XPost: rec.pets.dogs.behavior, alt.animals.dog, rec.pets.dogs.rescue   
   XPost: rec.pets.dogs.breeds   
   From: none@example.com   
      
   sheila schrieb:   
   > Putting him in training classes is not an option, he will just try to   
   > attack them, i havent found anywhere that will take on an aggressive   
   > dog.   
   > Im not in to hurting him and i dont want to use anything like shock   
   > collers,   
   > he is stressed enough   
   > I want to calm him down and try to get him to listen to us.   
   good evening sheila.   
   please be patient with your dog.   
   (be also patient with me if you find some mistakes in english. thanks!)   
   by an age of abt 20 months its a very young dog and   
   he has to learn a lot ;-)   
      
   i live in vienna with a shephard whom i found some years ago nearby the   
   italian highway (rome) and a sharplaninac who was coming out of a   
   hungarian "death-lager".   
   none of my dogs knew a leash. they tried the same "little games" with me   
   as your dog does now.   
   (my advantage... i have had dogs since 1987)   
      
   8 days are really _nothing_ referring any good education of your dog.   
   "shock collars" are forbidden here in austria for a very good reason:   
   with these methods you could easily *destroy* the best character of any   
   dog !!   
      
   1. _leash_   
   when your dog pulls on his leash please _turn__around_: go into the   
   other direction. turn back. he will follow you.   
   step by step he will learn that there is no sense in pulling you away.   
      
   2. _behavior__with__other__dogs_   
   do you know someone (friend) who has a very quiet and sovereign dog?   
   this should help.  ;-)   
      
   beg him to stay with _his_ dog in a distance of ~30 meters.   
   then pass by different times.   
   when your dog calmes down - and he _will_ do ! praise him. - reduce the   
   distance to ~20 meters (for the first time for about half an hour).   
      
   at the beginning don't go too near to the other dog.   
   you must try different times/different days. so your dog will learn that   
   other dogs are no problem.   
      
   3. _visitors__in__your__house_   
   eventually - for a certain period - there would be helpful a muzzle.   
   you _and__only__you_ tell your dog to stay away.   
   visitors first ignore him.   
      
   when the dog has calmed down your friend chucks a "goodie" in the   
   direction of the dog. after then he moves in a certain distance (but   
   does _not_ look at the dog) dropping another "goodie".   
      
   (btw. try the same thing with ringing or knocking at the door.   
   try different times on different days. always when your dog is quiet:   
   praise him. you can force it: someone of your familiy should go out and   
   make a 'terrible noise' at the door.)   
      
   > when we got him, he was out on a walk with about 20 other dogs, all off   
   > the lead and running riot, there were about 20 other peopke there too   
   > and he didnt even bat an eyelid,   
   > Thanks why im so confused.   
   your dog has a very good sense for _your__own_ confusion.   
   you too should relax  ;-)   
   there is no miracle in a good and _consequent_ education of your dog.   
   love understanding and a very simple  YES  or  NO  is the basis.   
   never give ambiguous commands (there is *never* any "_perhaps_" in your   
   dog training !!).   
      
   > We were complete strangers to him and yet he sat in the back of our car   
   > for the journy back to scotland without any aggression to us.   
   perfect  :-) good guy.   
      
   4. _most__important__thing_   
   praising the dog  when he did as you wanted is an important factor.   
   but you must do it in the *right* moment:   
   for example.   
   my sharplaninac girl really loves !! any kind of dog food and tried to   
   eat everything she found in the street. of course i can't accept because   
   you never know what your dear dog _is_ really eating... :-(   
   therefore a strict  NO. when she let it be i _suddenly_ praised her.   
      
   > Are we doing something wrong?   
   > We just bought a halti for him and he hates it but it does stop his   
   > pulling,   
   i tried with 'halti' too. then a special day i decided to leave it off.   
   i think my dogs are  happy without and feel better...   
      
   > we had him on a harness before that but that just made his   
   > power seem even stronger   
   > i have no idea of his history either as he came from a rescue so i cant   
   > pin this behaviour on anything   
   > HELP!!!   
   hope i could help only a little bit...   
      
   have a good time with your wonderful dog !!   
      
   best viennese greetings   
   mens_canis + cirillo + cora   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)