Hi there-
I need some help. I have a newly adopted dog (about a month 1/2), he is about 1, a poodle something mix. When we went to visit him at the shelter, he was in a foster home with several other dogs. He was fine and the person said he had no issues. Since we have gotten him home, he has shown more and more signs of aggression. He is very attached to me and follows me around constantly.
He is fine with our family members, but on walks or with neighbors, he barks, growls, lunges. But not all the time, and he has gotten progressively worse. He wasn't this bad when we got him.
I have been trying hard to train him on walks. I take treats with him all the time and when a person or dog approaches, we step aside, i get him to focus on me and treat him when he does, repeatedly until they have passed. He is getting better at walks. But tonight, my 10 yo daughter was walking him and the neighbor was out getting his mail. She stopped to talk and teh dog went bananas barking and lunging at the neighbor. He pulled and my daughter accidently dropped the leash. He charged at my neighbor and bit on his calf. It was hard enough to hurt, but didn't draw blood. I ran out as I heard the barking and go tthere just in time to see the biting. We took him away immediately to finish the walk and didn't talk to the dog while we were walkiing.
This is our first dog and we were so looking forward to a nice dog that we could walk with and take to the dog park and the beach, etc. I'm afraid to take him anywhere right now.
Any tips and suggestions would help me SO much. I love this little dog but this is making me very stressed out.
A bit more background - we are fairly strict, in that he must sit and wait for his food, sit and wait to go out the door, walks at heel, doesn't jump up on us, sleeps in his own bed, etc.
Please help.
I need some help. I have a newly adopted dog (about a month 1/2), he is about 1, a poodle something mix. When we went to visit him at the shelter, he was in a foster home with several other dogs. He was fine and the person said he had no issues. Since we have gotten him home, he has shown more and more signs of aggression. He is very attached to me and follows me around constantly.
He is fine with our family members, but on walks or with neighbors, he barks, growls, lunges. But not all the time, and he has gotten progressively worse. He wasn't this bad when we got him.
I have been trying hard to train him on walks. I take treats with him all the time and when a person or dog approaches, we step aside, i get him to focus on me and treat him when he does, repeatedly until they have passed. He is getting better at walks. But tonight, my 10 yo daughter was walking him and the neighbor was out getting his mail. She stopped to talk and teh dog went bananas barking and lunging at the neighbor. He pulled and my daughter accidently dropped the leash. He charged at my neighbor and bit on his calf. It was hard enough to hurt, but didn't draw blood. I ran out as I heard the barking and go tthere just in time to see the biting. We took him away immediately to finish the walk and didn't talk to the dog while we were walkiing.
This is our first dog and we were so looking forward to a nice dog that we could walk with and take to the dog park and the beach, etc. I'm afraid to take him anywhere right now.
Any tips and suggestions would help me SO much. I love this little dog but this is making me very stressed out.
A bit more background - we are fairly strict, in that he must sit and wait for his food, sit and wait to go out the door, walks at heel, doesn't jump up on us, sleeps in his own bed, etc.
Please help.