Human Aggression

B,

Your right on point here man. These people are jsut as bad as the ASPCA or PETA. This is something that can be untrained and is the owners fault from the start. there is no need put this dog down. Contact a locat behavorist and let them work with the dog. You guys are so quick to say kill the dog that I can't believe what im reading. I haven't been on this forum in quite a while b/c the last time I was on the same thing was being said. YOu guys talk all this and that about loving this breed and this dog but yet have offered this person no advise on how to correct this problem with a very simple solution. And killing the dog is not the solution.

 

Again, I will ask what you would do to change this behavior? This has nothing to do with the breed. This has everything to do with a dog with teeth and small children in the house. Yes, it is the owners fault, I don't want the kids to suffer with a dog bite. Do you think that won't happen? I wouldn't want to be the one to risk that.

 

Id say your goodbyes and euth ASAP. I got a rescue a few years back (before i was into bulldogs), he was beaten badly. He was VERY insecure and shy for quite a while. After a few months he open'd up and was quite outgoing, though a few months later he started showing human aggression (just growling), and it stopped there. I felt awful, but felt better knowing that no one would ever be bit, and there would be no ridiculous headlines.

 

Read my post if you want suggestions on what to do. Why is everyone screaming kill the dog because it got stuck with poor owners? Admit your mistake and contact a professional. I don't know exactly what to do because I raise my dogs properly and they respect me being the alpha. I don't raise dogs like kids. I've never had a dog growl at anyone but another dog and they aren't getting punished for that. If you are screaming cull you really don't understand canine behavior, let alone BULLDOG behavior. He thinks he runs that household. It is not difficult to train this out of him especially since he's just 2 YEARS OLD.

B

 

i agree with B contact a trainor and work it out with the dog its your friends fault she should pay the consequences lol but we cant euth people for being bad. she had kids and a dog both things that were her fault dont start pawning off ones own mistakes to make you feel better. i got this dog i didnt train it right i had children i let it get this way I NEED TO FIX IT.

 

She Said He If He Is Sitting On The Couch & She Tries To Move Him, He Growls At Her. I Told Her To Leave Him Alone When He Does That.
Simple problem and easy solution-seek professional help! They simply haven’t established the role of alpha in the house and the dog has never been taught his role in the “pack” it is a simple problem to correct. But being they aren’t knowledgeable enough in their ability to properly train their pet they need to seek professional help which will train them and their dog. By the way you advise was horrible and is the major reason for their problems with their dog! What sense does it make to reward a negative behavior with a positive action? You and they are basically training the dog to growl and it gets his way and avoids doing what it doesn’t want to.

My Husband Went Over There Yesterday & Muzzled Him Before Her Kids Got Home Because Its Too Cold To Leave Him Outside & Her Kids Safety Obviously Comes First! I Know That Isnt Very Good Training, But It Was A Quick Fix Before Her Kids Got Home.
This is why the “smart” individuals on this board also recommended seeking professional help, being your husband (stranger to the dog) was able to handle the dog enough to put a muzzle on it, problems not with the dog!

She Said Its Been Gradual (she Should Have Tried To Address This Earlier)
Of course it was “gradual” the dog was simply testing the waters and seen what it could get away with. Now it knows it rules the roost and nothing they are going to do is going to change that in the dogs mind-NOT GOOD!

 

gutta agree with this reply. That dog has been allowed to be the dominant one in that household. Now that problem needs correcting, BEFORE something bad happens and it becomes another media headline.

 

Excellent posts B. You are right on target here. The dog was allowed to become aggressive and dominant because the owners probably treated it like a child instead of a dog that needs to know its place. This is probably the main reason why dogs bite. It happens slowly and the owners dont even know they are causing the problems until one day the dog bites and all they can say is he never acted that way before. He just bit me for no reason. There is a reason. There is always a reason. They need to start NILIF right away. This stands for Nothing In Life Is Free. They need to show the dog at all times that he is the lowest ranking member of the household.
Here are some good guidelines that they can start right away. They should also take the dog to obedience classes. Oh yeh...she has to stop being afraid and take control or it will get worse.

