Conference 7.286::canine

    
    I have a German Shephard that is 10 months now.  He has completed his
    training and is a wonderful dog.  The neighborhood loves him and most
    of the children know his name and have felt comfortable petting him
    when they come by.  
    
    Recently, our dog has become very territorial.  Unfortunately, we only
    have one side of our backyard fenced and until the spring thaw, we
    can't put up the new and improved fence that we have every intention of
    putting up once we can.
    
    When the children come out on the house with the fence up, the dog puts
    his hair up and runs towards the fence.  He barks, looks and sounds
    vicious but the kids know that he isn't and once they start to come
    toward him, he immediately puts his ears down, wags his tail and
    demands they pet him.
    
    The other side of the yard we are not so fortunate with.  Two days ago
    our dog went outside with my husband for his evening walk and there was
    a UPS man at the backdoor of our neighbors.  Before my husband could
    put the leash on him, he ran into the yard and although he didn't
    attack the man, he cornered him and had his fur up and was growling. 
    Today at lunchtime he ran over there again and started barking at their
    laundry and I could not get him to come back into our yard until I
    physically went over and demanded that he come.
    
    I am really worried that our neighbors are going make a stink over
    this.  I would not blame them at all either if they did.  They have a
    new miniature collie too and I'm worried that our dog might run after
    the dog.
    
    My husband says that its simple that the dog just doesn't go out
    without being put on a leash first and that we'll tell them that once
    the ground thaws that a fence is going up immediately.  (They have
    always been great neighbors and my husband helps them out all the time
    because its all women at the house) but lately I have noticed tension
    and I know its because of the dog and that he isn't a cute puppy
    anymore but a 90lb "dog".  
    
    Any ideas?  I am not so sure the dog is going to go the bathroom on th
    lease for me.  Its never worked before.
    
    Thanks..
    cj

    cj,
    
    He will learn to pee on a leash if you re consistant with him.  Has he
    been neutered yet?  This can really cool the jets of some aggressive
    dogs.  I would talk to the vet, a trainer, and maybe a behaviorist
    pronto.  
    
    good luck,
    
    
    meg

    I'm not a dog owner currently (though we did have dogs when I was a
    kid), and I know how frustrating a dog's stubbornness can be... BUT...
    
    I agree with your husband: the dog doesn't go out without being on a
    leash.  Period.  Maybe you'll have a bunch of annoying, freezing,
    extenuated "walks", but the dog *will* go eventually, and he *will*
    learn that he doesn't set the rules, you do.
    
    (Then, IMO,  after the fence is up, the rule should *still* be that 
    he's on the lead whenever he's out walking with you.)
    
    Leslie

    
    
    I have a miniature collie and she was attacked by a GS who
    was also very territorial. I was in my own yard with my dog
    on a leash. This dog got out by accident and charged my dog
    and attacked her. I was trying to protect my dog and got 
    bitten and severly bruised in the process. This is my 
    neighbors dog whom I like very much. Unfortunately this 
    placed a strain on our relationship for a little while.
    I really suggest that you take the dog out on a leash 
    only. If he wont go to the bathroom while on the leash,
    take him for a long walk until he has no choice. Then 
    when your fence is up and in tact, he can have the run
    of the backyard without worry of him getting out. You should
    try and ease the tension now before something does happen.
    You seem to care enough about these neighbors. Im sure you 
    dont want to have to worry about vet and doctor bills as 
    my neighbor had to. Unfortunately smaller animals look
    like prey to the big guys. And GS dogs can look intimidating.
    
    Good Luck,
    SueJ

    Thanks for all the quick responses.  FWIW, we do take the dog on walks
    in the morning and evenings.  He gets out for 45 minutes at least on
    both occasions and is leashed all the time.  Only when I take him out
    lunchtime and right after work before my husband comes home does the
    dog just run into the yard.  Usually within 60 seconds he does his
    thing and returns to the house.
    
