You guys have given some good advice to me in the past. I could sure use some now as I am getting really frustrated.
Delia is a female shepherd mix that is probably a little over 2 years old. I adopted her from the local humane society a little over a year ago. I don't know her background but suspect she was very poorly socialized with both humans and other dogs.
Very soon after adopting her, she started exibiting some signs of fear aggression towards male strangers and territorial related aggression towards other dogs. This was all a great suprise because the exact words of the volunteer at the humane society who helped with my adoption was "she's a perfect dog for the dog park".
We took private lessons from a positive reinforcement trainer for about 9 months and have recently taken a break (although I am still working with her on my own). We made some great strides related to her fearfulness of men using desensitization based around toys. I can now bring friends she has never met to my house and have her playing with them in a matter of minutes.
Unfortunately, our efforts so far with dogs has not been fruitful at all. We have been trying the basic desensitzation method of taking her to a neutral area (like a park) and trying to introduce dogs within her sight at far enough of a distance that she is comfortable and treat her and then try to slowly decrease that distance. Deila was very treat motivated for basic training, but for emotional stuff like this, it doesn't work. As I mentioned, we were able to use toys instead for humans which worked there, but I can't really throw a ball when we are at the park and she is leashed. On neutral ground, we have only made baby steps and still have not been able to get her to even get remotely close to another dog.
Now this is when we are at the park. When we are home in our fenced yard, there is no safe distance. If she can see, hear or smell another dog a switch goes off and she goes crazy. She raises her hackles, barks, growls, snarls, barks, kicks up the grass and runs around as fast as she can right along the fence trying to get out. It's pretty disturbing. When she gets like this she is in complete fight or flight mode and doesn't heed any of the commands I try to give her.
Because of this I never let her out by herself and I am always out with her. However the way the yard is situated, she always hears the dogs coming long before I can see them. It's hard for me to try to avert a reaction when she knows it's coming before I do.
Right now I am going back and trying to strengthen some of my commands, but this is an uphilll battle in this situation. I am finding it hard to find a way to strengthen the commands by gradual exposure in this specific situation as when on her territory there is no real safe distance. Same thing with desensitization.
I really would appreciate any advice you guys could give. It is getting worse and I really don't want it to escalate any further. People with dogs avoid walking by my house and I get comments from neighbors that they are scared because of how they see her react to dogs. :yikes:
Delia is a female shepherd mix that is probably a little over 2 years old. I adopted her from the local humane society a little over a year ago. I don't know her background but suspect she was very poorly socialized with both humans and other dogs.
Very soon after adopting her, she started exibiting some signs of fear aggression towards male strangers and territorial related aggression towards other dogs. This was all a great suprise because the exact words of the volunteer at the humane society who helped with my adoption was "she's a perfect dog for the dog park".
We took private lessons from a positive reinforcement trainer for about 9 months and have recently taken a break (although I am still working with her on my own). We made some great strides related to her fearfulness of men using desensitization based around toys. I can now bring friends she has never met to my house and have her playing with them in a matter of minutes.
Unfortunately, our efforts so far with dogs has not been fruitful at all. We have been trying the basic desensitzation method of taking her to a neutral area (like a park) and trying to introduce dogs within her sight at far enough of a distance that she is comfortable and treat her and then try to slowly decrease that distance. Deila was very treat motivated for basic training, but for emotional stuff like this, it doesn't work. As I mentioned, we were able to use toys instead for humans which worked there, but I can't really throw a ball when we are at the park and she is leashed. On neutral ground, we have only made baby steps and still have not been able to get her to even get remotely close to another dog.
Now this is when we are at the park. When we are home in our fenced yard, there is no safe distance. If she can see, hear or smell another dog a switch goes off and she goes crazy. She raises her hackles, barks, growls, snarls, barks, kicks up the grass and runs around as fast as she can right along the fence trying to get out. It's pretty disturbing. When she gets like this she is in complete fight or flight mode and doesn't heed any of the commands I try to give her.
Because of this I never let her out by herself and I am always out with her. However the way the yard is situated, she always hears the dogs coming long before I can see them. It's hard for me to try to avert a reaction when she knows it's coming before I do.
Right now I am going back and trying to strengthen some of my commands, but this is an uphilll battle in this situation. I am finding it hard to find a way to strengthen the commands by gradual exposure in this specific situation as when on her territory there is no real safe distance. Same thing with desensitization.
I really would appreciate any advice you guys could give. It is getting worse and I really don't want it to escalate any further. People with dogs avoid walking by my house and I get comments from neighbors that they are scared because of how they see her react to dogs. :yikes: