# Redirected aggression issue/not bitten but could have been



## Hayang (Feb 17, 2018)

Hi, I posted earlier , I just adopted a female shepherd... Mazzy, from a local rescue.. we are working on cat issue.. she is still crated ...when they are around... ignores one... fixates on the other... ironically the older and more scared of her cat.. ANYWAY... another issue has come up that has trumped the cat issue.. and is making me consider returning her.. even tho I know this can be worked with.. I wonder if my environment is not the one it should be worked with in .... I live in a very large apartment (1600 square foot , so bigger than some houses) I'm also across from the Puget sound (so Washington state) I walk her every day after work for the past week ( Ive only had her a week) she is reactive around dogs.. but I am able to get her away and redirect with treats... she played well with the other dogs at the rescue so I know this has something to do with a leash.. she growls at other dogs especially if they are too near. and appears frustrated... it seems to be more so when they are smaller than her.. altho she has reacted to larger ones as well.. I'm always able to break her fixed state. usually with food.. I figured this would work until I could get her into formal training... Well today we decided to take her on the trails at Point Defiance park , for those not familiar it is a 760 acre park that borders the Puget sound... with trails everywhere.. and a beach... perfect place for a dog... I knew that on the trails we would probably not run into a dog.. since it was fairly cold today.. but I was wrong.. I had my nephew hike ahead of me so he could warn me of approaching dogs..... we say plenty of people on the trail and she of course greeted them like a golden retriever.. this dog has NO people issues at all.. when I saw the dog ( a beagle) I backed off of the trail into the woods... and pulled out the hot dogs.. she at this point was way too agitated to care... she barked and lunged at the dog ... who did the same...I pulled her back and she turned around and snapped at me, she ended up getting the air...not me... but it was definitely aggression.. My sister was pretty shocked .. I explained to her her what it was ... as I have heard of it ..but never experienced it... My daughters Cattle dog mix was extremely fixated on skateboarders and bikes.. sometimes dogs as well.. but horrible with bikes and joggers... she almost bit a guy running on a trail when we were hiking...my daughter worked with her... she is still not perfect , but def not a liability... and this dog even in a agitated state..never redirected on myself or my daughter.. I really really like this dog.. and the bond is really starting to form.. but ... I cant trust her now.... I think she is agitated at home when I am at work... I have been crating her.. coming home at lunch and taking her out to potty.. but the long walk is saved for when I get home.. she settles well in the house... really well ... but I do sense her frustration when in the crate.. I leave her out of it at night.. buy I am afraid she will be destructive if I leave her out when I am gone for extended periods.. I think she needs to run off leash..I am wondering if her inability to do so is a contributing factor??? but not sure, dont know enough about this.. I have read that this behavior means she has an unstable temperament.. but some articles say no and its environmental....and herding terrier breeds are prone to it ... I have a hard time swallowing this as she is an absolute love other than this.. I think she needs a yard..I cant take her to a dog park.. since I dont know her well enough... not willing to risk it.. not a huge fan of dog parks anyway.. but I have used them in the past and I see the benefit for people without yards..... Mazzy also gets frustrated easily... she does not like it when she is on a leash and people are stationary... I stopped to talk to a new neighbor on Saturday who is new to the building and wanted to pet Mazzy. we got to talking and that talk turned into 1/2 hour... Mazzy started whining and throwing a fit... she at one point grabbed onto my jacket and tried to pull me away... lol like a small child... I corrected and she stopped ...I have seen her frustration when being restrained , she usually jumps up and shakes her head and bites at the leash... but I never thought it would turn into aggression ... now I am not sure where to walk her... Thank goodness I did not use a prong on her.. I am not against these collars but I know they can create this in a dog already prone to it.. I think at this point I am just looking for opinions......?


