Controlling Aggressive behavior I'm a group


dgc333

New Member
I have a dachshund/terrier mix, a dachshund and an italian greyhound.

My issue is each of the dogs is fine meeting new dogs when they are by themselves but when I have all three together they go nuts.

I walk them 3 or 4 times a week at the local conservation area and it is almost impossible not to meet other dogs. The amount of racket they make and the jumping and lunging is embarrassing. the IG is the most aggressive and the other two just bark a lot. I have taken them on walks by themselves and they hardly pay attention when meeting another dog. A quick sniff to say hello and they are off.

I really don't have time to walk them individually and they enjoy being with each other on these walks. I would really like to break them of this habit.

I don't think it is an issue of not getting enough out door activity, I have about 6000 sqft of fenced in back yard that the spend at least a couple of hours in each day. I have tried treats but with three it's hard to keep the attention of all three. Reversing direction and walking away just has no impact.

Any hints or suggestions would be appreciated.
 

dgc333

New Member
Thanks, I will have to pick up one of the books mentioned. But what I read was for training one dog my problem is when I have all three together.

Individually any one if them will calmly approach another dog and say hello, even when the other dog is aggressive and/or noisy they don't act up. It's only when I walk them as a group that the mob mentality kicks in and they become very noisy. LT (the IG) lunges at the other dog if given a chance When I have had the Oscar (the dachshund) and Frazer (the dachshund terrier mix) together without the LT they make a racket but calm down quickly and will get to meet and great the other dog.

My wife and I have tried combinations of two and it doesn't seem to matter. One by them selves is perfectly calm. Two together and the get noisy but calm down. Three together and they go nuts.

Dave
 

DeafDogs

Alberta Region Moderator
I've been thinking about this since you posted, and have come up with an idea. Get someone with a dog who's calm even when your dogs go bonkers. If you clickertrain this will help greatly, but if you dont, than that's fine too. Have a pocketfull of cut up weiners, or cheese (something your dogs cant resist.) Have the helper and dog approach to the point the dogs go nuts then stop and turn around, so their backs are to the noisy dogs.y Get out the yummy, smelly treats, and hold them towards the dogs, without making a sound. Eventually one of them will quit reacting and turn to you, ask that dog for a sit, in a clam quiet voice. WHen he complies, give him the treat, and lavish attention on him, "what a good boy Rover, you're soooo awesome , here's another treat!" Keep feeding him treats and keep his attention on you, your other two dogs should figure out quite quickly that he's getting food, for sitting calmly, and you should fairly quickly have 3 dogs sitting in front of you getting treats.

Now at this point, I'm unsure whether or not to let the other dog approach or to get the helper dog to to back off... It depends on why your dogs are reacting. you say all three are good wiith other dogs on their own? If that's the case, then have this "meeting" in a place you can let dogs off leash, and release one of the dogs to meet the other dog, then as long as the other dogs are still sitting quietly, let another one go, then the third. You may have to go back to the feeding step to calm remaining dogs down.

My other thought is to bring the helper dog closer until yours react again, then stop and turn around and you repeat the sitting exercise again. Untill a pass by is possible with your dogs sitting. You may have to do several sessions.

Make sure the treats are really yummy and you use a very high rate of reinforcement for calmly sitting. Basically shovel treats into their mouths.

You could go so far as to only feed the dogs in the presence of another dog (you'd have to go for alot of walks to practice)
 

dgc333

New Member
Thanks a bunch! :)

That sounds like it will work. Now the trick is to find someone with a calm dog that is willing to help!

I will report back when I have a result.

Here is a picture of MT three hooligans on one of there walks.

 

DeafDogs

Alberta Region Moderator
After the dogs quit reacting with the helper dog, you can progress to doing this with strange dogs, when you see a strange dog, ask the dogs to sit, and shovel in food. You wont have to keep up the high rate of reinforcement for long, but every time you change criteria, you need to up the reinforcement.

I hope it works!
 
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