Re: Odd canine aggression situation, who can help??

Jo Mackenzie — Tue, 06 Aug 2013 19:44:43 GMT

Ooh, this is quite an interesting one! My thoughts (helpful or not, I don't know):

I agree that sending him away to someone probably isn't going to be that helpful, since the problem occurs in his own home. I'm also a fan of teaching owners to work through their own dog's problems (with as much support as they need) rather than sending them away to be magically "fixed". If they do decide to go down this route, make sure the behaviourist is properly qualified and insured.

Almost all aggression in dogs is fear-based in some way, and it does sound like this is quite an anxious dog. How much do you know about his previous homes, was he owned by women or men? We've all seen dogs that are fine with women but afraid of men (my own rescue dog included), I've never seen a situation where it's the other way around, but I don't see why it couldn't happen! Maybe he was abused by a female owner or visitor at some point in his past and now associates all unfamiliar women with that experience? Or is he guarding his current owner from the potential threat? Is he more attached to certain members of the family over others? If so, is his behaviour worse towards visitors if that person is in the room?

It's possible if the dog is the anxious type anyway that he got stressed by the change in living circumstances when the grandmother came to stay, and saw her as the cause of the disruption, so made his best effort to get her out of "his" family home, and this has carried through to other female visitors?

Also worth noting: by this stage, the owners will be anticipating aggression towards female visitors to the house, and will be subconsciously passing this on to the dog, who is then more likely to be aggressive again as he has sensed that the owner's tension - it's a vicious cycle which will only be making the problem worse.

I think whatever the underlying cause is I would still handle it in the same way - I would start by having planned visits from women who are confident around dogs, but meet them in the garden, or on the pavement outside. The visitor gives the dog a treat, a few friendly words, and goes on her way. I would keep the dog on the lead and with a basket muzzle on for safety, but make sure the owner is as relaxed as possible and the lead is loose, so there is no tension passing on to the dog. If he jumps up, the visitor should turn her back without saying anything, the owner shouldn't pull the dog down by the lead. Gradually build up so he meets them further up the garden, then at the front door, then they take a step in but leave again etc etc.

I would also use a baby gate or crate and counter-condition the dog so he goes behind the gate or to the crate when the doorbell rings - this way the owner can control that excited phase when visitors arrive, and let him out to greet the visitors when he has calmed down.

These are just my thoughts but without actually seeing the dog it's difficult to get the full picture. The most important thing is the safety of the family, visitors to the house, and the dog himself, so I would seriously consider getting some professional help if the situation is getting out of hand. In the meantime, your friend is doing the right thing, keeping the dog muzzled when visitors come as a "first aid" solution.

Let us know how it goes! (and sorry for the looooong post!)