1. Sit before going out or coming in any door. Handler goes first. Ditto for in and out of the crate. No charging out allowed. A well-timed crate door closing will quickly teach the dog not to rush out. You should get to the point where you can open the door, and the dog will wait for you to say "OK" to come out.
2. Sit before mealtime, any treats, or any petting. If petting is demanded by the dog, he must at LEAST sit first (down is better), and then you should pet the dog briefly (30 seconds), fold your arms, and say "That's it". No more petting for at least 10 minutes after the dog demands to be petted. Games should be initiated and ended by the HANDLER, not the dog. No tug of war, or any other type of game that pits the dog's strength against you. Retrieving is the only game recommended for large dogs exhibiting dominance problems. The dog must be trained to retrieve the object and release it to you. A retractable lead is very handy to use in this sort of training.
3. No stepping over the dog in the house. If he is in the way, he must move.
4. The dog should learn to stand still for regular grooming sessions, including toenail cutting. This may need to be done gradually.
5. A long down should be taught and enforced each night. The dog should learn to do a 20 minute long down, preferably during your mealtime. No staring or begging allowed. If this cannot be discouraged by direct eye contact from you and growling, the dog should be placed on his down behind a sofa or other piece of furniture so he cannot see you. The down should be enforced by simply returning the dog to his original position each and every time he moves. Neither the stay nor the down command should be repeated. If the dog gets up 100 times, you must put him back 101. No toys, cheweys, or other distractions should be provided to the dog during this long down. The dog should be formally released with an "OK!" afterwards.
6. No getting up on the furniture with or without you. Dog should not be allowed in your bedroom at all. Free access to all parts of the house is not allowed. Dog should be denied access to "key areas" like a staircase where he can "survey his domain", or doorways with a view of larger areas. This is easily accomplished with baby gates. The dog should sleep in a crate away from your sleeping area at night.
7. Crates are not recommended for use as punishment, however, in some dogs with dominance problems, a "time-out" area has been successful in shaping better behaviors. This time out area should be away from the main living area of the house, perhaps in a spare bedroom. If the dog is not behaving in the expected manner, and the recommended methods are not helpful, he may be isolated in this room in a crate for a brief (10 minutes) period.
The adult dog with dominance problems is a very serious issue. These dogs are often euthanised because of the inability to resolve these undesirable and possibly dangerous behaviors. Humans are not equipped to confront an adult dog on a physical level to resolve these pack-leadership problems. The methods described can help in many situations to return the HUMAN to his/her rightful position as pack leader.
If you have a puppy, especially a male, be wise, and don't ever let him feel that he is the alpha. This is not cruel. Dogs are much more comfortable and happier when they have a strong leader figure to guide them. The pressure is then off of them to make decisions.

 

What a wonderful post. Thank you for taking the time to pass on that information. A LOT of people can learn and read from your words. I hope the original poster prints this out and gives it to the family. I think the whole thread could teach them something. Rep points to you my friend!

Kind Regards,

B

 

Thanks to Sue and Luigi for this!

NILIF = Nothing In Life Is Free

from: http://www.k9deb.com/nilif.htm

Undesirable behavior can be caused by many things, including undetected illness. No behavior modification program should begin without first taking the dog to a veterinarian for a complete physical examination. While you're there, give your vet a printed copy of this page and ask if it would be an appropriate technique for you to try. The NILIF program is an accepted standard in dog training/behavior but it is not, and is not intended to be, a substitute for an in-person, professional evaluation of your dog's behavior. This technique is intended for dogs in good health and of sound mind and stable temperament.

The NILIF program is remarkable because it's effective for such a wide variety of problems. A shy, timid dog becomes more relaxed knowing that he has nothing to worry about, his owner is in charge of all things. A dog that's pushing too hard to become "top dog" learns that the position is not available and that his life is far more enjoyable without the title.

