Dog question

[twinmomplus2new]

I have a 165 pound ST. Bernard she just turned 5. For about 6 mts now she has been getting aggressive towards other dogs. Never to us but it seems to be, well.... it is escalating to other dogs. At first it was just one dog on the street she kept trying to get at. Now it is any dog that passes by. She runs from window to window barking and growling, It now has escalated to jumping at the actual glass. She has destroyed 2 window sills, (claws) And one window on the top at the lock from standing on her hind legs. It is actually rather scary when she does this. I usually have to lock her in the bathrom where she can not see the other dog.

Franky my neighbors are starting to get nervous. And I think they are purely justified in being so. I called my vet and they are saying. Some dogs actually do this between the ages of 5 and 7.
Further that they do not recommend keeping her as she would be considered a danger as she may in turn turn on us. I might add she out weighs me by about 40 lbs. The simple fact is if she gets out and gets at another dog, There is really not much I can see me doing.

I am sorry this is so long winded, I just DO not know how to handle this,does anyone have any experience with this type of issue?

 

[nealymouse]

Hire a professional dog trainer RIGHT AWAY. I used to work for a vet and have seen very aggassive dogs become friendly when worked with.

Go to your yellow pages and look or call you Vet and see if they have anyone in mind.

 

[DocRafiki]

Yes, this needs to be handled by a trainer, not a vet. A vet may be able to temporarily prescribe something that will make the pet more receptive to training, but talk to the trainer first.

As for me, I would build a barrier around my windows before I got rid of my dogs.

 

[twinmomplus2new]

Docrafiki
I was hoping you would answer.
My worry is more not the window sills, but rather the fear that one of the kids will let her out and we will have a big problem. The front yard is not fenced, my 2 little ones (3) Do run and not shut the door quickly enough. she did knock over my Brother to get out the door last Saturday, thankfully there was no dog there.
Sophie has been through obedience training, as a young pup. they are nasically telling me, I am going to have to get rid of her, because she may turn on the kids. I thought dog/people aggression was 2 differant issues, and they are saying not necessasarily. that it can be almost like an aging dementia she is only 5.

 

[olena]

Have you asked the dog's breeder about a family history of this?

 

[Val]

We have a 9 year old lab/pointer mix. She was the "younger" dog until we lost our dear Golden....we inherited a pound puppy special needs dog (Lilly was found in a trash bag by the side of the road with a broken leg- as best as we can tell she is hound (by the howl), rottie (by her growl) and lab???? Very nervous, terrified of men and any loud noise). Merry puppy (the lab/pointer- she was a very "merry" puppy) was VERY protective of the kids already, and become extremely protective of the pup. In addition, we have little yappie/barkie dogs behind us who are left out on the deck and bark incessantly. This has driven Merry nuts....

....through lots of hard work and training (of the children, as well as the dog), Merry is much more under control. We used a combo of behavior mod and some initial anti-depressants to settle her down. She still barks, but is not aggressive. We taught her to "settle" by the door (sit quietly and wait for a treat), and give her treats for NOT barking (easier said than done!). She is better, but not completely trustworthy. I crate her if lots of kids are around or if I can't keep a good eye on her.

That being said, she is a risk. She weighs about 100 pounds (think SQUARE lab). She has the potential to bite or attack another dog- and we must keep that in mind. BUT- she is part of the family and we are working extremely hard to control her behavior.

Hope that gives you a little hope. It is frustrating, and you can't back off a minute or the dog goes back to the old ways. Find a good trainer (ask your vet), and be prepared to spend some money on the training, but it will be worth it.

But- no matter how hard we try, we still cannot cure Merry of rolling her metal food dish down the stairs to get our attention- maybe this is why she never goes hungry!

 

[twinmomplus2new]

Thanks for the advice. AS I said I just thought it was bravado, I never thought she would actually do anything, and as very concerned by the response I got from the vet.
I do have the name of a trainer who works with dogs with this problem. Unfortunatly for me anyway... he got maried on Saturday and he will not be back for another week. So I am waiting it out.I hate to sound so wishy washy she is just so docile with us that this is hard to process.

Unfortunatly as for her breeder, We believe she may have been a puppy mill dog. The lady that sold her to us wasarrested for running an unliscened pet brokerage out of her home.When we went to look at the pups there were 3 pups there total. 3 Saints, mine and her brother and sister. No cages, no dogs, no smell. all the papers were in order. The mom was in the garage because she said she was protective of the pups. We did take her, Took her to the vet she was cleared in great shape. I then submitted her AKC papers and imagine my surprise when she was listed as being born In Nebraska. She was purchased from a family in Masachusetts. Exactly 2 weeks later, on FOX News there was an expose on this woman and they uncovered this bussiness, and she had a basement full of cages all breeds, that she was bringing in from all over the country. there was a lawsuit, but I did not participate because we had no issues with our dog. until now that is.

 

[olena]

Unfortunatly as for her breeder, We believe she may have been a puppy mill dog. The lady that sold her to us wasarrested for running an unliscened pet brokerage out of her home.When we went to look at the pups there were 3 pups there total. 3 Saints, mine and her brother and sister. No cages, no dogs, no smell. all the papers were in order. The mom was in the garage because she said she was protective of the pups. We did take her, Took her to the vet she was cleared in great shape. I then submitted her AKC papers and imagine my surprise when she was listed as being born In Nebraska. She was purchased from a family in Masachusetts. Exactly 2 weeks later, on FOX News there was an expose on this woman and they uncovered this bussiness, and she had a basement full of cages all breeds, that she was bringing in from all over the country. there was a lawsuit, but I did not participate because we had no issues with our dog. until now that is.

I hope the trainer can help.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

It is so hard to deal with issues like that. However I would put kids first. An aggressive dog (for whatever reason) and young kids do not mix. Your vet is just telling you this could be a possible warning sign for you.
Only you along with a trainer can assess what needs to be done.
{HUGS}

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

Good Luck with your St. Bernard. My mom has a doberman who is aggressive toward smaller dogs and cats. She has worked with a trainer as well as years of work on her own. The dog has gotten better but it was a long hard road. But no matter where she goes its always in the back of her mind. I myself, have a collie, yes a collie that is aggressive if she is challenged first. She is 14 now so its not so much of an issue as when she was younger. But everywhere I went I always had to be on guard. It can be corrected but its a long road. Talk to a trainer! Good Luck! And neither the Dobe or the collie has been aggressive toward people and yes, I do have small children. Take Care!