Expert: Alan J Turner, SATS LL1 - 11/12/2006

Question
Five days ago we picked up a dog from a local animal shelter.  Lexi is a female 5 month old (boxer/shepherd/lab mix) but no one is quite sure. She was an owner surrender.  The family before us had 2 eight year old twin boys and a 6 year old boy who we hear used to put on blow up boxing gloves and use her as the punching bag.

My children are 12 and 16 so we thought we could give her a good, safe home.  Most of the time she is loving and calm.

However, we have noticed that she has bursts of aggression ... biting, growling (with teeth) and barking at us after playing with a chew toy.  We have been told to try to startle her with a loud noise or grab her mouth closed and tap her on the nose.  Both we have tried and both seem to make her more aggressive.  We went out and purchased some bitter apple to spray all over the place and doesn't seem to be having the desired effect. I can honestly say that my husband and I, never having raised a dog, are somewhat afraid of her when she is like this.

Is what we're doing wrong and making the situation worse? Are we the cause of this behavior?  Is it possible she can be "flashing back" to some previous memories?  Can you recommend some other techniques we can use.  

My other question is ... can a dog be trained by someone who is at times genuinely fearful? For the dog's sake would it be better for her to be with another family who has experience training dogs.

We would appreciate any help you can provide.  Thank you.

Answer
Dear Ellen,
Thanks for the questions. I'm glad you found me.

I'm not sure if the behavior you describe is aggression. In any event, whomever advised you to hold her mouth shut and/or startle a pup her age (or any age dog for that matter) needs to keep their day job! (smile)

It's probably not even aggression, but inappropriate play behavior learned during bouts of play with humans that do not know how to play with a dog. Humans should never play games that involve "using their hands" to interact with a pup. Wrestling, pushing, rolling, as well as 'getting her very excited whle she is using her teeth' are not games for people and dogs.

Games like fetch, find the toy, hide-n-seek, teaching sit (when kindly taught, obedience is a game to her), wait, et cetera are the games we humans should play with pups.

That being said, seek the help of a trainer that does not suggest punishment as a cure for your pup's behaviors. Find one that will teach you how to implement a structured environment, but without violence. Try to find one that uses a clicker or food rewards. Visit http://www.apdt.com and search for a trainer near you.

A session or two with a professional will probably put you at ease and give you the confidence to train your pup. But if you are still fearful of your dog, perhaps this is not the dog for you.

Good luck, you sound like a very nice family for the pup - I hope you follow my advice and learn how to interact and care for the pup.

Happy Training!
AT