I've seen and heard lots of advice telling people to make sure to socialize their animals early. Well, that's great if you GET the animal early. What if your pet comes from a shelter when it's already 2 1/2 years old? Our "new to us" lab came to us with OBVIOUS training. From her behavior it's obvious someone was working with her on field sports/hunting etc. She's very good in the house with us. But when I take her out, whether it's to the bus stop with my kids, or to the dog park, she goes CRAZY yanking on the leash, barking, sometimes growling (but not usually). I've been working with her on just SEEING dogs without getting all excited by taking her to the dog park, but keeping her on my leash and OUTSIDE the fenced in area where all the other dogs are. She seems to be getting only mildly better. Atleast she won't break OFF the leash now. (I guess I should be thankful for little progress.) But I know if she got to meet other dogs and see they aren't bad, she would have so much fun running and playing with them.
I DID think she was going to be fine one day, when she seemed to be doing so well. I got ahead of myself, I think, and took her INTO the off leash area (though SHE was still on-leash). A smaller, corgi/beagle mix came up to her and she SEEMED OKAY, right up until it came up to sniff her nose. She lunged for it, snarling, and tried to bite it. I was horrified at her behavior, panicked for that little doggie, and broken hearted for MY dog. WHAT GIVES? How can I even take her to get used to other dogs if she is so obviously defensive about it?
I DON'T want to endanger other dogs, but I know she is missing out on something important.

Good luck and bring some small treats to distract and work on training her when she starts to go nuts on leash.
Get her in a sit then give her a command like "look at me" and draw the treat to the eyes before she has a chance to notice whatever will set her off.
Keep her concentration and praise, praise, praise.

You may never be able to let her off leash at the dog park.

Once more, please promote your hero elsewhere. Your inflammatory rhetoric is not something we consider appropriate for this forum.



***Edited By: pyrmom on 10/15/2009 5:44:16 AM***
Reason: previously banned individual

The first thing you need to do, which should have been done the first day you got the dog --thebigdog

The OP has had the dog for less than 2 weeks. I think it would be fair to assume that the dog has received some conditioning by a previous owner that is making the OP's job more difficult.

And avoid listening to thebigdog, who apparently doesn't even own a dog. At least, I hope not.

About the dog whisperer...

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/31/opinion/31derr.html?_r=1

I'm guessing thebigdog has never read this. I get the impression all he does is watch tv. Like a teen girl who gets a crush on a movie star-thebigdog appears to have a crush on Cesar.

(thebigdog, or calmassertive-whatever he goes by)

Once more, this individual has been banned ~ perhaps the third time will be the charm?

AS for your new fur baby, if you have had her only 2 weeks she and you are still in the transition mode, neither of you really know what the other knows, wants right now~ time will tell ~ we didn't think one of our GSD's would ever be dog friendly either (the reason he was sent to the pound) we worked with him on leash with other dogs on leashes until we could let other dogs pass with out him lounging at them, we would put him in the sit position, and hold him there, he would sit and shake, growl, the whole nine yards, the whole time we let him see the other dogs and gave him the leave it command, once he calmed down we praised the world out of him, this lead to letting him smell the other dogs until now, we just spent 3 months with my daughter who has a rottie and a little bitty rat terrier and my dog never even thought of hurting them, we just introduced them on leash for about 10 minutes,
Give it time and work with your dog, this can be over come.

years ago i had a pitbull with these same problems. i knew where she cam from though and although she was never fought the people who owned her kind of encouraged her to be aggressive towards other dogs...sickly they thought it was funny. well when i got her it tooks lots of time and alot more patience (key word patience...it isnt an over night solution and you have to keep at it to change this behavior)
id take her on walks and if she got excited or aggressive at the sight of a dog id make her stand and eventually sit until she calmed down and ignored the dog then praise her and keep going. after a while of that i started socializing her SLOWLY with other dogs and eventually she was alright with other dogs but i never put her in a situation to be around an aggressive dog (even one that might growl at her because that would set her off so just be aware of your surroundings and the other dogs personalities.) to this day she is great with dogs. so it is possible but it takes ALOT of work so make sure you have the time to work with her. also having a trainer help you out would be a great idea. take her to those obidience classes that havae multiple dogs in it just let the trainer know her aggresion issues before you go.
good luck