DogBoston Interactive Forums » Ask Jo - Dog Behaviorist

My dogs hate the other dogs in our building

(4 posts)
  • Started 1 year ago by aussiepup
  • Latest reply from snickdog

  1. aussiepup
    Member

    Jo,

    We live in an apartment building and have two mini australian shepherds. There are a few other dogs that live in the building as well. My pups are great dogs, but they go nuts whenever they smell one of the other dogs in the hallway or elevator (e.g., when another dog has gone out in the last twenty minutes or so). One is particularly bad, and will spend the entire walk frantically looking around for the other dog. If we ever run into one of the other dogs outside, they bark ferociously at them.

    The other tenants are cooperative, and we would all like to find a way to get the dogs acclimated to each other. Do you have any suggestions for how we can do this? We have tried to meet up outside and give the dogs some time to calm down around each other, but that made the problem worse - they were nuts the entire time and now react more strongly to the other dog's scent.

    Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

    Posted: 2007-06-11 18:53:16 #
  2. Hi,

    Some questions:

    Your dogs: Male, female? Intact, altered?

    The other dogs: Male, female? Intact, altered? breed?

    The one that's particularly bad -- Male, female? Intact, altered?

    How old are your dogs? How are they with other dogs elsewhere?

    Mini-aussies... how much exercise do they really get (fess up, now!<grin>)?

    When you tried having them meet up outdoors, where was it?

    Jo Jacques, CPDT, CPCT
    WiggleBums!
    Dog-Friendly Training and Behavior Consulting
    http://www.wigglebums.com
    http://www.trulydogfriendly.com
    President, International Siberian Husky Club
    http://www.casinstitute.com/
    Ask Jo at dogBoston.com
    IAABC# 023
    APDT# 064427
    IIACAB # 024
    ABMA # 221012

    Posted: 2007-06-12 02:04:06 #
  3. aussiepup
    Member

    Your dogs: Male, female? Intact, altered?

    The other dogs: Male, female? Intact, altered? breed?
    Boxer, male, altered (both of our dogs hate this dog)
    Standard aussie, male, not yet six months so not yet altered (the crazier dog hates this dog, but he gets the other one going too)
    Westie - not sure of sex, just moved in

    The one that's particularly bad -- Male, female? Intact, altered?
    Both of our dogs are male and altered

    How old are your dogs? How are they with other dogs elsewhere?
    Calmer one is 2.5, crazier one is 2
    The calmer one is usually fine with other dogs, unless he is chasing the tennis ball and then he will snap to protect his ball sometimes
    The crazier one is not as good - he hates black labs in particular (I have heard this may be something about not being able to see their eyes?), and sometimes other larger dogs, and horses - it appears to be fear-aggression. But he is doing well with counter-conditioning when he sees other dogs outside. However, if he has seen or smelled one of the dogs in our building on his way outside, he will bark at every dog on his walk.
    They are both fine once they have spent a few minutes with most dogs, even black labs.

    Mini-aussies... how much exercise do they really get (fess up, now!<grin>)?
    Actually quite a bit. They go on hikes with doggie day trippers twice a week, and we throw the ball with them for about a half hour almost every day.

    When you tried having them meet up outdoors, where was it?
    It was outside on the Common. We live near the Common, and the first time we met up with the other aussie it was fine, and the dogs all walked back to our building together. It has gotten much worse since then, now the crazy one goes nuts as soon as he smells him anywhere around.

    I know this is not an ideal situation, and that they are likely just being territorial, but I am looking for advice on how to help manage the problem - if there is any way to get them to become familiar with and calmer around the other dogs.

    Posted: 2007-06-12 14:24:03 #
  4. Hi,

    Can you give me any background on your procedure for socializing your dogs as pups to other dogs? It could be that it isn't so much 'hate' as not enough access during the first critical period.

    Mental exercise for your dogs (half-hour a day of throwing the ball almost every day really won't cut it for these guys)?

    It could be territorial, it could be undersocialization, it could be a lot of things. I think would be best 'seen' in person, in order to figure out what is truly going on, and what can be done.

    Please contact me privately, and we can talk about options.

    Jo Jacques, CPDT, CPCT
    WiggleBums!
    Dog-Friendly Training and Behavior Consulting
    http://www.wigglebums.com
    http://www.trulydogfriendly.com
    President, International Siberian Husky Club
    http://www.casinstitute.com/
    Ask Jo at dogBoston.com
    IAABC# 023
    APDT# 064427
    IIACAB # 024
    ABMA # 221012

    Posted: 2007-06-12 15:35:28 #

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