It is equally successful with dogs that fall anywhere between those two extremes. The program is not difficult to put into effect and it's not time consuming if the dog already knows a few basic obedience commands. I've never seen this technique fail to bring about a positive change in behavior, however, the change can be more profound in some dogs than others. Most owners use this program in conjunction with other behavior modification techniques such as coping with fear or treatment for aggression. It is a perfectly suitable technique for the dog with no major behavior problems that just needs some fine tuning.

ATTENTION ON DEMAND
The program begins by eliminating attention on demand. When your dog comes to you and nudges your hand, saying "pet me! pet me!" ignore him. Don't tell him "no", don't push him away. Simply pretend you don't notice him. This has worked for him before, so don't be surprised if he tries harder to get your attention. When he figures out that this no longer works, he'll stop. In a pack situation, the top ranking dogs can demand attention from the lower ranking ones, not the other way around. When you give your dog attention on demand you're telling him that he has more status in the pack than you do. Timid dogs become stressed by having this power and may become clingy. They're never sure when you'll be in charge so they can't relax. What if something scary happens, like a stranger coming in the house? Who will handle that? The timid dog that is demanding of attention can be on edge a lot of the time because he has more responsibility than he can handle.

Some dogs see their ability to demand attention as confirmation that they are the "alpha", then become difficult to handle when told to "sit" or "down" or some other demand is placed on them. It is not their leadership status that stresses them out, it's the lack of consistency. They may or may not actually be alpha material, but having no one in the pack that is clearly the leader is a bigger problem than having the dog assume that role full time. Dogs are happiest when the pack order is stable. Tension is created by a constant fluctuation of pack leadership.

EXTINCTION BURSTS
Your dog already knows that he can demand your attention and he knows what works to get that to happen. As of today, it no longer works, but he doesn't know that yet. We all try harder at something we know works when it stops working. If I gave you a twenty dollar bill every time you clapped your hands together, you'd clap a lot. But, if I suddenly stopped handing you money, even though you were still clapping, you'd clap more and clap louder. You might even get closer to me to make sure I was noticing that you were clapping. You might even shout at me "Hey! I'm clapping like crazy over here, where's the money?". If I didn't respond at all, in any way, you'd stop. It wasn't working anymore. That last try -- that loud, frequent clapping is an extinction burst. If, however, during that extinction burst, I gave you another twenty dollar bill you'd be right back in it. It would take a lot longer to get you to stop clapping because you just learned that if you try hard enough, it will work.

When your dog learns that the behaviors that used to get him your attention don't work any more he's going to try harder and he's going to have an extinction burst. If you give him attention during that time you will have to work that much harder to get him turned around again. Telling him "no" or pushing him away is not the kind of attention he's after, but it's still attention. Completely ignoring him will work faster and better.

YOU HAVE THE POWER
As the human and as his owner you have control of all things that are wonderful in his life. This is the backbone of the NILIF program. You control all of the resources. Playing, attention, food, walks, going in and out of the door, going for a ride in the car, going to the dog park. Anything and everything that your dog wants comes from you. If he's been getting most of these things for free there is no real reason for him to respect your leadership or your ownership of these things. Again, a timid dog is going to be stressed by this situation, a pushy dog is going to be difficult to handle. Both of them would prefer to have you in charge.

To implement the NILIF program you simply have to have your dog earn his use of your resources. He's hungry? No problem, he simply has to sit before his bowl is put down. He wants to play fetch? Great! He has to "down" before you throw the ball. Want to go for a walk or a ride? He has to sit to get his lead snapped on and has to sit while the front door is opened. He has to sit and wait while the car door is opened and listen for the word (I use "OK") that means "get into the car". When you return he has to wait for the word that means "get out of the car" even if the door is wide open. Don't be too hard on him. He's already learned that he can make all of these decisions on his own. He has a strong history of being in control of when he gets these resources. Enforce the new rules, but keep in mind that he's only doing what he's been taught to do and he's going to need some time to get the hang of it all.

