave stressed and it will be passed on to their behavior when you are at work.

I just introduced my new boy Loki to our family and he LOVES my Louboutin's...I wanted to die when I saw them in his mouth but end of it is my own fault for not keeping them away. This is a boredom sign so even if he has his girl Freya to play with he needs stimulation and one thing that has help me any way is a fun thing I saw on the TV. Save and clean your milk cartons put a few treats in them and spread the cartons around the house - yes it will be a bit messy when you get home however I rather clean up a few paper pieces than my dead on expensive shoes hahah

Good luck with your wee doggy and I wish you all the best!!