Second Webinar - aggression in dogs

[Janet White]

Our Second webinar will be on aggression in dogs. If you have ideas related to this or know of potential speakers qualified on this subject, get in touch with me. :thumbup1:

[SammyLover]

Hi All,

I think there are several basic things that need to be covered that no matter how much anyone thinks they know it would be good to address.

Identifying what is aggression and what is just "talking"
Understanding that every bite is not the same. There are degrees of bites.
Understanding the intent of the dog. Generally if a dog wants to tear you up, it will. No matter how we kid ourselves, we're not faster than they are.
Breaking down and assessing the situation. This doesn't mean you're making excuses for the dog. It just means you need to know why it happened. Did the kids pull the dog's ears, tail, etc? Was the dog eating? Is he sick or hurting? Was there a lot of unusual confusion/chaos going on prior to the actual bite?
Evaluating and making the "tough choices" that all rescues unfortunately seem to have to make at some point whether we want to or not.
What to do if you're home alone and one of your dogs "flips out" suddenly and attacks you, your other animals, or your children.As you can see there are many basic variables for this discussion--All of which I feel are important to be addressed. Talking about these things can give rescuers the tools to evaluate temperaments better, to protect themselves & their family, to help rehabilitate the fearful/aggressive dog, etc.

Sammily yours,

Cari

[jackie]

Janet:

I e-mailed this to Jim also so you may have received it. Brenda Aloff, big time name so might not be interested. Debra Horwitz, St. Louis vet, specializing in behavior.

Suggestions for future: holistic, acupuncture, chiropractic, herbs, supplements.

When you first get to the forum page, it looks a little cluttered, but as you read the boxes, it is very well organized and I thought easy to use.

:run: Jackie

[savinsamz]

:) This is wonderful. Looking forward to participating. All information will assist me in caring for my foster fluffs! Thanks a Bunch

"Anxiously Awaiting"

Carrie and the Dog Posse:thumbup1:

[MOSams]

Do we have a date yet?:foxy: Ooh..this icons are so much fun!!

Sue

[azsammies]

How many other people besides me have aggressive dogs that they have kept because they were afraid of placing them?:spot:

[Janet White]

Date has not yet been set...but we're working with some top folks in the country with behavior...hopefully they will be able to take on this vast and incredibly important topic.

And yes:dance: the smilies are a kick! :pawprint: :pawprint: :pawprint:

[krazydog]

In response to AZSammies (howdy!)--
Yep. We have one that was severely treat/toy possessive-aggressive and one that had health issues, coming into rescue. Mary has ongoing health issues, but Vergil's aggression problem is MUCH better.

Beverley

[savinsamz]

Beverly, Good to hear your making progress with you foster. Sometimes it takes awhile to get that fear out of them :( Don't you wish you could wring the previous owners necks? I sure do!

[savinsamz]

Quick question? I've offered to dog sit for one of our adopters. Neoma was here for 2 days before she was placed in her forever home. During her 2 night stay she was aggressive with my sams, No fights just alot of grumbling and showing of teeth. Her owners tell me she is not too friendly with other dogs. I have the space and the capability of caring for her while she is here, and if need be kept separated, BUT, I'd like to try to get her together with my sams and get this aggression out of her! All suggestion and tips are greatly appreciated.


Thanks in Advance for your assistance.:)

[azsammies]

Hi Carrie,
Sometimes a water bottle is all that's needed. I know on the one dog that we have that would snarl and snap everytime you got near his rear, that the water bottle has done wonders. The problem with aggression is that it is so sensitive to each particular dog that giving advice is very dangerous.

I am really anxious to hear the webinar.

[krazydog]

:iagree: I agree. With aggression issues, it is essential to address them with a behaviorist. I don't mind sharing what I've learned, but HUGE caveat--I'm not a trainer and although something works with one dog doesn't mean it'll work with all dogs. :blink:

That said...Don't forget about the positive reinforcement side of training. http://www.samoyedrescue.org/forums/images/smilies/36_22_14%5B1%5D.gif It is helpful to praise and give treats when the dog isn't being aggressive when around the other dogs. And a treat doesn't have to be food--it can be petting http://www.samoyedrescue.org/forums/images/smilies/16_2_26%5B1%5D.gif or playing or whatever the dog likes a lot. You can also try giving Neoma a command, like "sit", when she starts growling, to get her mind off whatever is making her growl. Praise/treat as soon as she sits and isn't growling.http://www.samoyedrescue.org/forums/images/smilies/36_22_11%5B1%5D.gif

Again, Neoma's family should address this with a behaviorist to be sure it doesn't eventually escalate. It sounds like it's not a significant problem at this point, but wouldn't want it to become one.

(I couldn't resist seeing how many smilies I could fit into the content of this email, to make it flash, bounce, twitch, and roll. :lol2: )
:waving: Toodle-oo,
Beverley

[SmilinSammys]

Janet,

I belive I have someone that would be more then happy to help Please let me know if you still need someone.

Smiles,
Sarah