Problem with rescue dog? Aggressive!?
Hello, brief history. I adopted a rescue dog just over a week ago. Me and my partner took it for walks for two weeks before taking him home. He seemed fine with us both. But now we have a serious problem.
When we are both with him or even when i alone with him he is such a well behaved dog, a dream to walk and well trained and obedient, a wonder why the last family gave him up. But its a total other story with my partner. When my boyfriend is alone with the dog, the dog will play up, misbehave, but also with growl at my partner and today has gone for him a few times. He is turning vicious with my partner and my partner doesn't know what to do!
My partner is actually beginning to fear this dog as the dog will follow my boyfriend growling at him, and go for him if he goes close. I think this dog is also "protective" of me as when ever me and my boyfriend hug or get close the dog will get in between us somehow or growl.
What should we do? I dont want my partner to be fearful in our own house, i dont want to keep my distance from my boyfriend, dont want to have to be around 24/7 to make sure this dog behaves! I am considering giving the dog back as saddening it is. I know rescue dogs each have their problems, i was brought up around dogs and fair few have been rescue dogs but this aggression is on a whole new level :S
Please help!
Update:He is only 2 years old. I think a trainer would get him out of this but its time and money we dont have as we have looked into a trainer but its about £100 for a one to one for half a day. I would think he would need numerous of these. I am not sure if its my partner or just men?
He is from a shelter, they didnt have much information just that he came from a family.
I am actually in tears with this, i have fallen for this dog, but i cannot keep him if he proves to be a danger to my partner. Is it normal to feel this sad and guilty about thinking of taking him back? I dont want him to be put down, he is young and will probs find a "forever" home.
Comments
From the shelter or from an actual rescue group?
With shelter dogs, their history and behavior isn't really known. Rescue groups keep the dogs in foster homes, so they can inform you of the dog's temperament/behavior/issues in much greater detail. If you rescued from a rescue group, contact them immediately about this situation.
You can't allow this to continue. Your only choices are to hire a professional dog trainer (one with experience working with aggression in dogs) ASAP to evaluate the dog, or return the dog/put it to sleep. If the trainer thinks the dog can be worked with, you can hire them for professional training. If the trainer says the dog is too aggressive and can't be changed, then you may have to have the dog put down. If he has true aggression issues, he can't be adopted out again.
I don't want to put it this way but your poor dog might just be a hopeless case. It's only a matter of time until your aggressive dog snaps and hurts somebody, whether it's your partner or a stranger. We adopted a dog and he had isolated incidents of barking and growling towards strangers and after he tried to bite our neighbors 7 year old son we had to have him put down. The shelter wouldn't even take him back since he had shown aggressive tendencies. It broke my heart but it is almost impossible to get that aggression out of them, especially if the dog is no longer a puppy.
The dog needs to be put down
No amount of love to training can make a human aggressive dog safe. The dog has already show it will bite and is human aggressive, no need to keep risking your safety and every one ele's safety becouse you think you can train the aggression out of a dog
The dog has to be put down. The shelter can not re home a dog that is dangerous and you can't re home the dog becouse its dangerous
I wouldn't give up on him so quickly. I think you can probably do things to improve the relationship between your partner and the dog. He needs to learn that all good things (for now) come from him. So, he should be the one to feed him, give him treats, let him outside, take him for walks, take him to the park, train him, etc. Hopefully, he's willing to put in the effort and do these things. A good thing for him to teach the dog is "watch" which is giving and holding eye contact for a reward. If you ask the dog to "watch" for a treat, or to get to go outside, to get their food bowl, etc, it helps the dog to understand better that the reward is coming from that person.
My boyfriend's parents have a beagle that hated my boyfriend when he first met him. When we would go over there, he would bark and growl at him and not want to have anything to do with him. So, his parents suggested that he be the one to take the beagle to his training classes to better their bond. The dog loved the classes, and loved having fun play time and getting lots of treats from my boyfriend. Now, when we go over there, he mauls him with kisses. He's his favorite person in the world. My point is, that if your dog can see your partner as someone valuable and rewarding to be around and behave for, then I think their relationship would really improve.
For the hugging thing, my dogs do that too. I think they perceive a hug as me be attacked or threatened, and they'll bark to defend me. So, it's not unusual for your dog to do that. To stop it, you could throw treats on the ground while you're hugging. Then he'll start to perceive the hugs differently.
Once again, dogs don't end up at the pound for nothing, there are always reasons why they are there.
Get rid of it, take it back and tell them why...pounds cant sell aggressive dogs, they are a liability.
So..
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Bye Bye
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