Help! Completely Different Side To My Dog
Hi there,
I am in urgent need of help! I have reached out to a local trainer but any other advice or ideas would be welcomed!!
My partner & myself rescued a English Bull Terrier x Pup a year and a half ago as he was going to be put down. When we got him he was too young to even be off his mother which we werent aware of until we got him to the vets the day after.
Anyway, he has always been an amazing dog, friendly, Great with kids & just an all-round goof ball & baby, while also being protective of us. He has been socialised with other dogs since we got him & has always just wanted to play. He has had what we've been told was separation anxiety, however this never presented a huge issue as my partner was able to take him to work fencing. He has a dominant peronality when it came to other dogs as he got bigger but always just in way of throwing his weight around, never in a nasty way however when he got overly excited we would calm him down.
Just over a month ago my partner & i were out of the country setting up a new home to bring him to. While we were away my partners friend was looking after Tek & he got attacked by another dog.
As i couldnt get straight home my mother & sister went & picked him up, looking after him for 2.5 weeks before i got home.
He is now showing overly aggressive behaviour towards other dogs, my sisters dog included which he has grown up seeing all the time! Apparently he was totally fine for three days then he went at my sisters dog out of nowhere. They interveined before it got "too serious", however he did it again the next day. We now have them seperated so he cant get to him.
I thought maybe it was fear based, or because we are still treating his injuries perhaps he felt vulnerable??
Today, he was playing around happily, then he turned around and ripped his chain off & went at him again & it took abit to get him to let go.
I dont understand how this has come on so suddenly! Its as though iv got back to a completely different dog, i have never seen this side of him! Its not fair on him & i know i cant have a dangerous dog but the thought of getting him euthenised without trying all other avenues first atleast, it breaks my heart. He has never shown this behaviour before!
Anyone had similar experiences or know what i can do? I've bought him a Baskerville Ultra Muzzle for now but i want to try get to the point where he doesnt need it again.
Comments
First I think it wouldn't be too much to suggest that you have little idea of what exactly went on while you were separated. The separation alone was bound to have an emotional effect on him and probably triggered the whole string of events. He's insecure, he's scared, he could have been hurt. Then a second set of "parents" during the same absence...cemented the problem. The single thing that makes Bullies so exceptional ( if there were a single thing ) is that they are very loving and needing of their family. Take that away and they can "go nuts". BUT he has his family back, so you can work on rehealing, but it is going to take some time to put the pasta back in the pot. Ideally you avoid other dogs until he has re established his traditional relationship with you, knows you are boss and knows he is loved and not going to be " abandoned" again. For a while. Then you'll need to slowly introduce him to other dogs in a controlled environment and teach him that any out of hand behaviour will not be tolerated, all over again. I would avoid the muzzle as much as you can do safely. It is going to take some time but you can make the "interruption" a temporary experience and his first year of being a good dog the norm again. Trainers, unless they have much Bullie experience, are not going to help.... Just more strangers.... It's you he trusts.
Please keep us up to date... I am sure you'll get other, and possibly contradicting, good advise from others on here. Be strong
The entire situation has obviously thrown him off track. Your huge disadvantage at this point is that you can only judge from hearsay about what exactly happened, because you were not around. NO criticism at all! Just saying that it doesn't make things easier for you and needs to be taken into consideration.
As philsergeant said, I would avoid contact with other dogs for a while and allow him some time to adjust and feel safe again. Before trying anything with other dogs again, make sure you have good voice control over his actions and he responds well to your commands, in order to enhance your chances of interfering already at the slightest signs.
When eventually trying to reintroduce him to other dogs again, like suggested by philsergeant already, I’d handle the situation as if entirely new to him, making sure that it will be possible to separate the dogs quickly, if necessary.
If he is scared, muzzle and leash have the potential of aggravating him even more, because he will feel exposed and disadvantaged when encountering other dogs. Scared dogs often act more aggressively when restricted by leash or “over the fence”.
For now it is still the only way I would allow him to meet other dogs, because avoiding damages in this situation is just more important.
Yet, to spare him the stress of being exposed to another dog muzzled and leashed in the beginning of the reintroduction, I’d probably start with just walking by other dogs without any direct contact, see how he acts … and so on - baby steps. This may give you the chance to spare him the muzzle, helping him to feel less disadvantaged.
As the worst possible outcome you may eventually need to accept that it is just not safe to let your dog be around other dogs any longer. For example if his snapping keeps starting “out of the blue” without obvious warning signs, you will probably not be able to gain control over the triggers.
As long as you do not own another dog yourself, this should still be manageable and he could still be a lovable family member, although that may require some future compromises and precautions - no dog parks, leash at all times outside, keeping him in another room separated in case another dog visits your home, etc.
Time will tell. But for now extreme caution and lots of love are your best chance.