I have a highly dog aggressive Rottweiler which I almost ruined due to those out dated dominance training. The problem is it seemed to be working but what happened was it suppressed her actions then made her unpredictable which was much worse. Plus with corrections you have to really know what your doing and if given at the wrong time the dog can associate the pain with the approaching animal and become more so offensive. My Rottweiler has high predatory drives when she is around smaller dogs, head goes down and she stalks them then tries to attack them. She is offensive around large dogs as in she will attack them basically I will get you before you get me. She gets highly aroused around new dogs and will lunge and go berserk if not introduced properly. That's the key introducing properly. Athena has cost me many Vet bills, she has broken skin and done enough damage to have to have stitches done. If she meets a dog in the incorrect manner there is no sense even trying to get her to know the dog at that point. Once she is aroused there is no calming her down. But, when introduced in a manner that she is not in a confrontational position is clear sailing and goes wonderfully.
I attended a dog aggression seminar with instructions who used positive methods only and I worked with a behaviorist who used positive tactics as well. Sometimes distraction methods as simple as bouncing a ball when you are walking by another dog works.
With my Rottie I found a basket muzzle was my best friend. This way "I" am more relaxed and although this does nothing for predatory drives towards small dogs it seems to help with her offensive aggression. I do not allow her to meet new dogs face on, it has to be side by side and on neutral territory. I found most times she is best off lead so she doesn't feel the need to "protect" me. I found this very interesting as my Rottweiler is very protective of me and my personal space. My Sister on the other hand Athena is not protective over her at all. My Sister can take Athena to meet new dogs with very few problems (unless it's predatorial). My Sister has been working with dogs for 25 years professionally and before that competed in obedience and did lots of dog related things. So she explained to me once that she can do more with Athena because she does not feel the need to protect. It has nothing to do with my body language, how relaxed I am etc some breeds just feel the need to be more protective. This is why this so called miracle trainers can take a highly aggressive dog from it's owner and look like a super star. The dog really doesn't care if the person who has them lives or dies lol
With my Rottie when she "imprints" on a new dog she is usually quite good with them. If they come to my home then it's basically starting all over again though. I am very pleased with how well she does. A friend of mine has 3 Collie's and a female Shepherd when I took Athena over to meet them I put on her basket muzzle and since I never allowed her to get used to it she ended up trotting around concentrating on the muzzle and rubbing up against the other dogs trying to get it off. She then got their scent and once she gave up on the muzzle she was just walking nice and calmly around the other dogs I took off the muzzle and she was fine.
I also taught Athena the "look at me" behavior when passing other dogs. This is a good training tool when out walking so she is not acting like a Tasmanian devil. I hold a good treat in my hand some people start out with the treat in their mouth so the dog looks up to their face. I know a lady with highly dog aggressive Rottweilers that she has used this as a training tool and she got their CGC and CD and CDX obedience titles on them. Not that a CGC means your dog is not aggressive LOL I've seen pretty aggressive dogs get their CGC with no problem and very laid back dogs fail as they do not react.
Sometimes rescue remedy can help take the edge off. There are other herbs that are great for aggression which help take the edge off I just can't think of them right now, maybe skullcap.
Counter conditioning, look at me command, imprinting, redirectional training are all very good tools to use. Athena will always be dog aggressive, she will always have the tendency to attack other dogs. But, the important thing is I am aware of this. I was able to get her socialized with my friends dogs which was very important and once she knows a dog she is great with them. She currently lives with our 4 other dogs and she is one of the best multi dog household dogs. She is very laid back with the other dogs. Seeing her interact with my other dogs and my friends dogs you would not know how highly dog aggressive she is. Oh, I also have a Cat which it took me almost a year to get her socialized with Cats! she is perfect with Cats now and she and my kitty sleep together.
