Nicole and Baby Oscar
06-05-2001, 04:09 AM
OK... here's the situation. Copper, my rescue, has a "mood" sometimes. Remember, he belonged to a backyard breeder who allowed him to run loose for 20 months and he was never inside a house, vaccinated, etc. I also believe he was attacked at some time by a bigger dog... he has about 20 small puncture scars on his neck and chest, and based on his reactions, it was probably a boxer/bulldog or another breed with a smushed face. Anyway, about 95% of the time, when we go on walks at the park, he's a friendly, happy boy who loves everyone and everyone's dogs. EXCEPT, he makes a little sound in his throat, which sounds kind of like a growl. Dogs always ignore it, which makes me think it is a play sound (he does it also when he's playing sometimes). But that's not the main problem.
The main problem is that about 5% of the time Copper barks, snarls, and tries to attack EVERYONE we run into. Even people he's met and liked before. I've been pulling him back and giving him a verbal correction, and he'll stop and sit down by me, but if I let him go in the least, he's right back at it. If I hold him back from the beginning, he ALWAYS barks at whatever he's being held back from (when I had Oscar in puppy class, the trainer said the dog thinks, "Wow! If Mom is holding me back, it must be REALLY bad! I better get rid of it!") And I don't want him to think everything is bad. Like I said, it's not EVERY time, just rarely (maybe once or twice a month).
Any ideas? Other than obedience class (which I'm working on getting him in). I don't even know if I'm giving him the right correction since I don't understand the root of the behavior in the first place. Thanks!
Nicole and Baby Oscar (and Copper)
The main problem is that about 5% of the time Copper barks, snarls, and tries to attack EVERYONE we run into. Even people he's met and liked before. I've been pulling him back and giving him a verbal correction, and he'll stop and sit down by me, but if I let him go in the least, he's right back at it. If I hold him back from the beginning, he ALWAYS barks at whatever he's being held back from (when I had Oscar in puppy class, the trainer said the dog thinks, "Wow! If Mom is holding me back, it must be REALLY bad! I better get rid of it!") And I don't want him to think everything is bad. Like I said, it's not EVERY time, just rarely (maybe once or twice a month).
Any ideas? Other than obedience class (which I'm working on getting him in). I don't even know if I'm giving him the right correction since I don't understand the root of the behavior in the first place. Thanks!
Nicole and Baby Oscar (and Copper)