Expert: Christine (Chris) Vassonei, APDT - 10/27/2009

Question
QUESTION: Dear Ms. Vassonei, you were kind enough to offer several terrific suggestions to me earlier this year regarding leashes. I have a few challenges, I'll try to be concise. I have a 2 year old female Lhasa Apso. We rescued her in Jan. #1) She still lunges & barks & growls when she approaches another dog, both dogs on leashes. On occasion, she won't do that on the approach, but will go up to another dog, and after 2 seconds of them looking at each other fairly close up, she then will lunge and bark & growl. #2) On leash, when strangers kneel down to meet her & say hello, she'll attempt to snap at them, and if they don't get their hand out of the way, they'll get bitten. Oddly, and again on leash - she's often done this with our neighbors, who a week or 2 prior, she was as friendly as could be with them. These are my 2 biggest issues at the moment. When time permits, would love to hear your thoughts. Thanks much for taking time to read this.
Steve Ellis

ANSWER: If I understand correctly, she exhibits the behavior only on leash?

Don't know if I sent this to you already, but this is a good article:

http://www.moellerdog.com/resources_aggression.htm

You may wish to look into having a trainer come to your home and work with you and the dog personally.  A good place to begin looking is www.apdt.com



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Dear Ms. Vassonei, thx for your reply. Yes, the behavior is usually on leash ? Rarely has it been off leash. What are your thoughts on snapping at strangers when they attempt to meet her ?

Answer
It would be my guess that her display of aggression may actually stem from fear; if she is lacking in self-confidence, she may be trying to "chase" the people off by acting aggressive.

Here is some additional information:

http://www.ddfl.org/behavior/dog-agg.pdf
http://www.ddfl.org/behavior/fearful-dog.pdf

Greenville, SC – May 18, 2009 – The Association of Pet Dog Trainers, the largest professional and educational association for dog trainers in the world, believes that training dogs using positive methods can be a critical part of reducing dog bites in the home and in our communities.

If you are dealing with a dog with aggressive behaviors, the APDT recommends:
Consult with your veterinarian to determine if your dog may have an underlying internal or medical cause that is creating or exacerbating the aggression.
Contact a professional experienced with aggression to work with you and your dog. You can find trainers experienced with aggression listed in the Trainer Search on the APDT web site, www.apdt.com. Only use professionals who use positive methods and are familiar with the science of behavior modification.
Manage your dog’s interactions with household members, especially children, and with strangers while working with a professional to ensure that your dog is not put in a position where he feels he must resort to aggression.
Modifying a behavior problem takes time and effort. Many popular television shows create the illusion that aggression can be cured quickly through techniques based on mental and physical intimidation of the dog. These methods will not alleviate the problem and will likely increase the probability of more bites. Owners with an aggressive dog must realize that solving the problem takes patience, an understanding of your dog’s behavior and needs, and the use of humane training methods.