# Redirected Aggression



## Miata313 (Nov 30, 2015)

Anyone have any tips/experience with redirected aggression. Long story short...3 1/2 year old, fearful/reactive of off-leash dogs redirects on me/husband while out on walks, nips/bites US. Trainer said not to muzzle because if he is attacked he won't be able to defend himself and it will destroy his trust in us...... but, how can I help him to not react in this way. 

If you need more history I will be happy to elaborate.


Thank you.


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## Kyrielle (Jun 28, 2016)

What do you/husband do when off-leash dogs approach?

What does your dog do when off-leash dogs approach?

Describe both in as much detail as you can and leave out historical data. Just describe specific action-reaction.


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## Chip Blasiole (May 3, 2013)

I know some will react to my suggestion, but I would kick him when he redirects at you. I am not referring to a full force toe kick. I am talking about enough force to let him know his behavior is unacceptable. Then you have to be careful where and how to kick him. You can use your knee if he comes up high. You can use the inside/instep of your foot. Try giving him a shot to the shoulder blade area. It has to be with very quick and with enough force to get his attention, but not so hard as to injure him. It also depends on how tough the dog is as to whether a kick will phase him.


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## Jchrest (Jun 5, 2019)

My GSD and Husky will occasionally redirect to me when the ankle biters are loose and running towards us. I absolutely use a verbal correction (leave it) and a knee to one or both, depending on who is reacting. Hard enough to get their attention, but not hard enough to do anything other than redirecting them to obedience. Then I continue the walk like nothing happened. I also carry mace, and have had to mace an ankle biter to get her away from my dogs, so I body blocked my dogs from the fluffy rat, and sprayed her. She ran off howling and barking, and we continued our walk like normal. I think that’s the key, correct, and proceed like nothing happened. If you make a big deal out of it, so will your GSD. If you act like nothing happened after a correction and continued the walk, they learn to look to you because they learn you’ll handle the situation and they don’t need to anything but stay by your side. Sometimes they will redirect to each other, and I use the same technique, albeit a little firmer, because I want to nip that in the bud pronto. 

Good luck, and I hope you get the advice you need!


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## Steve Strom (Oct 26, 2013)

Miata313 said:


> Anyone have any tips/experience with redirected aggression. Long story short...3 1/2 year old, fearful/reactive of off-leash dogs redirects on me/husband while out on walks, nips/bites US. Trainer said not to muzzle because if he is attacked he won't be able to defend himself and it will destroy his trust in us...... but, how can I help him to not react in this way.
> 
> If you need more history I will be happy to elaborate.
> 
> ...


You build trust over time through consistency, not in the moment of a dog fight. Put the muzzle on him, use distance and obedience. Enough distance that he's aware of other dogs, but not so close that their attention will draw them to your dog. Over time the distance can become less and with good obedience he'll trust you to ignore and move on from other dogs when you say so. It takes time, but the fact that you say you're working with a trainer and you don't already have a plan? I wouldn't be comfortable telling you to use any kind of force to interrupt his behavior in that moment. I think you'd be better off being careful to manage his contact with other dogs with distance, teaching him how to behave and changing his perception of other dogs by making them just something in the background.


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## rotdocpa1 (Mar 19, 2018)

A friend of mine seems to have good success in her reactive dog classes using box muzzles that they can be rewarded food through and doing gradual exposure to her non-reactive dogs as well as others. I think she has entire classes in box muzzles. Perhaps see if there is anything similar in her area. I have been impressed with her results although not a job I would sign up for.


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## Miata313 (Nov 30, 2015)

Kyrielle said:


> What do you/husband do when off-leash dogs approach?
> 
> What does your dog do when off-leash dogs approach?
> 
> Describe both in as much detail as you can and leave out historical data. Just describe specific action-reaction.


The latest 2 incidents: 


1 - Husband - walking dog and offender dog busts out of house and runs toward them barking and so on - Husband gets in-between the dogs and calls other owner for help. Other owner comes out of house and calls dog who does not listen...both dogs continue to growl and bark at each other and our dog bites husband in thigh. I was not there, so don't know what, if any, commands he gave our dog. Other own gets ahold of his dogs collar and removes him back into the house. Husband continues walk back to house with bloody leg and small bite which turns into a bruise the circumference of his thigh.