    I know that we need to keep him leashed until the fence is up and I'll
    just have to make him learn that its just the way it is.  I don't want
    to get a run for him because I've seen too many dogs become more
    aggresive when they are tied to a leash.
    
    My husband is going over to tell the neighbors that we are going to
    have him on a leash until the fence is up and hopefully it will defuse
    any brewing turmoil between us.  I totally understand them being
    frightened and want to make sure that for everyone involved, the safest
    measures are taken.
    
    Baloo is not neutered at this time.  We have been asked by a few people
    if we would be willing to breed him with their females when he was at
    training and thought about this but now I'm wondering if we should just
    neuter him so he calms down.  
    
    Thanks..
    cj

    CJ,

    I really don't see any point to breeding a dog just to breed him.
    I think you'll do both yourselves and the dog a favor by having
    him neutered. Being terratorial may already be somewhat hard-wired
    in, but he might be a little more relaxed about it, and won't go
    completely berserk when he catches a whiff of a female in heat. He'll
    be much less frustrated, and you'll also protect him from certain
    types of cancer. 

    Getting in touch with a trainer might be good also, I am sure there 
    are things you can do to train him where and what his property limits 
    are. 

    Any dog that cannot be trusted not to run off for any reason should 
    never be taken out off leash in unfenced, populated area. The risks 
    just aren't worth it. It may be a little difficult at first for him to 
    adjust to a new routine, but he will learn that he has to do his 
    business while on a leash; dogs can can adjust to change.

    Good luck with this, I hope it all works out well.

    Leslie

    I have (had?) an aggressive dog as well.  Pluto is an 18mo black lab. 
    When he was just a pup (6 mos) he had a second personality that would
    appear without notice and was very aggressive--toward people, dogs,
    cats (ours).  In his case, it appears to be dominance aggression so we
    were just as often the recepient of the aggressive behavior.  When I
    took him to the vet, the FIRST thing the vet suggested was to have him
    neutered, immediately.  Most dogs are neutered at 10 mos. but in this
    case, we did it right away.
    
    Now, a year later (and LOTS of training sessions later), he is a
    relatively well behaved dog.  He has a fenced in yard, and is well
    behaved (and willing to 'go') on a leash.  It was and is a lot of work. 
    
    A couple of things that have worked for us:  LOTS (and lots and lots)
    of exercise.  Pluto gets two walks a day--about 1-2 miles each; the am
    is off leash in the woods where he runs and runs and runs...the pm is
    on the leash.  Our motto is a tired dog is a good dog.  Obedience training
    --both daily (the goal, unfortunately no longer the reality) work-outs,
    and bi-weekly classes.  We use a crate; the door is always open, so he
    naps in it regularly; but also if he is acting feisty we put him in
    there to have a 'time-out'; it lets him relax, and think about whatever
    infraction he just did.  And we have instant, constant, and consistent
    correction for even the tiniest infraction.
    
    At this point, he is very well adjusted, gets along great with other
    dogs--we've had several visit and plan to get another; and he willingly
    lets these dogs into his own yard.  But it took a long time and a lot
    of work.
    
    Good luck--these beasts are worth every minute of the effort!
    
    

	I agree with all the replies to this note -- within a residential
	area, a dog should *always* be either on leash or in a fenced yard,
	no exceptions.  Especially an unneutered adolescent male dog can be 
	pretty unpredictable at times, and even 5 seconds can be an unfortunate
	window of opportunity.  It's great that you're taking steps to 
	reassure your neighbors by promising to leash Baloo until the fence
	can be installed.

	I'd also put in a word of encouragment about further obedience
	training.  The beginner course was a good start...but, in my
	case at least, it wasn't until about the third course that
	I really began to understand how much I needed to learn!  By the 
	way, my 3-year-old goldens have both had about two years each of 
	nearly continuous obedience training;  outdoors (except in our 
	fenced yard) they have literally never once been allowed off-leash, 
	except during the off-leash heeling exercise during obedience 
	competition.  I do it more for their own protection than anything
    	else, but overall I feel it's also the courteous and responsible 
        thing to do.

	Sue