You're going to have to pay attention to things that you probably haven't noticed before. If you feed your dog from your plate do you just toss him a green bean? No more. He has to earn it. You don't have to use standard obedience commands, any kind of action will do. If your dog knows "shake" or "spin around" or "speak" use those commands. Does your dog sleep on your bed? Teach him that he has to wait for you to say "OK" to get on the bed and he has to get down when you say "off". Teach him to go to his bed, or other designated spot, on command. When he goes to his spot and lays down tell him "stay" and then release him with a treat reward. Having a particular spot where he stays is very helpful for when you have guests or otherwise need him out of the way for a while. It also teaches him that free run of the house is a resource that you control. There are probably many things that your dog sees as valuable resources that I haven't mentioned here.

The NILIF program should not be a long, drawn out process. All you need to do is enforce a simple command before allowing him access to what he wants. Dinner, for example, should be a two or three second encounter that consists of nothing more than saying "sit", then "good dog!", then putting the bowl down and walking away.

ATTENTION AND PLAY
Now that your dog is no longer calling the shots you will have to make an extra effort to provide him with attention and play time. Call him to you, have him "sit" and then lavish him with as much attention as you want. Have him go get his favorite toy and play as long as you both have the energy. The difference is that now you will be the one initiating the attention and beginning the play time. He's going to depend on you now, a lot more than before, to see that he gets what he needs. What he needs most is quality time with you. This would be a good time to enroll in a group obedience class. If his basic obedience is top notch, see about joining an agility class or fly ball team.
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NILIF DOES *NOT* MEAN THAT YOU HAVE TO RESTRICT THE AMOUNT OF ATTENTION YOU GIVE TO YOUR DOG. The NILIF concept speaks to who initiates the attention (you!), not the amount of attention. Go ahead and call your dog to you 100 times a day for hugs and kisses!! You can demand his attention, he can no longer demand yours!

Within a day or two your dog will see you in a whole new light and will be eager to learn more. Use this time to teach new things, such as 'roll over' or learn the specific names of different toys.

If you have a shy dog, you'll see a more relaxed dog. There is no longer any reason to worry about much of anything. He now has complete faith in you as his protector and guide. If you have a pushy dog he'll be glad that the fight for leadership is over and his new role is that of devoted and adored pet.

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Thanks B! I sincerely hope they do try NILIF first. It would be a shame to put this dog to sleep over something that can be corrected.

 

They shouldn’t try to correct this problem themselves without the aide of a professional being the current state the dog is in and its belief of being alpha. Added to that they have no knowledge or experience to rely on and odds are will cross the boundry and create an even bigger problem for themselves and the dog. They are past the “on their own” training, should of done that when it was a puppy! Now they are in serious need of professional help. This is not the time to somewhat practice training advise from the internet!<O:p</O:p

 

Good advice...And Animals are not children, they are animals and primative at that.
If that animal is showing aggresion towards the kids in any manor....I personaly would not chance the fate of my children. reconditioning would not be a option.

Regards.

 

thanks everybody! im really glad i posted that because we are gonna work with the dog. ive got her researching the breed and good, responsible pet ownership & training. my husband is going to work with the dog because he has trained dogs all his life. he doesnt think this is a case of human aggression, he says its him trying to be the alpha.

 

I'm glad to hear this!!!!
I wish them the BEST of luck!!!!
LOTS of great advice here.
The NILIF is something I've implemented and followed for YEARS with all my dogs. And I "heard" MANY years ago, that a dogs' way of asking "please" was to make him sit, so, it's something all my dogs have been trained to do as well=that was a GREAT post. Wonderful info.
Again, good luck to all involved. Be patient, positive and consistent.

 

human agressive dogs are like school in the summertime

 

I have seen the NILIF program work over and over again.

Good luck to all.