2 - I am walking dog and we are surprised by 2 dogs and their owner on a front porch....porch was blocked by shrubbery so I didn't see them until the dogs barked at us. My dog was walking at a heel on my left side, house with dogs on my right side. When dogs barked I saw them as my dog began to react, barking and crossing in front of me toward the house. I sternly said (probably yelled) NO. In that instant, his front feet left the ground and he nipped me on my right side rib cage. the owner of the other dogs was commanding her dogs to stay. They did not leave the porch, although they were not leashed. As soon as my dog nipped me (left a nice bruise, but did not break the skin), he went back to my left side, looked at me with remorse and we just kept walking. honestly, it happened so fast, I know I did not react how I had been told to by our trainer, who told me to let him go to the end of the leash and back him away from the situation. 


That is what happened most recently.


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## Chip Blasiole (May 3, 2013)

IMO, your trainer gave terrible advice. I realize different people have different levels of experience and confidence with dogs, but in the first scenario, I would have busted the dog in the head with my knee and in the second scenario, I would have busted him in the head with a forearm. Every time your dog redirects on you or your husband, he is being reinforced for biting you and he needs punishment to decrease the behavior. I would start carrying a stout stick to protect yourself from other dogs and to use on your dog if that is easier than a direct blow with your arm or foot.


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## Miata313 (Nov 30, 2015)

Kyrielle said:


> What do you/husband do when off-leash dogs approach?
> 
> What does your dog do when off-leash dogs approach?
> 
> Describe both in as much detail as you can and leave out historical data. Just describe specific action-reaction.



Probably did my reply wrong. I posted describing the last 2 incidents, but as far as what I do when off-leash dogs approach, my first reaction is to pull my dog into me and tell him NO. I understand that this is not the way to deal with it. Our trainer has said to let him go out to the end of the leash and move backwards away from the offender and give him the heel command. I need to work on my reaction when my dog goes all cujo…..


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## Kyrielle (Jun 28, 2016)

Thank you for the details. That makes it a lot easier for us to help you!

It sounds like your dog just doesn't know what he's supposed to do. Is he supposed to protect you? Fend off the other dog? Let you protect him? Since there's no direction, sounds like he takes his frustration out on you--which kind of makes sense if he normally views both of you as the leader and you're not leading properly.

It also sounds like he doesn't trust you to make the decisions.

I think you need to make your dog follow a command. Teach him to go behind you on command and STAY there. If he bites you, give him a strong correction immediately followed by your command to stay behind you. We have to pair a "No" with a "Yes" in this case. "NO! Don't bite me." "YES! Get behind me." Then you have to successfully fend off the dogs yourself so you're making good on his trust in you. With increased trust and an increased clarity in his role, I think he'll stop redirecting.


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## Heartandsoul (Jan 5, 2012)

I'm seeing this as two issues needing work instead of one. The redirection and the reactivity. With the redirection, if it were mine, I would get him with a trainer who works with the issue using stable dogs and I would absolutely use a muzzle. While working on that and until the issue is well under control, I would do my walking in out of the way areas where there is basically 0 chance that I would run into any dog with or without owner and I would not use the muzzle as it would render him defenseless.

I do have a reactive dog and it took some work for him to realize that fenced dogs, or tied up out front dogs or in the house bouncing off of windows dogs or dogs on leash with owners are not a threat. Twice I was thankful that he wasn't muzzled due to charging aggressive dogs, so that's where my position on muzzling comes from. But he doesn't redirect.

Also get a trainer who knows the breed, the temperament and solid balanced training methods.


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## Nigel (Jul 10, 2012)

The dog is going over threshold so quickly that you’ll be hard pressed to gain any control with commands at that point. His brain shuts down and he becomes a coiled spring with all that energy being released on whatever/whoever is within reach. Like Steve mentioned earlier, you need distance. Find a place that is less likely to have surprise encounters,yet still able to see dogs from a safe distance. Start your training from there and gradually reduce the distance.


