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Lately there's been a lot of really interesting and thoughtful training conversations on this site. Anyone have ideas about re-training/desensitizing/managing a dog who loves other dogs but spills into real aggression when she gets over-stimulated or miffed?
I have a 4 year old spayed staffybull. She's awesome. She is very well trained. Her recall is amazing. She loves to play with dogs. However, if she gets too amped or something offends her, she goes nutty. She starts "fighting" and gets wild-eyed. I immediately pull her off. It takes about a minute or two for her to calm down. If allowed access during that time, she would attack the other dog. If given time to calm down, she will happily play with the dog again. When she "fights" she has never drawn blood. However, I think she would build to that if I didn't stop her. I can call her out of play and to me at any point UNTIL the fight breaks out. Once she's rolling, she's deaf. It's almost like she's having a siezure. Because I can call her back to me when she is getting worked up, I can let her play with other dogs. She hasn't gone off on another dog for a year and a half due to my management. I am quick to interupt play.
I have always thought that management was pretty much the only way to go with this problem. Management is working out well. However, it would be great if there was a training solution.
Before anyone panics, I don't take her to dog parks. I supervise all play. Any owner of a dog that she plays with knows about her issues. She has never gotten in any altercation of any kind outside of my own pack. It's been a year and a half since I've had trouble. However, I watch her like a freaking hawk.
Any ideas? Any way to stretch threshold? Can dogs be re-wired in this manner or is too much of it hard-wired in genetics?
FWIW- she was pulled from her litter and mother at 3 weeks. I got her when she was 14 weeks.
I have a 4 year old spayed staffybull. She's awesome. She is very well trained. Her recall is amazing. She loves to play with dogs. However, if she gets too amped or something offends her, she goes nutty. She starts "fighting" and gets wild-eyed. I immediately pull her off. It takes about a minute or two for her to calm down. If allowed access during that time, she would attack the other dog. If given time to calm down, she will happily play with the dog again. When she "fights" she has never drawn blood. However, I think she would build to that if I didn't stop her. I can call her out of play and to me at any point UNTIL the fight breaks out. Once she's rolling, she's deaf. It's almost like she's having a siezure. Because I can call her back to me when she is getting worked up, I can let her play with other dogs. She hasn't gone off on another dog for a year and a half due to my management. I am quick to interupt play.
I have always thought that management was pretty much the only way to go with this problem. Management is working out well. However, it would be great if there was a training solution.
Before anyone panics, I don't take her to dog parks. I supervise all play. Any owner of a dog that she plays with knows about her issues. She has never gotten in any altercation of any kind outside of my own pack. It's been a year and a half since I've had trouble. However, I watch her like a freaking hawk.
Any ideas? Any way to stretch threshold? Can dogs be re-wired in this manner or is too much of it hard-wired in genetics?
FWIW- she was pulled from her litter and mother at 3 weeks. I got her when she was 14 weeks.