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## dogma13 (Mar 8, 2014)

That air snap was frustration not aggression.When she gets excited/agitated she should not be rewarded with treats.If you choose to move off to the side to avoid an approaching dog,have her sit and look at you.It's important to catch her and give her something else to do BEFORE she gets worked up.When she's calm reward,not when she's agitated.Teach her a 'watch me ' command.If you can keep her moving,even better.'Watch me' and hustle on by the other dog,reward for success,firm leash pop for not focusing on you.Do whatever you need to do to keep her attention - sing,make noises,watch me,watch me,watch me!
Plodding along at a human's pace is not much exercise for a dog.There must be an area that's fenced off somewhere.Ball field,playground,etc.It would benefit her mentally and physically if she could just trot around at her own pace sniffing and exploring.She sounds like a wonderful dog.


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## Evohog (Jul 18, 2017)

dogma13 said:


> That air snap was frustration not aggression.When she gets excited/agitated she should not be rewarded with treats.If you choose to move off to the side to avoid an approaching dog,have her sit and look at you.It's important to catch her and give her something else to do BEFORE she gets worked up.When she's calm reward,not when she's agitated.Teach her a 'watch me ' command.If you can keep her moving,even better.'Watch me' and hustle on by the other dog,reward for success,firm leash pop for not focusing on you.Do whatever you need to do to keep her attention - sing,make noises,watch me,watch me,watch me!
> Plodding along at a human's pace is not much exercise for a dog.There must be an area that's fenced off somewhere.Ball field,playground,etc.It would benefit her mentally and physically if she could just trot around at her own pace sniffing and exploring.She sounds like a wonderful dog.


^^^^This.

Mazzy has been with you for a week. I believe you're going to quick with her, introducing her to strangers, taking her around other dogs, ...
I'd take her to a fenced in area and let her get her energy out off leash once or twice a day. Other than that on leash, even inside if not crated. Have her stay close to you ALL THE TIME and establish you being the pack leader. Do that for at least two weeks. Work on obedience when she accepts you as her leader. Take her for walks but try to avoid people and other dogs for now.
Give her time to adjust to a new life with a new person.


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## dogma13 (Mar 8, 2014)

@Evohog brought up another excellent tip.If there were a place where you could sit and observe people and dogs from a comfortable distance that can be a great help in acclimating Mazzy.


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## Sunsilver (Apr 8, 2014)

The 'look at me' command needs to be given BEFORE she fixates on the other dog. Then you are rewarding her for focusing on you, not for not staring at the other dog. Practise it indoors, then move to areas where there are distractions present.


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## Sunsilver (Apr 8, 2014)

Forgot to add: give her a treat/praise as soon as she redirects her focus to you.


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## Hayang (Feb 17, 2018)

Thanks so much for your reply ... I was concerned it was aggression... but I do see what you mean and now I think about it , it was frustration that looked like aggression.. she does the same to the broom and vacuum cleaner.. I am going to avoid other dogs at all cost... for now... I will be enrolling her in obedience classes mid April


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## Hayang (Feb 17, 2018)

thanks so much , I will start her on this


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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

Emphasis on _guideline_, and despite the focus on being flooded by human interactions... it gives you some things to think about and consider.

https://lgarinc.org/decompression-the-two-week-shutdown/

Also, empty tennis courts can be someplace to find, even if you have to drive to them, to exercise her.


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## Evohog (Jul 18, 2017)

Fodder said:


> Emphasis on _guideline_, and despite the focus on being flooded by human interactions... it gives you some things to think about and consider.
> 
> https://lgarinc.org/decompression-the-two-week-shutdown/
> 
> Also, empty tennis courts can be someplace to find, even if you have to drive to them, to exercise her.


What a great article! Thanks for posting.


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## GandalfTheShepherd (May 1, 2017)

Be mindful with the tennis courts, a lot of people don't appreciate dogs running on them... I literally have one in my backyard but the HOA won't let me take my dog on it even if hes wearing shoes lol. Same thing goes for baseball fields... really depends where you live and who owns it.


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## Hayang (Feb 17, 2018)

awesome article! Thanks so much


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