Dog-Agressive Youngling Behaviour

Discussion in 'Belgian Shepherd Dog (Malinois)' started by Ringler, Mar 7, 2018.

  1. Ringler

    Ringler New Member

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    Dog-Agressive Youngling

    Hey!

    I've got a wonderful Malinois, he's great fun to be around and got all the traits a malinois is supposed to have. He's soon going to turn two years old (in may). However he's got some issues, to say the least, with other dogs we encounter on our walks.
    Im going to start off with telling you guys how a normal day in our lives look. This is to emphasize the fact that he is in no way understimulated - unless he's some sort of stimulation-craving doom-dog :p.
    So, me and Rollo spend 24 hours of every day together. I work at a day-care for dogs and so we meet around 40-50 dogs every day, and has been doing so since Rollo was about three months old. After a long day of walks and missions in the woods with the other dogs - which Rollo helps me herd, making sure none of them strays too far from the pack - we spend about thirty minutes or so obedience training. In the weekend we often throw freesbees until we drop. I think it's safe to say that Rollo is a very active dog and he's got a great attention when we're obedience training.
    Now to the actual problem :confused:.
    Picture us walking, eye-contact almost unwavering (if I want it to be). Fifty yards ahead of us Fifi the bichon havanais, with her 60+ owner comes walking along towards us. Rollo has seen the other dog and his attention starts to split a little bit, but he's still focused enough on me. Fifi is getting closer and Rollos attention is still fine. When Fifi is just five small yards away, Rollos concentration suddenly breaks. He's become convinced that Fifi and her 60+ owner is going to murder us, and so he lunges towards them sounding like he wants to end both their lives and thus save the day. 2 or 3 out of 10 of these situations I manage to keep his attention and avoid a confrontation, but only if I brought something super-fun along, like a stick or a freesbee, although that trick doesn't always work. I'm not some meek guy with my feet pointing inwards, I walk with a straight back and Rollo knows in all other situations who's in charge, and yet he feels the need to protect me from dogs the size of his left hind-leg. To clarify, it's not just small fluffy dogs he hates. Basically he hates every other dog he sees initially. Even his friends from day-care seems to be a huge threat, until he actually meets them and realize he already knows them. If Rollo were to be off-leash in the Fifi-scenario he would run up to the other dog, looking very hostile indeed, head and ears reaching for the sky, tail pointing straight up and a nice long ridge of hair going from the neck all the way to the tail. By this time Fifis' owner is probably scared half to death. Then, when Rollo reaches the other dog, he just stops, assert his dominance and runs back to me. Needless to say the damage is already done, Fifi's owner is probably inches from a heart-attack by then. Rollo has never hurt another dog, he just speaks a language that is incredibly hostile.
    I want all of this to completely go away, he doesn't need to be playful or fool around with other dogs, I just want him to feel calm and pass other dogs like they are no more important than ants.
    I have no idea where this behavior comes from, I mean, he's been socialized since puppyhood for god's sake! When we work during the days I walk him with 4 other dogs without any problem at all! If Fifi were to start going to our daycare, he wouldn't bat an eye, he'd be super friendly.
    Usually Malinois are very sensitive and attentive (correct me if i'm wrong), but Rollo is a tough guy. He's not phased at all if I get mad at him for behaving like a jerk towards other dogs. In other situations, like that time he ate one of my pillows, he was soo ashamed, but when it comes to agression, it's a completely different matter. The strangest thing about his behavior is that it is non-existant when I'm working. It is as if other dogs are not the actual threat, the threat is the confrontation during our walks. Rollo's never been the playful guy with other dogs, he's more people-oriented, that's where the fun is at in his world.
    I've got some ideas on how to train this agression-issue, but I'd love to get some input from you, if you have read this far (sorry for the essay:oops:).
    One of my plans is going into a densly dog-populated area and sit on a bench for hours with Rollo beside me, watching other dogs go by. When he manages to stay calm he'll get a treat, you get the idea. The goal is to de-sentisize, making Rollo blasé of other dogs.
    The other solution I've been thinking of is to neuter him. It may or may not work, but being a guy I somewhat dislike the idea and it feels like a shortcut, the easy and lame way out. Plus it may not work at all. However, one of his testicles is not where it should be and supposedly that may increase testosterone production because of the extra warmth from being somewhere up in his tummy. Anyway, that's what I've got to work with. I'd love to hear if you have similar stories to tell or if you have any ideas on how to counter Rollos behavior. I'm still holding on to the hope that it's just a youth-phase, but I suppose that might me wishful thinking :rolleyes:.