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## Miata313 (Nov 30, 2015)

Kyrielle said:


> Thank you for the details. That makes it a lot easier for us to help you!
> 
> It sounds like your dog just doesn't know what he's supposed to do. Is he supposed to protect you? Fend off the other dog? Let you protect him? Since there's no direction, sounds like he takes his frustration out on you--which kind of makes sense if he normally views both of you as the leader and you're not leading properly.
> 
> ...



So, you would suggest no muzzle with this technique?


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## Miata313 (Nov 30, 2015)

Nigel said:


> The dog is going over threshold so quickly that you’ll be hard pressed to gain any control with commands at that point. His brain shuts down and he becomes a coiled spring with all that energy being released on whatever/whoever is within reach. Like Steve mentioned earlier, you need distance. Find a place that is less likely to have surprise encounters,yet still able to see dogs from a safe distance. Start your training from there and gradually reduce the distance.


Nigel, yes, this happens so quickly it is hard for my reaction to be faster than his. He is fine at a distance...it is the close encounters that become a problem. We can walk him only at the park rather than the neighborhood, but was hoping to get a better handle on the reactivity.


Thank you for your input!


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Does this only happen during dog fights?? This is exactly why it's advised to not get in the middle of dogs. I had a doberman coming to attack my dog redirect at my leg, and cost several hundred dollars in medical fees, when I yanked my dog back out of the way.

First, I would carry something to protect my dog. Second, I would muzzle my dog so I don't get bit. And more importantly, I would do everything in my power to never put my dog in the position of being attacked. Every time that happens, his need to survive is going to get stronger and his behavior will escalate. Work on the reactivity, if it's even there when he's not being attacked, at a distance as Steve suggested with behavior modification techniques.


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## MineAreWorkingline (May 2, 2015)

I am getting a gut feeling that your dog is not viewing you as his partner and friend, someone he can rely on. 

I also suspect that this dog just might not be up to taking what he views as an unfair correction from someone he doesn't fully trust when he feels under attack from strange dogs so I would be cautious getting physical with him.

I noticed you said that your dog was heeling at your side in your second example. He might also be fearing a correction for breaking a command when he reacts to a potential threat from another dog, i.e., an unfair correction. 

IMO you need to take it one step deeper and work on your bond and developing trust to make a foundational and trusting change in your relationship with your dog.


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## Miata313 (Nov 30, 2015)

Jax08 said:


> Does this only happen during dog fights?? This is exactly why it's advised to not get in the middle of dogs. I had a doberman coming to attack my dog redirect at my leg, and cost several hundred dollars in medical fees, when I yanked my dog back out of the way.
> 
> First, I would carry something to protect my dog. Second, I would muzzle my dog so I don't get bit. And more importantly, I would do everything in my power to never put my dog in the position of being attacked. Every time that happens, his need to survive is going to get stronger and his behavior will escalate. Work on the reactivity, if it's even there when he's not being attacked, at a distance as Steve suggested with behavior modification techniques.


 
So, he has never actually been attacked or in a dog fight. He is fearful and has confidence issues. He has been diagnosed as reactive by my Vet. My trainer does not feel the same with regard to being reactive. We need to work on the reactivity and confidence building which we have been doing at training class. I guess that is where I am asking for advice/techniques to work on this from others with experience. We go to training class with other dogs and he is fine, but that is at the training field where I think he behaves differently. 


I really appreciate all the input.


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## Saco (Oct 23, 2018)

It's one of those things you need to correct hard when it happens, but this correction is a one-time thing, and comes along with OB, relationship work, confidence building, etc. I've been there but am not going to post advice here given if implemented incorrectly, someone could get hurt... find a more experienced trainer who can actually help you with this. If you post location, people might have some good recs.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Where in Maryland are you? Anywhere near Columbia? If so, contact this person.
https://pupsdogobedience.com/

Karen can help you.


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## Miata313 (Nov 30, 2015)

Thank you!


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