Aggressive behavior

[sp7028]

Help my sheltie is exhibiting some aggressive behavior. Gracie is 11 months and she is mostly very sweet. However, if I put her in her crate for some reason and she doesn't want to be there when I start to latch the door she goes for my hands and will bite. Also sometimes when our Shih Tzu is coming into the house from outside, Gracie will lung at her to bite. But the strange thing is when the Shih Tzu goes to Gracie's food bowl she just nudges her away but doesn't snap or growl. Yet, if the Shih Tzu doesn't eat her own food when I start to pick it up Gracie goes for the bowl like she could tear me apart. I have a spray bottle (with water) that I use when I can get to it that was suggested by the trainer for her barking but helps to stop her aggression. Should I be worried about the aggressive tendencies since most of the time she is very sweet? I do see that she is very jealous of the Shih Tzu. Any advice?

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Sheltie - SP's Teka Gracie aka Gracie, 11 months
Shih Tzu - Skittles, 14 years

 

[trini]

Although the aggression issues don't sound ultra serious, it is important to stop any aggressive behavior before it has a chance to escalate.

For the crate issue...try taking a dog cookie and throwing it way into the back of the crate when you put Gracie in so she is occupied with getting the cookie and not free to go after your hands while you close/latch the crate.

As far as her aggression towards your picking up Skittle's unfinished meal, I would feed the dogs separately so Gracie doesn't have any access to Skittle's bowl at all. BTW If Gracie is very food oriented, feeding her in her crate might do double duty of keeping her from Skittle's meal and also making her have a happier attitude about being put into her crate.

I must admit I am not a big fan of using a spray bottle with a dog who is showing any aggression issues. Negative training can actually make aggression worse.

Trini

 

[pixiepurls]

my sheltie in his old age would go crazy at his crate when i zipped it shut, as I zipped it he would do this crazy aggressive thing and push his face into the mesh stuff. It was so out of character for him. I did the treat trick it helped, he would sometimes even go in it on his own but that took YEARS.

We had an issue with him and a golden retriever who lived with us for a year, she went to be with my MIL. He did things he had never done, for example he started lifting his leg to pee, he was 7 years old the first time he did that! He also would go at her when she came in the back door, never hurt her but he made her yelp once because he pinched her. She really took over all the attention in the house in that she would sit on top of us and he would go sit in a corner. I realized how unhealthy it was for him and how unhappy he was so we asked my MIL to take the golden. I was lucky she took her, otherwise I would have had to seek out a professional trainer to figure out how to deal with it. I've had the opinion sense that sheltie's are best with other sheltie's. He never seemed to like other dogs. He never fought with on or attacked one but I could just tell he didn't like it them to much. He would run around with the golden when she was a puppy but once she got so too big he didn't like the bodily contact the way other dogs play.

I hope you can solve your problem, good luck! A local trainer who can come to your home might be good.

 

[Caro]

I wouldn't be too concerned about aggression per se. It sounds like she does not like the crate. Not all dogs do. If you do want to continue using the crate then go back to basics of introducing her to the crate. I think a lot of people just put a dog in the crate and assume they'll love it and they often don't. Have a look at crate games by Susan Garrett. Go back to feeding in the crate, giving treats and spending positive time in there.

The lunging thing I have seen before between dogs that are really friendly in all other respects. Do the dogs come in and out on their own (eg do you have a dog door) or do you let them in and out? If you do have control make sure the Shih Tzu is in the door first. Keep a container with some kibble near the door. After Gracie comes inside throw some treats on the floor away from the door so she focuses on the treats rather than the door.

You also should practice 'door manners' with Gracie, which is a sit and wait at the door until she is invited inside. This should help with her focus and shift control of the inside away. Practice it at all outside doors, gates, even when you are out.

Finally, with the water bottle. I know many trainers suggest it (none that I work with though) but it really isn't useful in this situation. Firstly, it's not a good option with Shelties - you want to use spray bottles for grooming, using it as a form of punishment is going to make grooming more difficult. Secondly, responding to aggression with aggression is going to escalate the problem, not diminish it. Try the above, redirecting her and teaching her self control.

 

[Hanne]

1: I wouldn't be too concerned about aggression per se. It sounds like she does not like the crate. Not all dogs do. If you do want to continue using the crate then go back to basics of introducing her to the crate. I think a lot of people just put a dog in the crate and assume they'll love it and they often don't. Have a look at crate games by Susan Garrett. Go back to feeding in the crate, giving treats and spending positive time in there.
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2: Finally, with the water bottle. I know many trainers suggest it (none that I work with though) but it really isn't useful in this situation. Firstly, it's not a good option with Shelties - you want to use spray bottles for grooming, using it as a form of punishment is going to make grooming more difficult. Secondly, responding to aggression with aggression is going to escalate the problem, not diminish it. Try the above, redirecting her and teaching her self control.

Absolute fully association of both statements.

1: No one likes being trapped inside, and in particular not animals, it is not natural to them, so take your time to make the crate into a place that is safe and pleasant, it takes time and work. do not let the crate be too small.

2: Spray bottle, do not tell the dog exactly what it has done wrong. It might look like, because it stops when it sees the bottle, no, it's the nasty bottle dog is afraid of.

You have not had your puppy for long.
If you want a happy dog, so go the long way and teach the dog to live in the human world, in a natural way.