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  3. GsdSlave

    GsdSlave Member

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    Ringler, Malka and CaroleC like this.
  4. My bear Yoji

    My bear Yoji Member

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    Ringler likes this.
    We have a male Akita, so, I’m sorry I giggled about you Dog walk with Fifi/other dogs as it is a mirror of our walks
    When we are out and about I’m just constantly hoping we don’t meet anyone with dogs, life’s just not quite like that is it?
    Yoji, had an undecended testicle and our vet told us there was a higher risk that that could become cancerous, that could be you “ get out “ from feeling guilty by having him done
    Once Yoji had been done we found him a lot calmer, things are still stressful, but, like you I’m hoping with age things will settle down
    Let me know what you decide
    Rolo is a great looking dog by the way
    Philippa
  5. Malka

    Malka Member

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    What has your vet said about one of his testicles not being in "the right place"?
  6. Ringler

    Ringler New Member

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    Thank you for all your replies! I will definitely teach Rollo a "watch me" command and see how far that will get us! When he has learned the command I should probably make sure that he's seen the other dog befor employing it right? Just so that he associate other dogs with the command and thus also a rewarding game of tug?
    Rollo does have an undecended testicle, however i suspect the small lump - just where his thigh meets his stomach on the inside - to be that very same undecended testicle. The vet has told me that if it is that close to the "surface" I shouldn't worry too much about it. I haven't confirmed that the lump in fact is his testie but i'm pretty sure it is, so i'm going to follow the vets advice and not worry too much :).
    Hopefully we can get around his dog-agressiveness and turn it into something he associates with happiness instead. If that, or any of the other techniques, doesn't work I have to consider neutering, however if I know Swedish vets well enough, the fact that he's got an undecended testie is going to jack up the price tremendously. Hopefully my insurance company will help me out if it comes to that!
  7. Malka

    Malka Member

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    What is more important? The risk of an undescended testicle possibly causing cancer or your insurance company "helping you out".

    I think you need to find a vet who knows what he it talking about and not just say "not to worry".

    Incidentally I did not have any insurance for my epileptic girl because there was none. Nor is there any insurance for my current little girl. If I cannot pay for vet treatment, I would not own a pet.
  8. GsdSlave

    GsdSlave Member

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    I had a male with retained testicle, for various reasons I chose just to have the retained one removed.
    You could just have the retained one removed, (obviously he should not be used for breeding as its hereditary) otherwise There's no reason you can't leave the good testicle where it is.

    For some reason, people associate lots of problem behavior with a dog being intact, that's not always the case. Studies show that neutering’ in nearly all cases aggression increased.
    https://www.psychologytoday.com/blo...vior-changes-when-dogs-are-spayed-or-neutered
    There are pros and cons to neutering and best to do lots of research before deciding.
    https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/long-term-health-risks-benefits-associated-spay-neuter-michele-o-hara
  9. Malka

    Malka Member

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    You posted while I was just thinking! I have never had a male dog, apart from my puppies while they were still with me, and a couple of mine I looked after for during emergencies - both castrated because I still had my girls.

    I did not know it was possible for just the retained testicle to be removed.

    Would that still leave the dog with such testosterone?
  10. GsdSlave

    GsdSlave Member

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    Yes he will have plenty of testosterone with one testicle.

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