Posted on 01/08/2005 5:49:18 PM PST by WHATNEXT?
How sad.
Has anybody trained growling and aggression out of a dog?
Don't have one now but grew up with many dogs, including purebred Sheps.
When a dog shows that kind of unwarranted aggression towards the owner, it's cause to put him down, IMHO.
Strangely I've never seen this with larger breeds but only with Dachsunds and my parents' terrier-something-or-other, which became increasingly bad with young children (esp. toddlers).
It's genetics, not socialization or training.
A good schutzhund trainer, or any good, strong trainer familiar with real dogs, not some feel-good clicker trainer, ought to be the first you go to for remedial training. If you are to try to salvage this dog, ALL family members must be willing to go to the training as well, you need it as much as the dog does. You may still end up needing to euthanize him. Rescue adoption groups, unless you touch a special heart somewhere, generally can't take on aggression problems.
He'd be worse around livestock.
I am familiar with Belgian Tervurens. I admire their beauty but don't know much about their personality. But, just as with our experience with shepherds one never knows (probably about any breed). I know my aunt had several little dogs and they were aggressive and bit. We always had to be on the alert.
Our dog, an American Mastiff (from the English mastiff breeder Fredericka Wagner of Flying W Farms, has an ironclad lifetime temperament guarantee.
He was big bucks, but he is worth it. Extremely gentle. This is the most intelligent and enjoyable animal we have ever owned. He's one year old.
Here's the site with recommendations from owners:
http://www.flyingwfarms.com/amastiff/thumbs.html
The guy I know well is here in Washington State, and is expensive probably, but he's a Dog God. He trains and competes worldwide with Schutzhund dogs and sells them to police departments. I'd FRMail you his contact info if you are willing to transport him to W WA.
Have you read the books by the Monks of New Skete? They raise German Shepherds and we've always loosely based our training of them on their books.
I'd say it's important to make sure he understands he's at the bottom of your family pack. Please believe me that I don't say this lightly, but if you can't break him of his aggression, you've got to put him down. I'm terribly sorry.
If she won't take him or gives you a hard time, report her to the local breed association, file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, etc. You might even consult with a lawyer about suing her for fraud, since she knew the dog was aggressive even as a puppy. Don't know the law in your jurisdiction, but that smells like fraud to me.
And put the dog down. You could never trust him. Life's too short and there are too many nice dogs out there to spend time and money and heartache over one that might kill or maim someone.
Before you get another dog, go around to working trials, esp. obedience, and find an honest breeder.
BTW, the policeman that does traffic Sunday morning at our church has a Belgian Tervuren. Benny is a great dog.
Later that year the case in San Francisco where a lady was killed by a big dog in the hallway of her own apartment happened, and the owners went to prison. No dog is worth that. I don't know where you live, but I took my mastiffs to the County animal control center, and they only charged $15.00 per dog. I had a good cry in the parking lot, but I know I did the right thing.
He bought from a Schutzhund breeder and probably should have expected the dog to be sharp. I would hope the breeder would take him back.
I LOVE that book by the monks of New Skete, about raising and training their shepherds. Outstanding!
I'm sorry, that was supposed to be to you.
I think that was one of the hardest things I ever had to do.
Abused or neglected dogs can be retrained but with dogs that are naturally aggressive I have never heard of it.
There was a book I had a few years back that had a chart that told you what signs to look for in a puppy that would tell you if he was aggressive or not. It was actually for Dobermans but I am sure there are tests for Shepards as well.
When we were still going to Schuntzhund and having trouble with nipping we asked a club member of long standing to help us. He said he would take him into his home (little children present) and work with him, for a price. We had walked around the track with him and he said he had seen nothing that would concern him.
We didn't do that (I really didn't think he should be around children, yet-- because he was a puppy with no sense) but did take him to a lesson with another club member that does training of Dobermans. She gave us the hand down the throat method and making sure we were dominate because our dog wanted to be very dominate.
Mastiffs don't invariably become aggressive, as far as I know...what is your experience? Our vet said he had never met an aggressive mastiff (he's my age--57) in his entire practice...
We had to put down an otherwise gentle Newfie that casually chewed the hind legs off a baby goat one calm Sunday morning...we got home from church, and immediately put down the goat, then the dog.
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